As Introduced

125th General Assembly
Regular Session
2003-2004
H. B. No. 230


REPRESENTATIVE Reinhard



A BILL
To amend sections 109.801, 1548.06, 1548.09, 1548.13, 2935.27, 2937.221, 3937.41, 3937.45, 4501.01, 4501.02, 4501.021, 4503.01, 4503.03, 4503.034, 4503.04, 4503.041, 4503.042, 4503.10, 4503.12, 4503.24, 4503.44, 4505.06, 4505.08, 4505.09, 4505.10, 4505.11, 4505.13, 4505.141, 4506.01, 4506.08, 4506.11, 4506.12, 4507.13, 4507.141, 4506.01, 4507.19, 4507.20, 4507.50, 4507.51, 4507.53, 4507.99, 4509.05, 4509.101, 4509.79, 4510.036, 4510.22, 4510.31, 4510.43, 4511.01, 4513.61, 4513.63, 4517.10, 4517.14, 4519.03, 4519.05, 4519.55, 4519.56, 4519.58, 4519.61, 4519.631, 4519.68, 4549.08, 4738.05, 4738.18, 4905.06, 4919.79, 4923.20, 5502.11, 5503.03, 5503.34, 5577.05, and 5577.99 and to enact sections 4503.642, 4507.1614, 4511.121, 4549.081, and 5502.011 of the Revised Code to revise and clarify the laws governing the Department of Public Safety, including the Bureau of Motor Vehicles and the State Highway Patrol, to make changes and corrections to the motor vehicle certificate of title law, and to amend the versions of sections 4501.01, 4503.10, 4503.12, 4503.44, 4505.11, 4506.01, 4506.11, 4506.12, 4507.13, 4507.19, 4507.20, 4507.50, 4507.99, 4509.101, 4509.79, 4511.01, and 4519.05 of the Revised Code that are scheduled to take effect January 1, 2004, to continue the provisions of this act on and after that effective date.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF OHIO:
Section 1.  That sections 109.801, 1548.06, 1548.09, 1548.13, 2935.27, 2937.221, 3937.41, 3937.45, 4501.01, 4501.02, 4501.021, 4503.01, 4503.03, 4503.034, 4503.04, 4503.041, 4503.042, 4503.10, 4503.12, 4503.24, 4503.44, 4505.06, 4505.08, 4505.09, 4505.10, 4505.11, 4505.13, 4505.141, 4506.01, 4506.08, 4506.11, 4506.12, 4507.13, 4507.141, 4507.19, 4507.20, 4507.50, 4507.51, 4507.53, 4507.99, 4509.05, 4509.101, 4509.79, 4510.036, 4510.22, 4510.31, 4510.43, 4511.01, 4513.61, 4513.63, 4517.10, 4517.14, 4519.03, 4519.05, 4519.55, 4519.56, 4519.58, 4519.61, 4519.631, 4519.68, 4549.08, 4738.05, 4738.18, 4905.06, 4919.79, 4923.20, 5502.11, 5503.03, 5503.34, 5577.05, and 5577.99 be amended and sections 4503.642, 4507.1614, 4511.121, 4549.081, and 5502.011 of the Revised Code be enacted to read as follows:
Sec. 109.801.  (A)(1) Each year the following persons shall complete successfully a firearms requalification program approved by the executive director of the Ohio peace officer training commission in accordance with rules adopted by the attorney general pursuant to section 109.743 of the Revised Code: any sheriff, deputy sheriff, marshal, deputy marshal, township constable, chief of police or member of an organized police department of a municipal corporation or township, chief of police or member of a township police district police force, superintendent of the state highway patrol, state highway patrol trooper, special police officer of the state highway patrol designated under section 5503.09 of the Revised Code, enforcement agent employed under section 5502.14 of the Revised Code, or chief of police of a university or college police department or state university law enforcement officer appointed under section 3345.04 of the Revised Code; any parole or probation officer who carries a firearm in the course of official duties; any employee of the department of natural resources who is a natural resources law enforcement staff officer, park officer, forest officer, preserve officer, wildlife officer, or state watercraft officer who carries a firearm in the course of official duties; the house sergeant at arms if the house sergeant at arms has arrest authority pursuant to division (E)(1) of section 101.311 of the Revised Code; any assistant house sergeant at arms; any employee of the department of youth services who is designated pursuant to division (A)(2) of section 5139.53 of the Revised Code as being authorized to carry a firearm while on duty as described in that division; or a special police officer employed by a municipal corporation at a municipal airport or other municipal air navigation facility described in division (A)(19) of section 109.71 of the Revised Code.
(2) No person listed in division (A)(1) of this section shall carry a firearm during the course of official duties if the person does not comply with division (A)(1) of this section.
(B) The hours that a sheriff spends attending a firearms requalification program required by division (A) of this section are in addition to the sixteen hours of continuing education that are required by division (E) of section 311.01 of the Revised Code.
(C) As used in this section, "firearm" has the same meaning as in section 2923.11 of the Revised Code.
Sec. 1548.06.  Application for a certificate of title for a watercraft or outboard motor shall be made upon a form prescribed by the chief of the division of watercraft and shall be sworn to before a notary public or other officer empowered to administer oaths. The application shall be filed with the clerk of any court of common pleas. An application for a certificate of title may be filed electronically by any electronic means approved by the chief in any county with the clerk of the court of common pleas of that county. The application shall be accompanied by the fee prescribed in section 1548.10 of the Revised Code. The fee shall be retained by the clerk who issues the certificate of title and shall be distributed in accordance with that section. If a clerk of a court of common pleas, other than the clerk of the court of common pleas of an applicant's county of residence, issues a certificate of title to the applicant, the clerk shall transmit data related to the transaction to the automated title processing system.
If a certificate of title previously has been issued for the watercraft or outboard motor, the application for a certificate of title also shall be accompanied by the certificate of title duly assigned unless otherwise provided in this chapter. If a certificate of title previously has not been issued for the watercraft or outboard motor in this state, the application, unless otherwise provided in this chapter, shall be accompanied by a manufacturer's or importer's certificate; by a sworn statement of ownership if the watercraft or outboard motor was purchased by the applicant on or before October 9, 1963, or if the watercraft is less than fourteen feet long with a permanently affixed mechanical means of propulsion and was purchased by the applicant on or before January 1, 2000; or by a certificate of title, bill of sale, or other evidence of ownership required by the law of another state from which the watercraft or outboard motor was brought into this state. Evidence of ownership of a watercraft or outboard motor for which an Ohio certificate of title previously has not been issued and which watercraft or outboard motor does not have permanently affixed to it a manufacturer's serial number shall be accompanied by the certificate of assignment of a hull identification number assigned by the chief as provided in section 1548.07 of the Revised Code.
The clerk shall retain the evidence of title presented by the applicant and on which the certificate of title is issued, except that, if an application for a certificate of title is filed electronically, by a vendor on behalf of a purchaser of a watercraft or outboard motor, the clerk shall retain the completed electronic record to which the vendor converted the certificate of title application and other required documents. The vendor shall forward the actual application and all other documents relating to the sale of the watercraft or outboard motor to any clerk the location the chief designates within thirty days after the certificate of title is issued. The chief, after consultation with the attorney general, shall adopt rules that govern the location at which, and the manner in which, are stored the actual application and all other documents relating to the sale of a watercraft or outboard motor when a vendor files the application for a certificate of title electronically on behalf of a purchaser.
The clerk shall use reasonable diligence in ascertaining whether the facts in the application are true by checking the application and documents accompanying it or the electronic record to which a vendor converted the application and accompanying documents with the records of watercraft and outboard motors in the clerk's office. If the clerk is satisfied that the applicant is the owner of the watercraft or outboard motor and that the application is in the proper form, the clerk shall issue a physical certificate of title over the clerk's signature and sealed with the clerk's seal unless the applicant specifically requests the clerk not to issue a physical certificate of title and instead to issue an electronic certificate of title. However, if the evidence indicates and an investigation shows that one or more Ohio titles already exist for the watercraft or outboard motor, the chief may cause the redundant title or titles to be canceled.
In the case of the sale of a watercraft or outboard motor by a vendor to a general purchaser or user, the certificate of title shall be obtained in the name of the purchaser by the vendor upon application signed by the purchaser. In all other cases, the certificate shall be obtained by the purchaser. In all cases of transfer of watercraft or outboard motors, the application for certificate of title shall be filed within thirty days after the later of the date of purchase or assignment of ownership of the watercraft or outboard motor. If the application for certificate of title is not filed within thirty days after the later of the date of purchase or assignment of ownership of the watercraft or outboard motor, the clerk shall charge a late penalty fee of five dollars in addition to the fee prescribed by section 1548.10 of the Revised Code. The clerk shall retain the entire amount of each late penalty fee.
The clerk shall refuse to accept an application for certificate of title unless the applicant either tenders with the application payment of all taxes levied by or pursuant to Chapter 5739. or 5741. of the Revised Code based on the applicant's county of residence less, in the case of a sale by a vendor, any discount to which the vendor is entitled under section 5739.12 of the Revised Code, or submits any of the following:
(A) A receipt issued by the tax commissioner or a clerk of courts showing payment of the tax;
(B) A copy of the unit certificate of exemption completed by the purchaser at the time of sale as provided in section 5739.03 of the Revised Code;
(C) An exemption certificate, in a form prescribed by the tax commissioner, that specifies why the purchase is not subject to the tax imposed by Chapter 5739. or 5741. of the Revised Code.
Payment of the tax shall be in accordance with rules issued by the tax commissioner, and the clerk shall issue a receipt in the form prescribed by the tax commissioner to any applicant who tenders payment of the tax with the application for the certificate of title.
For receiving and disbursing the taxes paid to the clerk by a resident of the clerk's county, the clerk may retain a poundage fee of one and one one-hundredth per cent of the taxes collected, which shall be paid into the certificate of title administration fund created by section 325.33 of the Revised Code. The clerk shall not retain a poundage fee from payments of taxes by persons who do not reside in the clerk's county.
A clerk, however, may retain from the taxes paid to the clerk an amount equal to the poundage fees associated with certificates of title issued by other clerks of courts of common pleas to applicants who reside in the first clerk's county. The chief of the division of watercraft, in consultation with the tax commissioner and the clerks of the courts of common pleas, shall develop a report from the automated title processing system that informs each clerk of the amount of the poundage fees that the clerk is permitted to retain from those taxes because of certificates of title issued by the clerks of other counties to applicants who reside in the first clerk's county.
In the case of casual sales of watercraft or outboard motors that are subject to the tax imposed by Chapter 5739. or 5741. of the Revised Code, the purchase price for the purpose of determining the tax shall be the purchase price on an affidavit executed and filed with the clerk by the vendor on a form to be prescribed by the chief, which shall be prima-facie evidence of the price for the determination of the tax. In addition to the information required by section 1548.08 of the Revised Code, each certificate of title shall contain in bold lettering the following notification and statements: "WARNING TO TRANSFEROR AND TRANSFEREE (SELLER AND BUYER). You are required by law to state the true selling price. A false statement is a violation of section 2921.13 of the Revised Code and is punishable by six months imprisonment or a fine of up to one thousand dollars, or both. All transfers are audited by the department of taxation. The seller and buyer must provide any information requested by the department of taxation. The buyer may be assessed any additional tax found to be due."
The clerk shall forward all payments of taxes, less poundage fees, to the treasurer of state in a manner to be prescribed by the tax commissioner and shall furnish information to the commissioner as the commissioner may require. For purposes of a transfer of a certificate of title, if the clerk is satisfied that a secured party has discharged a lien but has not canceled the lien notation with a clerk, the clerk may cancel the lien notation on the automated title processing system and notify the clerk of the county of origin.
Every clerk shall have the capability to transact by electronic means all procedures and transactions relating to the issuance of watercraft or outboard motor certificates of title that are described in the Revised Code as being accomplished by electronic means.
Sec. 1548.09.  When the clerk of a court of common pleas issues a physical certificate of title, the clerk shall issue the certificate of title on a form and in duplicate. One copy shall be retained and filed a manner prescribed by the clerk in the clerk's office, and the chief of the division of watercraft. The information contained in it shall be transmitted on the day it is issued to the chief of the division of watercraft. The clerk shall sign and affix the clerk's seal to the original certificate of title and, if there are no liens on the watercraft or outboard motor, shall deliver the certificate to the applicant. If there are one or more liens on the watercraft or outboard motor, the clerk shall deliver the certificate of title to the holder of the first lien.
The chief shall approve a uniform method of numbering certificates of title. The numbering shall be in such manner that the county of issuance is indicated. Numbers shall be assigned to certificates of title in the manner approved by the chief. The clerk shall file all certificates of title according to policies prescribed by the chief, and the clerk shall maintain in the clerk's office indexes for the certificates of title.
The clerk need not retain on file any certificate of title, duplicate certificate of title, or memorandum certificate of title, or supporting evidence of them, covering any watercraft or outboard motor for a period longer than seven years after the date of its filing; thereafter, the certificate and supporting information may be destroyed. The clerk shall issue a duplicate title, when duly applied for, of any title that has been destroyed as provided in this section.
The clerk shall issue a physical certificate of title to an applicant unless the applicant specifically requests the clerk not to issue a physical certificate of title and instead to issue an electronic certificate of title. The fact that a physical certificate of title is not issued for a watercraft or outboard motor does not affect ownership of the watercraft or outboard motor. In that case, when the clerk completes the process of entering certificate of title application information into the automated title processing system, the effect of the completion of the process is the same as if the clerk actually issued a physical certificate of title for the watercraft or outboard motor.
Sec. 1548.13.  In the event of a lost or destroyed certificate of title, application shall be made to a clerk of a court of common pleas by the owner of the watercraft or outboard motor, or the holder of a lien on it, for a certified copy of the certificate upon a form prescribed by the chief of the division of watercraft and accompanied by the fee prescribed by section 1548.10 of the Revised Code. The application shall be signed and sworn to by the person making the application, and the clerk shall issue a certified copy of the certificate of title to the person entitled to receive it under this chapter. The certified copy shall be plainly marked across its face with the word "duplicate," and any subsequent purchaser of the watercraft or outboard motor in the chain of title originating through the certified copy acquires only such rights in the watercraft or outboard motor as the original holder of the certified copy had. Any purchaser of the watercraft or outboard motor, at the time of purchase, may require the seller to indemnify the purchaser and all subsequent purchasers of the watercraft or outboard motor against any loss that the purchaser or any subsequent purchaser may suffer by reason of any claim presented upon the original certificate. In the event of the recovery of the original certificate of title by the owner, the owner shall surrender it immediately to the a clerk for cancellation.
The holder of a certificate of title for a watercraft or outboard motor upon which is noted an existing lien, encumbrance, or mortgage may apply at any time to a clerk for a memorandum certificate, on a form prescribed by the chief, that is signed and sworn to by the applicant. Upon receipt of the application together with the fee prescribed by section 1548.10 of the Revised Code, and if the application appears to be regular, the clerk shall issue to the applicant a memorandum certificate for the watercraft or outboard motor. If the memorandum certificate is lost or destroyed, the holder of it may obtain a certified copy of it by applying for the copy on a form prescribed by the chief, accompanied by the fee prescribed in section 1548.10 of the Revised Code. In the event of the recovery of the original memorandum certificate by the owner, the owner shall surrender it immediately to a clerk for cancellation. Such a memorandum certificate is not assignable and constitutes no evidence of title or of right to transfer or encumber the watercraft or outboard motor described in it.
If an electronic certificate of title previously has been issued for a watercraft or outboard motor, the The owner of the a watercraft or outboard motor may apply at any time to a clerk for a non-negotiable evidence of ownership for the watercraft or outboard motor.
Sec. 2935.27.  (A)(1) If a law enforcement officer issues a citation to a person pursuant to section 2935.26 of the Revised Code and if the minor misdemeanor offense for which the citation is issued is an act prohibited by Chapter 4511., 4513., or 4549. of the Revised Code or an act prohibited by any municipal ordinance that is substantially similar to any section contained in Chapter 4511., 4513., or 4549. of the Revised Code, the officer shall inform the person, if the person has a current valid Ohio driver's or commercial driver's license, of the possible consequences of the person's actions as required under division (E) of this section, and also shall inform the person that the person is required either to appear at the time and place stated in the citation or to comply with division (C) of section 2935.26 of the Revised Code.
(2) If the person is an Ohio resident but does not have a current valid Ohio driver's or commercial driver's license or if the person is a resident of a state that is not a member of the nonresident violator compact of which this state is a member pursuant to section 4510.71 of the Revised Code, and if the court, by local rule, has prescribed a procedure for the setting of a reasonable security pursuant to division (F) of this section, security shall be set in accordance with that local rule and that division.
A court by local rule may prescribe a procedure for the setting of reasonable security as described in this division. As an alternative to this procedure, a court by local rule may prescribe a procedure for the setting of a reasonable security by the person without the person appearing before the court.
(B) A person who has security set under division (A)(2) of this section shall be given a receipt or other evidence of the deposit of the security by the court.
(C) Upon compliance with division (C) of section 2935.26 of the Revised Code by a person who was issued a citation, the clerk of the court shall notify the court. The court shall immediately return any sum of money, license, or other security deposited in relation to the citation to the person, or to any other person who deposited the security.
(D) If a person who has a current valid Ohio driver's or commercial driver's license and who was issued a citation fails to appear at the time and place specified on the citation, fails to comply with division (C) of section 2935.26 of the Revised Code, or fails to comply with or satisfy any judgment of the court within the time allowed by the court, the court shall declare the suspension forfeiture of the person's license. Thirty days after the declaration of forfeiture, the court shall enter information relative to the suspension forfeiture on a form approved and furnished by the registrar of motor vehicles, and forward the form to the registrar. The registrar shall suspend the person's driver's or commercial driver's license, send written notification of the suspension to the person at the person's last known address, and order the person to surrender the person's driver's or commercial driver's license to the registrar within forty-eight hours. No valid driver's or commercial driver's license shall be granted to the person until the court having jurisdiction of the offense that led to the suspension forfeiture orders that the suspension forfeiture be terminated. The court shall so order if the person, after having failed to appear in court at the required time and place to answer the charge or after having pleaded guilty to or been found guilty of the violation and having failed within the time allowed by the court to pay the fine imposed by the court, thereafter appears to answer the charge and pays any fine imposed by the court or pays the fine originally imposed by the court. The court shall inform the registrar of the termination of the suspension forfeiture by entering information relative to the termination on a form approved and furnished by the registrar and sending the form to the registrar as provided in this division. The person shall pay to the bureau of motor vehicles a fifteen-dollar processing reinstatement fee to cover the costs of the bureau in administering this section. The registrar shall deposit the fees so paid into the state bureau of motor vehicles fund created by section 4501.25 of the Revised Code.
In addition, upon receipt of the copy of the declaration of suspension forfeiture from the court, neither the registrar nor any deputy registrar shall accept any application for the registration or transfer of registration of any motor vehicle owned or leased by the person named in the declaration of suspension forfeiture until the court having jurisdiction of the offense that led to the suspension forfeiture orders that the suspension forfeiture be terminated. However, for a motor vehicle leased by a person named in a declaration of suspension forfeiture, the registrar shall not implement the preceding sentence until the registrar adopts procedures for that implementation under section 4503.39 of the Revised Code. Upon receipt by the registrar of an order terminating the suspension forfeiture, the registrar shall take such measures as may be necessary to permit the person to register a motor vehicle owned or leased by the person or to transfer the registration of such a motor vehicle, if the person later makes application to take such action and the person otherwise is eligible to register the motor vehicle or to transfer the registration of it.
The registrar is not required to give effect to any declaration of suspension forfeiture or order terminating a suspension forfeiture unless the order is transmitted to the registrar by means of an electronic transfer system. The registrar shall not restore the person's driving or vehicle registration privileges until the person pays the reinstatement fee as provided in this division.
If the person who was issued the citation fails to appear at the time and place specified on the citation and fails to comply with division (C) of section 2935.26 of the Revised Code and the person has deposited a sum of money or other security in relation to the citation under division (A)(2) of this section, the deposit immediately shall be forfeited to the court.
This section does not preclude further action as authorized by division (F) of section 2935.26 of the Revised Code.
(E) A law enforcement officer who issues a person a minor misdemeanor citation for an act prohibited by Chapter 4511., 4513., or 4549. of the Revised Code or an act prohibited by a municipal ordinance that is substantially similar to any section contained in Chapter 4511., 4513., or 4549. of the Revised Code shall inform the person that if the person does not appear at the time and place stated on the citation or does not comply with division (C) of section 2935.26 of the Revised Code, the person's driver's or commercial driver's license will be suspended, the person will not be eligible for the reissuance of the license or the issuance of a new license or the issuance of a certificate of registration for a motor vehicle owned or leased by the person, until the person appears and complies with all orders of the court. The person also is subject to any applicable criminal penalties.
(F) A court setting security under division (A)(2) of this section shall do so in conformity with sections 2937.22 and 2937.23 of the Revised Code and the Rules of Criminal Procedure.
Sec. 2937.221.  (A) A person arrested without warrant for any violation listed in division (B) of this section, and having a current valid Ohio driver's or commercial driver's license, if the person has been notified of the possible consequences of the person's actions as required by division (C) of this section, may post bond by depositing the license with the arresting officer if the officer and person so choose, or with the local court having jurisdiction if the court and person so choose. The license may be used as bond only during the period for which it is valid.
When an arresting officer accepts the driver's or commercial driver's license as bond, the officer shall note the date, time, and place of the court appearance on "the violator's notice to appear," and the notice shall serve as a valid Ohio driver's or commercial driver's license until the date and time appearing thereon. The arresting officer immediately shall forward the license to the appropriate court.
When a local court accepts the license as bond or continues the case to another date and time, it shall provide the person with a card in a form approved by the registrar of motor vehicles setting forth the license number, name, address, the date and time of the court appearance, and a statement that the license is being held as bond. The card shall serve as a valid license until the date and time contained in the card.
The court may accept other bond at any time and return the license to the person. The court shall return the license to the person when judgment is satisfied, including, but not limited to, compliance with any court orders, unless a suspension or cancellation is part of the penalty imposed.
Neither "the violator's notice to appear" nor a court- granted card shall continue driving privileges beyond the expiration date of the license.
If the person arrested fails to appear in court at the date and time set by the court or fails to satisfy the judgment of the court, including, but not limited to, compliance with all court orders within the time allowed by the court, the court may impose a class seven suspension declare the forfeiture of the person's license from the range specified in division (A)(7) of section 4510.02 of the Revised Code. Thirty days after the suspension declaration of the forfeiture, the court shall forward the person's license to the registrar. The court also shall enter information relative to the suspension forfeiture on a form approved and furnished by the registrar and send the form to the registrar, and the. The registrar shall suspend the person's license and send written notification of the suspension to the person at the person's last known address. No valid driver's or commercial driver's license shall be granted to the person until the expiration of the period of the suspension or, prior to the expiration of that period, the court having jurisdiction orders that the suspension is forfeiture be terminated. If the court terminates the suspension, the The court shall inform the registrar of the termination of the forfeiture by entering information relative to the termination on a form approved and furnished by the registrar and sending the form to the registrar. Upon the expiration or termination of the suspension, the person shall pay to the bureau of motor vehicles a processing reinstatement fee of fifteen dollars to cover the costs of the bureau in administering this section. The registrar shall deposit the fees so paid into the state bureau of motor vehicles fund created by section 4501.25 of the Revised Code.
In addition, upon receipt from the court of the copy of the suspension declaration of forfeiture, neither the registrar nor any deputy registrar shall accept any application for the registration or transfer of registration of any motor vehicle owned by or leased in the name of the person named in the suspension declaration of forfeiture until the expiration of the period of the suspension or, prior to the expiration of that period, the court having jurisdiction over the offense that led to the suspension issues an order terminating the suspension forfeiture. However, for a motor vehicle leased in the name of a person named in a suspension declaration of forfeiture, the registrar shall not implement the preceding sentence until the registrar adopts procedures for that implementation under section 4503.39 of the Revised Code. Upon the expiration of the suspension or upon receipt by the registrar of such an order terminating the suspension, the registrar also shall take the measures necessary to permit the person to register a motor vehicle the person owns or leases or to transfer the registration of a motor vehicle the person owns or leases if the person later makes a proper application and otherwise is eligible to be issued or to transfer a motor vehicle registration.
(B) Division (A) of this section applies to persons arrested for violation of:
(1) Any of the provisions of Chapter 4511. or 4513. of the Revised Code, except sections 4511.19, 4511.20, 4511.251, and 4513.36 of the Revised Code;
(2) Any municipal ordinance substantially similar to a section included in division (B)(1) of this section;
(3) Any bylaw, rule, or regulation of the Ohio turnpike commission substantially similar to a section included in division (B)(1) of this section.
Division (A) of this section does not apply to those persons issued a citation for the commission of a minor misdemeanor under section 2935.26 of the Revised Code.
(C) No license shall be accepted as bond by an arresting officer or by a court under this section until the officer or court has notified the person that, if the person deposits the license with the officer or court and either does not appear on the date and at the time set by the officer or the court, if the court sets a time, or does not satisfy any judgment rendered, including, but not limited to, compliance with all court orders, the license will be suspended, and the person will not be eligible for reissuance of the license or issuance of a new license, or the issuance of a certificate of registration for a motor vehicle owned or leased by the person until the person appears and complies with any order issued by the court. The person also is subject to any criminal penalties that may apply to the person.
(D) The registrar shall not restore the person's driving or vehicle registration privileges until the person pays the reinstatement fee as provided in this section.
Sec. 3937.41.  (A) As used in this section:
(1) "Ambulance" has the same meaning as in section 4765.01 of the Revised Code and also includes private ambulance companies under contract to a municipal corporation, township, or county.
(2) "Emergency vehicle" means any of the following:
(a) Any vehicle, as defined in section 4511.01 of the Revised Code, that is an emergency vehicle of a municipal, township, or county department or public utility corporation and that is identified as such as required by law, the director of public safety, or local authorities;
(b) Any motor vehicle, as defined in section 4511.01 of the Revised Code, when commandeered by a police officer;
(c) Any vehicle, as defined in section 4511.01 of the Revised Code, that is an emergency vehicle of a qualified nonprofit corporation police department established pursuant to section 1702.80 of the Revised Code and that is identified as an emergency vehicle;
(d) Any vehicle, as defined in section 4511.01 of the Revised Code, that is an emergency vehicle of a proprietary police department or security department of a hospital operated by a public hospital agency or a nonprofit hospital agency that employs police officers under section 4973.17 of the Revised Code, and that is identified as an emergency vehicle.
(3) "Firefighter" means any regular, paid, member of a lawfully constituted fire department of a municipal corporation or township.
(4) "Law enforcement officer" means a sheriff, deputy sheriff, constable, marshal, deputy marshal, municipal or township police officer, state highway patrol trooper, police officer employed by a qualified nonprofit police department pursuant to section 1702.80 of the Revised Code, or police officer employed by a proprietary police department or security department of a hospital operated by a public hospital agency or nonprofit hospital agency pursuant to section 4973.17 of the Revised Code.
(5) "Motor vehicle accident" means any accident involving a motor vehicle which results in bodily injury to any person, or damage to the property of any person.
(B) No insurer shall consider the circumstance that an applicant or policyholder has been involved in a motor vehicle accident while in the pursuit of the applicant's or policyholder's official duties as a law enforcement officer, firefighter, or operator of an emergency vehicle or ambulance, while operating a vehicle engaged in mowing or snow and ice removal as a county, township, or department of transportation employee, or while operating a vehicle while engaged in the pursuit of the applicant's or policyholder's official duties as a member of the commercial motor vehicle safety carrier enforcement unit of the state highway patrol under section 5503.34 of the Revised Code, as a basis for doing either of the following:
(1) Refusing to issue or deliver a policy of insurance upon a private automobile, or increasing the rate to be charged for such a policy;
(2) Increasing the premium rate, canceling, or failing to renew an existing policy of insurance upon a private automobile.
(C) Any applicant or policyholder affected by an action of an insurer in violation of this section may appeal to the superintendent of insurance. After a hearing held upon not less than ten days' notice to the applicant or policyholder and to the insurer and if the superintendent determines that the insurer has violated this section, the superintendent may direct the issuance of a policy, decrease the premium rate on a policy, or reinstate insurance coverage.
(D) The employer of the law enforcement officer, firefighter, or operator of an emergency vehicle or ambulance, operator of a vehicle engaged in mowing or snow and ice removal, or operator of a vehicle who is a member of the commercial motor vehicle safety carrier enforcement unit, except as otherwise provided in division (F) of this section, shall certify to the state highway patrol or law enforcement agency that investigates the accident whether the officer, firefighter, or operator of an emergency vehicle or ambulance, operator of a vehicle engaged in mowing or snow and ice removal, or operator of a vehicle who is a member of the commercial motor vehicle safety carrier enforcement unit, was engaged in the performance of the person's official duties as such employee at the time of the accident. The employer shall designate an official authorized to make the certifications. The state highway patrol or law enforcement agency shall include the certification in any report of the accident forwarded to the department of public safety pursuant to sections 5502.11 and 5502.12 of the Revised Code and shall forward the certification to the department if received after the report of the accident has been forwarded to the department. The registrar of motor vehicles shall not include an accident in a certified abstract of information under division (A) of section 4509.05 of the Revised Code, if the person involved has been so certified as having been engaged in the performance of the person's official duties at the time of the accident.
