Before you start

A valid visa or other admission category, and work authorisation from DHS for anything paid
An electronic I-94 record from the CBP website
Evidence of lawful presence, which Ohio requires for a driver licence
Two proofs of an Ohio address
A Social Security number, or documentation of ineligibility

Step-by-step

1
Download your I-94 in the first few days
It records your admission class and 'admit until' date, and it is what employers, the BMV and the Social Security Administration will ask for. Retrieved electronically from the CBP website, free.
OnlineWho: YouWeek 1
2
Wait about ten days, then apply for a Social Security number
The SSA verifies your status against DHS systems that lag entry by one to two weeks. File Form SS-5 in person with your passport, visa and I-94. There is no fee.
In personWho: YouFrom ~day 10Free
3
If you cannot get an SSN, file for an ITIN
IRS Form W-7 produces an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number for tax filing, accepted by many banks and landlords. It grants no right to work.
OnlineWho: You
4
Work out which BMV location you need — there are two kinds
Ohio splits the BMV between deputy registrar agencies, which issue licences, titles and plates, and driver exam stations, which conduct knowledge and road tests. A foreign licence holder generally needs both. Plan the sequence before you drive to the wrong one.
OnlineWho: YouWeek 1
5
Transfer the licence, title and registration within 30 days
Ohio's window covers all three, not just the licence. Bring the lawful-presence documents, two proofs of Ohio address, and the out-of-state title if you brought a vehicle.
In personWho: YouWithin 30 days
6
Establish which municipality and school district you are actually in
Columbus's annexation history means a Columbus postal address may be governed by Worthington, Upper Arlington, Bexley, Dublin, Gahanna or a township, and the school district is drawn separately again. This determines your municipal income tax rate, whether a school district income tax applies, and which police force answers. Check the specific address on the county's parcel lookup.
OnlineWho: You
7
Keep a copy of every immigration document in two places
The I-94, visa page, approval notices and SSN card are asked for repeatedly across the first year — by employers, banks, landlords, the BMV and the marketplace. Scan them once and keep the set reachable from a phone.
OnlineWho: You

Documents you’ll need

Passport with valid visa
I-94 admission record from the CBP website
Form SS-5 for a Social Security number, or IRS Form W-7 for an ITIN
Two proofs of an Ohio residential address
Certified English translations of any non-English documents
Evidence of lawful presence — required for any Ohio driver licence

Things most newcomers don’t know

The BMV is two different organisations as far as you are concerned.

Deputy registrar agencies issue licences, titles and plates. Driver exam stations run the knowledge and road tests. They are separate places with separate hours, and a newcomer converting a foreign licence needs both in the right order. This trips people up far more often than the 30-day deadline does.

Source: Ohio BMV

Your postal address is not a reliable guide to which government you live under.

Columbus expanded for decades by making annexation the price of city water and sewer, producing a boundary that interlocks with more than a dozen other municipalities and townships. A Columbus mailing address can mean Worthington's income tax, Upper Arlington's schools and a township's fire service. Every local form for the next year depends on getting this right once.

Source: City of Columbus / Franklin County

Ohio will not license a resident who cannot prove lawful presence.

Like Texas and unlike California, Maryland or Illinois, Ohio requires documentation of lawful presence for a driver licence. In a metro with no passenger rail and bus-only transit, that makes the immigration paperwork and the ability to get to work the same problem. Plan the sequence accordingly.

Source: Ohio BMV

The visa sticker's expiry is not your permission to stay.

A visa authorises travel to a port of entry; the officer there decides how long you may remain and records it on the I-94. People routinely plan around the wrong date and discover the error at renewal.

Source: US Customs and Border Protection — I-94 record

Common mistakes to avoid

Driving to a deputy registrar for a test, or an exam station for a licence.
Visiting a Social Security office in the first week, before DHS records have synced.
Letting the 30-day window pass on the vehicle title, which people forget is included.
Assuming a Columbus postal address means the City of Columbus governs it.
Arriving at the BMV without complete lawful-presence documentation.

Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.