Effective yesterday, Ohio has installment plans available to drivers with suspended licenses unable to pay their reinstatement fees.
Last year, the General Assembly passed a law directing the BMV to adopt rules that permit a driver to pay reinstatement fees in installments. (ORC 4510.10). Since April of 2012, the law has allowed a driver to seek permission from the court to pay driver’s license reinstatement fees in installments.
As of yesterday (July 15), the BMV’s new rules are in effect creating an alternate route to an installment plan other than seeking the court’s permission.
Under the new rules, the Ohio BMV offers a driver’s license reinstatement fee installment plan to those individuals who have met all their reinstatement requirements except for paying reinstatement fees. If you owe more than $150 in reinstatement fees, you may be eligible for to retest by paying at least $50.00 installments every 30 days until the fees are paid.
Eligibility Requirements
In order to be eligible for a payment plan, you must:
- Owe at least $150 in reinstatement fees.
- Meet all other reinstatement requirements except for paying reinstatement fees.
- Show current proof of insurance.
- Not have any pending suspensions.
- Not currently on a court ordered fee payment plan.
How to Enroll
If you meet all of the above requirements, you can apply to set up a payment plan to pay your reinstatement fees. The steps to enroll are:
- Submit proof of valid insurance and an initial $50.00 payment (which will be applied to your fees owed regardless of whether your application is approved or denied) by mail or in person.
- Sign and submit the BMV Form 1152, Application for BMV Fee Installment Plan.
- The BMV will then review your application and notify you if you have been approved for a payment plan.
What Happens If You Are Approved
If you are approved, you must do the following in order to maintain license status will be valid, expired, or eligible to retest:
- Make a minimum $50.00 payment every 30 days (you can pay more frequently if you would like). There are several payment options including online, by phone, in person or by mail.
- You have to put a reminder to yourself to make the payments (on your phone calendar or otherwise). The BMV will not send you a bills or payment reminder.
- Payments made by mail will be considered to have been paid on the date the payment is received – not postmarked. This means that you should send in your payments a few days early – don’t wait until the 30th day to mail it in.
These new rules will be a great help to many people who are in over their heads in reinstatement fees. Hopefully the word will get out that this program is available so that those who have been on the sidelines due to high fees can get back on the road with a valid license.
