What steps did Ohio take in 2023 regarding Enhanced Driver’s Licenses and has the state begun issuing them?

1. Legislative authorization and the legal mechanics

Lawmakers put EDL authorization into Ohio’s 2023 transportation budget and codified implementation steps in statute—House Bill 23 took effect June 30, 2023 and directs the director of public safety to enter a memorandum of understanding with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (or other designated federal agency) and authorizes the registrar to adopt rules for issuing enhanced driver’s licenses and IDs ^{[1] [2]}. The statute explicitly contemplates federal coordination, additional rule‑making under Chapter 119 of the Revised Code, and the possibility of international agreements facilitating land‑and‑sea border crossing use ^[1].

2. What the law requires from applicants and the BMV

The 2023 law requires enhanced license applicants to prove identity and citizenship, submit biometric information such as a fingerprint, and acknowledge use of biometric matching and an RFID radio‑identification feature—elements intended to satisfy border‑crossing identity needs under the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative ^{[2] [6]}. The Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles and Department of Public Safety are responsible for implementing these requirements, but the agencies have said timelines and operational details (costs, expiration dates, issuance steps) remain dependent on federal guidance ^{[3] [7]}.

3. Cost, technology and privacy debate

State reporting and agency statements indicated an expected surcharge for an enhanced credential—about $25 above the normal license fee—while the card would include an RFID chip that can be read by border systems, a feature that has drawn privacy scrutiny ^{[7] [3]}. Civil‑liberties advocates historically warned that radio tags and biometric linkages could enable intrusive tracking; the ACLU and local privacy advocates raised concerns when the bill moved through the legislature, even while some voices later said the risk appears reduced compared with earlier debates ^{[8] [3]}.

4. Federal approval: the gating factor

Multiple outlets and the BMV emphasized that issuing EDLs is not simply a state decision—federal approval and a formal agreement with DHS are prerequisites, and the timeline is “dependent on the federal government,” per the Department of Public Safety’s communications to local media ^{[3] [4]}. Federal guidance and a signed memorandum of understanding are legally anticipated by Ohio statute, making the federal‑state exchange the practical gating item before Ohio can operationalize EDL issuance ^{[1] [6]}.

5. Where implementation stood after 2023 and beyond

Despite the 2023 law, reporting through August 2023 and subsequent coverage shows Ohio had not started issuing EDLs and officials warned the process could take years to secure federal approval and implement the program ^{[4] [3]}. Later reporting into 2025 reaffirmed that Ohio still had not issued any enhanced licenses and that some legislators were considering repealing or removing the authorization from later budget drafts, illustrating political volatility around the program even before issuance begins ^{[5] [9]}.

6. Bottom line: steps taken versus boots on the ground

In 2023 Ohio took the decisive legislative step of authorizing EDLs, wrote statutory requirements that hinge on a federal MOU and rulemaking, and assigned implementation to state BMV and public‑safety officials ^{[1] [2]}. However, the state had not begun issuing EDLs as of the reporting available in late 2023 and into 2025; federal approval and completed state implementation work remain necessary prerequisites before Ohio residents can apply for or receive an EDL ^{[3] [4] [5]}.