(E) Division (B) of this section does not apply to an insurer whose policy covers the motor vehicle at the time the motor vehicle is involved in an accident described in division (B) of this section.
(F) Division (B) of this section does not apply if an applicant or policyholder, on the basis of the applicant's or policyholder's involvement in an accident described in that division, is convicted of or pleads guilty or no contest to a violation of section 4511.19 of the Revised Code; of a municipal ordinance relating to operating a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol, a drug of abuse, or alcohol and a drug of abuse; or of a municipal ordinance relating to operating a vehicle with a prohibited concentration of alcohol in the blood, breath, or urine, or other bodily substance.
Sec. 3937.45.  (A) No insurer shall consider the circumstance that an applicant or policyholder has been convicted of any violation of the weight provisions of Chapter 5577. of the Revised Code, or a substantially similar municipal ordinance relating to vehicle weight as a basis for doing either of the following:
(1) Refusing to issue or deliver a policy of insurance upon a private automobile, or increasing the rate to be charged for such a policy;
(2) Increasing the premium rate, canceling, or failing to renew an existing policy of insurance upon a private automobile.
(B) Any applicant or policyholder affected by an action of an insurer in violation of division (A) of this section may appeal to the superintendent of insurance. After a hearing held upon not less than ten days' notice to the applicant or policyholder and to the insurer and if he determines after determining that the insurer has violated this section, the superintendent may direct the issuance of a policy, decrease the premium rate on a policy, or reinstate insurance coverage.
(C) The registrar shall not include the conviction for a violation of the weight provisions of Chapter 5577. of the Revised Code, or a substantially similar municipal ordinance relating to vehicle weight as part of the driver's or operator's permanent record and shall not include the conviction in a certified abstract of information under division (B)(A) of section 4509.05 of the Revised Code.
(D) Division (A) of this section does not apply to an insurer whose policy covers the vehicle, trackless trolley, load, object, or structure operated or moved upon improved public highways, streets, bridges, or culverts in violation of the weight provisions of Chapter 5577. of the Revised Code, or a substantially similar municipal ordinance relating to vehicle weight.
Sec. 4501.01.  As used in this chapter and Chapters 4503., 4505., 4507., 4509., 4511., 4513., 4515., and 4517. of the Revised Code, and in the penal laws, except as otherwise provided:
(A) "Vehicles" means everything on wheels or runners, including motorized bicycles, but does not mean electric personal assistive mobility devices, vehicles that are operated exclusively on rails or tracks or from overhead electric trolley wires, and vehicles that belong to any police department, municipal fire department, or volunteer fire department, or that are used by such a department in the discharge of its functions.
(B) "Motor vehicle" means any vehicle, including mobile homes and recreational vehicles, that is propelled or drawn by power other than muscular power or power collected from overhead electric trolley wires. "Motor vehicle" does not include motorized bicycles, road rollers, traction engines, power shovels, power cranes, and other equipment used in construction work and not designed for or employed in general highway transportation, well-drilling machinery, ditch-digging machinery, farm machinery, trailers that are used to transport agricultural produce or agricultural production materials between a local place of storage or supply and the farm when drawn or towed on a public road or highway at a speed of twenty-five miles per hour or less, threshing machinery, hay-baling machinery, corn sheller, hammermill and agricultural tractors, machinery used in the production of horticultural, agricultural, and vegetable products, and trailers that are designed and used exclusively to transport a boat between a place of storage and a marina, or in and around a marina, when drawn or towed on a public road or highway for a distance of no more than ten miles and at a speed of twenty-five miles per hour or less.
(C) "Agricultural tractor" and "traction engine" mean any self-propelling vehicle that is designed or used for drawing other vehicles or wheeled machinery, but has no provisions for carrying loads independently of such other vehicles, and that is used principally for agricultural purposes.
(D) "Commercial tractor," except as defined in division (C) of this section, means any motor vehicle that has motive power and either is designed or used for drawing other motor vehicles, or is designed or used for drawing another motor vehicle while carrying a portion of the other motor vehicle or its load, or both.
(E) "Passenger car" means any motor vehicle that is designed and used for carrying not more than nine persons and includes any motor vehicle that is designed and used for carrying not more than fifteen persons in a ridesharing arrangement.
(F) "Collector's vehicle" means any motor vehicle or agricultural tractor or traction engine that is of special interest, that has a fair market value of one hundred dollars or more, whether operable or not, and that is owned, operated, collected, preserved, restored, maintained, or used essentially as a collector's item, leisure pursuit, or investment, but not as the owner's principal means of transportation. "Licensed collector's vehicle" means a collector's vehicle, other than an agricultural tractor or traction engine, that displays current, valid license tags issued under section 4503.45 of the Revised Code, or a similar type of motor vehicle that displays current, valid license tags issued under substantially equivalent provisions in the laws of other states.
(G) "Historical motor vehicle" means any motor vehicle that is over twenty-five years old and is owned solely as a collector's item and for participation in club activities, exhibitions, tours, parades, and similar uses, but that in no event is used for general transportation.
(H) "Noncommercial motor vehicle" means any motor vehicle, including a farm truck as defined in section 4503.04 of the Revised Code, that is designed by the manufacturer to carry a load of no more than one ton and is used exclusively for purposes other than engaging in business for profit.
(I) "Bus" means any motor vehicle that has motor power and is designed and used for carrying more than nine passengers, except any motor vehicle that is designed and used for carrying not more than fifteen passengers in a ridesharing arrangement.
(J) "Commercial car" or "truck" means any motor vehicle that has motor power and is designed and used for carrying merchandise or freight, or that is used as a commercial tractor.
(K) "Bicycle" means every device, other than a tricycle that is designed solely for use as a play vehicle by a child, that is propelled solely by human power upon which any person may ride, and that has either two tandem wheels, or one wheel in front and two wheels in the rear, any of which is more than fourteen inches in diameter.
(L) "Motorized bicycle" means any vehicle that either has two tandem wheels or one wheel in the front and two wheels in the rear, that is capable of being pedaled, and that is equipped with a helper motor of not more than fifty cubic centimeters piston displacement that produces no more than one brake horsepower and is capable of propelling the vehicle at a speed of no greater than twenty miles per hour on a level surface.
(M) "Trailer" means any vehicle without motive power that is designed or used for carrying property or persons wholly on its own structure and for being drawn by a motor vehicle, and includes any such vehicle that is formed by or operated as a combination of a semitrailer and a vehicle of the dolly type such as that commonly known as a trailer dolly, a vehicle used to transport agricultural produce or agricultural production materials between a local place of storage or supply and the farm when drawn or towed on a public road or highway at a speed greater than twenty-five miles per hour, and a vehicle that is designed and used exclusively to transport a boat between a place of storage and a marina, or in and around a marina, when drawn or towed on a public road or highway for a distance of more than ten miles or at a speed of more than twenty-five miles per hour. "Trailer" does not include a manufactured home or travel trailer.
(N) "Noncommercial trailer" means any trailer, except a travel trailer or trailer that is used to transport a boat as described in division (B) of this section, but, where applicable, includes a vehicle that is used to transport a boat as described in division (M) of this section, that has a gross weight of no more than three thousand pounds, and that is used exclusively for purposes other than engaging in business for a profit.
(O) "Mobile home" means a building unit or assembly of closed construction that is fabricated in an off-site facility, is more than thirty-five body feet in length or, when erected on site, is three hundred twenty or more square feet, is built on a permanent chassis, is transportable in one or more sections, and does not qualify as a manufactured home as defined in division (C)(4) of section 3781.06 of the Revised Code or as an industrialized unit as defined in division (C)(3) of section 3781.06 of the Revised Code.
(P) "Semitrailer" means any vehicle of the trailer type that does not have motive power and is so designed or used with another and separate motor vehicle that in operation a part of its own weight or that of its load, or both, rests upon and is carried by the other vehicle furnishing the motive power for propelling itself and the vehicle referred to in this division, and includes, for the purpose only of registration and taxation under those chapters, any vehicle of the dolly type, such as a trailer dolly, that is designed or used for the conversion of a semitrailer into a trailer.
(Q) "Recreational vehicle" means a vehicular portable structure that meets all of the following conditions:
(1) It is designed for the sole purpose of recreational travel.
(2) It is not used for the purpose of engaging in business for profit.
(3) It is not used for the purpose of engaging in intrastate commerce.
(4) It is not used for the purpose of commerce as defined in 49 C.F.R. 383.5, as amended.
(5) It is not regulated by the public utilities commission pursuant to Chapter 4919., 4921., or 4923. of the Revised Code.
(6) It is classed as one of the following:
(a) "Travel trailer" means a nonself-propelled recreational vehicle that does not exceed an overall length of thirty-five feet, exclusive of bumper and tongue or coupling, and contains less than three hundred twenty square feet of space when erected on site. "Travel trailer" includes a tent-type fold-out camping trailer as defined in section 4517.01 of the Revised Code.
(b) "Motor home" means a self-propelled recreational vehicle that has no fifth wheel and is constructed with permanently installed facilities for cold storage, cooking and consuming of food, and for sleeping.
(c) "Truck camper" means a nonself-propelled recreational vehicle that does not have wheels for road use and is designed to be placed upon and attached to a motor vehicle. "Truck camper" does not include truck covers that consist of walls and a roof, but do not have floors and facilities enabling them to be used as a dwelling.
(d) "Fifth wheel trailer" means a vehicle that is of such size and weight as to be movable without a special highway permit, that has a gross trailer area of four hundred square feet or less, that is constructed with a raised forward section that allows a bi-level floor plan, and that is designed to be towed by a vehicle equipped with a fifth-wheel hitch ordinarily installed in the bed of a truck.
(e) "Park trailer" means a vehicle that is commonly known as a park model recreational vehicle, meets the American national standard institute standard A119.5 (1988) for park trailers, is built on a single chassis, has a gross trailer area of four hundred square feet or less when set up, is designed for seasonal or temporary living quarters, and may be connected to utilities necessary for the operation of installed features and appliances.
(R) "Pneumatic tires" means tires of rubber and fabric or tires of similar material, that are inflated with air.
(S) "Solid tires" means tires of rubber or similar elastic material that are not dependent upon confined air for support of the load.
(T) "Solid tire vehicle" means any vehicle that is equipped with two or more solid tires.
(U) "Farm machinery" means all machines and tools that are used in the production, harvesting, and care of farm products, and includes trailers that are used to transport agricultural produce or agricultural production materials between a local place of storage or supply and the farm when drawn or towed on a public road or highway at a speed of twenty-five miles per hour or less.
(V) "Owner" includes any person or firm, other than a manufacturer or dealer, that has title to a motor vehicle, except that, in sections 4505.01 to 4505.19 of the Revised Code, "owner" includes in addition manufacturers and dealers.
(W) "Manufacturer" and "dealer" include all persons and firms that are regularly engaged in the business of manufacturing, selling, displaying, offering for sale, or dealing in motor vehicles, at an established place of business that is used exclusively for the purpose of manufacturing, selling, displaying, offering for sale, or dealing in motor vehicles. A place of business that is used for manufacturing, selling, displaying, offering for sale, or dealing in motor vehicles shall be deemed to be used exclusively for those purposes even though snowmobiles or all-purpose vehicles are sold or displayed for sale thereat, even though farm machinery is sold or displayed for sale thereat, or even though repair, accessory, gasoline and oil, storage, parts, service, or paint departments are maintained thereat, or, in any county having a population of less than seventy-five thousand at the last federal census, even though a department in a place of business is used to dismantle, salvage, or rebuild motor vehicles by means of used parts, if such departments are operated for the purpose of furthering and assisting in the business of manufacturing, selling, displaying, offering for sale, or dealing in motor vehicles. Places of business or departments in a place of business used to dismantle, salvage, or rebuild motor vehicles by means of using used parts are not considered as being maintained for the purpose of assisting or furthering the manufacturing, selling, displaying, and offering for sale or dealing in motor vehicles.
(X) "Operator" includes any person who drives or operates a motor vehicle upon the public highways.
(Y) "Chauffeur" means any operator who operates a motor vehicle, other than a taxicab, as an employee for hire; or any operator whether or not the owner of a motor vehicle, other than a taxicab, who operates such vehicle for transporting, for gain, compensation, or profit, either persons or property owned by another. Any operator of a motor vehicle who is voluntarily involved in a ridesharing arrangement is not considered an employee for hire or operating such vehicle for gain, compensation, or profit.
(Z) "State" includes the territories and federal districts of the United States, and the provinces of Canada.
(AA) "Public roads and highways" for vehicles includes all public thoroughfares, bridges, and culverts.
(BB) "Manufacturer's number" means the manufacturer's original serial number that is affixed to or imprinted upon the chassis or other part of the motor vehicle.
(CC) "Motor number" means the manufacturer's original number that is affixed to or imprinted upon the engine or motor of the vehicle.
(DD) "Distributor" means any person who is authorized by a motor vehicle manufacturer to distribute new motor vehicles to licensed motor vehicle dealers at an established place of business that is used exclusively for the purpose of distributing new motor vehicles to licensed motor vehicle dealers, except when the distributor also is a new motor vehicle dealer, in which case the distributor may distribute at the location of the distributor's licensed dealership.
(EE) "Ridesharing arrangement" means the transportation of persons in a motor vehicle where the transportation is incidental to another purpose of a volunteer driver and includes ridesharing arrangements known as carpools, vanpools, and buspools.
(FF) "Apportionable vehicle" means any vehicle that is used or intended for use in two or more international registration plan member jurisdictions that allocate or proportionally register vehicles, that is used for the transportation of persons for hire or designed, used, or maintained primarily for the transportation of property, and that meets any of the following qualifications:
(1) Is a power unit having a gross vehicle weight in excess of twenty-six thousand pounds;
(2) Is a power unit having three or more axles, regardless of the gross vehicle weight;
(3) Is a combination vehicle with a gross vehicle weight in excess of twenty-six thousand pounds.
"Apportionable vehicle" does not include recreational vehicles, vehicles displaying restricted plates, city pick-up and delivery vehicles, buses used for the transportation of chartered parties, or vehicles owned and operated by the United States, this state, or any political subdivisions thereof.
(GG) "Chartered party" means a group of persons who contract as a group to acquire the exclusive use of a passenger-carrying motor vehicle at a fixed charge for the vehicle in accordance with the carrier's tariff, lawfully on file with the United States department of transportation, for the purpose of group travel to a specified destination or for a particular itinerary, either agreed upon in advance or modified by the chartered group after having left the place of origin.
(HH) "International registration plan" means a reciprocal agreement of member jurisdictions that is endorsed by the American association of motor vehicle administrators, and that promotes and encourages the fullest possible use of the highway system by authorizing apportioned registration of fleets of vehicles and recognizing registration of vehicles apportioned in member jurisdictions.
(II) "Restricted plate" means a license plate that has a restriction of time, geographic area, mileage, or commodity, and includes license plates issued to farm trucks under division (K)(J) of section 4503.04 of the Revised Code.
(JJ) "Gross vehicle weight," with regard to any commercial car, trailer, semitrailer, or bus that is taxed at the rates established under section 4503.042 of the Revised Code, means the unladen weight of the vehicle fully equipped plus the maximum weight of the load to be carried on the vehicle.
(KK) "Combined gross vehicle weight" with regard to any combination of a commercial car, trailer, and semitrailer, that is taxed at the rates established under section 4503.042 of the Revised Code, means the total unladen weight of the combination of vehicles fully equipped plus the maximum weight of the load to be carried on that combination of vehicles.
(LL) "Chauffeured limousine" means a motor vehicle that is designed to carry nine or fewer passengers and is operated for hire on an hourly basis pursuant to a prearranged contract for the transportation of passengers on public roads and highways along a route under the control of the person hiring the vehicle and not over a defined and regular route. "Prearranged contract" means an agreement, made in advance of boarding, to provide transportation from a specific location in a chauffeured limousine at a fixed rate per hour or trip. "Chauffeured limousine" does not include any vehicle that is used exclusively in the business of funeral directing.
(MM) "Manufactured home" has the same meaning as in division (C)(4) of section 3781.06 of the Revised Code.
(NN) "Acquired situs," with respect to a manufactured home or a mobile home, means to become located in this state by the placement of the home on real property, but does not include the placement of a manufactured home or a mobile home in the inventory of a new motor vehicle dealer or the inventory of a manufacturer, remanufacturer, or distributor of manufactured or mobile homes.
(OO) "Electronic" includes electrical, digital, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, or any other form of technology that entails capabilities similar to these technologies.
(PP) "Electronic record" means a record generated, communicated, received, or stored by electronic means for use in an information system or for transmission from one information system to another.
(QQ) "Electronic signature" means a signature in electronic form attached to or logically associated with an electronic record.
(RR) "Financial transaction device" has the same meaning as in division (A) of section 113.40 of the Revised Code.
(SS) "Electronic motor vehicle dealer" means a motor vehicle dealer licensed under Chapter 4517. of the Revised Code whom the registrar of motor vehicles determines meets the criteria designated in section 4503.035 of the Revised Code for electronic motor vehicle dealers and designates as an electronic motor vehicle dealer under that section.
(TT) "Electric personal assistive mobility device" means a self-balancing two non-tandem wheeled device that is designed to transport only one person, has an electric propulsion system of an average of seven hundred fifty watts, and when ridden on a paved level surface by an operator who weighs one hundred seventy pounds has a maximum speed of less than twenty miles per hour.
Sec. 4501.02.  (A) There is hereby created in the department of public safety a bureau of motor vehicles, which shall be administered by a registrar of motor vehicles. The registrar shall be appointed by the director of public safety and shall serve at the director's pleasure.
The registrar shall administer the laws of the state relative to the registration of and certificates of title for motor vehicles, and the licensing of motor vehicle dealers, motor vehicle leasing dealers, distributors, and salespersons, and of motor vehicle salvage dealers, salvage motor vehicle auctions, and salvage motor vehicle pools. The registrar also shall, in accordance with section 4503.61 of the Revised Code, take those steps necessary to enter this state into membership in the international registration plan and carry out the registrar's other duties under that section. The registrar, with the approval of the director of public safety, may do all of the following:
(1) Adopt such forms and rules as are necessary to carry out all laws the registrar is required to administer;
(2) Appoint such number of assistants, deputies, clerks, stenographers, and other employees as are necessary to carry out such laws;
(3) Acquire or lease such facilities as are necessary to carry out the duties of the registrar's office;
(4) Establish accounts in a bank or depository and deposit any funds collected by the registrar in those accounts to the credit of "state of Ohio, bureau of motor vehicles." Within three days after the deposit of funds in such an account, the registrar shall draw on that account in favor of the treasurer of state. The registrar may reserve funds against the draw to the treasurer of state to the extent reasonably necessary to ensure that the deposited items are not dishonored. The registrar may pay any service charge usually collected by the bank or depository.
The registrar shall give a bond for the faithful performance of the registrar's duties in such amount and with such security as the director approves. When in the opinion of the director it is advisable, any deputy or other employee may be required to give bond in such amount and with such security as the director approves. In the discretion of the director, the bonds authorized to be taken on deputies or other employees may be individual, schedule, or blanket bonds.
The director of public safety may investigate the activities of the bureau and have access to its records at any time, and the registrar shall make a report to the director at any time upon request.
All laws relating to the licensing of motor vehicle dealers, motor vehicle leasing dealers, distributors, and salespersons, and of motor vehicle salvage dealers, salvage motor vehicle auctions, and salvage motor vehicle pools, designating and granting power to the registrar shall be liberally construed to the end that the practice or commission of fraud in the business of selling motor vehicles and of disposing of salvage motor vehicles may be prohibited and prevented.
(B) There is hereby created in the department of public safety a division of emergency medical services, which shall be administered by an executive director of emergency medical services appointed under section 4765.03 of the Revised Code.
Sec. 4501.021.  (A) Notwithstanding sections 149.33 to 149.34 of the Revised Code, the registrar of motor vehicles shall determine the methods for obtaining, collecting, recording, and maintaining the records of the bureau of motor vehicles and of deputy registrars that pertain to driver's or commercial driver's licenses, identification cards, and vehicle registrations, including photographic or digitalized images, and electronic or digitalized signatures. The registrar may choose methods including paper, film, digital or other electronic media, or any other media that reasonably allows for recording, maintaining, and retrieving the records in a reliable manner.
(B) The registrar of motor vehicles may dispose of all records of the bureau of motor vehicles pursuant to section 149.34 of the Revised Code.
The disposal of all records shall not take place when the registrar has received notice that a court case or other legal action is pending involving such records.
Any surplus from the sale of such records, after paying the cost of administering the destruction or sale of such records, shall be paid into the state treasury.
(B)(C) Each deputy registrar shall retain in the deputy registrar's office a file containing copies of all records and transactions performed for the bureau. Copies of motor vehicle registration applications shall be retained for a period of eighteen months from the date of the record or transaction, whichever is later; copies of driver's license or identification card applications shall be retained for a period of four years from the date of the record or transaction, whichever is later; and all other records shall be retained for a period of three years from the date of the record or transaction, whichever is later. The retained records shall be available for public examination, but no person may make copies of the records for sale or distribution.
Sec. 4503.01.  "Motor vehicle" as defined in section 4505.01 of the Revised Code applies to sections 4503.02 to 4503.10, and 4503.12 to 4503.18 of the Revised Code. For the purposes of sections 4503.02 to 4503.04, 4503.10 to 4503.12, 4503.182, 4503.19, 4503.21, 4503.22, and 4503.25 of the Revised Code, the term "motor vehicle" also includes a motorized bicycle and a trailer or semitrailer whose weight is four thousand pounds or less.
Sec. 4503.03.  (A)(1)(a) The registrar of motor vehicles may designate the county auditor in each county a deputy registrar. If the population of a county is forty thousand or less according to the last federal census and if the county auditor is designated by the registrar as a deputy registrar, no other person need be designated in the county to act as a deputy registrar.
(b) For three years after the effective date of this amendment, the The registrar may designate a clerk of a court of common pleas as a deputy registrar if the population of the county is forty thousand or less according to the last federal census. All fees collected and retained by a clerk for conducting deputy registrar services shall be paid into the county treasury to the credit of the certificate of title administration fund created under section 325.33 of the Revised Code.
(c) In all other instances, the registrar shall contract with one or more other persons in each county to act as deputy registrars.
(2) Deputy registrars shall accept applications for the annual license tax for any vehicle not taxed under section 4503.63 of the Revised Code and shall assign distinctive numbers in the same manner as the registrar. Such deputies shall be located in such locations in the county as the registrar sees fit. There shall be at least one deputy registrar in each county.
Deputy registrar contracts are subject to the provisions of division (B) of section 125.081 of the Revised Code.
(B) The registrar shall not contract with any person to act as a deputy registrar if the person or, where applicable, the person's spouse or a member of the person's immediate family has made, within the current calendar year or any one of the previous three calendar years, one or more contributions totaling in excess of one hundred dollars to any person or entity included in division (A)(2) of section 4503.033 of the Revised Code. As used in this division, "immediate family" has the same meaning as in division (D) of section 102.01 of the Revised Code, and "entity" includes any political party and any "continuing association" as defined in division (B)(4) of section 3517.01 of the Revised Code or "political action committee" as defined in division (B)(8) of that section that is primarily associated with that political party. For purposes of this division, contributions to any continuing association or any political action committee that is primarily associated with a political party shall be aggregated with contributions to that political party.
The contribution limitations contained in this division do not apply to any county auditor or clerk of a court of common pleas.
The registrar shall not contract with either of the following to act as a deputy registrar:
(1) Any elected public official other than a county auditor or, as authorized by division (A)(1)(b) of this section, a clerk of a court of common pleas, acting in an the county auditor's official capacity;
(2) Any person holding a current, valid contract to conduct motor vehicle inspections under section 3704.14 of the Revised Code.
(C)(1) Except as provided in division (C)(2) of this section, deputy registrars are independent contractors and neither they nor their employees are employees of this state, except that nothing in this section shall affect the status of county auditors or clerks of courts of common pleas as public officials, nor the status of their employees as employees of any of the counties of this state, which are political subdivisions of this state. Each deputy registrar shall be responsible for the payment of all unemployment compensation premiums, all workers' compensation premiums, social security contributions, and any and all taxes for which the deputy registrar is legally responsible. Each deputy registrar shall comply with all applicable federal, state, and local laws requiring the withholding of income taxes or other taxes from the compensation of the deputy registrar's employees. Each deputy registrar shall maintain during the entire term of the deputy registrar's contract a policy of business liability insurance satisfactory to the registrar and shall hold the department of public safety, the director of public safety, the bureau of motor vehicles, and the registrar harmless upon any and all claims for damages arising out of the operation of the deputy registrar agency.
(2) For purposes of Chapter 4141. of the Revised Code, determinations concerning the employment of deputy registrars and their employees shall be made under Chapter 4141. of the Revised Code.
(D)(1) With the approval of the director, the registrar shall adopt rules governing the terms of the contract between the registrar and each deputy registrar and specifications for the services to be performed. The rules shall include specifications relating to the amount of bond to be given as provided in this section; the size and location of the deputy's office; and the leasing of equipment necessary to conduct the vision screenings required under section 4507.12 of the Revised Code and training in the use of the equipment. The specifications shall permit and encourage every deputy registrar to inform the public of the location of the deputy registrar's office and hours of operation by means of public service announcements and allow any deputy registrar to advertise in regard to the operation of the deputy registrar's office. The rules also shall include specifications for the hours the deputy's office is to be open to the public and shall require as a minimum that one deputy's office in each county be open to the public for at least four hours each weekend, provided that if only one deputy's office is located within the boundary of the county seat, that office is the office that shall be open for the four-hour period each weekend, and that every deputy's office in each county shall be open to the public until six-thirty p.m. on at least one weeknight each week. The rules also shall include specifications providing that every deputy in each county, upon request, provide any person with information about the location and office hours of all deputy registrars in the county and that every deputy prominently display within the deputy's the deputy registrar's office, the toll-free telephone number of the bureau. The rules shall not prohibit the award of a deputy registrar contract to a nonprofit corporation formed under the laws of this state. The rules shall prohibit any deputy registrar from operating more than one such office at any time, except that the rules may permit a nonprofit corporation formed for the purposes of providing automobile-related services to its members or the public and that provides such services from more than one location in this state to operate a deputy registrar office at any such location, provided that the nonprofit corporation operates no more than one deputy registrar office in any one county. The rules may include such other specifications as the registrar and director consider necessary to provide a high level of service.
(2) With the prior approval of the registrar, each deputy registrar may conduct at the location of the deputy registrar's office any business that is consistent with the functions of a deputy registrar and that is not specifically mandated or authorized by this or another chapter of the Revised Code or by implementing rules of the registrar.
(3) As used in this section and in section 4507.01 of the Revised Code, "nonprofit corporation" has the same meaning as in section 1702.01 of the Revised Code.
(E) Unless otherwise terminated and except for interim contracts of less than one year, contracts with deputy registrars shall be for a term of at least two years, but no more than three years, and all contracts effective on or after July 1, 1996, shall be for a term of more than two years, but not more than three years. All contracts with deputy registrars shall expire on the thirtieth day last Saturday of June in the year of their expiration. The auditor of state may examine the accounts, reports, systems, and other data of each deputy registrar at least every two years. The registrar, with the approval of the director, shall immediately remove a deputy who violates any provision of the Revised Code related to the duties as a deputy, any rule adopted by the registrar, or a term of the deputy's contract with the registrar. The registrar also may remove a deputy who, in the opinion of the registrar, has engaged in any conduct that is either unbecoming to one representing this state or is inconsistent with the efficient operation of the deputy's office. Upon removal of a deputy registrar for contract violation, the auditor of state shall examine the accounts, records, systems, and other data of the deputy registrar so removed.
If the registrar, with the approval of the director, determines that there is good cause to believe that a deputy registrar or a person proposing for a deputy registrar contract has engaged in any conduct that would require the denial or termination of the deputy registrar contract, the registrar may require the production of books, records, and papers as the registrar determines are necessary, and may take the depositions of witnesses residing within or outside the state in the same manner as is prescribed by law for the taking of depositions in civil actions in the court of common pleas, and for that purpose the registrar may issue a subpoena for any witness or a subpoena duces tecum to compel the production of any books, records, or papers, directed to the sheriff of the county where the witness resides or is found. Such a subpoena shall be served and returned in the same manner as a subpoena in a criminal case is served and returned. The fees and mileage of the sheriff and witnesses shall be the same as that allowed in the court of common pleas in criminal cases and shall be paid from the fund in the state treasury for the use of the agency in the same manner as other expenses of the agency are paid.
In any case of disobedience or neglect of any subpoena served on any person or the refusal of any witness to testify to any matter regarding which the witness lawfully may be interrogated, the court of common pleas of any county where the disobedience, neglect, or refusal occurs or any judge of that court, on application by the registrar, shall compel obedience by attachment proceedings for contempt, as in the case of disobedience of the requirements of a subpoena issued from that court, or a refusal to testify in that court.
Nothing in this division shall be construed to require a hearing of any nature prior to the termination of any deputy registrar contract by the registrar, with the approval of the director, for cause.
(F) Except as provided in section 2743.03 of the Revised Code, no court, other than the court of common pleas of Franklin county, has jurisdiction of any action against the department of public safety, the director, the bureau, or the registrar to restrain the exercise of any power or authority, or to entertain any action for declaratory judgment, in the selection and appointment of, or contracting with, deputy registrars. Neither the department, the director, the bureau, nor the registrar is liable in any action at law for damages sustained by any person because of any acts of the department, the director, the bureau, or the registrar, or of any employee of the department or bureau, in the performance of official duties in the selection and appointment of, and contracting with, deputy registrars.
