Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles (DMV/RMV) Customer Service

When calling the Ohio Bureau Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV), the phone menu offers four categories for assistance: not receiving a recently purchased license, plate renewal and vehicle registration, license suspension information and fee payments, and general driver license info. This matches up with most of the customer service concerns people have. Other typical needs include scheduling driving tests and finding office locations or hours. The phone recording says to use their website for these specific issues.

The recording frequently points you to their website for information and self-service. Plate renewal, vehicle registration, license or ID renewal, scheduling a driving test, title transfers and requesting your driving record can be done online. However, after describing the relevant webpage, you're still given the option to speak with a rep. The only exception I noticed was for driving tests; those need to be scheduled through the website. In my recent experience, customer service numbers that push you toward their website often make it difficult to speak with a human. I appreciate that the BMV makes it easy.

The rep I spoke with was fast but professional. I called to ask what documents I needed to bring to renew my expired driver's license. She asked for my license number and pulled it up to tell me exactly what was needed. I was able to ask a couple of follow-up questions, but she spoke over me a few times and generally sounded in a hurry. However, I got the information I needed, and I understand they're frequently busy. They're available Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and I called shortly before closing.

I was on hold for about 10 minutes. They said I was number 13 in line and gave me an estimated time of 15 minutes at the beginning of the call. Every few minutes, the recording interrupted the hold music with an updated estimate. The rep picked up about five minutes earlier than expected, though. Completing my call was easy and quick, minus the hold time. The menus are simple to navigate, even though most have a recorded message about going online that can't be skipped.

There are a few things you can do over the phone without speaking to a representative. Renewing license plates, getting vehicle registrations and paying license reinstatement fees are done through an automated menu. The recording tells you they need your relevant information (such as your driver’s license number or license plate), your Social Security number and a valid credit or debit card to complete the transaction. You can still speak with a rep, but they can't take payments. They can only provide information.

If you can't solve your problem through the customer service phone number, your best option is to check the Ohio BMV website. They have a lot of information and self-service options there. If all else fails, you can visit your local BMV office to see if they can answer your question. There's typically at least a few minutes of wait, though.