Next of Kin Notification

Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles





Through the Emergency Contact Information - Next of Kin (N.O.K.) Program, Ohioans can identify persons they choose to be notified in the event they are involved in a motor vehicle crash leaving them unable to communicate with emergency medical responders. Those with a driver license, temporary permit or state ID have the option of adding emergency contact information to their record.


Legislation to create the Ohio N.O.K. database was initiated by two Ohio mothers dealing with tragedies who wanted to ensure someone could be notified as soon as possible in the event of an emergency.  It's free. There is no fee to add contact information to your license/permit/ID record.



Linda Wuestenberg Linda Wuestenberg and son

"My son, Steven Burge, was involved in a crash in 2007. First responders searched for eight hours before they found me. My son died from his injuries. The effort invested to make this valuable tool available to all Ohioans has been a deeply personal and emotionally draining journey. I do it in loving memory of my son to honor his exuberant love of life." 


Carmela Wiant Carmela Wiant and son

"My son, David Money, was on his way home from work when involved in a crash. The only source of contact information was his work badge. Three hours later, I was told by the hospital chaplain David was dead. I was devastated. There is never an easy way to notify someone of a loved one's death. Please list your emergency contacts on your driver license so police can expeditiously locate your family." 


The program features are:

  • It's free. There is no fee to add contact information to your license/permit/ID record.
  • Contact information will be stored in a secure database which holds Ohio driver license/ID information, accessed only by the Ohio BMV and law enforcement.
  • For Ohioans age 18 and older, the contact person can be a relative, friend or co-worker. Those under 18 are required to have a parent or legal guardian as their primary contact.
  • For children under the age of 15 with a state ID, parents are encouraged to sign up for the Next of Kin Registry. Two emergency contacts can be listed to be used by law enforcement in the event the child becomes lost or is reported missing. For more information regarding child IDs, click here.


Three ways to submit your emergency contact information:

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Once your information is on file, you may change or remove it by using any of the above methods.