(G) The registrar shall assign to each deputy registrar a series of numbers sufficient to supply the demand at all times in the area the deputy registrar serves, and the registrar shall keep a record in the registrar's office of the numbers within the series assigned. Each deputy shall be required to give bond in the amount of at least twenty-five thousand dollars, or in such higher amount as the registrar determines necessary, based on a uniform schedule of bond amounts established by the registrar and determined by the volume of registrations handled by the deputy. The form of the bond shall be prescribed by the registrar. The bonds required of deputy registrars, in the discretion of the registrar, may be individual or schedule bonds or may be included in any blanket bond coverage carried by the department.
(H) Each deputy registrar shall keep a file of each application received by the deputy and shall register that motor vehicle with the name and address of its owner.
(I) Upon request, a deputy registrar shall make the physical inspection of a motor vehicle and issue the physical inspection certificate required in section 4505.061 of the Revised Code.
(J) Each deputy registrar shall file a report semi-annually with the registrar of motor vehicles listing the number of applicants for licenses the deputy has served, the number of voter registration applications the deputy has completed and transmitted to the board of elections, and the number of voter registration applications declined.
Sec. 4503.034.  (A) Notwithstanding sections 4503.10, 4503.102, 4503.12, 4503.182, 4503.24, 4505.061, 4506.08, 4507.24, 4507.50, 4507.52, 4519.03, 4519.05, 4519.10, 4519.56, and 4519.69 of the Revised Code:
(1) Each deputy registrar shall be allowed the increased fee otherwise allowed in those sections and commencing on January 1, 2003, for performing the services specified in those sections only if the deputy registrars achieve a statewide satisfaction rate of at least ninety per cent on the survey conducted by the registrar of motor vehicles under this section. If the deputy registrars fail to achieve a statewide satisfaction rate of at least ninety per cent on the survey, the fee for performing the services specified in those sections shall remain at the rate in effect for the immediately preceding year.
(2) Each deputy registrar shall be allowed the increased fee otherwise allowed in those sections and commencing on January 1, 2004, for performing the services specified in those sections only if the deputy registrars achieve a statewide satisfaction rate of at least ninety per cent on the survey conducted by the registrar under this section. If the deputy registrars fail to achieve a statewide satisfaction rate of at least ninety per cent on the survey, the fee for performing the services specified in those sections shall remain at the rate in effect for the immediately preceding year.
(B) The registrar shall develop and conduct a survey evaluating public satisfaction with the conduct of services by deputy registrars under sections 4503.10, 4503.102, 4503.12, 4503.182, 4503.24, 4505.061, 4506.08, 4507.24, 4507.50, 4507.52, 4519.03, 4519.05, 4519.10, 4519.56, and 4519.69 of the Revised Code. In developing the survey, the registrar also shall establish standards that shall enable a deputy registrar to achieve a ninety per cent satisfaction rating. The ninety per cent satisfaction rate required under divisions (A)(1) and (2) of this section as a condition to increasing the service fees shall be determined on a statewide basis and not on an individual basis. The registrar shall conduct the survey in 2002 to determine the satisfaction rating for purposes of division (A)(1) of this section and shall conduct the survey again in 2003 to determine the satisfaction rating for purposes of division (A)(2) of this section.
Sec. 4503.04.  Until the rates established under Except as provided in section 4503.042 of the Revised Code for the registration of commercial cars, trailers, semitrailers, and certain buses other than transit buses become operative, the rates of the taxes imposed by section 4503.02 of the Revised Code shall be as follows:
(A) For motor vehicles having three wheels or less, the license tax is:
(1) For each motorized bicycle, ten dollars;
(2) For each motorcycle, fourteen dollars.
(B) For each passenger car, twenty dollars;
(C) For each manufactured home, each mobile home, and each travel trailer, ten dollars;
(D) For each noncommercial motor vehicle designed by the manufacturer to carry a load of no more than three-quarters of one ton and for each motor home, thirty-five dollars; for each noncommercial motor vehicle designed by the manufacturer to carry a load of more than three-quarters of one ton, but not more than one ton, seventy dollars;
(E) For each commercial car and for each trailer or semitrailer, except a manufactured or mobile home or noncommercial trailer, which shall not be taxed by this division, the license tax is fifteen dollars plus:
(1) Eighty-five cents for each one hundred pounds or part thereof for the first two thousand pounds or part thereof of weight of vehicle fully equipped;
(2) One dollar and forty cents for each one hundred pounds or part thereof in excess of two thousand pounds up to and including three thousand pounds;
(3) One dollar and ninety cents for each one hundred pounds or part thereof in excess of three thousand pounds up to and including four thousand pounds;
(4) Two dollars and twenty cents for each one hundred pounds or part thereof in excess of four thousand pounds up to and including five thousand pounds;
(5) Two dollars and forty cents for each one hundred pounds or part thereof in excess of five thousand pounds up to and including six thousand pounds;
(6) Two dollars and eighty cents for each one hundred pounds or part thereof in excess of six thousand pounds up to and including ten thousand pounds;
(7) Three dollars for each one hundred pounds or part thereof in excess of ten thousand pounds up to and including twelve thousand pounds;
(8) Three dollars and twenty-five cents for each one hundred pounds or part thereof in excess of twelve thousand pounds.
(F) For each noncommercial trailer, the license tax is:
(1) Eighty-five cents for each one hundred pounds or part thereof for the first two thousand pounds or part thereof of weight of vehicle fully equipped;
(2) One dollar and forty cents for each one hundred pounds or part thereof in excess of two thousand pounds up to and including three thousand pounds.
(G)(F) Notwithstanding its weight, twelve dollars for any:
(1) Vehicle equipped, owned, and used by a charitable or nonprofit corporation exclusively for the purpose of administering chest x-rays or receiving blood donations;
(2) Van used principally for the transportation of handicapped persons that has been modified by being equipped with adaptive equipment to facilitate the movement of such persons into and out of the van.
(H) For each bus, except a transit bus, having motor power the license tax is:
(1) Eighty-five cents per one hundred pounds or part thereof for the first two thousand pounds or part thereof of weight of vehicle fully equipped;
(2) One dollar and thirty cents for each one hundred pounds or part thereof in excess of two thousand pounds up to and including three thousand pounds;
(3) One dollar and eighty cents for each one hundred pounds or part thereof in excess of three thousand pounds up to and including four thousand pounds;
(4) Two dollars and ten cents for each one hundred pounds or part thereof in excess of four thousand pounds up to and including six thousand pounds;
(5) Two dollars and forty cents for each one hundred pounds or part thereof in excess of six thousand pounds up to and including ten thousand pounds;
(6) Two dollars and seventy cents for each one hundred pounds or part thereof in excess of ten thousand pounds;
(7) Notwithstanding its weight, twelve dollars for any bus;
(3) Bus used principally for the transportation of handicapped persons or persons sixty-five years of age or older;
(8)(G) Notwithstanding its weight, twenty dollars for any bus used principally for the transportation of persons in a ridesharing arrangement.
(I)(H) For each transit bus having motor power the license tax is twelve dollars.
"Transit bus" means either a motor vehicle having a seating capacity of more than seven persons which is operated and used by any person in the rendition of a public mass transportation service primarily in a municipal corporation or municipal corporations and provided at least seventy-five per cent of the annual mileage of such service and use is within such municipal corporation or municipal corporations or a motor vehicle having a seating capacity of more than seven persons which is operated solely for the transportation of persons associated with a charitable or nonprofit corporation, but does not mean any motor vehicle having a seating capacity of more than seven persons when such vehicle is used in a ridesharing capacity or any bus described by division (F)(3) of this section.
The application for registration of such transit bus shall be accompanied by an affidavit prescribed by the registrar of motor vehicles and signed by the person or an agent of the firm or corporation operating such bus stating that the bus has a seating capacity of more than seven persons, and that it is either to be operated and used in the rendition of a public mass transportation service and that at least seventy-five per cent of the annual mileage of such operation and use shall be within one or more municipal corporations or that it is to be operated solely for the transportation of persons associated with a charitable or nonprofit corporation.
The form of the license plate, and the manner of its attachment to the vehicle, shall be prescribed by the registrar of motor vehicles.
(J)(I) The minimum tax for any vehicle having motor power other than a farm truck, a motorized bicycle, or motorcycle is ten dollars and eighty cents, and for each noncommercial trailer, five dollars.
(K)(J)(1) Except as otherwise provided in division (K)(J) of this section, for each farm truck, except a noncommercial motor vehicle, that is owned, controlled, or operated by one or more farmers exclusively in farm use as defined in this section, and not for commercial purposes, and provided that at least seventy-five per cent of such farm use is by or for the one or more owners, controllers, or operators of the farm in the operation of which a farm truck is used, the license tax is five dollars plus:
(a) Fifty cents per one hundred pounds or part thereof for the first three thousand pounds;
(b) Seventy cents per one hundred pounds or part thereof in excess of three thousand pounds up to and including four thousand pounds;
(c) Ninety cents per one hundred pounds or part thereof in excess of four thousand pounds up to and including six thousand pounds;
(d) Two dollars for each one hundred pounds or part thereof in excess of six thousand pounds up to and including ten thousand pounds;
(e) Two dollars and twenty-five cents for each one hundred pounds or part thereof in excess of ten thousand pounds;
(f) The minimum license tax for any farm truck shall be twelve dollars.
(2) The owner of a farm truck may register the truck for a period of one-half year by paying one-half the registration tax imposed on the truck under this chapter and one-half the amount of any tax imposed on the truck under Chapter 4504. of the Revised Code.
(3) A farm bus may be registered for a period of ninety days from the date of issue of the license plates for the bus, for a fee of ten dollars, provided such license plates shall not be issued for more than any two ninety-day periods in any calendar year. Such use does not include the operation of trucks by commercial processors of agricultural products.
(4) License plates for farm trucks and for farm buses shall have some distinguishing marks, letters, colors, or other characteristics to be determined by the director of public safety.
(5) Every person registering a farm truck or bus under this section shall furnish an affidavit certifying that the truck or bus licensed to that person is to be so used as to meet the requirements necessary for the farm truck or farm bus classification.
Any farmer may use a truck owned by the farmer for commercial purposes by paying the difference between the commercial truck registration fee and the farm truck registration fee for the remaining part of the registration period for which the truck is registered. Such remainder shall be calculated from the beginning of the semiannual period in which application for such commercial license is made.
Taxes at the rates provided in this section are in lieu of all taxes on or with respect to the ownership of such motor vehicles, except as provided in section 4503.042 and section 4503.06 of the Revised Code.
(L)(K) Other than trucks registered under the international registration plan in another jurisdiction and for which this state has received an apportioned registration fee, the license tax for each truck which is owned, controlled, or operated by a nonresident, and licensed in another state, and which is used exclusively for the transportation of nonprocessed agricultural products intrastate, from the place of production to the place of processing, is twenty-four dollars.
"Truck," as used in this division, means any pickup truck, straight truck, semitrailer, or trailer other than a travel trailer. Nonprocessed agricultural products, as used in this division, does not include livestock or grain.
A license issued under this division shall be issued for a period of one hundred thirty days in the same manner in which all other licenses are issued under this section, provided that no truck shall be so licensed for more than one one-hundred-thirty-day period during any calendar year.
The license issued pursuant to this division shall consist of a windshield decal to be designed by the director of public safety.
Every person registering a truck under this division shall furnish an affidavit certifying that the truck licensed to the person is to be used exclusively for the purposes specified in this division.
(M)(L) Every person registering a motor vehicle as a noncommercial motor vehicle as defined in section 4501.01 of the Revised Code, or registering a trailer as a noncommercial trailer as defined in that section, shall furnish an affidavit certifying that the motor vehicle or trailer so licensed to the person is to be so used as to meet the requirements necessary for the noncommercial vehicle classification.
(N)(M) Every person registering a van or bus as provided in divisions (G)(F)(2) and (H)(7)(3) of this section shall furnish a notarized statement certifying that the van or bus licensed to the person is to be used for the purposes specified in those divisions. The form of the license plate issued for such motor vehicles shall be prescribed by the registrar.
(O)(N) Every person registering as a passenger car a motor vehicle designed and used for carrying more than nine but not more than fifteen passengers, and every person registering a bus as provided in division (H)(8)(G) of this section, shall furnish an affidavit certifying that the vehicle so licensed to the person is to be used in a ridesharing arrangement and that the person will have in effect whenever the vehicle is used in a ridesharing arrangement a policy of liability insurance with respect to the motor vehicle in amounts and coverages no less than those required by section 4509.79 of the Revised Code. The form of the license plate issued for such a motor vehicle shall be prescribed by the registrar.
(P)(O) As used in this section:
(1) "Van" means any motor vehicle having a single rear axle and an enclosed body without a second seat.
(2) "Handicapped person" means any person who has lost the use of one or both legs, or one or both arms, or is blind, deaf, or so severely disabled as to be unable to move about without the aid of crutches or a wheelchair.
(3) "Farm truck" means a truck used in the transportation from the farm of products of the farm, including livestock and its products, poultry and its products, floricultural and horticultural products, and in the transportation to the farm of supplies for the farm, including tile, fence, and every other thing or commodity used in agricultural, floricultural, horticultural, livestock, and poultry production and livestock, poultry, and other animals and things used for breeding, feeding, or other purposes connected with the operation of the farm.
(4) "Farm bus" means a bus used only for the transportation of agricultural employees and used only in the transportation of such employees as are necessary in the operation of the farm.
(5) "Farm supplies" includes fuel used exclusively in the operation of a farm, including one or more homes located on and used in the operation of one or more farms, and furniture and other things used in and around such homes.
Sec. 4503.041. (A) The original owner of any trailer weighing four thousand pounds or less and used exclusively for noncommercial purposes shall, upon application for initial registration, shall obtain and present such evidence of the trailer's weight as the registrar of motor vehicles may require. Whenever an application for registration other than an initial application by the original owner is made for a trailer to which this section applies, the application shall be accompanied by an affidavit, prescribed by the registrar and signed by the present owner, stating that the weight of the trailer is the same as that indicated by the evidence obtained and presented for initial registration by the original owner, and no other evidence of weight shall be required. This section does not apply to the owner of a boat trailer being registered in accordance with section 4503.173 of the Revised Code.
(B) The owner of a trailer described in division (A) of this section or the operator of a motor vehicle towing such a trailer may tow the trailer directly to and from a scale facility for the purpose of determining the trailer's weight prior to the registration of the trailer provided that at the time of such towing the owner or operator has in the owner's or operator's possession an official weight slip prescribed by the registrar and provided the trailer does not carry any load during such towing.
Sec. 4503.042.  The registrar of motor vehicles shall adopt rules establishing the date, subsequent to this state's entry into membership in the international registration plan, when the rates established by this section become operative.
(A) The rates of the taxes imposed by section 4503.02 of the Revised Code are as follows for commercial cars having a gross vehicle weight or combined gross vehicle weight of:
(1) Not more than two thousand pounds, forty-five dollars;
(2) More than two thousand but not more than six thousand pounds, seventy dollars;
(3) More than six thousand but not more than ten thousand pounds, eighty-five dollars;
(4) More than ten thousand but not more than fourteen thousand pounds, one hundred five dollars;
(5) More than fourteen thousand but not more than eighteen thousand pounds, one hundred twenty-five dollars;
(6) More than eighteen thousand but not more than twenty-two thousand pounds, one hundred fifty dollars;
(7) More than twenty-two thousand but not more than twenty-six thousand pounds, one hundred seventy-five dollars;
(8) More than twenty-six thousand but not more than thirty thousand pounds, three hundred fifty-five dollars;
(9) More than thirty thousand but not more than thirty-four thousand pounds, four hundred twenty dollars;
(10) More than thirty-four thousand but not more than thirty-eight thousand pounds, four hundred eighty dollars;
(11) More than thirty-eight thousand but not more than forty-two thousand pounds, five hundred forty dollars;
(12) More than forty-two thousand but not more than forty-six thousand pounds, six hundred dollars;
(13) More than forty-six thousand but not more than fifty thousand pounds, six hundred sixty dollars;
(14) More than fifty thousand but not more than fifty-four thousand pounds, seven hundred twenty-five dollars;
(15) More than fifty-four thousand but not more than fifty-eight thousand pounds, seven hundred eighty-five dollars;
(16) More than fifty-eight thousand but not more than sixty-two thousand pounds, eight hundred fifty-five dollars;
(17) More than sixty-two thousand but not more than sixty-six thousand pounds, nine hundred twenty-five dollars;
(18) More than sixty-six thousand but not more than seventy thousand pounds, nine hundred ninety-five dollars;
(19) More than seventy thousand but not more than seventy-four thousand pounds, one thousand eighty dollars;
(20) More than seventy-four thousand but not more than seventy-eight thousand pounds, one thousand two hundred dollars;
(21) More than seventy-eight thousand pounds, one thousand three hundred forty dollars.
(B) The rates of the taxes imposed by section 4503.02 of the Revised Code are as follows for buses having a gross vehicle weight or combined gross vehicle weight of:
(1) Not more than two thousand pounds, ten dollars;
(2) More than two thousand but not more than six thousand pounds, forty dollars;
(3) More than six thousand but not more than ten thousand pounds, one hundred dollars;
(4) More than ten thousand but not more than fourteen thousand pounds, one hundred eighty dollars;
(5) More than fourteen thousand but not more than eighteen thousand pounds, two hundred sixty dollars;
(6) More than eighteen thousand but not more than twenty-two thousand pounds, three hundred forty dollars;
(7) More than twenty-two thousand but not more than twenty-six thousand pounds, four hundred twenty dollars;
(8) More than twenty-six thousand but not more than thirty thousand pounds, five hundred dollars;
(9) More than thirty thousand but not more than thirty-four thousand pounds, five hundred eighty dollars;
(10) More than thirty-four thousand but not more than thirty-eight thousand pounds, six hundred sixty dollars;
(11) More than thirty-eight thousand but not more than forty-two thousand pounds, seven hundred forty dollars;
(12) More than forty-two thousand but not more than forty-six thousand pounds, eight hundred twenty dollars;
(13) More than forty-six thousand but not more than fifty thousand pounds, nine hundred forty dollars;
(14) More than fifty thousand but not more than fifty-four thousand pounds, one thousand dollars;
(15) More than fifty-four thousand but not more than fifty-eight thousand pounds, one thousand ninety dollars;
(16) More than fifty-eight thousand but not more than sixty-two thousand pounds, one thousand one hundred eighty dollars;
(17) More than sixty-two thousand but not more than sixty-six thousand pounds, one thousand two hundred seventy dollars;
(18) More than sixty-six thousand but not more than seventy thousand pounds, one thousand three hundred sixty dollars;
(19) More than seventy thousand but not more than seventy-four thousand pounds, one thousand four hundred fifty dollars;
(20) More than seventy-four thousand but not more than seventy-eight thousand pounds, one thousand five hundred forty dollars;
(21) More than seventy-eight thousand pounds, one thousand six hundred thirty dollars.
(C) In addition to the license taxes imposed at the rates specified in divisions (A) and (B) of this section, an administrative fee of two three dollars and twenty-five cents, plus an appropriate amount to cover the cost of postage, shall be collected by the registrar for each international registration plan license processed by the registrar. If the deputy registrar fees are increased on January 1, 2004, in accordance with section 4503.034 of the Revised Code, the administrative fee collected under this section is three dollars and fifty cents, commencing on that date, plus postage.
(D) The rate of the tax for each trailer and semitrailer is twenty-five dollars.
(E) The rates established by this section shall not apply to any of the following:
(1) Vehicles equipped, owned, and used by a charitable or nonprofit corporation exclusively for the purpose of administering chest x-rays or receiving blood donations;
(2) Vans used principally for the transportation of handicapped persons that have been modified by being equipped with adaptive equipment to facilitate the movement of such persons into and out of the vans;
(3) Buses used principally for the transportation of handicapped persons or persons sixty-five years of age or older;
(4) Buses used principally for the transportation of persons in a ridesharing arrangement;
(5) Transit buses having motor power;
(6) Noncommercial trailers, mobile homes, or manufactured homes.
Sec. 4503.10.  (A) The owner of every snowmobile, off-highway motorcycle, and all-purpose vehicle required to be registered under section 4519.02 of the Revised Code shall file an application for registration under section 4519.03 of the Revised Code. The owner of a motor vehicle, other than a snowmobile, off-highway motorcycle, or all-purpose vehicle, that is not designed and constructed by the manufacturer for operation on a street or highway may not register it under this chapter except upon certification of inspection pursuant to section 4513.02 of the Revised Code by the sheriff, or the chief of police of the municipal corporation or township, with jurisdiction over the political subdivision in which the owner of the motor vehicle resides. Except as provided in section 4503.103 of the Revised Code, every owner of every other motor vehicle not previously described in this section and every person mentioned as owner in the last certificate of title of a motor vehicle that is operated or driven upon the public roads or highways shall cause to be filed each year, by mail or otherwise, in the office of the registrar of motor vehicles or a deputy registrar, a written or electronic application or a preprinted registration renewal notice issued under section 4503.102 of the Revised Code, the form of which shall be prescribed by the registrar, for registration for the following registration year, which shall begin on the first day of January of every calendar year and end on the thirty-first day of December in the same year. Applications for registration and registration renewal notices shall be filed at the times established by the registrar pursuant to section 4503.101 of the Revised Code. A motor vehicle owner also may elect to apply for or renew a motor vehicle registration by electronic means using electronic signature in accordance with rules adopted by the registrar. Except as provided in division (J) of this section, applications for registration shall be made on blanks furnished by the registrar for that purpose, containing the following information:
(1) A brief description of the motor vehicle to be registered, including the name of the manufacturer, the factory number of the vehicle, the year's model year, make, model, and vehicle identification number, and, in the case of commercial cars, the gross weight of the vehicle fully equipped computed in the manner prescribed in section 4503.08 of the Revised Code;
(2) The name and residence address of the owner, and the township and municipal corporation in which the owner resides;
(3) The district of registration, which shall be determined as follows:
(a) In case the motor vehicle to be registered is used for hire or principally in connection with any established business or branch business, conducted at a particular place, the district of registration is the municipal corporation in which that place is located or, if not located in any municipal corporation, the county and township in which that place is located.
(b) In case the vehicle is not so used, the district of registration is the municipal corporation or county in which the owner resides at the time of making the application.
(4) Whether the motor vehicle is a new or used motor vehicle;
(5) The date of purchase of the motor vehicle;
(6) Whether the fees required to be paid for the registration or transfer of the motor vehicle, during the preceding registration year and during the preceding period of the current registration year, have been paid. Each application for registration shall be signed by the owner, either manually or by electronic signature, or pursuant to obtaining a limited power of attorney authorized by the registrar for registration, or other document authorizing such signature. If the owner elects to apply for or renew the motor vehicle registration with the registrar by electronic means, the owner's manual signature is not required.
(7) The owner's social security number, if assigned, or, where a motor vehicle to be registered is used for hire or principally in connection with any established business, the owner's federal taxpayer identification number. The bureau of motor vehicles shall retain in its records all social security numbers provided under this section, but the bureau shall not place social security numbers on motor vehicle certificates of registration.
(B) Each time an applicant first registers a motor vehicle in the applicant's name, the applicant shall present for inspection a physical certificate of title or a memorandum certificate showing title to the motor vehicle to be registered in the name of the applicant if a physical certificate of title or memorandum certificate has been issued by a clerk of a court of common pleas. If, under sections 4505.021, 4505.06, and 4505.08 of the Revised Code, a clerk instead has issued an electronic certificate of title for the applicant's motor vehicle, that certificate may be presented for inspection at the time of first registration in a manner prescribed by rules adopted by the registrar. When a motor vehicle inspection and maintenance program is in effect under section 3704.14 of the Revised Code and rules adopted under it, each application for registration for a vehicle required to be inspected under that section and those rules shall be accompanied by an inspection certificate for the motor vehicle issued in accordance with that section. The application shall be refused if any of the following applies:
(1) The application is not in proper form.
(2) The application is prohibited from being accepted by division (D) of section 2935.27, division (A) of section 2937.221, division (A) of section 4503.13, division (B) of section 4507.168, or division (B)(1) of section 4521.10 of the Revised Code.
(3) A certificate of title or memorandum certificate of title does not accompany the application or, in the case of an electronic certificate of title, is not presented in a manner prescribed by the registrar's rules.
(4) All registration and transfer fees for the motor vehicle, for the preceding year or the preceding period of the current registration year, have not been paid.
(5) The owner or lessee does not have an inspection certificate for the motor vehicle as provided in section 3704.14 of the Revised Code, and rules adopted under it, if that section is applicable.
This section does not require the payment of license or registration taxes on a motor vehicle for any preceding year, or for any preceding period of a year, if the motor vehicle was not taxable for that preceding year or period under sections 4503.02, 4503.04, 4503.11, 4503.12, and 4503.16 or Chapter 4504. of the Revised Code. When a certificate of registration is issued upon the first registration of a motor vehicle by or on behalf of the owner, the official issuing the certificate shall indicate the issuance with a stamp on the certificate of title or memorandum certificate or, in the case of an electronic certificate of title, an electronic stamp or other notation as specified in rules adopted by the registrar, and with a stamp on the inspection certificate for the motor vehicle, if any. The official also shall indicate, by a stamp or by other means the registrar prescribes, on the registration certificate issued upon the first registration of a motor vehicle by or on behalf of the owner the odometer reading of the motor vehicle as shown in the odometer statement included in or attached to the certificate of title. Upon each subsequent registration of the motor vehicle by or on behalf of the same owner, the official also shall so indicate the odometer reading of the motor vehicle as shown on the immediately preceding certificate of registration.
The registrar shall include in the permanent registration record of any vehicle required to be inspected under section 3704.14 of the Revised Code the inspection certificate number from the inspection certificate that is presented at the time of registration of the vehicle as required under this division.
(C)(1) Commencing with each registration renewal with an expiration date on or after October 1, 2003, and for each initial application for registration received on and after that date, the registrar and each deputy registrar shall collect an additional fee of eleven dollars for each application for registration and registration renewal received. The additional fee is for the purpose of defraying the department of public safety's costs associated with the administration and enforcement of the motor vehicle and traffic laws of Ohio. Each deputy registrar shall transmit the fees collected under division (C)(1) of this section in the time and manner provided in this section. The registrar shall deposit all moneys received under division (C)(1) of this section into the state highway safety fund established in section 4501.06 of the Revised Code.
(2) In addition, a charge of twenty-five cents shall be made for each reflectorized safety license plate issued, and a single charge of twenty-five cents shall be made for each county identification sticker or each set of county identification stickers issued, as the case may be, to cover the cost of producing the license plates and stickers, including material, manufacturing, and administrative costs. Those fees shall be in addition to the license tax. If the total cost of producing the plates is less than twenty-five cents per plate, or if the total cost of producing the stickers is less than twenty-five cents per sticker or per set issued, any excess moneys accruing from the fees shall be distributed in the same manner as provided by section 4501.04 of the Revised Code for the distribution of license tax moneys. If the total cost of producing the plates exceeds twenty-five cents per plate, or if the total cost of producing the stickers exceeds twenty-five cents per sticker or per set issued, the difference shall be paid from the license tax moneys collected pursuant to section 4503.02 of the Revised Code.
(D) Each deputy registrar shall be allowed a fee of two dollars and seventy-five cents commencing on July 1, 2001, three dollars and twenty-five cents commencing on January 1, 2003, and three dollars and fifty cents commencing on January 1, 2004, for each application for registration and registration renewal notice the deputy registrar receives, which shall be for the purpose of compensating the deputy registrar for the deputy registrar's services, and such office and rental expenses, as may be necessary for the proper discharge of the deputy registrar's duties in the receiving of applications and renewal notices and the issuing of registrations.
(E) Upon the certification of the registrar, the county sheriff or local police officials shall recover license plates erroneously or fraudulently issued.
(F) Each deputy registrar, upon receipt of any application for registration or registration renewal notice, together with the license fee and any local motor vehicle license tax levied pursuant to Chapter 4504. of the Revised Code, shall transmit that fee and tax, if any, in the manner provided in this section, together with the original and duplicate copy of the application, to the registrar. The registrar, subject to the approval of the director of public safety, may deposit the funds collected by those deputies in a local bank or depository to the credit of the "state of Ohio, bureau of motor vehicles." Where a local bank or depository has been designated by the registrar, each deputy registrar shall deposit all moneys collected by the deputy registrar into that bank or depository not more than one business day after their collection and shall make reports to the registrar of the amounts so deposited, together with any other information, some of which may be prescribed by the treasurer of state, as the registrar may require and as prescribed by the registrar by rule. The registrar, within three days after receipt of notification of the deposit of funds by a deputy registrar in a local bank or depository, shall draw on that account in favor of the treasurer of state. The registrar, subject to the approval of the director and the treasurer of state, may make reasonable rules necessary for the prompt transmittal of fees and for safeguarding the interests of the state and of counties, townships, municipal corporations, and transportation improvement districts levying local motor vehicle license taxes. The registrar may pay service charges usually collected by banks and depositories for such service. If deputy registrars are located in communities where banking facilities are not available, they shall transmit the fees forthwith, by money order or otherwise, as the registrar, by rule approved by the director and the treasurer of state, may prescribe. The registrar may pay the usual and customary fees for such service.
