Came across this blog by accident, but it applies to me as well…

I have moved to France and I am in the middle of exchanging my Ohio licence for a French one, I thought I had it all taken care of until receive a letter from the prefecture telling me I need to come up with a complete drivers record as they wanted to know the date a first reciecved me licence. Althought the process is fairly simple, there is always something that makes such a simple task a multi-month project… On the bright side they did atleast give me a temporary while I wait for my record to arrive.

Go here and print out this form…
http://www.bmv.ohio.gov/pdf_forms/1173.pdf

I filled out Part A. Above the Part A you will see this

“I am requesting the following personal information contained in the Bureau of Motor Vehicles records”

Above this I wrote, “Please send entire driving history” as I was told to do over the phone. Do not check any of the boxes.

The phone number for Ohio BMV is 614-752-7600.

They told me that they could go back 10 years at 5 cents a page. They would send a bill with the printed driving history. This isn’t the same as a ‘normal’ driving record request which is for only 3 years.

I, also, sent an email and the person that replied back to me said they will type a letter on Ohio BMV with the State of Ohio seal. I needed to send her by email my last driving license number or Social Security number.

My mother received it yesterday. I had it sent to her home which is my last address on my Ohio licence. However, it is not a problem to have it sent to your address out of country. They told me that they do it all the time.

The letter stated the issue date and expiration date of my last license which is no help to me. It did have a speeding ticket and accident listed from 2000 which is before the issue date of my current license.

The only problem with this according to my husband is that it doesn’t say whether or not I was a licensed driver when I got the speeding ticket and had the accident. I told my husband that if I had been driving without a license I would have been cited as such. It would be listed along with the speeding ticket and accident.

He told me to send another email asking for it to be stated that I was a licensed driver during this time and not take a chance. Since it is a holiday weekend I can’t call and ask the Swiss officials until Tuesday if it will work or not. I have sent another email asking that a new letter be sent to me stating that I was licensed during 2000 when I got the ticket and had the accident. I also requested that she put the date of issuance for my very first licence in Ohio or at least as far back as she can see which I was told over the phone was 10 years. I will have to wait to see what she sends or emails me back with.

The request I sent by mail has not been sent to my mother’s house yet. Perhaps, she’ll get it this coming week and hopefully it will be a print out of at least 10 years driving history as I was told it would be.

Out of the two sources I am dealing with, email and mail, I hope I have something that the Swiss will accept as proof that I have been driving for at least three years. :)

I recommend that you call the Ohio BMV at 614-752-7600….you can call using SKYPE at skype.com. It will most likely be less expensive for you because you will have to sit on hold for a while before you get someone. I called directly because it is hard for me to hear over Skype.

No matter what you will need to print out the form.

You can email the Ohio BMV at this web address:
http://www.bmv.ohio.gov/registrar_email.html

General contact information is here:
http://www.bmv.ohio.gov/misc/bmv_contacts.htm

As I stated above, I did both sent an email and mailed a request using the form hoping that one will come through for me in the end.

I know how stressful it is and wish you all the luck.

I just hope that the Swiss will accept what my mother got yesterday and is sending me even if it doesn’t state that I was a licensed driver during the time of the citations. I think it is obvious that I was since I was not cited for driving without a license. Then, I don’t have to be stressed about it anylonger! :)

I will email all of this information to you as well.

I am also trying to get my full record from the Ohio BMV for a Japanese license, but they claim they can only do it for a three year period. Could you please tell me how you got the full record, this is driving me crazy ;) Thank you,

I would have thought that you would be entitled to the same thing as me. I have to take 16 hours of classes and then after that I can apply for a permenate license. Of course, I am going to prove I have driven for 20 years and save the 600 francs if possible. Check into it because on the englishforum.ch a man told me that his American wife with a Texas license was able to switch to the Swiss license without a problem. I have no idea when hers was issued. But, no matter you should just have to do the 16 hours…in my opinion. It doesn’t hurt to call and ask because that is still cheaper than starting from scratch. Unless…you are going back to the States. Because, the Swiss will take your Texas license.

As soon as I get a job, I’m just going to buy a bike!

:)

The Swiss are not negotiators so I will not be getting out of the 16 hours if this doesn’t work out.

I read about your dealings with the Kentucky BMV. I don’t think it was fair that you had to do all of that when someone who lives in Kentucky can go to France and just show their license and be done with it.

Then I had fun getting my Kentucky license once I was back here. Not only did I have to prove citizenship, but I also had to take the written test since I no longer had a valid US license! Urgh!