Renewing your license plates is a necessary job that every car owner must do. License plates are used to identify individual cars and match them to their owners. The taxes and fees paid when the tags are renewed help to fund road repair and construction, emergency vehicles and safety education.
Registration
Ohio requires car owners to present the registration when applying for renewal of plates. The registration has the VIN, or Vehicle Identification Number, as well as the current address of the owner. If the owner has moved, the registrar's office can make that change during the renewal process.
Renewal Notice
The Ohio registrar's office sends out a renewal notice to car owners before the license plate expires. This notice should have the correct mailing address and expiration month. If the address is incorrect, or the owner has moved, simply write the correct address in the space provided before presenting the document to the registrar's office.
ECheck Certification
Some Ohio counties are known as ECheck counties. In these counties, cars must undergo an environmental inspection before license plates may be renewed. This requires that the owner take the car to an inspection center. The exhaust is analyzed for emissions and pollution control. A passing score is required before plates can be renewed.
Payment
When the plates are renewed, fees must be paid. The Ohio registrar's office prefers to be paid with Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express or by check.