(G) This section does not prevent any person from making an application for a motor vehicle license directly to the registrar by mail, by electronic means, or in person at any of the registrar's offices, upon payment of a service fee of two dollars and seventy-five cents commencing on July 1, 2001, three dollars and twenty-five cents commencing on January 1, 2003, and three dollars and fifty cents commencing on January 1, 2004, for each application.
(H) No person shall make a false statement as to the district of registration in an application required by division (A) of this section. Violation of this division is falsification under section 2921.13 of the Revised Code and punishable as specified in that section.
(I)(1) Where applicable, the requirements of division (B) of this section relating to the presentation of an inspection certificate issued under section 3704.14 of the Revised Code and rules adopted under it for a motor vehicle, the refusal of a license for failure to present an inspection certificate, and the stamping of the inspection certificate by the official issuing the certificate of registration apply to the registration of and issuance of license plates for a motor vehicle under sections 4503.102, 4503.12, 4503.14, 4503.15, 4503.16, 4503.171, 4503.172, 4503.19, 4503.40, 4503.41, 4503.42, 4503.43, 4503.44, 4503.46, 4503.47, and 4503.51 of the Revised Code.
(2)(a) The registrar shall adopt rules ensuring that each owner registering a motor vehicle in a county where a motor vehicle inspection and maintenance program is in effect under section 3704.14 of the Revised Code and rules adopted under it receives information about the requirements established in that section and those rules and about the need in those counties to present an inspection certificate with an application for registration or preregistration.
(b) Upon request, the registrar shall provide the director of environmental protection, or any person that has been awarded a contract under division (D) of section 3704.14 of the Revised Code, an on-line computer data link to registration information for all passenger cars, noncommercial motor vehicles, and commercial cars that are subject to that section. The registrar also shall provide to the director of environmental protection a magnetic data tape containing registration information regarding passenger cars, noncommercial motor vehicles, and commercial cars for which a multi-year registration is in effect under section 4503.103 of the Revised Code or rules adopted under it, including, without limitation, the date of issuance of the multi-year registration, the registration deadline established under rules adopted under section 4503.101 of the Revised Code that was applicable in the year in which the multi-year registration was issued, and the registration deadline for renewal of the multi-year registration.
(J) Application for registration under the international registration plan, as set forth in sections 4503.60 to 4503.66 of the Revised Code, shall be made to the registrar on forms furnished by the registrar. In accordance with international registration plan guidelines and pursuant to rules adopted by the registrar, the forms shall include the following:
(1) A uniform mileage schedule;
(2) The gross vehicle weight of the vehicle or combined gross vehicle weight of the combination vehicle as declared by the registrant;
(3) Any other information the registrar requires by rule.
Sec. 4503.12. (A) Upon the transfer of ownership of a motor vehicle, the registration of the motor vehicle expires, and the original owner immediately shall remove the license plates from the motor vehicle, except that:
(A)(1) If a statutory merger or consolidation results in the transfer of ownership of a motor vehicle from a constituent corporation to the surviving corporation, or if the incorporation of a proprietorship or partnership results in the transfer of ownership of a motor vehicle from the proprietorship or partnership to the corporation, the registration shall be continued upon the filing by the surviving or new corporation, within thirty days of such transfer, of an application for an amended certificate of registration, unless such registration is prohibited by division (D) of section 2935.27, division (A) of section 2937.221, division (B) of section 4507.168, or division (B)(1) of section 4521.10 of the Revised Code. The application shall be accompanied by a service fee of two dollars and seventy-five cents commencing on July 1, 2001, three dollars and twenty-five cents commencing on January 1, 2003, and three dollars and fifty cents commencing on January 1, 2004, a transfer fee of one dollar, and the original certificate of registration. Upon a proper filing, the registrar of motor vehicles shall issue an amended certificate of registration in the name of the new owner.
(B)(2) If the death of the owner of a motor vehicle results in the transfer of ownership of the motor vehicle to the surviving spouse of the owner or if a motor vehicle is owned by two persons under joint ownership with right of survivorship established under section 2131.12 of the Revised Code and one of those persons dies, the registration shall be continued upon the filing by the survivor of an application for an amended certificate of registration, unless such registration is prohibited by division (D) of section 2935.27, division (A) of section 2937.221, division (A) of section 4503.13, division (B) of section 4507.168, or division (B)(1) of section 4521.10 of the Revised Code. The application shall be accompanied by a service fee of two dollars and seventy-five cents commencing on July 1, 2001, three dollars and twenty-five cents commencing on January 1, 2003, and three dollars and fifty cents commencing on January 1, 2004, a transfer fee of one dollar, the original certificate of registration, and, in. In relation to a motor vehicle that is owned by two persons under joint ownership with right of survivorship established under section 2131.12 of the Revised Code, the application shall be accompanied by a copy of the certificate of title that specifies that the vehicle is owned under joint ownership with right of survivorship. Upon a proper filing, the registrar shall issue an amended certificate of registration in the name of the survivor.
(C)(3) If the death of the owner of a motor vehicle results in the transfer of ownership of the motor vehicle to a transfer-on-death beneficiary or beneficiaries designated under section 2131.13 of the Revised Code, the registration shall be continued upon the filing by the transfer-on-death beneficiary or beneficiaries of an application for an amended certificate of registration, unless that registration is prohibited by division (D) of section 2935.27, division (A) of section 2937.221, division (A) of section 4503.13, division (B) of section 4507.168, or division (B)(1) of section 4521.10 of the Revised Code. The application shall be accompanied by a service fee of two dollars and seventy-five cents commencing on July 1, 2001, three dollars and twenty-five cents commencing on January 1, 2003, and three dollars and fifty cents commencing on January 1, 2004, a transfer fee of one dollar, the original certificate of registration, and a copy of the certificate of title that specifies that the owner of the motor vehicle has designated the motor vehicle in beneficiary form under section 2131.13 of the Revised Code. Upon a proper filing, the registrar shall issue an amended certificate of registration in the name of the transfer-on-death beneficiary or beneficiaries.
(D)(4) If the original owner of a motor vehicle that has been transferred makes application for the registration of another motor vehicle at any time during the remainder of the registration period for which the transferred motor vehicle was registered, the owner, unless such registration is prohibited by division (D) of section 2935.27, division (A) of section 2937.221, division (A) of section 4503.13, division (E) of section 4503.234, division (B) of section 4507.168, or division (B)(1) of section 4521.10 of the Revised Code, may file an application for transfer of the registration and, where applicable, the license plates, accompanied by a service fee of two dollars and seventy-five cents commencing on July 1, 2001, three dollars and twenty-five cents commencing on January 1, 2003, and three dollars and fifty cents commencing on January 1, 2004, a transfer fee of one dollar, and the original certificate of registration. The transfer of the registration and, where applicable, the license plates from the motor vehicle for which they originally were issued to a succeeding motor vehicle purchased by the same person in whose name the original registration and license plates were issued shall be done within a period not to exceed thirty days. During that thirty-day period, the license plates from the motor vehicle for which they originally were issued may be displayed on the succeeding motor vehicle, and the succeeding motor vehicle may be operated on the public roads and highways in this state.
At the time of application for transfer, the registrar shall compute and collect the amount of tax due on the succeeding motor vehicle, based upon the amount that would be due on a new registration as of the date on which the transfer is made less a credit for the unused portion of the original registration beginning on that date. If the credit exceeds the amount of tax due on the new registration, no refund shall be made. In computing the amount of tax due and credits to be allowed under this division, the provisions of division (B)(1)(a) and (b) of section 4503.11 of the Revised Code shall apply. As to passenger cars, noncommercial vehicles, motor homes, and motorcycles, transfers within or between these classes of motor vehicles only shall be allowed. If the succeeding motor vehicle is of a different class than the motor vehicle for which the registration originally was issued, new license plates also shall be issued upon the surrender of the license plates originally issued and payment of the fees provided in divisions (C) and (D) of section 4503.10 of the Revised Code.
(E)(5) The owner of a commercial car having a gross vehicle weight or combined gross vehicle weight of more than ten thousand pounds may transfer the registration of that commercial car to another commercial car the owner owns without transferring ownership of the first commercial car, unless registration of the second commercial car is prohibited by division (D) of section 2935.27, division (A) of section 2937.221, division (A) of section 4503.13, division (B) of section 4507.168, or division (B)(1) of section 4521.10 of the Revised Code. At any time during the remainder of the registration period for which the first commercial car was registered, the owner may file an application for the transfer of the registration and, where applicable, the license plates, accompanied by a service fee of two dollars and seventy-five cents commencing on July 1, 2001, three dollars and twenty-five cents commencing on January 1, 2003, and three dollars and fifty cents commencing on January 1, 2004, a transfer fee of one dollar, and the certificate of registration of the first commercial car. The amount of any tax due or credit to be allowed for a transfer of registration under this division shall be computed in accordance with division (D)(A)(4) of this section.
No commercial car to which a registration is transferred under this division shall be operated on a public road or highway in this state until after the transfer of registration is completed in accordance with this division.
(F)(6) Upon application to the registrar or a deputy registrar, a person who owns or leases a motor vehicle may transfer special license plates assigned to that vehicle to any other vehicle that the person owns or leases or that is owned or leased by the person's spouse. The application shall be accompanied by a service fee of two dollars and seventy-five cents commencing on July 1, 2001, three dollars and twenty-five cents commencing on January 1, 2003, and three dollars and fifty cents commencing on January 1, 2004, a transfer fee of one dollar, and the original certificate of registration. As appropriate, the application also shall be accompanied by a power of attorney for the registration of a leased vehicle and a written statement releasing the special plates to the applicant. Upon a proper filing, the registrar or deputy registrar shall assign the special license plates to the motor vehicle owned or leased by the applicant and issue a new certificate of registration for that motor vehicle.
As used in division (F)(A)(6) of this section, "special license plates" means either of the following:
(1)(a) Any license plates for which the person to whom the license plates are issued must pay an additional fee in excess of the fees prescribed in section 4503.04 of the Revised Code, Chapter 4504. of the Revised Code, and the service fee prescribed in division (D) or (G) of section 4503.10 of the Revised Code;
(2)(b) License plates issued under section 4503.44 of the Revised Code.
(7) If a corporation transfers the ownership of a motor vehicle to an affiliated corporation, the affiliated corporation may apply to the registrar for the transfer of the registration and any license plates. The registrar may require the applicant to submit documentation of the corporate relationship and shall determine whether the application for registration transfer is made in good faith and not for the purposes of circumventing the provisions of this chapter. Upon a proper filing, the registrar shall issue an amended certificate of registration in the name of the new owner.
(B) An application under division (A) of this section shall be accompanied by a service fee of two dollars and seventy-five cents commencing on July 1, 2001, three dollars and twenty-five cents commencing on January 1, 2003, and three dollars and fifty cents commencing on January 1, 2004, a transfer fee of one dollar, and the original certificate of registration, if applicable.
(C) Neither the registrar nor a deputy registrar shall transfer a registration under division (A) of this section if the registration is prohibited by division (D) of section 2935.27, division (A) of section 2937.221, division (A) of section 4503.13, division (E) of section 4503.234, division (B) of section 4507.168, or division (B)(1) of section 4521.10 of the Revised Code.
Sec. 4503.24. (A) The owner of a chauffeured limousine, upon compliance with the motor vehicle laws relating to the registration and licensing of motor vehicles, upon payment of the regular license tax as prescribed under section 4503.04 of the Revised Code, any tax levied under Chapter 4504. of the Revised Code, and an additional fee of seven dollars and fifty cents, and the fee specified in division (C) of this section, if applicable, and upon compliance with section 4509.80 of the Revised Code, shall be issued appropriate vehicle registration and a set of license plates and a validation sticker, or a validation sticker alone when required by section 4503.191 of the Revised Code. The owner shall also be issued an additional license plate sticker that bears the word "livery." The livery license plate sticker issued under this section shall be of a different color or shade each year, the new color or shade to be selected by the director of public safety. The additional fee shall be for the purpose of compensating the bureau of motor vehicles for additional services required in the issuing of such licenses and shall be transmitted by the registrar of motor vehicles to the treasurer of state for deposit in the state bureau of motor vehicles fund created by section 4501.25 of the Revised Code.
(B) Any application for registration or registration renewal of a chauffeured limousine made under this section shall may be submitted by mail directly to the registrar. No or in person to a deputy registrar shall accept or process any application for registration made under this section.
(C) Each deputy registrar shall be allowed a fee of three dollars and twenty-five cents commencing on January 1, 2003, and three dollars and fifty cents commencing on January 1, 2004, for each application for registration and registration renewal notice the deputy registrar receives.
Sec. 4503.44.  (A) As used in this section and in section 4511.69 of the Revised Code:
(1) "Person with a disability that limits or impairs the ability to walk" means any person who, as determined by a physician or chiropractor, meets any of the following criteria:
(a) Cannot walk two hundred feet without stopping to rest;
(b) Cannot walk without the use of, or assistance from, a brace, cane, crutch, another person, prosthetic device, wheelchair, or other assistive device;
(c) Is restricted by a lung disease to such an extent that the person's forced (respiratory) expiratory volume for one second, when measured by spirometry, is less than one liter, or the arterial oxygen tension is less than sixty millimeters of mercury on room air at rest;
(d) Uses portable oxygen;
(e) Has a cardiac condition to the extent that the person's functional limitations are classified in severity as class III or class IV according to standards set by the American heart association;
(f) Is severely limited in the ability to walk due to an arthritic, neurological, or orthopedic condition;
(g) Is blind.
(2) "Organization" means any private organization or corporation, or any governmental board, agency, department, division, or office, that, as part of its business or program, transports persons with disabilities that limit or impair the ability to walk on a regular basis in a motor vehicle that has not been altered for the purpose of providing it with special equipment for use by handicapped persons. This definition does not apply to division (J) of this section.
(3) "Physician" means a person licensed to practice medicine or surgery or osteopathic medicine and surgery under Chapter 4731. of the Revised Code.
(4) "Chiropractor" means a person licensed to practice chiropractic under Chapter 4734. of the Revised Code.
(B) Any organization or person with a disability that limits or impairs the ability to walk may apply to the registrar of motor vehicles for a removable windshield placard or, if the person owns or leases a motor vehicle, the person may apply for the registration of any motor vehicle the person owns or leases. In addition to one or more sets of license plates or one placard, a person with a disability that limits or impairs the ability to walk is entitled to one additional placard, but only if the person applies separately for the additional placard, states the reasons why the additional placard is needed, and the registrar, in the registrar's discretion, determines that good and justifiable cause exists to approve the request for the additional placard. When a motor vehicle has been altered for the purpose of providing it with special equipment for a person with a disability that limits or impairs the ability to walk, but is owned or leased by someone other than such a person, the owner or lessee may apply to the registrar or a deputy registrar for registration under this section. The application for registration of a motor vehicle owned or leased by a person with a disability that limits or impairs the ability to walk shall be accompanied by a signed statement from the applicant's personal physician or chiropractor certifying that the applicant meets at least one of the criteria contained in division (A)(1) of this section and that the disability is expected to continue for more than six consecutive months. The application for a removable windshield placard made by a person with a disability that limits or impairs the ability to walk shall be accompanied by a prescription from the applicant's personal physician or chiropractor prescribing such a placard for the applicant, and by a signed statement certifying provided that the applicant meets at least one of the criteria contained in division (A)(1) of this section. The physician or chiropractor shall state on the prescription the length of time the physician or chiropractor expects the applicant to have the disability that limits or impairs the applicant's ability to walk. The application for a removable windshield placard made by an organization shall be accompanied by such documentary evidence of regular transport of persons with disabilities that limit or impair the ability to walk by the organization as the registrar may require by rule and shall be completed in accordance with procedures that the registrar may require by rule. The application for registration of a motor vehicle that has been altered for the purpose of providing it with special equipment for a person with a disability that limits or impairs the ability to walk but is owned by someone other than such a person shall be accompanied by such documentary evidence of vehicle alterations as the registrar may require by rule.
(C) When an organization, a person with a disability that limits or impairs the ability to walk, or a person who does not have a disability that limits or impairs the ability to walk but owns a motor vehicle that has been altered for the purpose of providing it with special equipment for a person with a disability that limits or impairs the ability to walk first submits an application for registration of a motor vehicle under this section and every fifth year thereafter, the organization or person shall submit a signed statement from the applicant's personal physician or chiropractor, a completed application, and any required documentary evidence of vehicle alterations as provided in division (B) of this section, and also a power of attorney from the owner of the motor vehicle if the applicant leases the vehicle. Upon submission of these items, the registrar or deputy registrar shall issue to the applicant appropriate vehicle registration and a set of license plates and validation stickers, or validation stickers alone when required by section 4503.191 of the Revised Code. In addition to the letters and numbers ordinarily inscribed thereon, the license plates shall be imprinted with the international symbol of access. The license plates and validation stickers shall be issued upon payment of the regular license fee as prescribed under section 4503.04 of the Revised Code and any motor vehicle tax levied under Chapter 4504. of the Revised Code, and the payment of a service fee equal to the amount specified in division (D) or (G) of section 4503.10 of the Revised Code.
(D)(1) Upon receipt of a completed and signed application for a removable windshield placard, a prescription as described in division (B) of this section, documentary evidence of regular transport of persons with disabilities that limit or impair the ability to walk, if required, and payment of a service fee equal to the amount specified in division (D) or (G) of section 4503.10 of the Revised Code, the registrar or deputy registrar shall issue to the applicant a removable windshield placard, which shall bear the date of expiration on both sides of the placard and shall be valid until expired, revoked, or surrendered. Every removable windshield placard expires as described in division (D)(2) of this section, but in no case shall a removable windshield placard be valid for a period of less than sixty days. Removable windshield placards shall be renewable upon application as provided in division (B) of this section, and a service fee equal to the amount specified in division (D) or (G) of section 4503.10 of the Revised Code shall be charged for the renewal of a removable windshield placard. The registrar shall provide the application form and shall determine the information to be included thereon. The registrar also shall determine the form and size of the removable windshield placard, the material of which it is to be made, and any other information to be included thereon, and shall adopt rules relating to the issuance, expiration, revocation, surrender, and proper display of such placards. Any placard issued after October 14, 1999, shall be manufactured in a manner that allows the expiration date of the placard to be indicated on it through the punching, drilling, boring, or creation by any other means of holes in the placard.
(2) At the time a removable windshield placard is issued to a person with a disability that limits or impairs the ability to walk, the registrar or deputy registrar shall enter into the records of the bureau of motor vehicles the last date on which the person will have that disability, as indicated on the accompanying prescription. Not less than thirty days prior to that date and all removable windshield placard renewal dates, the bureau shall send a renewal notice to that person at the person's last known address as shown in the records of the bureau, informing the person that the person's removable windshield placard will expire on the indicated date not to exceed five years from the date of issuance, and that the person is required to renew the placard by submitting to the registrar or a deputy registrar another prescription, as described in division (B) of this section, and by complying with the renewal provisions prescribed in division (D)(1) of this section. If such a prescription is not received by the registrar or a deputy registrar by that date, the placard issued to that person expires and no longer is valid, and this fact shall be recorded in the records of the bureau.
(3) At least once every year, on a date determined by the registrar, the bureau shall examine the records of the office of vital statistics, located within the department of health, that pertain to deceased persons, and also the bureau's records of all persons who have been issued removable windshield placards and temporary removable windshield placards. If the records of the office of vital statistics indicate that a person to whom a removable windshield placard or temporary removable windshield placard has been issued is deceased, the bureau shall cancel that placard, and note the cancellation in its records.
The office of vital statistics shall make available to the bureau all information necessary to enable the bureau to comply with division (D)(3) of this section.
(4) Nothing in this section shall be construed to require a person or organization to apply for a removable windshield placard or special license plates if the parking card or special license plates issued to the person or organization under prior law have not expired or been surrendered or revoked.
(E) Any person with a disability that limits or impairs the ability to walk may apply to the registrar or a deputy registrar for a temporary removable windshield placard. The application for a temporary removable windshield placard shall be accompanied by a prescription from the applicant's personal physician or chiropractor prescribing such a placard for the applicant, and by a signed statement certifying provided that the applicant meets at least one of the criteria contained in division (A)(1) of this section and that the disability is expected to continue for six consecutive months or less. The physician or chiropractor shall state on the prescription the length of time the physician or chiropractor expects the applicant to have the disability that limits or impairs the applicant's ability to walk, which cannot exceed six months from the date of the prescription. Upon receipt of an application for a temporary removable windshield placard, presentation of the prescription and the signed statement from the applicant's personal physician or chiropractor, and payment of a service fee equal to the amount specified in division (D) or (G) of section 4503.10 of the Revised Code, the registrar or deputy registrar shall issue to the applicant a temporary removable windshield placard. The temporary removable windshield placard shall be of the same size and form as the removable windshield placard, shall be printed in white on a red-colored background, and shall bear the word "temporary" in letters of such size as the registrar shall prescribe. A temporary removable windshield placard also shall bear the date of expiration on the front and back of the placard, and shall be valid until expired, surrendered, or revoked, but in no case shall such a placard be valid for a period of less than sixty days. The registrar shall provide the application form and shall determine the information to be included on it. The registrar also shall determine the material of which the temporary removable windshield placard is to be made and any other information to be included on the placard and shall adopt rules relating to the issuance, expiration, surrender, revocation, and proper display of those placards. Any temporary removable windshield placard issued after October 14, 1999, shall be manufactured in a manner that allows for the expiration date of the placard to be indicated on it through the punching, drilling, boring, or creation by any other means of holes in the placard.
(F) If an applicant for a removable windshield placard is a veteran of the armed forces of the United States whose disability, as defined in division (A)(1) of this section, is service-connected, the registrar or deputy registrar, upon receipt of the application, presentation of a signed statement from the applicant's personal physician or chiropractor certifying the applicant's disability, and presentation of such documentary evidence from the department of veterans affairs that the disability of the applicant meets at least one of the criteria identified in division (A)(1) of this section and is service-connected as the registrar may require by rule, but without the payment of any service fee, shall issue the applicant a removable windshield placard that is valid until expired, surrendered, or revoked.
Upon a conviction of a violation of division (H), (I), or (J) of this section, the court shall report the conviction, and send the placard or parking card, if available, to the registrar, who thereupon shall revoke the privilege of using the placard or parking card and send notice in writing to the placardholder or cardholder at that holder's last known address as shown in the records of the bureau, and the placardholder or cardholder shall return the placard or card if not previously surrendered to the court, to the registrar within ten days following mailing of the notice.
Whenever a person to whom a removable windshield placard or parking card has been issued moves to another state, the person shall surrender the placard or card to the registrar; and whenever an organization to which a placard or card has been issued changes its place of operation to another state, the organization shall surrender the placard or card to the registrar.
(G) Subject to division (F) of section 4511.69 of the Revised Code, the operator of a motor vehicle displaying a removable windshield placard, temporary removable windshield placard, parking card, or the special license plates authorized by this section is entitled to park the motor vehicle in any special parking location reserved for persons with disabilities that limit or impair the ability to walk, also known as handicapped parking spaces or disability parking spaces.
(H) No person or organization that is not eligible under division (B) or (E) of this section shall willfully and falsely represent that the person or organization is so eligible.
No person or organization shall display license plates issued under this section unless the license plates have been issued for the vehicle on which they are displayed and are valid.
(I) No person or organization to which a removable windshield placard or temporary removable windshield placard is issued shall do either of the following:
(1) Display or permit the display of the placard on any motor vehicle when having reasonable cause to believe the motor vehicle is being used in connection with an activity that does not include providing transportation for persons with disabilities that limit or impair the ability to walk;
(2) Refuse to return or surrender the placard, when required.
(J)(1) No person or organization to which a parking card is issued shall do either of the following:
(a) Display or permit the display of the parking card on any motor vehicle when having reasonable cause to believe the motor vehicle is being used in connection with an activity that does not include providing transportation for a handicapped person;
(b) Refuse to return or surrender the parking card, when required.
(2) As used in division (J) of this section:
(a) "Handicapped person" means any person who has lost the use of one or both legs or one or both arms, who is blind, deaf, or so severely handicapped as to be unable to move about without the aid of crutches or a wheelchair, or whose mobility is restricted by a permanent cardiovascular, pulmonary, or other handicapping condition.
(b) "Organization" means any private organization or corporation, or any governmental board, agency, department, division, or office, that, as part of its business or program, transports handicapped persons on a regular basis in a motor vehicle that has not been altered for the purposes of providing it with special equipment for use by handicapped persons.
(K) If a removable windshield placard, temporary removable windshield placard, or parking card is lost, destroyed, or mutilated, the placardholder or cardholder may obtain a duplicate by doing both of the following:
(1) Furnishing suitable proof of the loss, destruction, or mutilation to the registrar;
(2) Paying a service fee equal to the amount specified in division (D) or (G) of section 4503.10 of the Revised Code.
Any placardholder or cardholder who loses a placard or card and, after obtaining a duplicate, finds the original, immediately shall surrender the original placard or card to the registrar.
(L) The registrar shall pay all fees received under this section for the issuance of removable windshield placards or temporary removable windshield placards or duplicate removable windshield placards or cards into the state treasury to the credit of the state bureau of motor vehicles fund created in section 4501.25 of the Revised Code.
(M) For purposes of enforcing this section, every peace officer is deemed to be an agent of the registrar. Any peace officer or any authorized employee of the bureau of motor vehicles who, in the performance of duties authorized by law, becomes aware of a person whose placard or parking card has been revoked pursuant to this section, may confiscate that placard or parking card and return it to the registrar. The registrar shall prescribe any forms used by law enforcement agencies in administering this section.
No peace officer, law enforcement agency employing a peace officer, or political subdivision or governmental agency employing a peace officer, and no employee of the bureau is liable in a civil action for damages or loss to persons arising out of the performance of any duty required or authorized by this section. As used in this division, "peace officer" has the same meaning as in division (B) of section 2935.01 of the Revised Code.
(N) All applications for registration of motor vehicles, removable windshield placards, and temporary removable windshield placards issued under this section, all renewal notices for such items, and all other publications issued by the bureau that relate to this section shall set forth the criminal penalties that may be imposed upon a person who violates any provision relating to special license plates issued under this section, the parking of vehicles displaying such license plates, and the issuance, procurement, use, and display of removable windshield placards and temporary removable windshield placards issued under this section.
Sec. 4503.642. (A) There is hereby created in the bureau of motor vehicles a performance registration and information systems management program for coordinating motor carrier safety information with federal and state agencies. The registrar of motor vehicles shall collect and maintain necessary motor carrier, commercial motor vehicle, and driver data in a manner that complies with the information systems established by the United States secretary of transportation under 49 U.S.C. 31106.
(B) The registrar shall refuse to issue a registration, license plate, permit, or certificate of title for any commercial motor vehicle that is assigned to a motor carrier that has been prohibited from operating by a federal agency. The registrar may allow a prohibited motor vehicle carrier to transfer title on a commercial motor vehicle if the prohibited carrier does not retain a direct or indirect interest in the vehicle.
(C) The registrar shall suspend, revoke, deny, or remove the registration, license plates, or any permit issued to any commercial motor vehicle that is assigned to a motor carrier who has been prohibited from operating by a federal agency. The suspension, revocation, denial, or removal shall remain in effect until the carrier is no longer prohibited from operating by the federal agency. The suspension, revocation, denial, or removal shall apply to all commercial motor vehicles under the carrier's control.
(D) A carrier or registrant whose privilege to operate a commercial motor vehicle has been suspended, revoked, denied, or removed under division (C) of this section may request a hearing in accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code. The hearing shall be limited to whether the carrier or registrant has been correctly identified, whether the carrier or registrant has been prohibited from operating by the federal agency, and whether the federal agency subsequently has rescinded the prohibition.
(E) The registrar shall restore a motor carrier's or registrant's privilege to register, transfer a title, or operate a commercial motor vehicle only upon acceptable notification from the federal agency that the prohibition has been removed and upon payment of all applicable taxes and fees.
(F) The registrar shall take those steps necessary to implement this section, including the adoption of rules, procedures, and forms.
Sec. 4505.06.  (A)(1) Application for a certificate of title shall be made in a form prescribed by the registrar of motor vehicles and shall be sworn to before a notary public or other officer empowered to administer oaths. The application shall be filed with the clerk of any court of common pleas. An application for a certificate of title may be filed electronically by any electronic means approved by the registrar in any county with the clerk of the court of common pleas of that county. Any payments required by this chapter shall be considered as accompanying any electronically transmitted application when payment actually is received by the clerk. Payment of any fee or taxes may be made by electronic transfer of funds.
(2) The application for a certificate of title shall be accompanied by the fee prescribed in section 4505.09 of the Revised Code. The fee shall be retained by the clerk who issues the certificate of title and shall be distributed in accordance with that section. If a clerk of a court of common pleas, other than the clerk of the court of common pleas of an applicant's county of residence, issues a certificate of title to the applicant, the clerk shall transmit data related to the transaction to the automated title processing system.
