If you are an Ohio resident and have been convicted of an OVI or DWI in another state that conviction will trigger penalties in Ohio. Following conviction, the state of conviction will send notice to the Ohio BMV. The Ohio BMV will, in turn, suspend your license for six months. The suspension ends on either the last day of the six-month period or the court suspension of the person’s nonresident operating privileges, whichever is earlier.
Notice from the BMV
The Ohio BMV will mail notice of this suspension to you at the address they have listed on your driver’s license. It is critical, then, that you have the correct address on your license as otherwise you may not receive notice and could be driving under suspension. Even if they send notice to an old address, the suspension still takes effect-regardless of whether you knew about it.
The notice will also include information on appealing the suspension. Any appeal must be filed within 21 days of receiving the notice. The scope of an appeal is limited, though. The only appealable issue is whether you were actually convicted of or pleaded guilty to the offense for which the suspension is being impose.
Obtaining limited privileges
The good news is that you are eligible to apply for limited driving privileges under this suspension. To do so, you must apply in the municipal court having jurisdiction where you reside. For example, if you live in Mason or Deerfield Township then you would apply in Mason Municipal Court. Similarly, a West Chester resident would apply in Butler County Area III Court. The municipal court is able to grant privileges for employment, medical, educational, and child-care needs, similar to what would be authorized by statute had the OVI conviction occurred in Ohio. Our office has experience handling these types of requests and is able to assist you on obtaining privileges.