COLUMBUS — The state says it’s ending the same-day issuing of Ohio driver’s licenses and will mail them instead to save money and increase security.

The state Department of Public Safety says the change will take effect July 2. The agency said Wednesday that licenses will arrive about 10 days after they’re issued. Drivers will be issued temporary licenses and ID cards in the meantime.

The agency says temporary cards will be valid for proof of identity and residence when voting.

Asked about concerns raised on Twitter about the theft of mail containing driver’s licenses, BMV spokeswoman Lindsey Bohrer told The Columbus Dispatch, “The card will come in the mail in a plain, white envelope, no different than passports, credit cards and Social Security cards.”

The state says it is getting a head start on new federal travel requirements and will save money by avoiding making security renovations at its nearly 190 individual deputy registrar agencies.

The Public Safety Department says drivers can also request driver’s licenses or ID cards that meet federal regulations for travel (pictured above, top).

Travel restrictions taking effect in October 2020 will require federally compliant driver’s licenses to pass through airport security. There’s no extra cost for these licenses but they require more identity documents, according to the BMV’s website:

The documents must prove your full legal name, date of birth, Social Security number, proof of Ohio residency and “proof of legal presence.”

Acceptable documents for proving identity include certified copies of birth certificates, passports, unexpired Ohio driver’s license or ID card, certificates of naturalization or citizenship, official Social Security card and W-2 or 1099 tax forms.

Two documents will be required as proof of address to receive a Transportation Security Administration-compliant license or ID. They include recent bank statements or paycheck stubs, credit card statements, mortgage documents, auto titles, court documents, school records and concealed-carry permits.

Click here for a complete list.

Ohio will join 41 other states that already mail their driver’s licenses and ID cards, said Registrar of Motor Vehicles Donald Petit.

He says centralizing the process reduces the likelihood of driver license fraud and identify theft.