(3) If a certificate of title previously has been issued for a motor vehicle in this state, the application for a certificate of title also shall be accompanied by that certificate of title duly assigned, unless otherwise provided in this chapter. If a certificate of title previously has not been issued for the motor vehicle in this state, the application, unless otherwise provided in this chapter, shall be accompanied by a manufacturer's or importer's certificate or by a certificate of title of another state from which the motor vehicle was brought into this state. If the application refers to a motor vehicle last previously registered in another state, the application also shall be accompanied by the physical inspection certificate required by section 4505.061 of the Revised Code. If the application is made by two persons regarding a motor vehicle in which they wish to establish joint ownership with right of survivorship, they may do so as provided in section 2131.12 of the Revised Code. If the applicant requests a designation of the motor vehicle in beneficiary form so that upon the death of the owner of the motor vehicle, ownership of the motor vehicle will pass to a designated transfer-on-death beneficiary or beneficiaries, the applicant may do so as provided in section 2131.13 of the Revised Code. A person who establishes ownership of a motor vehicle that is transferable on death in accordance with section 2131.13 of the Revised Code may terminate that type of ownership or change the designation of the transfer-on-death beneficiary or beneficiaries by applying for a certificate of title pursuant to this section. The clerk shall retain the evidence of title presented by the applicant and on which the certificate of title is issued, except that, if an application for a certificate of title is filed electronically by an electronic motor vehicle dealer on behalf of the purchaser of a motor vehicle, the clerk shall retain the completed electronic record to which the dealer converted the certificate of title application and other required documents. The electronic motor vehicle dealer shall forward the actual application and all other documents relating to the sale of the motor vehicle to any clerk the location designated by the registrar within thirty days after the certificate of title is issued. The registrar, after consultation with the attorney general, shall adopt rules that govern determine the location at which, and the manner in which, are stored the actual application and all other documents relating to the sale of a motor vehicle when an electronic motor vehicle dealer files the application for a certificate of title electronically on behalf of the purchaser. The determination may be made by rules that the registrar adopts.
The clerk shall use reasonable diligence in ascertaining whether or not the facts in the application for a certificate of title are true by checking the application and documents accompanying it or the electronic record to which a dealer converted the application and accompanying documents with the records of motor vehicles in the clerk's office. If the clerk is satisfied that the applicant is the owner of the motor vehicle and that the application is in the proper form, the clerk, within five business days after the application is filed, shall issue a physical certificate of title over the clerk's signature and sealed with the clerk's seal unless the applicant specifically requests the clerk not to issue a physical certificate of title and instead to issue an electronic certificate of title. For purposes of the transfer of a certificate of title, if the clerk is satisfied that the secured party has duly discharged a lien notation but has not canceled the lien notation with a clerk, the clerk may cancel the lien notation on the automated title processing system and notify the clerk of the county of origin.
(4) In the case of the sale of a motor vehicle to a general buyer or user by a dealer, by a motor vehicle leasing dealer selling the motor vehicle to the lessee or, in a case in which the leasing dealer subleased the motor vehicle, the sublessee, at the end of the lease agreement or sublease agreement, or by a manufactured home broker, the certificate of title shall be obtained in the name of the buyer by the dealer, leasing dealer, or manufactured home broker, as the case may be, upon application signed by the buyer. The certificate of title shall be issued, or the process of entering the certificate of title application information into the automated title processing system if a physical certificate of title is not to be issued shall be completed, within five business days after the application for title is filed with the clerk. If the buyer of the motor vehicle previously leased the motor vehicle and is buying the motor vehicle at the end of the lease pursuant to that lease, the certificate of title shall be obtained in the name of the buyer by the motor vehicle leasing dealer who previously leased the motor vehicle to the buyer or by the motor vehicle leasing dealer who subleased the motor vehicle to the buyer under a sublease agreement.
In all other cases, except as provided in section 4505.032 and division (D)(2) of section 4505.11 of the Revised Code, such certificates shall be obtained by the buyer.
(5)(a)(i) If the certificate of title is being obtained in the name of the buyer by a motor vehicle dealer or motor vehicle leasing dealer and there is a security interest to be noted on the certificate of title, the dealer or leasing dealer shall submit the application for the certificate of title and payment of the applicable tax to a clerk within seven business days after the later of the delivery of the motor vehicle to the buyer or the date the dealer or leasing dealer obtains the manufacturer's or importer's certificate, or certificate of title issued in the name of the dealer or leasing dealer, for the motor vehicle. Submission of the application for the certificate of title and payment of the applicable tax within the required seven business days may be indicated by postmark or receipt by a clerk within that period.
(ii) Upon receipt of the certificate of title with the security interest noted on its face, the dealer or leasing dealer shall forward the certificate of title to the secured party at the location noted in the financing documents or otherwise specified by the secured party.
(iii) A motor vehicle dealer or motor vehicle leasing dealer is liable to a secured party for a late fee of ten dollars per day for each certificate of title application and payment of the applicable tax that is submitted to a clerk more than seven business days but less than twenty-one days after the later of the delivery of the motor vehicle to the buyer or the date the dealer or leasing dealer obtains the manufacturer's or importer's certificate, or certificate of title issued in the name of the dealer or leasing dealer, for the motor vehicle and, from then on, twenty-five dollars per day until the application and applicable tax are submitted to a clerk.
(b) In all cases of transfer of a motor vehicle, the application for certificate of title shall be filed within thirty days after the later of the assignment or delivery of the motor vehicle. If an application for a certificate of title is not filed within the period specified in division (A)(5)(b) of this section, the clerk shall collect a fee of five dollars for the issuance of the certificate, except that no such fee shall be required from a motor vehicle salvage dealer, as defined in division (A) of section 4738.01 of the Revised Code, who immediately surrenders the certificate of title for cancellation. The fee shall be in addition to all other fees established by this chapter, and shall be retained by the clerk. The registrar shall provide, on the certificate of title form prescribed by section 4505.07 of the Revised Code, language necessary to give evidence of the later of the date on which the assignment or delivery of the motor vehicle was made.
(6) As used in division (A) of this section, "lease agreement," "lessee," and "sublease agreement" have the same meanings as in section 4505.04 of the Revised Code.
(B) The clerk, except as provided in this section, shall refuse to accept for filing any application for a certificate of title and shall refuse to issue a certificate of title unless the dealer or manufactured home broker or the applicant, in cases in which the certificate shall be obtained by the buyer, submits with the application payment of the tax levied by or pursuant to Chapters 5739. and 5741. of the Revised Code based on the purchaser's county of residence. Upon payment of the tax in accordance with division (E) of this section, the clerk shall issue a receipt prescribed by the registrar and agreed upon by the tax commissioner showing payment of the tax or a receipt issued by the commissioner showing the payment of the tax. When submitting payment of the tax to the clerk, a dealer shall retain any discount to which the dealer is entitled under section 5739.12 of the Revised Code.
For receiving and disbursing such taxes paid to the clerk by a resident of the clerk's county, the clerk may retain a poundage fee of one and one one-hundredth per cent, and the clerk shall pay the poundage fee into the certificate of title administration fund created by section 325.33 of the Revised Code. The clerk shall not retain a poundage fee from payments of taxes by persons who do not reside in the clerk's county.
A clerk, however, may retain from the taxes paid to the clerk an amount equal to the poundage fees associated with certificates of title issued by other clerks of courts of common pleas to applicants who reside in the first clerk's county. The registrar, in consultation with the tax commissioner and the clerks of the courts of common pleas, shall develop a report from the automated title processing system that informs each clerk of the amount of the poundage fees that the clerk is permitted to retain from those taxes because of certificates of title issued by the clerks of other counties to applicants who reside in the first clerk's county.
In the case of casual sales of motor vehicles, as defined in section 4517.01 of the Revised Code, the price for the purpose of determining the tax shall be the purchase price on the assigned certificate of title executed by the seller and filed with the clerk by the buyer on a form to be prescribed by the registrar, which shall be prima-facie evidence of the amount for the determination of the tax.
(C)(1) If the transferor indicates on the certificate of title that the odometer reflects mileage in excess of the designed mechanical limit of the odometer, the clerk shall enter the phrase "exceeds mechanical limits" following the mileage designation. If the transferor indicates on the certificate of title that the odometer reading is not the actual mileage, the clerk shall enter the phrase "nonactual: warning - odometer discrepancy" following the mileage designation. The clerk shall use reasonable care in transferring the information supplied by the transferor, but is not liable for any errors or omissions of the clerk or those of the clerk's deputies in the performance of the clerk's duties created by this chapter.
The registrar shall prescribe an affidavit in which the transferor shall swear to the true selling price and, except as provided in this division, the true odometer reading of the motor vehicle. The registrar may prescribe an affidavit in which the seller and buyer provide information pertaining to the odometer reading of the motor vehicle in addition to that required by this section, as such information may be required by the United States secretary of transportation by rule prescribed under authority of subchapter IV of the "Motor Vehicle Information and Cost Savings Act," 86 Stat. 961 (1972), 15 U.S.C. 1981 49 U.S.C. 32701 et seq.
(2) Division (C)(1) of this section does not require the giving of information concerning the odometer and odometer reading of a motor vehicle when ownership of a motor vehicle is being transferred as a result of a bequest, under the laws of intestate succession, to a survivor pursuant to section 2106.18, 2131.12, or 4505.10 of the Revised Code, to a transfer-on-death beneficiary or beneficiaries pursuant to section 2131.13 of the Reviseed Revised Code, or in connection with the creation of a security interest.
(D) When the transfer to the applicant was made in some other state or in interstate commerce, the clerk, except as provided in this section, shall refuse to issue any certificate of title unless the tax imposed by or pursuant to Chapter 5741. of the Revised Code based on the purchaser's county of residence has been paid as evidenced by a receipt issued by the tax commissioner, or unless the applicant submits with the application payment of the tax. Upon payment of the tax in accordance with division (E) of this section, the clerk shall issue a receipt prescribed by the registrar and agreed upon by the tax commissioner, showing payment of the tax.
For receiving and disbursing such taxes paid to the clerk by a resident of the clerk's county, the clerk may retain a poundage fee of one and one one-hundredth per cent. The clerk shall not retain a poundage fee from payments of taxes by persons who do not reside in the clerk's county.
A clerk, however, may retain from the taxes paid to the clerk an amount equal to the poundage fees associated with certificates of title issued by other clerks of courts of common pleas to applicants who reside in the first clerk's county. The registrar, in consultation with the tax commissioner and the clerks of the courts of common pleas, shall develop a report from the automated title processing system that informs each clerk of the amount of the poundage fees that the clerk is permitted to retain from those taxes because of certificates of title issued by the clerks of other counties to applicants who reside in the first clerk's county.
When the vendor is not regularly engaged in the business of selling motor vehicles, the vendor shall not be required to purchase a vendor's license or make reports concerning those sales.
(E) The clerk shall accept any payment of a tax in cash, or by cashier's check, certified check, draft, money order, or teller check issued by any insured financial institution payable to the clerk and submitted with an application for a certificate of title under division (B) or (D) of this section. The clerk also may accept payment of the tax by corporate, business, or personal check, credit card, electronic transfer or wire transfer, debit card, or any other accepted form of payment made payable to the clerk. The clerk may require bonds, guarantees, or letters of credit to ensure the collection of corporate, business, or personal checks. Any service fee charged by a third party to a clerk for the use of any form of payment may be paid by the clerk from the certificate of title administration fund created in section 325.33 of the Revised Code, or may be assessed by the clerk upon the applicant as an additional fee. Upon collection, the additional fees shall be paid by the clerk into that certificate of title administration fund.
The clerk shall make a good faith effort to collect any payment of taxes due but not made because the payment was returned or dishonored, but the clerk is not personally liable for the payment of uncollected taxes or uncollected fees. The clerk shall notify the tax commissioner of any such payment of taxes that is due but not made and shall furnish the information to the commissioner that the commissioner requires. The clerk shall deduct the amount of taxes due but not paid from the clerk's periodic remittance of tax payments, in accordance with procedures agreed upon by the tax commissioner. The commissioner may collect taxes due by assessment in the manner provided in section 5739.13 of the Revised Code.
Any person who presents payment that is returned or dishonored for any reason is liable to the clerk for payment of a penalty over and above the amount of the taxes due. The clerk shall determine the amount of the penalty, and the penalty shall be no greater than that amount necessary to compensate the clerk for banking charges, legal fees, or other expenses incurred by the clerk in collecting the returned or dishonored payment. The remedies and procedures provided in this section are in addition to any other available civil or criminal remedies. Subsequently collected penalties, poundage fees, and title fees, less any title fee due the state, from returned or dishonored payments collected by the clerk shall be paid into the certificate of title administration fund. Subsequently collected taxes, less poundage fees, shall be sent by the clerk to the treasurer of state at the next scheduled periodic remittance of tax payments, with information as the commissioner may require. The clerk may abate all or any part of any penalty assessed under this division.
(F) In the following cases, the clerk shall accept for filing an application and shall issue a certificate of title without requiring payment or evidence of payment of the tax:
(1) When the purchaser is this state or any of its political subdivisions, a church, or an organization whose purchases are exempted by section 5739.02 of the Revised Code;
(2) When the transaction in this state is not a retail sale as defined by section 5739.01 of the Revised Code;
(3) When the purchase is outside this state or in interstate commerce and the purpose of the purchaser is not to use, store, or consume within the meaning of section 5741.01 of the Revised Code;
(4) When the purchaser is the federal government;
(5) When the motor vehicle was purchased outside this state for use outside this state;
(6) When the motor vehicle is purchased by a nonresident of this state for immediate removal from this state, and will be permanently titled and registered in another state, as provided by division (B)(23) of section 5739.02 of the Revised Code, and upon presentation of a copy of the affidavit provided by that section, and a copy of the exemption certificate provided by section 5739.03 of the Revised Code.
The clerk shall forward all payments of taxes, less poundage fees, to the treasurer of state in a manner to be prescribed by the tax commissioner and shall furnish information to the commissioner as the commissioner requires.
(G) An application, as prescribed by the registrar and agreed to by the tax commissioner, shall be filled out and sworn to by the buyer of a motor vehicle in a casual sale. The application shall contain the following notice in bold lettering: "WARNING TO TRANSFEROR AND TRANSFEREE (SELLER AND BUYER): You are required by law to state the true selling price. A false statement is in violation of section 2921.13 of the Revised Code and is punishable by six months' imprisonment or a fine of up to one thousand dollars, or both. All transfers are audited by the department of taxation. The seller and buyer must provide any information requested by the department of taxation. The buyer may be assessed any additional tax found to be due."
(H) For sales of manufactured homes or mobile homes occurring on or after January 1, 2000, the clerk shall accept for filing, pursuant to Chapter 5739. of the Revised Code, an application for a certificate of title for a manufactured home or mobile home without requiring payment of any tax pursuant to section 5739.02, 5741.021, 5741.022, or 5741.023 of the Revised Code, or a receipt issued by the tax commissioner showing payment of the tax. For sales of manufactured homes or mobile homes occurring on or after January 1, 2000, the applicant shall pay to the clerk an additional fee of five dollars for each certificate of title issued by the clerk for a manufactured or mobile home pursuant to division (H) of section 4505.11 of the Revised Code and for each certificate of title issued upon transfer of ownership of the home. The clerk shall credit the fee to the county certificate of title administration fund, and the fee shall be used to pay the expenses of archiving those certificates pursuant to division (A) of section 4505.08 and division (H)(3) of section 4505.11 of the Revised Code. The tax commissioner shall administer any tax on a manufactured or mobile home pursuant to Chapters 5739. and 5741. of the Revised Code.
(I) Every clerk shall have the capability to transact by electronic means all procedures and transactions relating to the issuance of motor vehicle certificates of title that are described in the Revised Code as being accomplished by electronic means.
Sec. 4505.08.  (A) When the clerk of a court of common pleas issues a physical certificate of title, the clerk shall issue the certificate of title in duplicate. One copy shall be retained and filed by the clerk in the clerk's office on a form and in a manner prescribed by the registrar of motor vehicles. The clerk shall file a copy of the physical certificate of title in a manner prescribed by the registrar. The clerk shall sign and affix the clerk's seal to the original certificate of title and, if there are no liens on the motor vehicle, shall deliver the certificate to the applicant or the selling dealer. If there are one or more liens on the motor vehicle, the certificate of title shall be delivered to the holder of the first lien or the selling dealer, who shall deliver the certificate of title to the holder of the first lien.
The registrar of motor vehicles shall prescribe a uniform method of numbering certificates of title, and such numbering shall be in such manner that the county of issuance is indicated. The clerk shall assign numbers to certificates of title in the manner prescribed by the registrar. The clerk shall file all certificates of title according to rules to be prescribed by the registrar, and the clerk shall maintain in the clerk's office indexes for the certificates of title.
The clerk need not retain on file any current certificates of title, current duplicate certificates of title, current memorandum certificates of title, or current salvage certificates of title, or supporting evidence of them, including the electronic record described in division (A) of section 4505.06 of the Revised Code, covering any motor vehicle or manufactured or mobile home for a period longer than seven years after the date of its filing; thereafter, the documents and supporting evidence may be destroyed. The clerk need not retain on file any inactive records, including certificates of title, duplicate certificates of title, or memorandum certificates of title, or supporting evidence of them, including the electronic record described in division (A) of section 4505.06 of the Revised Code, covering any motor vehicle or manufactured or mobile home for a period longer than five years after the date of its filing; thereafter, the documents and supporting evidence may be destroyed.
The automated title processing system shall contain all active records and an index of the active records, a record and index of all inactive titles for ten years, and a record and index of all inactive titles for manufactured and mobile homes for thirty years. If the clerk provides a written copy of any information contained in the database, the copy shall be considered the original for purposes of the clerk certifying the record of the information for use in any legal proceeding.
(B)(1) If the clerk issues a certificate of title for a motor vehicle that was last previously registered in another state, the clerk shall record verbatim, where practicable, in the space on the title described in division (B)(19) of section 4505.07 of the Revised Code, the words that appear as a notation to the vehicle on the title issued by the previous state. These notations may include, but are not limited to, words to the effect that the vehicle was considered or was categorized by the state in which it was last previously registered to be a law enforcement vehicle or a taxicab or was once in a flood.
(2) If the clerk, while issuing a certificate of title for a motor vehicle that was last previously registered in another state, receives information from the automated title processing system indicating that a title to the vehicle previously was issued by this state and that the previous title contained notations that appeared in the space described in division (B)(19) or (20) of section 4505.07 of the Revised Code, the clerk shall enter the notations that appeared on the previous certificate of title issued by this state on the new certificate of title in the space described in division (B)(19) or (20) of section 4505.07 of the Revised Code, irrespective of whether the notations appear on the certificate of title issued by the state in which the vehicle was last previously registered.
(3) If the clerk, while issuing a certificate of title for a motor vehicle that was last previously registered in another state, receives information from the automated title processing system indicating that the vehicle was previously issued a title by this state and that the previous title bore the notation "REBUILT SALVAGE" as required by division (E) of section 4505.11 of the Revised Code, or the previous title to the vehicle issued by this state was a salvage certificate of title, the clerk shall cause the certificate of title the clerk issues to bear the notation "REBUILT SALVAGE" in the location prescribed by the registrar pursuant to that division.
(C) When the clerk issues a certificate of title for a motor vehicle that was last previously registered in this state and was a law enforcement vehicle or a taxicab or was once in a flood, the clerk shall record that information in the space on the title described in division (B)(20) of section 4505.07 of the Revised Code. The registrar, by rule, may prescribe any additional uses of or happenings to a motor vehicle that the registrar has reason to believe should be noted on the certificate of title as provided in this division.
(D) The clerk shall use reasonable care in recording or entering onto titles the clerk issues any notation and information the clerk is required by divisions (B) and (C) of this section to record or enter and in causing the titles the clerk issues to bear any notation required by those divisions, but the clerk is not liable for any of the clerk's errors or omissions or those of the clerk's deputies, or the automated title processing system, in the performance of the duties imposed on the clerk by this section.
(E) The clerk may issue a duplicate title, when duly applied for, of any title that has been destroyed as herein provided.
(F) The clerk shall issue a physical certificate of title to an applicant unless the applicant specifically requests the clerk not to issue a physical certificate of title and instead to issue an electronic certificate of title. The fact that a physical certificate of title is not issued for a motor vehicle does not affect ownership of the vehicle. In that case, when the clerk completes the process of entering certificate of title application information into the automated title processing system, the effect of the completion of the process is the same as if the clerk actually issued a physical certificate of title for the motor vehicle.
(G) An electronic motor vehicle dealer who applies for a certificate of title on behalf of a customer who purchases a motor vehicle from the dealer may print a non-negotiable evidence of ownership for the customer if the customer so requests. The authorization to print the non-negotiable evidence of ownership shall come from the clerk with whom the dealer makes application for the certificate of title for the customer, but the printing by the dealer does not create an agency relationship of any kind between the dealer and the clerk.
(H) If an electronic certificate of title previously has been issued for a motor vehicle, the The owner of the a motor vehicle may apply at any time to a clerk of a court of common pleas for a non-negotiable evidence of ownership for the motor vehicle.
Sec. 4505.09.  (A) The clerk of a court of common pleas shall charge a fee of five dollars for each certificate of title that is not applied for within thirty days after the later of the assignment or delivery of the motor vehicle described in it. The fees shall be retained by the clerk.
In addition to those fees, the clerk shall charge a fee of five dollars for each certificate of title, duplicate certificate of title, memorandum certificate of title, authorization to print a non-negotiable evidence of ownership described in division (G) of section 4505.08 of the Revised Code, non-negotiable evidence of ownership printed by the clerk under division (H) of that section, and notation of any lien on a certificate of title. The clerk shall retain two dollars and twenty-five cents of the fee charged for each certificate of title, four dollars and seventy-five cents of the fee charged for each duplicate certificate of title, all of the fees charged for each memorandum certificate, authorization to print a non-negotiable evidence of ownership, or non-negotiable evidence of ownership printed by the clerk, and four dollars and twenty-five cents of the fee charged for each notation of a lien.
The remaining two dollars and seventy-five cents charged for the certificate of title, the remaining twenty-five cents charged for the duplicate certificate of title, and the remaining seventy-five cents charged for the notation of any lien on a certificate of title shall be paid to the registrar of motor vehicles by monthly returns, which shall be forwarded to the registrar not later than the fifth day of the month next succeeding that in which the certificate is issued or that in which the registrar is notified of a lien or cancellation of a lien.
(B)(1) The registrar shall pay twenty-five cents of the amount received for each certificate of title and all of the amounts received for each notation of any lien and each duplicate certificate of title into the state bureau of motor vehicles fund established in section 4501.25 of the Revised Code.
(2) Fifty cents of the amount received for each certificate of title shall be paid by the registrar as follows:
(a) Four cents shall be paid into the state treasury to the credit of the motor vehicle dealers board fund, which is hereby created. All investment earnings of the fund shall be credited to the fund. The moneys in the motor vehicle dealers board fund shall be used by the motor vehicle dealers board created under section 4517.30 of the Revised Code, together with other moneys appropriated to it, in the exercise of its powers and the performance of its duties under Chapter 4517. of the Revised Code, except that the director of budget and management may transfer excess money from the motor vehicle dealers board fund to the bureau of motor vehicles fund if the registrar determines that the amount of money in the motor vehicle dealers board fund, together with other moneys appropriated to the board, exceeds the amount required for the exercise of its powers and the performance of its duties under Chapter 4517. of the Revised Code and requests the director to make the transfer.
(b) Twenty-one cents shall be paid into the general revenue fund.
(c) Twenty-five cents shall be paid into the state treasury to the credit of the motor vehicle sales audit fund, which is hereby created. The moneys in the fund shall be used by the tax commissioner together with other funds available to the commissioner to conduct a continuing investigation of sales and use tax returns filed for motor vehicles in order to determine if sales and use tax liability has been satisfied. The commissioner shall refer cases of apparent violations of section 2921.13 of the Revised Code made in connection with the titling or sale of a motor vehicle and cases of any other apparent violations of the sales or use tax law to the appropriate county prosecutor whenever the commissioner considers it advisable.
(3) Two dollars of the amount received by the registrar for each certificate of title shall be paid into the state treasury to the credit of the automated title processing fund, which is hereby created and which shall consist of moneys collected under division (B)(3) of this section and under sections 1548.10 and 4519.59 of the Revised Code. All investment earnings of the fund shall be credited to the fund. The moneys in the fund shall be used as follows:
(a) Except for moneys collected under section 1548.10 of the Revised Code and as provided in division (B)(3)(c) of this section, moneys collected under division (B)(3) of this section shall be used to implement and maintain an automated title processing system for the issuance of motor vehicle, off-highway motorcycle, and all-purpose vehicle certificates of title in the offices of the clerks of the courts of common pleas.
(b) Moneys collected under section 1548.10 of the Revised Code shall be used to issue marine certificates of title in the offices of the clerks of the courts of common pleas as provided in Chapter 1548. of the Revised Code.
(c) Moneys collected under division (B)(3) of this section shall be used in accordance with section 4505.25 of the Revised Code to implement Sub. S.B. 59 of the 124th general assembly.
(C)(1) The automated title processing board is hereby created consisting of the registrar or the registrar's representative, a person selected by the registrar, the president of the Ohio clerks of court association or the president's representative, and two clerks of courts of common pleas appointed by the governor. The director of budget and management or the director's designee, the chief of the division of watercraft in the department of natural resources or the chief's designee, and the tax commissioner or the commissioner's designee shall be nonvoting members of the board. The purpose of the board is to facilitate the operation and maintenance of an automated title processing system.
(2) The automated title processing board shall determine each of the following:
(a) The automated title processing equipment and certificates of title requirements for each county;
(b) The payment of expenses that may be incurred by the counties in implementing an automated title processing system;
(c) The repayment to the counties for existing title processing equipment.
(3) The registrar shall purchase, lease, or otherwise acquire any automated title processing equipment and certificates of title that the board determines are necessary from moneys in the automated title processing fund established by division (B)(3) of this section. Each county issuing more than one hundred thousand certificates of title annually, with the approval of the registrar and in accordance with the registrar's requirements, may purchase and maintain an automated title processing system for the issuance of motor vehicle titles, certificates of title for off-highway motorcycles and all-purpose vehicles, and certificates of title for watercraft and outboard motors with the cost of the system paid for from the automated processing title fund.
(D) All counties shall conform to the requirements of the registrar regarding the operation of their automated title processing system for motor vehicle titles, certificates of title for off-highway motorcycles and all-purpose vehicles, and certificates of title for watercraft and outboard motors.
Sec. 4505.10.  (A) In the event of the transfer of ownership of a motor vehicle by operation of law, as upon inheritance, devise, bequest, order in bankruptcy, insolvency, replevin, or execution sale, a motor vehicle is sold to satisfy storage or repair charges, or repossession is had upon default in performance of the terms of a security agreement as provided in Chapter 1309. of the Revised Code and the secured party has notified the debtor as required by division (B) of section 1309.611 of the Revised Code, a clerk of a court of common pleas, upon the surrender of the prior certificate of title or the manufacturer's or importer's certificate, or, when that is not possible, upon presentation of satisfactory proof to the clerk of ownership and rights of possession to the motor vehicle, and upon payment of the fee prescribed in section 4505.09 of the Revised Code and presentation of an application for certificate of title, may issue to the applicant a certificate of title to the motor vehicle. Only an affidavit by the person or agent of the person to whom possession of the motor vehicle has passed, setting forth the facts entitling the person to the possession and ownership, together with a copy of the journal entry, court order, or instrument upon which the claim of possession and ownership is founded, is satisfactory proof of ownership and right of possession. If the applicant cannot produce that proof of ownership, the applicant may apply directly to the registrar of motor vehicles and submit the evidence the applicant has, and the registrar, if the registrar finds the evidence sufficient, then may authorize a clerk to issue a certificate of title. If the registrar finds the evidence insufficient, the applicant may petition the court of common pleas for a court order ordering the clerk to issue a certificate of title. The court shall grant or deny the petition based on the sufficiency of the evidence presented to the court. If, from the records in the office of the clerk involved, there appears to be any lien on the motor vehicle, the certificate of title shall contain a statement of the lien unless the application is accompanied by proper evidence of its extinction.
(B) A clerk shall transfer a decedent's interest in one or two automobiles to the surviving spouse of the decedent, as provided in section 2106.18 of the Revised Code, upon receipt of the title or titles. An affidavit executed by the surviving spouse shall be submitted to the clerk with the title or titles. The affidavit shall give the date of death of the decedent, shall state that each automobile for which the decedent's interest is to be so transferred is not disposed of by testamentary disposition, and shall provide an approximate value for each automobile selected to be transferred by the surviving spouse. The affidavit shall also contain a description for each automobile for which the decedent's interest is to be so transferred. The transfer does not affect any liens upon any automobile for which the decedent's interest is so transferred.
(C) Upon the death of one of the persons who have established joint ownership with right of survivorship under section 2131.12 of the Revised Code in a motor vehicle, and upon presentation to a clerk of the title and the certificate of death of the decedent, the clerk shall transfer title to the motor vehicle to the survivor. The transfer does not affect any liens upon any motor vehicle so transferred.
(D) Upon the death of the owner of a motor vehicle designated in beneficiary form under section 2131.13 of the Revised Code, upon application for a certificate of title by the transfer-on-death beneficiary or beneficiaries designated pursuant to that section, and upon presentation to the clerk of the certificate of title and the certificate of death of the decedent, the clerk shall transfer the motor vehicle and issue a certificate of title to the transfer-on-death beneficiary or beneficiaries. The transfer does not affect any liens upon the motor vehicle so transferred.
Sec. 4505.11.  (A) Each owner of a motor vehicle and each person mentioned as owner in the last certificate of title, when the motor vehicle is dismantled, destroyed, or changed in such manner that it loses its character as a motor vehicle, or changed in such manner that it is not the motor vehicle described in the certificate of title, shall surrender the certificate of title to that motor vehicle to a clerk of a court of common pleas, and the clerk, with the consent of any holders of any liens noted on the certificate of title, then shall enter a cancellation upon the clerk's records and shall notify the registrar of motor vehicles of the cancellation.
Upon the cancellation of a certificate of title in the manner prescribed by this section, any clerk and the registrar of motor vehicles may cancel and destroy all certificates and all memorandum certificates in that chain of title.
(B) If an Ohio certificate of title or salvage certificate of title to a motor vehicle is assigned to a salvage dealer, the dealer is not required to obtain an Ohio certificate of title or a salvage certificate of title to the motor vehicle in the dealer's own name if the dealer dismantles or destroys the motor vehicle, indicates the number of the dealer's motor vehicle salvage dealer's license on it, marks "FOR DESTRUCTION" across the face of the certificate of title or salvage certificate of title, and surrenders the certificate of title or salvage certificate of title to a clerk of a court of common pleas as provided in division (A) of this section. If the salvage dealer retains the motor vehicle for resale, the dealer shall make application for a salvage certificate of title to the motor vehicle in the dealer's own name as provided in division (C)(1) of this section.
(C)(1) When an insurance company declares it economically impractical to repair such a motor vehicle and has paid an agreed price for the purchase of the motor vehicle to any insured or claimant owner, the insurance company shall receive the certificate of title and the motor vehicle and proceed as follows. Within thirty days, the insurance company shall deliver the certificate of title to a clerk of a court of common pleas and shall make application for a salvage certificate of title. The clerk shall issue the salvage certificate of title on a form, prescribed by the registrar, that shall be easily distinguishable from the original certificate of title and shall bear the same number and information as the original certificate of title except that it may bear a different number than that of the original certificate of title. Except as provided in division (C)(2) of this section, the salvage certificate of title shall be assigned by the insurance company to a salvage dealer or any other person for use as evidence of ownership upon the sale or other disposition of the motor vehicle, and the salvage certificate of title shall be transferrable to any other person. The clerk shall charge a fee of four dollars for the cost of processing each salvage certificate of title.
(2) If an insurance company considers a motor vehicle as described in division (C)(1) of this section to be impossible to restore for highway operation, the insurance company may assign the certificate of title to the motor vehicle to a salvage dealer or scrap metal processing facility and send the assigned certificate of title to the clerk of the court of common pleas of the any county in which the salvage dealer or scrap metal processing facility is located. The insurance company shall mark the face of the certificate of title "FOR DESTRUCTION" and shall deliver a photocopy of the certificate of title to the salvage dealer or scrap metal processing facility for its records.
(3) If an insurance company declares it economically impractical to repair a motor vehicle, agrees to pay to the insured or claimant owner an amount in settlement of a claim against a policy of motor vehicle insurance covering the motor vehicle, and agrees to permit the insured or claimant owner to retain possession of the motor vehicle, the insurance company shall not pay the insured or claimant owner any amount in settlement of the insurance claim until the owner obtains a salvage certificate of title to the vehicle and furnishes a copy of the salvage certificate of title to the insurance company.
(D) When a self-insured organization, rental or leasing company, or secured creditor becomes the owner of a motor vehicle that is burned, damaged, or dismantled and is determined to be economically impractical to repair, the self-insured organization, rental or leasing company, or secured creditor shall do one of the following:
(1) Mark the face of the certificate of title to the motor vehicle "FOR DESTRUCTION" and surrender the certificate of title to a clerk of a court of common pleas for cancellation as described in division (A) of this section. The self-insured organization, rental or leasing company, or secured creditor then shall deliver the motor vehicle, together with a photocopy of the certificate of title, to a salvage dealer or scrap metal processing facility and shall cause the motor vehicle to be dismantled, flattened, crushed, or destroyed.
(2) Obtain a salvage certificate of title to the motor vehicle in the name of the self-insured organization, rental or leasing company, or secured creditor, as provided in division (C)(1) of this section, and then sell or otherwise dispose of the motor vehicle. If the motor vehicle is sold, the self-insured organization, rental or leasing company, or secured creditor shall obtain a salvage certificate of title to the motor vehicle in the name of the purchaser from a clerk of a court of common pleas.
(E) If a motor vehicle titled with a salvage certificate of title is restored for operation upon the highways, application shall be made to a clerk of a court of common pleas for a certificate of title. Upon inspection by the state highway patrol, which shall include establishing proof of ownership and an inspection of the motor number and vehicle identification number of the motor vehicle and of documentation or receipts for the materials used in restoration by the owner of the motor vehicle being inspected, which documentation or receipts shall be presented at the time of inspection, the clerk, upon surrender of the salvage certificate of title, shall issue a certificate of title for a fee prescribed by the registrar. The certificate of title shall be in the same form as the original certificate of title, shall bear the same number as the salvage certificate of title and the original certificate of title, and shall bear the words "REBUILT SALVAGE" in black boldface letters on its face. Every subsequent certificate of title, memorandum certificate of title, or duplicate certificate of title issued for the motor vehicle also shall bear the words "REBUILT SALVAGE" in black boldface letters on its face. The exact location on the face of the certificate of title of the words "REBUILT SALVAGE" shall be determined by the registrar, who shall develop an automated procedure within the automated title processing system to comply with this division. The clerk shall use reasonable care in performing the duties imposed on the clerk by this division in issuing a certificate of title pursuant to this division, but the clerk is not liable for any of the clerk's errors or omissions or those of the clerk's deputies, or the automated title processing system in the performance of those duties. A fee of fifty dollars shall be assessed by the state highway patrol for each inspection made pursuant to this division and shall be deposited into the state highway safety fund established by section 4501.06 of the Revised Code.
(F) No person shall operate upon the highways in this state a motor vehicle, title to which is evidenced by a salvage certificate of title, except to deliver the motor vehicle pursuant to an appointment for an inspection under this section.
(G) No motor vehicle the certificate of title to which has been marked "FOR DESTRUCTION" and surrendered to a clerk of a court of common pleas shall be used for anything except parts and scrap metal.
(H)(1) Except as otherwise provided in this division, an owner of a manufactured or mobile home that will be taxed as real property pursuant to division (B) of section 4503.06 of the Revised Code shall surrender the certificate of title to the auditor of the county containing the taxing district in which the home is located. An owner whose home qualifies for real property taxation under divisions (B)(1)(a) and (b) of section 4503.06 of the Revised Code shall surrender the certificate within fifteen days after the home meets the conditions specified in those divisions. The auditor shall deliver the certificate of title to the clerk of the court of common pleas who issued it.
(2) If the certificate of title for a manufactured or mobile home that is to be taxed as real property is held by a lienholder, the lienholder shall surrender the certificate of title to the auditor of the county containing the taxing district in which the home is located, and the auditor shall deliver the certificate of title to the clerk of the court of common pleas who issued it. The lienholder shall surrender the certificate within thirty days after both of the following have occurred:
(a) The homeowner has provided written notice to the lienholder requesting that the certificate of title be surrendered to the auditor of the county containing the taxing district in which the home is located.
(b) The homeowner has either paid the lienholder the remaining balance owed to the lienholder, or, with the lienholder's consent, executed and delivered to the lienholder a mortgage on the home and land on which the home is sited in the amount of the remaining balance owed to the lienholder.
(3) Upon the delivery of a certificate of title by the county auditor to the clerk, the clerk shall inactivate it and retain it for a period of thirty years.
(4) Upon application by the owner of a manufactured or mobile home that is taxed as real property pursuant to division (B) of section 4503.06 of the Revised Code and that no longer satisfies divisions (B)(1)(a) and (b) or divisions (B)(2)(a) and (b) of that section, the clerk shall reactivate the record of the certificate of title that was inactivated under division (H)(3) of this section and shall issue a new certificate of title, but only if the application contains or has attached to it all of the following:
(a) An endorsement of the county treasurer that all real property taxes charged against the home under Title LVII of the Revised Code and division (B) of section 4503.06 of the Revised Code for all preceding tax years have been paid;
(b) An endorsement of the county auditor that the home will be removed from the real property tax list;
(c) Proof that there are no outstanding mortgages or other liens on the home or, if there are such mortgages or other liens, that the mortgagee or lienholder has consented to the reactivation of the certificate of title.
Sec. 4505.13.  (A)(1) Chapter 1309. and section 1701.66 of the Revised Code do not permit or require the deposit, filing, or other record of a security interest covering a motor vehicle, except as provided in division (A)(2) of this section.
(2) Chapter 1309. of the Revised Code applies to a security interest in a motor vehicle held as inventory 1309.102 for sale by a dealer. The security interest has priority over creditors of the dealer as provided in Chapter 1309. of the Revised Code without notation of the security interest on a certificate of title, without entry of a notation of the security interest into the automated title processing system if a physical certificate of title for the motor vehicle has not been issued, or without the retention of a manufacturer's or importer's certificate.
(B) Subject to division (A) of this section, any security agreement covering a security interest in a motor vehicle, if a notation of the agreement has been made by a clerk of a court of common pleas on the face of the certificate of title or the clerk has entered a notation of the agreement into the automated title processing system and a physical certificate of title for the motor vehicle has not been issued, is valid as against the creditors of the debtor, whether armed with process or not, and against subsequent purchasers, secured parties, and other lienholders or claimants. All security interests, liens, mortgages, and encumbrances entered into the automated title processing system in relation to a particular certificate of title, regardless of whether a physical certificate of title is issued, take priority according to the order of time in which they are entered into the automated title processing system by the clerk. Exposure for sale of any motor vehicle by its owner, with the knowledge or with the knowledge and consent of the holder of any security interest, lien, mortgage, or encumbrance on it, does not render that security interest, lien, mortgage, or encumbrance ineffective as against the creditors of that owner, or against holders of subsequent security interests, liens, mortgages, or encumbrances upon that motor vehicle.
The secured party, upon presentation of evidence of a security interest to a clerk of a court of common pleas, together with the certificate of title if a physical certificate of title for the motor vehicle exists, and the fee prescribed by section 4505.09 of the Revised Code, may have a notation of the security interest made. Unless the secured party specifically requests the clerk not to issue a physical certificate of title and instead to issue an electronic certificate of title, the clerk shall issue, over the clerk's signature and seal of office, a new original certificate of title from the automated title processing records that indicates the security interest and the date of the security interest.
If a security interest is fully discharged as a result of its holder's receipt of good funds in the correct amount and if the holder holds a physical certificate of title, the holder shall note the discharge of the security interest on the face of the certificate of title over the holder's signature, or over the holder's signature on a form prescribed by the registrar of motor vehicles when there is no space for the discharge on the face of the certificate of title. Except as otherwise provided in this section, prior to delivering the certificate of title to the owner, the holder or the holder's agent shall convey the certificate of title or a separate sworn statement of the discharge of the security interest to a clerk. The conveyance shall occur not more than seven business days after the date good funds in the correct amount to fully discharge the security interest have been credited to an account of the holder, provided the holder has been provided accurate information concerning the motor vehicle. Conveyance of the certificate of title or separate sworn statement of the discharge within the required seven business days may be indicated by postmark or receipt by a clerk within that period. If the discharge of the security interest appears to be genuine, the clerk shall note the cancellation of the security interest on the face of the certificate of title, if it was so conveyed, and note it in the automated title processing system and upon the records of the clerk.
(C)(1) In all cases, a secured party may choose to present a clerk with evidence of a security interest via electronic means, and the clerk shall enter the security interest into the automated title processing system. A secured party also may choose to notify a clerk of the discharge of its security interest via electronic means, and the clerk shall enter the cancellation into the automated title processing system.
(2) In the case of a security interest that is being satisfied by a dealer to whom a certificate of title is being transferred, the cancellation of the security interest shall occur during the course of the transfer. The dealer shall submit a discharge request to the secured party. A discharge request shall include good funds in the correct amount to fully discharge the security interest and accurate information concerning the motor vehicle.
(3)(a) Upon receiving a discharge request that complies with division (C)(2) of this section, except as otherwise provided in this division, a secured party shall convey the certificate of title, with the discharge of the security interest noted on its face, to the dealer within seven business days after the date good funds in the correct amount to fully discharge the security interest have been credit credited to an account of the secured party.
If a secured party is unable to convey to the dealer a certificate of title within the required seven business days, the secured party instead shall convey to the dealer an affidavit stating that the security interest has been discharged, together with payment for a duplicate certificate of title, within that period.
(b) Conveyance of a certificate of title, or affidavit and required payment, from a secured party to a dealer under the circumstances described in division (C)(3)(a) of this section within the required seven business days may be indicated by a postmark within that period.
(4) A secured party is liable to a dealer for a late fee of ten dollars per day for each certificate of title, or affidavit and required payment, conveyed to the dealer more than seven business days but less than twenty-one days after the date specified in division (C)(3)(a) of this section and, from then on, twenty-five dollars per day until the certificate of title, or affidavit and required payment, are conveyed to the dealer.
(D) Notwithstanding any provision of Chapter 1310. of the Revised Code or of any other law, the lease of a motor vehicle or trailer does not constitute a conditional sale or create a security interest merely because the lease agreement permits or requires the lessor, at the end of the lease term, to adjust the rental price to either a higher or a lower amount by reference to the amount the lessor realizes upon the sale or other disposition of the motor vehicle or trailer.
(E) If a physical certificate of title has not been issued for a motor vehicle and all the security interests relating to that motor vehicle have been discharged, the owner of the motor vehicle may obtain a physical certificate of title from the clerk of any court of common pleas upon payment of the fee specified in section 4509.09 of the Revised Code.
(F) If a clerk of a court of common pleas, other than the clerk of the court of common pleas of the county in which the owner of a motor vehicle resides, enters a notation of the existence of, or the cancellation of, a security interest relating to the motor vehicle, the clerk shall transmit the data relating to the notation to the automated title processing system.
(G) The registrar of motor vehicles, in accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code, shall adopt rules governing the electronic transmission of security interest and other information under this section. In adopting the rules, the registrar shall confer with the clerks of the courts of common pleas.
(H) As used in this section:
(1) "Accurate information" means the make and model of the motor vehicle, its vehicle identification number, and the name and address of its owner as they appear on the certificate of title that is to be conveyed.
(2) "Dealer" has the same meaning as in section 4517.01 of the Revised Code.
(3) "Good funds" includes cash, or a wire transfer, cashier's check, certified check, draft, money order, or teller's check issued by an insured financial institution, or a dealer's check for which the secured party has received funds that are available for withdrawal pursuant to "Availability of Funds and Collection of Checks (Regulation CC)," 12 C.F.R. 229.
(4) "Inventory" has the same meaning as in section 1309.07 1309.102 of the Revised Code.
Sec. 4505.141. The registrar of motor vehicles shall enable the public to access motor vehicle title information via electronic means. No fee shall be charged for this access. The title information that must be so accessible is only the title information that is in an electronic format at the time a person requests this access.
The registrar, shall establish procedures governing this access. The procedures may be established by rule in accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code, shall adopt rules governing this access. In adopting the rules procedures, the registrar shall confer with the clerks of the courts of common pleas.
Access by the public to motor vehicle title information under this section shall comply with all restrictions contained in the Revised Code and federal law that govern the disclosure of that information.
Sec. 4506.01.  As used in this chapter:
(A) "Alcohol concentration" means the concentration of alcohol in a person's blood, breath, or urine. When expressed as a percentage, it means grams of alcohol per the following:
(1) One hundred milliliters of blood;
(2) Two hundred ten liters of breath;
(3) One hundred milliliters of urine.
(B) "School bus" has the same meaning as in section 4511.01 of the Revised Code.
(C) "Commercial driver's license" means a license issued in accordance with this chapter that authorizes an individual to drive a commercial motor vehicle.
(D) "Commercial driver license information system" means the information system established pursuant to the requirements of the "Commercial Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1986," 100 Stat. 3207-171, 49 U.S.C.A. App. 2701.
(E) Except when used in section 4506.25 of the Revised Code, "commercial motor vehicle" means any motor vehicle designed or used to transport persons or property that meets any of the following qualifications:
(1) Any combination of vehicles with a combined gross vehicle weight rating of twenty-six thousand one pounds or more, provided the gross vehicle weight rating of the vehicle or vehicles being towed is in excess of ten thousand pounds;
(2) Any single vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating of twenty-six thousand one pounds or more, or any such vehicle towing a vehicle having a gross vehicle weight rating that is not in excess of ten thousand pounds;
(3) Any single vehicle or combination of vehicles that is not a class A or class B vehicle, but that either is designed to transport sixteen or more passengers including the driver, or is placarded for hazardous materials;
(4) Any school bus with a gross vehicle weight rating of less than twenty-six thousand one pounds that is designed to transport fewer than sixteen passengers including the driver;
(5) Is transporting hazardous materials for which placarding is required by regulations adopted under the "Hazardous Materials Transportation Act," 88 Stat. 2156 (1975), 49 U.S.C.A. 1801, as amended;
(6) Any single vehicle or combination of vehicles that is designed to be operated and to travel on a public street or highway and is considered by the federal highway administration to be a commercial motor vehicle, including, but not limited to, a motorized crane, a vehicle whose function is to pump cement, a rig for drilling wells, and a portable crane.
(F) "Controlled substance" means all of the following:
(1) Any substance classified as a controlled substance under the "Controlled Substances Act," 80 Stat. 1242 (1970), 21 U.S.C.A. 802(6), as amended;
(2) Any substance included in schedules I through V of 21 C.F.R. part 1308, as amended;
(3) Any drug of abuse.
(G) "Conviction" means an unvacated adjudication of guilt or a determination that a person has violated or failed to comply with the law in a court of original jurisdiction or an authorized administrative tribunal, an unvacated forfeiture of bail or collateral deposited to secure the person's appearance in court, the payment of a fine or court cost, or violation of a condition of release without bail, regardless of whether or not the penalty is rebated, suspended, or probated.
(H) "Disqualification" means withdrawal of the privilege to drive a commercial motor vehicle.
(I) "Drive" means to drive, operate, or be in physical control of a motor vehicle.
(J) "Driver" means any person who drives, operates, or is in physical control of a commercial motor vehicle or is required to have a commercial driver's license.
(K) "Driver's license" means a license issued by the bureau of motor vehicles that authorizes an individual to drive.
(L) "Drug of abuse" means any controlled substance, dangerous drug as defined in section 4729.01 of the Revised Code, or over-the-counter medication that, when taken in quantities exceeding the recommended dosage, can result in impairment of judgment or reflexes.
(M) "Employer" means any person, including the federal government, any state, and a political subdivision of any state, that owns or leases a commercial motor vehicle or assigns a person to drive such a motor vehicle.
(N) "Endorsement" means an authorization on a person's commercial driver's license that is required to permit the person to operate a specified type of commercial motor vehicle.
(O) "Felony" means any offense under federal or state law that is punishable by death or specifically classified as a felony under the law of this state, regardless of the penalty that may be imposed.
(P) "Foreign jurisdiction" means any jurisdiction other than a state.
(Q) "Gross vehicle weight rating" means the value specified by the manufacturer as the maximum loaded weight of a single or a combination vehicle. The gross vehicle weight rating of a combination vehicle is the gross vehicle weight rating of the power unit plus the gross vehicle weight rating of each towed unit.
(R) "Hazardous materials" means materials identified as such under regulations adopted under the "Hazardous Materials Transportation Act," 88 Stat. 2156 (1975), 49 U.S.C.A. 1801, as amended.
(S) "Motor vehicle" has the same meaning as in section 4511.01 of the Revised Code.
(T) Except when used in sections 4506.25 and 4506.26 of the Revised Code, "out-of-service order" means a temporary prohibition against driving a commercial motor vehicle issued under this chapter or a similar law of another state or of a foreign jurisdiction.
(U) "Residence" means any person's residence determined in accordance with standards prescribed in rules adopted by the registrar.
(V) "Temporary residence" means residence on a temporary basis as determined by the registrar in accordance with standards prescribed in rules adopted by the registrar.
(W) "Serious traffic violation" means a conviction arising from the operation of a commercial motor vehicle that involves any of the following:
(1) A single charge of any speed that is in excess of the posted speed limit by an amount specified by the United States secretary of transportation and that the director of public safety designates as such by rule;
(2) Violation of section 4511.20, 4511.201, or 4511.202 of the Revised Code or any similar ordinance or resolution, or of any similar law of another state or political subdivision of another state;
(3) Violation of a law of this state or an ordinance or resolution relating to traffic control, other than a parking violation, or of any similar law of another state or political subdivision of another state, that results in a fatal accident;
(4) Violation of any other law of this state or an ordinance or resolution relating to traffic control, other than a parking violation, that is determined to be a serious traffic violation by the United States secretary of transportation and the director designates as such by rule.
(X) "State" means a state of the United States and includes the District of Columbia.
(Y) "Tank vehicle" means any commercial motor vehicle that is designed to transport any liquid and has a maximum capacity greater than one hundred nineteen gallons or is designed to transport gaseous materials and has a water capacity greater than one thousand pounds within a tank that is either permanently or temporarily attached to the vehicle or its chassis. "Tank vehicle" does not include either any of the following:
(1) Any portable tank having a rated capacity of less than one thousand gallons;
(2) Tanks used exclusively as a fuel tank for the motor vehicle to which it is attached;
(3) An empty storage container tank that is not designed for transportation and that is readily distinguishable from a transportation tank;
(4) Ready-mix concrete mixers.
(Z) "United States" means the fifty states and the District of Columbia.
(AA) "Vehicle" has the same meaning as in section 4511.01 of the Revised Code.
(BB) "Peace officer" has the same meaning as in section 2935.01 of the Revised Code.
(CC) "Portable tank" means a liquid or gaseous packaging designed primarily to be loaded on or temporarily attached to a vehicle and equipped with skids, mountings, or accessories to facilitate handling of the tank by mechanical means.
Sec. 4506.08.  (A) Each application for a commercial driver's license temporary instruction permit shall be accompanied by a fee of ten dollars; except as provided in division (B) of this section, each application for a commercial driver's license, restricted commercial driver's license, or renewal of such a license shall be accompanied by a fee of twenty-five dollars; and each application for a duplicate commercial driver's license shall be accompanied by a fee of ten dollars. In addition, the registrar of motor vehicles or deputy registrar may collect and retain an additional fee of no more than two dollars and seventy-five cents commencing on July 1, 2001, three dollars and twenty-five cents commencing on January 1, 2003, and three dollars and fifty cents commencing on January 1, 2004, for each application for a commercial driver's license temporary instruction permit, commercial driver's license, renewal of a commercial driver's license, or duplicate commercial driver's license received by the registrar or deputy. No fee shall be charged for the annual issuance of a waiver for farm-related service industries pursuant to section 4506.24 of the Revised Code.
Each deputy registrar shall transmit the fees collected to the registrar at the time and in the manner prescribed by the registrar by rule. The registrar shall pay the fees into the state highway safety fund established in section 4501.06 of the Revised Code.
(B) In addition to the fees imposed under division (A) of this section, the registrar of motor vehicles or deputy registrar shall collect a fee of twelve dollars commencing on October 1, 2003, for each application for a commercial driver's license temporary instruction permit, commercial driver's license, or duplicate commercial driver's license and for each application for renewal of a commercial driver's license with an expiration date on or after that date received by the registrar or deputy registrar. The additional fee is for the purpose of defraying the department of public safety's costs associated with the administration and enforcement of the motor vehicle and traffic laws of Ohio. Each deputy registrar shall transmit the fees collected under division (B) of this section in the time and manner prescribed by the registrar. The registrar shall deposit all moneys received under division (B) of this section into the state highway safety fund established in section 4501.06 of the Revised Code.
(C) Information regarding the driving record of any person holding a commercial driver's license issued by this state shall be furnished by the registrar, upon request and payment of a fee of three two dollars, to the employer or prospective employer of such a person and to any insurer.
Sec. 4506.11.  (A) Every commercial driver's license shall be marked "commercial driver's license" or "CDL" and shall be of such material and so designed as to prevent its reproduction or alteration without ready detection, and, to this end, shall be laminated with a transparent plastic material. The commercial driver's license for licensees under twenty-one years of age shall have characteristics prescribed by the registrar of motor vehicles distinguishing it from that issued to a licensee who is twenty-one years of age or older. Every commercial driver's license shall display all of the following information:
(1) The name and residence address of the licensee;
(2) A color photograph of the licensee;
(3) A physical description of the licensee, including sex, height, weight, and color of eyes and hair;
(4) The licensee's date of birth;
(5) The licensee's social security number if the person has requested that the number be displayed in accordance with section 4501.31 of the Revised Code or if federal law requires the social security number to be displayed and any number or other identifier the director of public safety considers appropriate and establishes by rules adopted under Chapter 119. of the Revised Code and in compliance with federal law.;
(6) The licensee's signature;
(7) The classes of commercial motor vehicles the licensee is authorized to drive and any endorsements or restrictions relating to the licensee's driving of those vehicles;
(8) A space marked "blood type" in which the licensee may specify the licensee's blood type;
(9) The name of this state;
(10)(9) The dates of issuance and of expiration of the license;
(11)(10) If the licensee has certified willingness to make an anatomical donation under section 2108.04 of the Revised Code, any symbol chosen by the registrar of motor vehicles to indicate that the licensee has certified that willingness;
(12)(11) If the licensee has executed a durable power of attorney for health care or a declaration governing the use or continuation, or the withholding or withdrawal, of life-sustaining treatment and has specified that the licensee wishes the license to indicate that the licensee has executed either type of instrument, any symbol chosen by the registrar to indicate that the licensee has executed either type of instrument;
(13)(12) Any other information the registrar considers advisable and requires by rule.
(B) The registrar may establish and maintain a file of negatives of photographs taken for the purposes of this section.
(C) Neither the registrar nor any deputy registrar shall issue a commercial driver's license to anyone under twenty-one years of age that does not have the characteristics prescribed by the registrar distinguishing it from the commercial driver's license issued to persons who are twenty-one years of age or older.
Sec. 4506.12.  (A) Commercial drivers' licenses shall be issued in the following classes and shall include any endorsements and restrictions that are applicable. Subject to any such endorsements and restrictions, the holder of a valid commercial driver's license may drive all commercial motor vehicles in the class for which that license is issued and all lesser classes of vehicles, except that he the holder shall not operate a motorcycle unless he is licensed to do so under Chapter 4507. of the Revised Code.
(B) The classes of commercial drivers' licenses and the commercial motor vehicles that they authorize the operation of are as follows:
(1) Class A--any combination of vehicles with a combined gross vehicle weight rating of twenty-six thousand one pounds or more, if the gross vehicle weight rating of the vehicle or vehicles being towed is in excess of ten thousand pounds.
(2) Class B--any single vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating of twenty-six thousand one pounds or more or any such vehicle towing a vehicle having a gross vehicle weight rating that is not in excess of ten thousand pounds.
(3) Class C--any single vehicle, or combination of vehicles, that is not a class A or class B vehicle, but that either is designed to transport sixteen or more passengers, including the driver, or is placarded for hazardous materials and any school bus with a gross vehicle weight rating of less than twenty-six thousand one pounds that is designed to transport fewer than sixteen passengers including the driver.
(C) The following endorsements and restrictions apply to commercial drivers' licenses:
(1) H--authorizes the driver to drive a vehicle transporting hazardous materials;
(2) K--restricts the driver to only intrastate operation;
(3) L--restricts the driver to vehicles not equipped with air brakes;
(4) T--authorizes the driver to drive double and triple trailers;
(5) P--authorizes the driver to drive vehicles carrying passengers;
(6) P1--authorizes the driver to drive class A vehicles with fewer than fifteen passengers and all lesser classes of vehicles without restriction as to the number of passengers;
(7) P2--authorizes the driver to drive class A or B vehicles with fewer than fifteen passengers and all lesser classes of vehicles without restriction as to the number of passengers;
(8) P3--restricts the driver to driving class B school buses;
(9) P4--Restricts the driver to driving class C school buses designed to transport fewer than sixteen passengers including the driver.
(10) N--authorizes the driver to drive tank vehicles;
(11) S--authorizes the driver to drive school buses;
(12) X--authorizes the driver to drive tank vehicles transporting hazardous materials;
(13) W--restricts the driver to the operation of commercial motor vehicles in accordance with a waiver for farm-related service industries issued under section 4506.24 of the Revised Code.
(D) In addition to any endorsement that otherwise may apply, a person who is engaged in the towing of a disabled or wrecked motor vehicle shall hold a commercial driver's license bearing any endorsement required to drive the towed vehicle except the driver is not required to have either of the following:
(1) A passenger endorsement to tow an unoccupied passenger car;
(2) Any endorsement required for the wrecked or disabled vehicle when the driver initially removes a vehicle from the site of the emergency where the vehicle became wrecked or disabled to the nearest appropriate repair, disposal, or storage facility, as applicable.
(E) No person shall drive any commercial motor vehicle for which an endorsement is required under this section unless the proper endorsement appears on the person's commercial driver's license.
Sec. 4507.13.  (A) The registrar of motor vehicles shall issue a driver's license to every person licensed as an operator of motor vehicles other than commercial motor vehicles. No person licensed as a commercial motor vehicle driver under Chapter 4506. of the Revised Code need procure a driver's license, but no person shall drive any commercial motor vehicle unless licensed as a commercial motor vehicle driver.
Every driver's license shall display on it the distinguishing number assigned to the licensee and shall display the licensee's name and date of birth; the licensee's residence address and county of residence; a color photograph of the licensee; a brief description of the licensee for the purpose of identification; a facsimile of the signature of the licensee as it appears on the application for the license; a space marked "blood type" in which a licensee may specify the licensee's blood type; a notation, in a manner prescribed by the registrar, indicating any condition described in division (D)(3) of section 4507.08 of the Revised Code to which the licensee is subject; if the licensee has executed a durable power of attorney for health care or a declaration governing the use or continuation, or the withholding or withdrawal, of life-sustaining treatment and has specified that the licensee wishes the license to indicate that the licensee has executed either type of instrument, any symbol chosen by the registrar to indicate that the licensee has executed either type of instrument; and any additional information that the registrar requires by rule. No license shall display the licensee's social security number unless the licensee specifically requests that the licensee's social security number be displayed on the license. If federal law requires the licensee's social security number to be displayed on the license, the social security number shall be displayed on the license notwithstanding this section.
The driver's license for licensees under twenty-one years of age shall have characteristics prescribed by the registrar distinguishing it from that issued to a licensee who is twenty-one years of age or older, except that a driver's license issued to a person who applies no more than thirty days before the applicant's twenty-first birthday shall have the characteristics of a license issued to a person who is twenty-one years of age or older.
The driver's license issued to a temporary resident shall contain the word "nonrenewable" and shall have any additional characteristics prescribed by the registrar distinguishing it from a license issued to a resident.
Every driver's or commercial driver's license displaying a motorcycle operator's endorsement and every restricted license to operate a motor vehicle also shall display the designation "novice," if the endorsement or license is issued to a person who is eighteen years of age or older and previously has not been licensed to operate a motorcycle by this state or another jurisdiction recognized by this state. The "novice" designation shall be effective for one year after the date of issuance of the motorcycle operator's endorsement or license.
Each license issued under this section shall be of such material and so designed as to prevent its reproduction or alteration without ready detection and, to this end, shall be laminated with a transparent plastic material.
(B) Except in regard to a driver's license issued to a person who applies no more than thirty days before the applicant's twenty-first birthday, neither the registrar nor any deputy registrar shall issue a driver's license to anyone under twenty-one years of age that does not have the characteristics prescribed by the registrar distinguishing it from the driver's license issued to persons who are twenty-one years of age or older.
Sec. 4507.141.  (A) Any hearing-impaired person may apply to the registrar of motor vehicles for an identification card identifying the person as hearing-impaired. The application for a hearing-impaired identification card shall be accompanied by a signed statement from the applicant's personal physician certifying that the applicant is hearing-impaired. Upon receipt of the application for the identification card and the signed statement from the applicant's personal physician, and upon presentation by the applicant of his the applicant's driver's or commercial driver's license or motorcycle operator's license and payment of a fee of five dollars, the registrar shall issue the applicant an identification card. A hearing-impaired person may also apply for a hearing-impaired identification card at the time he the person applies for a driver's or commercial driver's license or motorcycle operator's license or endorsement. Every hearing-impaired identification card shall expire on the same date that the cardholder's driver's or commercial driver's license or motorcycle operator's license expires.
(B) The hearing-impaired identification card shall be rectangular in shape, approximately the same size as an average motor vehicle sun visor, as determined by the registrar, to enable the identification card to be attached to a sun visor in a motor vehicle. The identification card shall contain the heading "Identification Card for the Hearing-impaired Driver" in boldface type, the name and signature of the hearing-impaired person to whom it is issued, an identifying number, and instructions on the actions the hearing-impaired person should take and the actions the person should refrain from taking in the event he the person is stopped by a law enforcement officer while operating the motor vehicle. The registrar shall determine the preferred manner in which a hearing-impaired motorcycle operator should carry or display the hearing-impaired identification card, and the color and composition of, and any other information to be included on, the identification card.
(C) As used in this section, "hearing-impaired" means a hearing loss of forty decibels or more in one or both ears.
Sec. 4507.1614.  The registrar shall suspend the person's license or permit under division (A) of section 4507.162 of the Revised Code regardless of whether the disposition of the case in juvenile court occurred after the person's eighteenth birthday.
Sec. 4507.19.  The registrar of motor vehicles may suspend or cancel any driver's or commercial driver's license or identification card upon determination that such the license or card was obtained fraudulently, unlawfully, issued in error, or has been altered or willfully destroyed.
Sec. 4507.20.  The registrar of motor vehicles, upon determination that any person has more than seven points charged against the person under section 4507.021 of the Revised Code, and is not subject to the provisions of section 4507.022 of the Revised Code, or, having good cause to believe that the holder of a driver's or commercial driver's license is incompetent or otherwise not qualified to be licensed, shall upon send a written notice of at least five days sent to the licensee's last known address, require requiring the licensee to submit to a driver's license examination or a physical examination, or both, or a commercial driver's license examination within the time indicated on the notice. The physical examination may be conducted by any individual authorized by the Revised Code to do so, including a physician assistant, a clinical nurse specialist, a certified nurse practitioner, or a certified nurse midwife nurse-midwife. Any written documentation of the physical examination shall be completed by the individual who conducted the examination.
Upon the conclusion of the examination the registrar may suspend or revoke the license of the person, or may permit the licensee to retain the license, or may issue the licensee a restricted license. Refusal or neglect of the licensee to submit to the examination is ground for suspension or revocation of the licensee's license.
A physician licensed under Chapter 4731. of the Revised Code may submit a report to the registrar stating that in the physician's professional opinion the holder of a driver's or commercial driver's license may be incompetent or otherwise not qualified to operate safely a motor vehicle due to medical reasons. Any such report submitted to the registrar is confidential, is not a public record, and is not subject to disclosure under section 149.43 of the Revised Code.
Sec. 4507.50.  (A) The registrar of motor vehicles or a deputy registrar, upon receipt of an application filed in compliance with section 4507.51 of the Revised Code by any person who is a resident or a temporary resident of this state and, except as otherwise provided in this section, is not licensed as an operator of a motor vehicle in this state or another licensing jurisdiction, and, except as provided in division (B) of this section, upon receipt of a fee of three dollars and fifty cents, shall issue an identification card to that person.
Any person who is a resident or temporary resident of this state whose Ohio driver's or commercial driver's license has been suspended or revoked, upon application in compliance with section 4507.51 of the Revised Code and, except as provided in division (B) of this section, payment of a fee of three dollars and fifty cents, may be issued a temporary identification card. The temporary identification card shall be identical to an identification card, except that it shall be printed on its face with a statement that the card is valid during the effective dates of the suspension or revocation of the cardholder's license, or until the birthday of the cardholder in the fourth year after the date on which it is issued, whichever is shorter. The cardholder shall surrender the identification card to the registrar or any deputy registrar before the cardholder's driver's or commercial driver's license is restored or reissued.
Except as provided in division (B) of this section, the deputy registrar shall be allowed a fee of two dollars and seventy-five cents commencing on July 1, 2001, three dollars and twenty-five cents commencing on January 1, 2003, and three dollars and fifty cents commencing on January 1, 2004, for each identification card issued under this section. The fee allowed to the deputy registrar shall be in addition to the fee for issuing an identification card.
Neither the registrar nor any deputy registrar shall charge a fee in excess of one dollar and fifty cents for laminating an identification card or temporary identification card. A deputy registrar laminating such a card shall retain the entire amount of the fee charged for lamination, less the actual cost to the registrar of the laminating materials used for that lamination, as specified in the contract executed by the bureau for the laminating materials and laminating equipment. The deputy registrar shall forward the amount of the cost of the laminating materials to the registrar for deposit as provided in this section.
The fee collected for issuing an identification card under this section, except the fee allowed to the deputy registrar, shall be paid into the state treasury to the credit of the state bureau of motor vehicles fund created in section 4501.25 of the Revised Code.
(B) A disabled veteran who has a service-connected disability rated at one hundred per cent by the veterans' administration may apply to the registrar or a deputy registrar for the issuance to that veteran of an identification card or a temporary identification card under this section without payment of any fee prescribed in division (A) of this section, including any lamination fee.
If the identification card or temporary identification card of a disabled veteran described in this division is laminated by a deputy registrar who is acting as a deputy registrar pursuant to a contract with the registrar that is in effect on the effective date of this amendment, the disabled veteran shall pay the deputy registrar the lamination fee prescribed in division (A) of this section. If the identification card or temporary identification card is laminated by a deputy registrar who is acting as a deputy registrar pursuant to a contract with the registrar that is executed after July 29, 1998, the disabled veteran is not required to pay the deputy registrar the lamination fee prescribed in division (A) of this section.
A disabled veteran whose identification card or temporary identification card is laminated by the registrar is not required to pay the registrar any lamination fee.
An application made under division (A)(B) of this section shall be accompanied by such documentary evidence of disability as the registrar may require by rule.
Sec. 4507.51.  (A)(1) Every application for an identification card or duplicate shall be made on a form furnished by the registrar of motor vehicles, shall be signed by the applicant, and by the applicant's parent or guardian if the applicant is under eighteen years of age, and shall contain the following information pertaining to the applicant: name, date of birth, sex, general description including the applicant's height, weight, hair color, and eye color, address, and social security number, and at the option of the applicant, the applicant's the applicant's the applicant's the applicant's blood type. The application form shall state that an applicant is not required to furnish the applicant's the applicant's blood type. The application also shall state whether an applicant wishes to certify willingness to make an anatomical gift under section 2108.04 of the Revised Code and shall include information about the requirements of that section that apply to persons who are less than eighteen years of age. The statement regarding willingness to make such a donation shall be given no consideration in the decision of whether to issue an identification card. Each applicant shall be photographed in color at the time of making application.
(2) The application also shall state whether the applicant has executed a valid durable power of attorney for health care pursuant to sections 1337.11 to 1337.17 of the Revised Code or has executed a declaration governing the use or continuation, or the withholding or withdrawal, of life-sustaining treatment pursuant to sections 2133.01 to 2133.15 of the Revised Code and, if the applicant has executed either type of instrument, whether the applicant wishes the identification card issued to indicate that the applicant has executed the instrument.
(3) The registrar or deputy registrar, in accordance with section 3503.11 of the Revised Code, shall register as an elector any person who applies for an identification card or duplicate if the applicant is eligible and wishes to be registered as an elector. The decision of an applicant whether to register as an elector shall be given no consideration in the decision of whether to issue the applicant an identification card or duplicate.
(B) The application for an identification card or duplicate shall be filed in the office of the registrar or deputy registrar. Each applicant shall present documentary evidence as required by the registrar of the applicant's age and identity or her or her, and the applicant shall swear that all information given is true.
All applications for an identification card or duplicate shall be filed in duplicate, and if submitted to a deputy registrar, a copy shall be forwarded to the registrar. The registrar shall prescribe rules for the manner in which a deputy registrar is to file and maintain applications and other records. The registrar shall maintain a suitable, indexed record of all applications denied and cards issued or canceled.
Sec. 4507.53.  Digitalized photographic records of the department of public safety may be released only to state, local, or federal law enforcement agencies and to any court.
Sec. 4507.99.  (A) Whoever violates division (B)(2) or (D)(1) of section 4507.02 of the Revised Code is guilty of driving under suspension or revocation or in violation of license restrictions, a misdemeanor of the first degree. Whoever violates division (C) of section 4507.02 of the Revised Code is guilty of driving without paying a license reinstatement fee, a misdemeanor of the first degree. Except as otherwise provided in division (D) of section 4507.162 of the Revised Code, the court, in addition to or independent of all other penalties provided by law, may suspend for a period not to exceed one year the driver's or commercial driver's license or permit or nonresident operating privilege of any person who pleads guilty to or is convicted of a violation of division (B)(2), (C), or (D)(1) of section 4507.02 of the Revised Code.
(B) Whoever violates division (D)(2) of section 4507.02 of the Revised Code is guilty of driving under OMVI suspension or revocation and shall be punished as provided in division (B)(1), (2), or (3) and divisions (B)(4) to (8) of this section.
(1) Except as otherwise provided in division (B)(2) or (3) of this section, driving under OMVI suspension or revocation is a misdemeanor of the first degree, and the court shall sentence the offender to a term of imprisonment of not less than three consecutive days and may sentence the offender pursuant to section 2929.21 of the Revised Code to a longer term of imprisonment. As an alternative to the term of imprisonment required to be imposed by this division, but subject to division (B)(6) of this section, the court may sentence the offender to a term of not less than thirty consecutive days of electronically monitored house arrest as defined in division (A)(4) of section 2929.23 of the Revised Code. The period of electronically monitored house arrest shall not exceed six months. In addition, the court shall impose upon the offender a fine of not less than two hundred fifty and not more than one thousand dollars.
Regardless of whether the vehicle the offender was operating at the time of the offense is registered in the offender's name or in the name of another person, the court, in addition to or independent of any other sentence that it imposes upon the offender and subject to section 4503.235 of the Revised Code, shall order the immobilization for thirty days of the vehicle the offender was operating at the time of the offense and the impoundment for thirty days of the identification license plates of that vehicle. The order for immobilization and impoundment shall be issued and enforced in accordance with section 4503.233 of the Revised Code.
(2) If, within five years of the offense, the offender has been convicted of or pleaded guilty to one violation of division (D)(2) of section 4507.02 of the Revised Code or a municipal ordinance that is substantially equivalent to that division, driving under OMVI suspension or revocation is a misdemeanor, and the court shall sentence the offender to a term of imprisonment of not less than ten consecutive days and may sentence the offender to a longer definite term of imprisonment of not more than one year. As an alternative to the term of imprisonment required to be imposed by this division, but subject to division (B)(6) of this section, the court may sentence the offender to a term of not less than ninety consecutive days of electronically monitored house arrest as defined in division (A)(4) of section 2929.23 of the Revised Code. The period of electronically monitored house arrest shall not exceed one year. In addition, the court shall impose upon the offender a fine of not less than five hundred and not more than two thousand five hundred dollars.
Regardless of whether the vehicle the offender was operating at the time of the offense is registered in the offender's name or in the name of another person, the court, in addition to or independent of any other sentence that it imposes upon the offender and subject to section 4503.235 of the Revised Code, shall order the immobilization for sixty days of the vehicle the offender was operating at the time of the offense and the impoundment for sixty days of the identification license plates of that vehicle. The order for immobilization and impoundment shall be issued and enforced in accordance with section 4503.233 of the Revised Code.
(3) If, within five years of the offense, the offender has been convicted of or pleaded guilty to two or more violations of division (D)(2) of section 4507.02 of the Revised Code or a municipal ordinance that is substantially equivalent to that division, driving under OMVI suspension or revocation is guilty of a misdemeanor. The court shall sentence the offender to a term of imprisonment of not less than thirty consecutive days and may sentence the offender to a longer definite term of imprisonment of not more than one year. The court shall not sentence the offender to a term of electronically monitored house arrest as defined in division (A)(4) of section 2929.23 of the Revised Code. In addition, the court shall impose upon the offender a fine of not less than five hundred and not more than two thousand five hundred dollars.
Regardless of whether the vehicle the offender was operating at the time of the offense is registered in the offender's name or in the name of another person, the court, in addition to or independent of any other sentence that it imposes upon the offender and subject to section 4503.235 of the Revised Code, shall order the criminal forfeiture to the state of the vehicle the offender was operating at the time of the offense. The order of criminal forfeiture shall be issued and enforced in accordance with section 4503.234 of the Revised Code.
If title to a motor vehicle that is subject to an order for criminal forfeiture under this section is assigned or transferred and division (C)(2) or (3) of section 4503.234 of the Revised Code applies, in addition to or independent of any other penalty established by law, the court may fine the offender the value of the vehicle as determined by publications of the national auto dealer's association. The proceeds from any fine imposed under this division shall be distributed in accordance with division (D)(4) of section 4503.234 of the Revised Code.
(4) In addition to or independent of all other penalties provided by law or ordinance, the trial judge of any court of record or the mayor of a mayor's court shall suspend for a period not to exceed one year the driver's or commercial driver's license or permit or nonresident operating privilege of an offender who is sentenced under division (B)(1), (2), or (3) of this section.
(5) Fifty per cent of any fine imposed by a court under division (B)(1), (2), or (3) of this section shall be deposited into the county indigent drivers alcohol treatment fund or municipal indigent drivers alcohol treatment fund under the control of that court, as created by the county or municipal corporation pursuant to division (N) of section 4511.191 of the Revised Code.
(6) No court shall impose the alternative sentence of not less than thirty consecutive days of electronically monitored house arrest permitted to be imposed by division (B)(1) of this section or the alternative sentence of a term of not less than ninety consecutive days of electronically monitored house arrest permitted to be imposed by division (B)(2) of this section, unless within sixty days of the date of sentencing, the court issues a written finding, entered into the record, that, due to the unavailability of space at the incarceration facility where the offender is required to serve the term of imprisonment imposed upon the offender, the offender will not be able to begin serving that term of imprisonment within the sixty-day period following the date of sentencing. If the court issues such a finding, the court may impose the alternative sentence comprised of or including electronically monitored house arrest permitted to be imposed by division (B)(1) or (2) of this section.
(7) An offender sentenced under this section to a period of electronically monitored house arrest shall be permitted work release during such period. The duration of the work release shall not exceed the time necessary each day for the offender to commute to and from the place of employment and the offender's home or other place specified by the sentencing court and the time actually spent under employment.
(8) Suspension of a commercial driver's license under this section shall be concurrent with any period of disqualification under section 3123.611 or 4506.16 of the Revised Code or any period of suspension under section 3123.58 of the Revised Code. No person who is disqualified for life from holding a commercial driver's license under section 4506.16 of the Revised Code shall be issued a driver's license under this chapter during the period for which the commercial driver's license was suspended under this section, and no person whose commercial driver's license is suspended under this section shall be issued a driver's license under this chapter during the period of the suspension.
(C) Whoever violates division (B)(1) of section 4507.02 of the Revised Code is guilty of driving under financial responsibility law suspension or revocation and shall be punished as provided in division (C)(1), (2), or (3) and division (C)(4) of this section.
(1) Except as otherwise provided in division (C)(2) or (3) of this section, driving under financial responsibility law suspension or revocation is a misdemeanor of the first degree.
Regardless of whether the vehicle the offender was operating at the time of the offense is registered in the offender's name or in the name of another person, the court, in addition to or independent of any other sentence that it imposes upon the offender and subject to section 4503.235 of the Revised Code, shall order the immobilization for thirty days of the vehicle the offender was operating at the time of the offense and the impoundment for thirty days of the identification license plates of that vehicle. The order for immobilization and impoundment shall be issued and enforced in accordance with section 4503.233 of the Revised Code.
(2) If, within five years of the offense, the offender has been convicted of or pleaded guilty to one violation of division (B)(1) of section 4507.02 of the Revised Code or a municipal ordinance that is substantially equivalent to that division, driving under financial responsibility law suspension or revocation is a misdemeanor of the first degree.
Regardless of whether the vehicle the offender was operating at the time of the offense is registered in the offender's name or in the name of another person, the court, in addition to or independent of any other sentence that it imposes upon the offender and subject to section 4503.235 of the Revised Code, shall order the immobilization for sixty days of the vehicle the offender was operating at the time of the offense and the impoundment for sixty days of the identification license plates of that vehicle. The order for immobilization and impoundment shall be issued and enforced in accordance with section 4503.233 of the Revised Code.
(3) If, within five years of the offense, the offender has been convicted of or pleaded guilty to two or more violations of division (B)(1) of section 4507.02 of the Revised Code or a municipal ordinance that is substantially equivalent to that division, driving under financial responsibility law suspension or revocation is a misdemeanor of the first degree.
Regardless of whether the vehicle the offender was operating at the time of the offense is registered in the offender's name or in the name of another person, the court, in addition to or independent of any other sentence that it imposes upon the offender and subject to section 4503.235 of the Revised Code, shall order the criminal forfeiture to the state of the vehicle the offender was operating at the time of the offense. The order of criminal forfeiture shall be issued and enforced in accordance with section 4503.234 of the Revised Code.
If title to a motor vehicle that is subject to an order for criminal forfeiture under this section is assigned or transferred and division (C)(2) or (3) of section 4503.234 of the Revised Code applies, in addition to or independent of any other penalty established by law, the court may fine the offender the value of the vehicle as determined by publications of the national auto dealer's association. The proceeds from any fine imposed under this division shall be distributed in accordance with division (D)(4) of section 4503.234 of the Revised Code.
(4) Except as otherwise provided in division (D) of section 4507.162 of the Revised Code, the court, in addition to or independent of all other penalties provided by law, may suspend for a period not to exceed one year the driver's or commercial driver's license or permit or nonresident operating privilege of an offender who is sentenced under division (C)(1), (2), or (3) of this section.
(5) The court shall not release a vehicle from the immobilization ordered under division (C)(1) or (2) of this section unless the court is presented with current proof of financial responsibility with respect to that vehicle.
(D) Whoever violates division (A)(1) or (3) of section 4507.02 of the Revised Code by operating a motor vehicle when the offender's driver's or commercial driver's license has been expired for no more than six months is guilty of a minor misdemeanor. Whoever violates division (B) of section 4507.13 or division (C) of section 4507.52 of the Revised Code is guilty of a minor misdemeanor.
(E) Whoever violates section 4507.33 of the Revised Code is guilty of permitting the operation of a vehicle by a person with no legal right to operate a vehicle and shall be punished as provided in division (E)(1) or (2) of this section.
(1) Except as otherwise provided in division (E)(2) of this section, permitting the operation of a vehicle by a person with no legal right to operate a vehicle is a misdemeanor of the first degree. In addition to or independent of any other sentence that it imposes upon the offender and subject to section 4503.235 of the Revised Code, the court shall order the immobilization for thirty days of the vehicle involved in the offense and the impoundment for thirty days of the identification license plates of that vehicle. The order for immobilization and impoundment shall be issued and enforced in accordance with section 4503.233 of the Revised Code.
(2) If the offender previously has been convicted of or pleaded guilty to one or more violations of section 4507.33 of the Revised Code, permitting the operation of a vehicle by a person with no legal right to operate a vehicle is a misdemeanor of the first degree. In addition to or independent of any other sentence that it imposes upon the offender and subject to section 4503.235 of the Revised Code, the court shall order the criminal forfeiture to the state of the vehicle involved in the offense. The order of criminal forfeiture shall be issued and enforced in accordance with section 4503.234 of the Revised Code.
If title to a motor vehicle that is subject to an order for criminal forfeiture under this section is assigned or transferred and division (C)(2) or (3) of section 4503.234 of the Revised Code applies, in addition to or independent of any other penalty established by law, the court may fine the offender the value of the vehicle as determined by publications of the national auto dealer's association. The proceeds from any fine imposed under this division shall be distributed in accordance with division (D)(4) of section 4503.234 of the Revised Code.
(F) Whoever violates division (F)(1) or (2) of section 4507.05, or division (B) or (D) of section 4507.071 of the Revised Code is guilty of a minor misdemeanor.
(G) Whoever violates division (G) of section 4507.21 of the Revised Code shall be fined one hundred dollars.
(H) Except as provided in divisions (A) to (E) of this section and unless another penalty is provided by the laws of this state, whoever violates any provision of sections 4507.01 to 4507.081 or 4507.10 to 4507.37 of the Revised Code is guilty of a misdemeanor of the first degree.
(I) Whenever a person is found guilty of a violation of section 4507.32 of the Revised Code, the trial judge of any court of record, in addition to or independent of all other penalties provided by law or ordinance, may suspend for any period of time not exceeding three years or revoke the license of any person, partnership, association, or corporation, issued under section 4511.763 of the Revised Code.
(J) Whenever a person is found guilty of a violation of a traffic offense specified in Traffic Rule 13(B) that requires the person's appearance in court, the court shall require the person to verify the existence at the time of the offense of proof of financial responsibility covering the person's operation of the motor vehicle, or the motor vehicle if registered in the person's name, and notify the registrar pursuant to division (D) of section 4509.101 of the Revised Code if the person fails to verify the existence of such proof of financial responsibility.
Sec. 4509.05. (A) Upon request, the registrar of motor vehicles shall search and furnish a certified abstract of the following information with respect to any person:
(A)(1) An enumeration of the motor vehicle accidents in which such person has been involved except accidents certified as described in division (D) of section 3937.41 of the Revised Code;
(B)(2) Such person's record of convictions for violation of the motor vehicle laws.
(B) The registrar shall collect for each abstract a fee of two dollars.
(C) The registrar may permit deputy registrars to perform a search and furnish a certified abstract under this section. A deputy registrar performing this function shall comply with section 4501.27 of the Revised Code concerning the disclosure of personal information, shall collect and transmit to the registrar the two dollar fee established under division (B) of this section, and may collect and retain a service fee of three dollars and twenty-five cents commencing on the effective date of this amendment. If the deputy registrar fees are increased on January 1, 2004, in accordance with section 4503.034 of the Revised Code, the deputy registrar may collect and retain a service fee of three dollars and fifty cents, commencing on that date.
Sec. 4509.101.  (A)(1) No person shall operate, or permit the operation of, a motor vehicle in this state, unless proof of financial responsibility is maintained continuously throughout the registration period with respect to that vehicle, or, in the case of a driver who is not the owner, with respect to that driver's operation of that vehicle.
(2) Whoever violates division (A)(1) of this section shall be subject to the following civil penalties:
(a) Suspension of the person's operating privileges and impoundment of the person's license until the person complies with division (A)(5) of this section. The suspension shall be for a period of not less than ninety days except that if, within five years of the violation, the person's operating privileges are again suspended and the person's license is impounded one or more times for a violation of division (A)(1) of this section, the suspension shall be for a period of not less than one year. Except as provided by section 4509.105 of the Revised Code, the suspension is not subject to revocation, suspension, or occupational or other limited operating privileges.
(b) In addition to the suspension of an owner's license under division (A)(2)(a) of this section, the suspension of the rights of the owner to register the motor vehicle and the impoundment of the owner's certificate of registration and license plates until the owner complies with division (A)(5) of this section.
(3) A person to whom this state has issued a certificate of registration for a motor vehicle or a license to operate a motor vehicle or who is determined to have operated any motor vehicle or permitted the operation in this state of a motor vehicle owned by the person shall be required to verify the existence of proof of financial responsibility covering the operation of the motor vehicle or the person's operation of the motor vehicle under any of the following circumstances:
(a) The person or a motor vehicle owned by the person is involved in a traffic accident that requires the filing of an accident report under section 4509.06 of the Revised Code.
(b) The person receives a traffic ticket indicating that proof of the maintenance of financial responsibility was not produced upon the request of a peace officer or state highway patrol trooper made in accordance with division (D)(2) of this section.
(c) Whenever, in accordance with rules adopted by the registrar, the person is randomly selected by the registrar and requested to provide such verification.
(4) An order of the registrar that suspends and impounds a license or registration, or both, shall state the date on or before which the person is required to surrender the person's license or certificate of registration and license plates. The person is deemed to have surrendered the license or certificate of registration and license plates, in compliance with the order, if the person does either of the following:
(a) On or before the date specified in the order, personally delivers the license or certificate of registration and license plates, or causes the delivery of the items, to the registrar;
(b) Mails the license or certificate of registration and license plates to the registrar in an envelope or container bearing a postmark showing a date no later than the date specified in the order.
(5) Except as provided in division (A)(6) of this section, the registrar shall not restore any operating privileges or registration rights suspended under this section, return any license, certificate of registration, or license plates impounded under this section, or reissue license plates under section 4503.232 of the Revised Code, if the registrar destroyed the impounded license plates under that section, or reissue a license under section 4507.54 of the Revised Code, if the registrar destroyed the suspended license under that section, unless the rights are not subject to suspension or revocation under any other law and unless the person, in addition to complying with all other conditions required by law for reinstatement of the operating privileges or registration rights, complies with all of the following:
(a) Pays a financial responsibility reinstatement fee of seventy-five dollars for the first violation of division (A)(1) of this section, two hundred fifty dollars for a second violation of that division, and five hundred dollars for a third or subsequent violation of that division;
(b) If the person has not voluntarily surrendered the license, certificate, or license plates in compliance with the order, pays a financial responsibility nonvoluntary compliance fee in an amount, not to exceed fifty dollars, determined by the registrar;
(c) Files and continuously maintains proof of financial responsibility under sections 4509.44 to 4509.65 of the Revised Code.
(6) If the registrar issues an order under division (A)(2) of this section resulting from the failure of a person to respond to a financial responsibility random verification request under division (A)(3)(c) of this section and the person successfully maintains an affirmative defense to a violation of section 4507.02 of the Revised Code or is determined by the registrar or a deputy registrar to have been in compliance with division (A)(1) of this section at the time of the initial financial responsibility random verification request, the registrar shall do both of the following:
(a) Terminate the order of suspension or impoundment;
(b) Restore the operating privileges and registration rights of the person without payment of the fees established in divisions (A)(5)(a) and (b) of this section and without a requirement to file proof of financial responsibility.
(B)(1) Every party required to file an accident report under section 4509.06 of the Revised Code also shall include with the report a document described in division (G)(1) of this section.
If the registrar determines, within forty-five days after the report is filed, that an operator or owner has violated division (A)(1) of this section, the registrar shall do all of the following:
(a) Order the impoundment, with respect to the motor vehicle involved, required under division (A)(2)(b) of this section, of the certificate of registration and license plates of any owner who has violated division (A)(1) of this section;
(b) Order the suspension required under division (A)(2)(a) of this section of the license of any operator or owner who has violated division (A)(1) of this section;
(c) Record the name and address of the person whose certificate of registration and license plates have been impounded or are under an order of impoundment, or whose license has been suspended or is under an order of suspension; the serial number of the person's license; the serial numbers of the person's certificate of registration and license plates; and the person's social security account number, if assigned, or, where the motor vehicle is used for hire or principally in connection with any established business, the person's federal taxpayer identification number. The information shall be recorded in such a manner that it becomes a part of the person's permanent record, and assists the registrar in monitoring compliance with the orders of suspension or impoundment.
(d) Send written notification to every person to whom the order pertains, at the person's last known address as shown on the records of the bureau. The person, within ten days after the date of the mailing of the notification, shall surrender to the registrar, in a manner set forth in division (A)(4) of this section, any certificate of registration and registration plates under an order of impoundment, or any license under an order of suspension.
(2) The registrar shall issue any order under division (B)(1) of this section without a hearing. Any person adversely affected by the order, within ten days after the issuance of the order, may request an administrative hearing before the registrar, who shall provide the person with an opportunity for a hearing in accordance with this paragraph. A request for a hearing does not operate as a suspension of the order. The scope of the hearing shall be limited to whether the person in fact demonstrated to the registrar proof of financial responsibility in accordance with this section. The registrar shall determine the date, time, and place of any hearing, provided that the hearing shall be held, and an order issued or findings made, within thirty days after the registrar receives a request for a hearing. If requested by the person in writing, the registrar may designate as the place of hearing the county seat of the county in which the person resides or a place within fifty miles of the person's residence. The person shall pay the cost of the hearing before the registrar, if the registrar's order of suspension or impoundment is upheld.
(C) Any order of suspension or impoundment issued under this section or division (B) of section 4509.37 of the Revised Code may be terminated at any time if the registrar determines upon a showing of proof of financial responsibility that the operator or owner of the motor vehicle was in compliance with division (A)(1) of this section at the time of the traffic offense, motor vehicle inspection, or accident that resulted in the order against the person. A determination may be made without a hearing. This division does not apply unless the person shows good cause for the person's failure to present satisfactory proof of financial responsibility to the registrar prior to the issuance of the order.
(D)(1) For the purpose of enforcing this section, every peace officer is deemed an agent of the registrar.
(a) Except as provided in division (D)(1)(b) of this section, any peace officer who, in the performance of the peace officer's duties as authorized by law, becomes aware of a person whose license is under an order of suspension, or whose certificate of registration and license plates are under an order of impoundment, pursuant to this section, may confiscate the license, certificate of registration, and license plates, and return them to the registrar.
(b) Any peace officer who, in the performance of the peace officer's duties as authorized by law, becomes aware of a person whose license is under an order of suspension, or whose certificate of registration and license plates are under an order of impoundment resulting from failure to respond to a financial responsibility random verification, shall not, for that reason, arrest the owner or operator or seize the vehicle or license plates. Instead, the peace officer shall issue a citation for a violation of division (B)(1) of section 4507.02 of the Revised Code specifying the circumstances as failure to respond to a financial responsibility random verification.
(2) A peace officer shall request the owner or operator of a motor vehicle to produce proof of financial responsibility in a manner described in division (G) of this section at the time the peace officer acts to enforce the traffic laws of this state and during motor vehicle inspections conducted pursuant to section 4513.02 of the Revised Code.
(3) A peace officer shall indicate on every traffic ticket whether the person receiving the traffic ticket produced proof of the maintenance of financial responsibility in response to the officer's request under division (D)(2) of this section. The peace officer shall inform every person who receives a traffic ticket and who has failed to produce proof of the maintenance of financial responsibility that the person must submit proof to the traffic violations bureau with any payment of a fine and costs for the ticketed violation or, if the person is to appear in court for the violation, the person must submit proof to the court.
(4)(a) If a person who has failed to produce proof of the maintenance of financial responsibility appears in court for a ticketed violation, the court may permit the defendant to present evidence of proof of financial responsibility to the court at such time and in such manner as the court determines to be necessary or appropriate. The In a manner prescribed by the registrar, the clerk of courts shall provide the registrar with the identity of any person who fails to submit proof of the maintenance of financial responsibility pursuant to division (D)(3) of this section.
(b) If a person who has failed to produce proof of the maintenance of financial responsibility also fails to submit that proof to the traffic violations bureau with payment of a fine and costs for the ticketed violation, the traffic violations bureau, in a manner prescribed by the registrar, shall notify the registrar of the identity of that person.
(5)(a) Upon receiving notice from a clerk of courts or traffic violations bureau pursuant to division (D)(4) of this section, the registrar shall order the suspension of the license of the person required under division (A)(2)(a) of this section and the impoundment of the person's certificate of registration and license plates required under division (A)(2)(b) of this section, effective thirty days after the date of the mailing of notification. The registrar also shall notify the person that the person must present the registrar with proof of financial responsibility in accordance with this section, surrender to the registrar the person's certificate of registration, license plates, and license, or submit a statement subject to section 2921.13 of the Revised Code that the person did not operate or permit the operation of the motor vehicle at the time of the offense. Notification shall be in writing and shall be sent to the person at the person's last known address as shown on the records of the bureau of motor vehicles. The person, within fifteen days after the date of the mailing of notification, shall present proof of financial responsibility, surrender the certificate of registration, license plates, and license to the registrar in a manner set forth in division (A)(4) of this section, or submit the statement required under this section together with other information the person considers appropriate.
If the registrar does not receive proof or the person does not surrender the certificate of registration, license plates, and license, in accordance with this division, the registrar shall permit the order for the suspension of the license of the person and the impoundment of the person's certificate of registration and license plates to take effect.
(b) In the case of a person who presents, within the fifteen-day period, documents to show proof of financial responsibility, the registrar shall terminate the order of suspension and the impoundment of the registration and license plates required under division (A)(2)(b) of this section and shall send written notification to the person, at the person's last known address as shown on the records of the bureau.
(c) Any person adversely affected by the order of the registrar under division (D)(5)(a) or (b) of this section, within ten days after the issuance of the order, may request an administrative hearing before the registrar, who shall provide the person with an opportunity for a hearing in accordance with this paragraph. A request for a hearing does not operate as a suspension of the order. The scope of the hearing shall be limited to whether, at the time of the hearing, the person in fact demonstrated to the registrar presents proof of financial responsibility covering the vehicle and whether the person is eligible for an exemption in accordance with this section or any rule adopted under it. The registrar shall determine the date, time, and place of any hearing; provided, that the hearing shall be held, and an order issued or findings made, within thirty days after the registrar receives a request for a hearing. If requested by the person in writing, the registrar may designate as the place of hearing the county seat of the county in which the person resides or a place within fifty miles of the person's residence. Such person shall pay the cost of the hearing before the registrar, if the registrar's order of suspension or impoundment under division (D)(5)(a) or (b) of this section is upheld.
(6) A peace officer may charge an owner or operator of a motor vehicle with a violation of division (B)(1) of section 4507.02 of the Revised Code when the owner or operator fails to show proof of the maintenance of financial responsibility pursuant to a peace officer's request under division (D)(2) of this section, if a check of the owner or operator's driving record indicates that the owner or operator, at the time of the operation of the motor vehicle, is required to file and maintain proof of financial responsibility under section 4509.45 of the Revised Code for a previous violation of this chapter.
(7) Any forms used by law enforcement agencies in administering this section shall be prescribed, supplied, and paid for by the registrar.
(8) No peace officer, law enforcement agency employing a peace officer, or political subdivision or governmental agency that employs a peace officer shall be liable in a civil action for damages or loss to persons arising out of the performance of any duty required or authorized by this section.
(9) As used in this division and divisions (E) and (G) of this section, "peace officer" has the meaning set forth in section 2935.01 of the Revised Code.
(E) All fees, except court costs, collected under this section shall be paid into the state treasury to the credit of the financial responsibility compliance fund. The financial responsibility compliance fund shall be used exclusively to cover costs incurred by the bureau in the administration of this section and sections 4503.20, 4507.212, and 4509.81 of the Revised Code, and by any law enforcement agency employing any peace officer who returns any license, certificate of registration, and license plates to the registrar pursuant to division (C) of this section, except that the director of budget and management may transfer excess money from the financial responsibility compliance fund to the state bureau of motor vehicles fund if the registrar determines that the amount of money in the financial responsibility compliance fund exceeds the amount required to cover such costs incurred by the bureau or a law enforcement agency and requests the director to make the transfer.
All investment earnings of the financial responsibility compliance fund shall be credited to the fund.
(F) Chapter 119. of the Revised Code applies to this section only to the extent that any provision in that chapter is not clearly inconsistent with this section.
(G)(1) The registrar, court, traffic violations bureau, or peace officer may require proof of financial responsibility to be demonstrated by use of a standard form prescribed by the registrar. If the use of a standard form is not required, a person may demonstrate proof of financial responsibility under this section by presenting to the traffic violations bureau, court, registrar, or peace officer any of the following documents or a copy of the documents:
(a) A financial responsibility identification card as provided in section 4509.104 4509.103 of the Revised Code;
(b) A certificate of proof of financial responsibility on a form provided and approved by the registrar for the filing of an accident report required to be filed under section 4509.06 of the Revised Code;
(c) A policy of liability insurance, a declaration page of a policy of liability insurance, or liability bond, if the policy or bond complies with section 4509.20 or sections 4509.49 to 4509.61 of the Revised Code;
(d) A bond or certification of the issuance of a bond as provided in section 4509.59 of the Revised Code;
(e) A certificate of deposit of money or securities as provided in section 4509.62 of the Revised Code;
(f) A certificate of self-insurance as provided in section 4509.72 of the Revised Code.
(2) If a person fails to demonstrate proof of financial responsibility in a manner described in division (G)(1) of this section, the person may demonstrate proof of financial responsibility under this section by any other method that the court or the bureau, by reason of circumstances in a particular case, may consider appropriate.
(3) A motor carrier certificated by the interstate commerce commission or by the public utilities commission may demonstrate proof of financial responsibility by providing a statement designating the motor carrier's operating authority and averring that the insurance coverage required by the certificating authority is in full force and effect.
(4)(a) A finding by the registrar or court that a person is covered by proof of financial responsibility in the form of an insurance policy or surety bond is not binding upon the named insurer or surety or any of its officers, employees, agents, or representatives and has no legal effect except for the purpose of administering this section.
(b) The preparation and delivery of a financial responsibility identification card or any other document authorized to be used as proof of financial responsibility under this division does not do any of the following:
(i) Create any liability or estoppel against an insurer or surety, or any of its officers, employees, agents, or representatives;
(ii) Constitute an admission of the existence of, or of any liability or coverage under, any policy or bond;
(iii) Waive any defenses or counterclaims available to an insurer, surety, agent, employee, or representative in an action commenced by an insured or third-party claimant upon a cause of action alleged to have arisen under an insurance policy or surety bond or by reason of the preparation and delivery of a document for use as proof of financial responsibility.
(c) Whenever it is determined by a final judgment in a judicial proceeding that an insurer or surety, which has been named on a document accepted by a court or the registrar as proof of financial responsibility covering the operation of a motor vehicle at the time of an accident or offense, is not liable to pay a judgment for injuries or damages resulting from such operation, the registrar, notwithstanding any previous contrary finding, shall forthwith suspend the operating privileges and registration rights of the person against whom the judgment was rendered as provided in division (A)(2) of this section.
(H) In order for any document described in division (G)(1)(b) of this section to be used for the demonstration of proof of financial responsibility under this section, the document shall state the name of the insured or obligor, the name of the insurer or surety company, and the effective and expiration dates of the financial responsibility, and designate by explicit description or by appropriate reference all motor vehicles covered which may include a reference to fleet insurance coverage.
(I) For purposes of this section, "owner" does not include a licensed motor vehicle leasing dealer as defined in section 4517.01 of the Revised Code, but does include a motor vehicle renting dealer as defined in section 4549.65 of the Revised Code. Nothing in this section or in section 4509.51 of the Revised Code shall be construed to prohibit a motor vehicle renting dealer from entering into a contractual agreement with a person whereby the person renting the motor vehicle agrees to be solely responsible for maintaining proof of financial responsibility, in accordance with this section, with respect to the operation, maintenance, or use of the motor vehicle during the period of the motor vehicle's rental.
(J) The purpose of this section is to require the maintenance of proof of financial responsibility with respect to the operation of motor vehicles on the highways of this state, so as to minimize those situations in which persons are not compensated for injuries and damages sustained in motor vehicle accidents. The general assembly finds that this section contains reasonable civil penalties and procedures for achieving this purpose.
(K) Nothing in this section shall be construed to be subject to section 4509.78 of the Revised Code.
(L) The registrar shall adopt rules in accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code that are necessary to administer and enforce this section. The rules shall include procedures for the surrender of license plates upon failure to maintain proof of financial responsibility and provisions relating to reinstatement of registration rights, acceptable forms of proof of financial responsibility, and verification of the existence of financial responsibility during the period of registration.
Sec. 4509.79.  (A) As used in this section, "ridesharing arrangement" means the transportation of persons in a motor vehicle where such transportation is incidental to another purpose of a volunteer driver and includes ridesharing arrangements known as carpools, vanpools, and buspools.
(B) Every owner registering as a passenger car a motor vehicle designed and used for carrying more than nine but not more than fifteen passengers or registering a bus under division (H)(8)(G) of section 4503.04 of the Revised Code shall have in effect, whenever the motor vehicle is used in a ridesharing arrangement, a policy of liability insurance with respect to the motor vehicle in amounts and coverage no less than:
(1) One hundred thousand dollars because of bodily injury to or death of one person in any one accident;
(2) Three hundred thousand dollars because of bodily injury to or death of two or more persons in any one accident;
(3) Fifty thousand dollars because of injury to property of others in any one accident.
Sec. 4510.036.  (A) The bureau of motor vehicles shall record within ten days, after receipt, and shall keep at its main office, all abstracts received under this section or section 4510.03, 4510.031, 4510.032, or 4510.034 of the Revised Code and shall maintain records of convictions and bond forfeitures for any violation of a state law or a municipal ordinance regulating the operation of vehicles, streetcars, and trackless trolleys on highways and streets, except a violation related to parking a motor vehicle.
(B) Every court of record or mayor's court before which a person is charged with a violation for which points are chargeable by this section shall assess and transcribe to the abstract of conviction that is furnished by the bureau to the court the number of points chargeable by this section in the correct space assigned on the reporting form. A United States district court that has jurisdiction within this state and before which a person is charged with a violation for which points are chargeable by this section may assess and transcribe to the abstract of conviction report that is furnished by the bureau the number of points chargeable by this section in the correct space assigned on the reporting form. If the federal court so assesses and transcribes the points chargeable for the offense and furnishes the report to the bureau, the bureau shall record the points in the same manner as those assessed and transcribed by a court of record or mayor's court.
(C) A court shall assess the following points for an offense based on the following formula:
(1) Aggravated vehicular homicide, vehicular homicide, vehicular manslaughter, aggravated vehicular assault, or vehicular assault when the offense involves the operation of a vehicle, streetcar, or trackless trolley on a highway or street .......... 6 points
(2) A violation of section 2921.331 of the Revised Code or any ordinance prohibiting the willful fleeing or eluding of a law enforcement officer .......... 6 points
(3) A violation of section 4549.02 or 4549.021 of the Revised Code or any ordinance requiring the driver of a vehicle to stop and disclose identity at the scene of an accident .......... 6 points
(4) A violation of section 4511.251 of the Revised Code or any ordinance prohibiting street racing .......... 6 points
(5) A violation of section 4510.11, 4510.14, 4510.16, or 4510.21 of the Revised Code or any ordinance prohibiting the operation of a motor vehicle while the driver's or commercial driver's license is under suspension .......... 6 points
(6) A violation of division (A) of section 4511.19 of the Revised Code, any ordinance prohibiting the operation of a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol, a drug of abuse, or a combination of them, or any ordinance substantially equivalent to division (A) of section 4511.19 of the Revised Code prohibiting the operation of a vehicle with a prohibited concentration of alcohol in the whole blood, blood serum or plasma, breath, or urine .......... 6 points
(7) A violation of section 2913.03 of the Revised Code that does not involve an aircraft or motorboat or any ordinance prohibiting the operation of a vehicle without the consent of the owner .......... 6 points
(8) Any offense under the motor vehicle laws of this state that is a felony, or any other felony in the commission of which a motor vehicle was used .......... 6 points
(9) A violation of division (B) of section 4511.19 of the Revised Code or any ordinance substantially equivalent to that division prohibiting the operation of a vehicle with a prohibited concentration of alcohol in the whole blood, blood serum or plasma, breath, or urine .......... 4 points
(10) A violation of section 4511.20 of the Revised Code or any ordinance prohibiting the operation of a motor vehicle in willful or wanton disregard of the safety of persons or property .......... 4 points
(11) A violation of section 4511.194 of the Revised Code or any ordinance prohibiting having physical control of a vehicle while under the influence ................ 4 points
(12) A violation of any law or ordinance pertaining to speed:
(a) Notwithstanding divisions (C)(11)(12)(b) and (c) of this section, when the speed exceeds the lawful speed limit by thirty miles per hour or more .......... 4 points
(b) When the speed exceeds the lawful speed limit of fifty-five miles per hour or more by more than ten miles per hour .......... 2 points
(c) When the speed exceeds the lawful speed limit of less than fifty-five miles per hour by more than five miles per hour .......... 2 points
(d) When the speed does not exceed the amounts set forth in divisions (C)(11)(12)(a), (b), or (c) of this section .......... 0 points
(12)(13) Operating a motor vehicle in violation of a restriction imposed by the registrar .......... 2 points
(13)(14) All other moving violations reported under this section .......... 2 points
(D) Upon receiving notification from the proper court, including a United States district court that has jurisdiction within this state, the bureau shall delete any points entered for a bond forfeiture if the driver is acquitted of the offense for which bond was posted.
(E) If a person is convicted of or forfeits bail for two or more offenses arising out of the same facts and points are chargeable for each of the offenses, points shall be charged for only the conviction or bond forfeiture for which the greater number of points is chargeable, and, if the number of points chargeable for each offense is equal, only one offense shall be recorded, and points shall be charged only for that offense.
Sec.  4510.22.  (A) If a person who has a current valid Ohio driver's, commercial driver's license, or temporary instruction permit is charged with a violation of any provision in sections 4511.01 to 4511.76, 4511.84, 4513.01 to 4513.65, or 4549.01 to 4549.65 of the Revised Code that is classified as a misdemeanor of the first, second, third, or fourth degree or with a violation of any substantially equivalent municipal ordinance and if the person either fails to appear in court at the required time and place to answer the charge or pleads guilty to or is found guilty of the violation and fails within the time allowed by the court to pay the fine imposed by the court, the court shall declare the suspension forfeiture of the person's license. Thirty days after the declaration of forfeiture, the court shall inform the registrar of motor vehicles of the declaration forfeiture by entering information relative to the declaration of forfeiture on a form approved and furnished by the registrar and sending the form to the registrar. The court also shall forward the person's license, if it is in the possession of the court, to the registrar.
The registrar shall impose a class F suspension of the person's driver's or commercial driver's license, or temporary instruction permit for the period of time specified in division (B)(6) of section 4510.02 of the Revised Code on any person who is named in a declaration received by the registrar under this section. The registrar shall send written notification of the suspension to the person at the person's last known address and, if the person is in possession of the license, order the person to surrender the person's license or permit to the registrar within forty-eight hours.
No valid driver's or commercial driver's license shall be granted to the person after the suspension, unless the court having jurisdiction of the offense that led to the suspension orders that the suspension forfeiture be terminated. The court shall order the termination of the suspension forfeiture if the person thereafter appears to answer the charge and pays any fine imposed by the court or pays the fine originally imposed by the court. The court shall inform the registrar of the termination of the suspension forfeiture by entering information relative to the termination on a form approved and furnished by the registrar and sending the form to the registrar. The person shall pay to the bureau of motor vehicles a fifteen-dollar processing reinstatement fee to cover the costs of the bureau in administering this section. The registrar shall deposit the fee into the state bureau of motor vehicles fund created by section 4501.25 of the Revised Code.
(B) In addition to suspending the driver's or commercial driver's license or permit of the person named in a declaration of suspension forfeiture, the registrar, upon receipt from the court of the copy of the declaration of suspension forfeiture, shall take any measures that may be necessary to ensure that neither the registrar nor any deputy registrar accepts any application for the registration or transfer of registration of any motor vehicle owned or leased by the person named in the declaration of forfeiture. However, for a motor vehicle leased by a person named in a declaration of forfeiture, the registrar shall not implement the preceding sentence until the registrar adopts procedures for that implementation under section 4503.39 of the Revised Code. The period of denial of registration or transfer shall continue until such time as the court having jurisdiction of the offense that led to the suspension orders the suspension to forfeiture be terminated. Upon receipt by the registrar of an order terminating the suspension forfeiture, the registrar also shall take any measures that may be necessary to permit the person to register a motor vehicle owned or leased by the person or to transfer the registration of such a motor vehicle, if the person later makes application to take such action and otherwise is eligible to register the motor vehicle or to transfer its registration.
The registrar shall not be required to give effect to any declaration of suspension forfeiture or order terminating a suspension forfeiture provided by a court under this section unless the information contained in the declaration or order is transmitted to the registrar by means of an electronic transfer system. The registrar shall not restore the person's driving or vehicle registration privileges until the person pays the reinstatement fee as provided in this section.
The period of denial relating to the issuance or transfer of a certificate of registration for a motor vehicle imposed pursuant to this division remains in effect until the person pays any fine imposed by the court relative to the offense.
Sec.  4510.31.  (A)(1) Except as provided in division (C) of this section, the registrar of motor vehicles shall suspend the probationary driver's license, restricted license, or temporary instruction permit issued to any person when the person has been convicted of, pleaded guilty to, or been adjudicated in juvenile court of having committed, prior to the person's eighteenth birthday, any of the following:
(a) Three separate violations of section 2903.06, 2903.08, 2921.331, 4511.12, 4511.13, 4511.15, 4511.191, 4511.20, 4511.201, 4511.202, 4511.21, 4511.22, 4511.23, 4511.25 to 4511.48, 4511.57 to 4511.65, 4511.75, 4549.02, 4549.021, or 4549.03 of the Revised Code, section 4510.14 of the Revised Code involving a suspension imposed under section 4511.191 or 4511.196 of the Revised Code, section 2903.04 of the Revised Code in a case in which the person would have been subject to the sanctions described in division (D) of that section had the person been convicted of the violation of that section, former section 2903.07 of the Revised Code, or any municipal ordinances similarly relating to the offenses referred to in those sections;
(b) One violation of section 4511.19 of the Revised Code or a substantially similar municipal ordinance;
(c) Two separate violations of any of the Revised Code sections referred to in division (A)(1)(a) of this section, or any municipal ordinance that is substantially similar to any of those sections.
(2) Any person whose license or permit is suspended under division (A)(1)(a), (b), or (c) of this section shall mail or deliver the person's probationary driver's license, restricted license, or temporary instruction permit to the registrar within fourteen days of notification of the suspension. The registrar shall retain the license or permit during the period of the suspension. A suspension pursuant to division (A)(1)(a) of this section shall be a class C suspension, a suspension pursuant to division (A)(1)(b) of this section shall be a class D suspension, and a suspension pursuant to division (A)(1)(c) of this section shall be a class E suspension, all for the periods of time specified in division (B) of section 4510.02 of the Revised Code. If the person's probationary driver's license, restricted license, or temporary instruction permit is under suspension on the date the court imposes sentence upon the person for a violation described in division (A)(1)(b) of this section, the suspension shall take effect on the next day immediately following the end of that period of suspension. If the person is sixteen years of age or older and pleads guilty to or is convicted of a violation described in division (A)(1)(b) of this section and the person does not have a current, valid probationary driver's license, restricted license, or temporary instruction permit, the registrar shall deny the issuance to the person of a probationary driver's license, restricted license, driver's license, commercial driver's license, or temporary instruction permit, as the case may be, for six months beginning on the date the court imposes sentence upon the person for the violation. If the person has not attained the age of sixteen years on the date the court imposes sentence upon the person for the violation, the period of denial shall commence on the date the person attains the age of sixteen years.
(3) The registrar shall suspend the person's license or permit under division (A) of this section regardless of whether the disposition of the case in juvenile court occurred after the person's eighteenth birthday.
(B) The registrar also shall impose a class D suspension for the period of time specified in division (B)(4) of section 4510.02 of the Revised Code of the temporary instruction permit or probationary driver's license of any person under the age of eighteen who has been adjudicated an unruly child, delinquent child, or juvenile traffic offender for having committed any act that if committed by an adult would be a drug abuse offense or a violation of division (B) of section 2917.11 of the Revised Code. The registrar, in the registrar's discretion, may terminate the suspension if the child, at the discretion of the court, attends and satisfactorily completes a drug abuse or alcohol abuse education, intervention, or treatment program specified by the court. Any person whose temporary instruction permit or probationary driver's license is suspended under this division shall mail or deliver the person's permit or license to the registrar within fourteen days of notification of the suspension. The registrar shall retain the permit or license during the period of the suspension.
(C)(1) Except as provided in division (C)(3) of this section, for any person who is convicted of, pleads guilty to, or is adjudicated in juvenile court of having committed a second or third violation of section 4511.12, 4511.13, 4511.15, 4511.20 to 4511.23, 4511.25, 4511.26 to 4511.48, 4511.57 to 4511.65, or 4511.75 of the Revised Code or any similar municipal ordinances and whose license or permit is suspended under division (A)(1)(a) or (c) of this section, the court in which the second or third conviction, finding, plea, or adjudication resulting in the suspension was made, upon petition of the person, may grant the person limited driving privileges during the period during which the suspension otherwise would be imposed under division (A)(1)(a) or (c) of this section if the court finds reasonable cause to believe that the suspension will seriously affect the person's ability to continue in employment, educational training, vocational training, or treatment. In granting the limited driving privileges, the court shall specify the purposes, times, and places of the privileges and may impose any other conditions upon the person's driving a motor vehicle that the court considers reasonable and necessary.
A court that grants limited driving privileges to a person under this division shall retain the person's probationary driver's license, restricted license, or temporary instruction permit during the period the license or permit is suspended and also during the period for which limited driving privileges are granted, and shall deliver to the person a permit card, in a form to be prescribed by the court, setting forth the date on which the limited driving privileges will become effective, the purposes for which the person may drive, the times and places at which the person may drive, and any other conditions imposed upon the person's use of a motor vehicle.
The court immediately shall notify the registrar, in writing, of a grant of limited driving privileges under this division. The notification shall specify the date on which the limited driving privileges will become effective, the purposes for which the person may drive, the times and places at which the person may drive, and any other conditions imposed upon the person's use of a motor vehicle. The registrar shall not suspend the probationary driver's license, restricted license, or temporary instruction permit of any person pursuant to division (A) of this section during any period for which the person has been granted limited driving privileges as provided in this division, if the registrar has received the notification described in this division from the court.
(2) Except as provided in division (C)(3) of this section, in any case in which the temporary instruction permit or probationary driver's license of a person under eighteen years of age has been suspended under division (A) or (B) of this section or any other provision of law, the court may grant the person limited driving privileges for the purpose of the person's practicing of driving with the person's parent, guardian, or other custodian during the period of the suspension. Any grant of limited driving privileges under this division shall comply with division (D) of section 4510.021 of the Revised Code.
(3) A court shall not grant limited driving privileges to a person identified in division (C)(1) or (2) of this section if the person, within the preceding six years, has been convicted of, pleaded guilty to, or adjudicated in juvenile court of having committed three or more violations of one or more of the divisions or sections set forth in divisions (G)(2)(b) to (g) of section 2919.22 of the Revised Code.
(D) If a person who has been granted limited driving privileges under division (C) of this section is convicted of, pleads guilty to, or is adjudicated in juvenile court of having committed, a violation of Chapter 4510. of the Revised Code, or a subsequent violation of any of the sections of the Revised Code listed in division (A)(1)(a) of this section or any similar municipal ordinance during the period for which the person was granted limited driving privileges, the court that granted the limited driving privileges shall suspend the person's permit card. The court or the clerk of the court immediately shall forward the person's probationary driver's license, restricted license, or temporary instruction permit together with written notification of the court's action to the registrar. Upon receipt of the license or permit and notification, the registrar shall impose a class C suspension of the person's probationary driver's license, restricted license, or temporary instruction permit for the period of time specified in division (B)(3) of section 4510.02 of the Revised Code. The registrar shall retain the license or permit during the period of suspension, and no further limited driving privileges shall be granted during that period.
(E) No application for a driver's or commercial driver's license shall be received from any person whose probationary driver's license, restricted license, or temporary instruction permit has been suspended under this section until each of the following has occurred:
(1) The suspension period has expired;
(2) A temporary instruction permit or commercial driver's license temporary instruction permit has been issued;
(3) The person successfully completes a juvenile driver improvement program approved by the registrar under section 4510.311 of the Revised Code;
(4) The applicant has submitted to the examination for a driver's license as provided for in section 4507.11 or a commercial driver's license as provided in Chapter 4506. of the Revised Code.
Sec. 4510.43.  (A)(1) The director of public safety, upon consultation with the director of health and in accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code, shall certify immobilizing and disabling devices and shall publish and make available to the courts, without charge, a list of approved devices together with information about the manufacturers of the devices and where they may be obtained. The manufacturer of an immobilizing or disabling device shall pay the cost of obtaining the certification of the device to the director of public safety, and the director shall deposit the payment in the drivers' treatment and intervention fund established by sections 4511.19 and 4511.191 of the Revised Code.
(2) The director of public safety, in accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code, shall adopt and publish rules setting forth the requirements for obtaining the certification of an immobilizing or disabling device. The director of public safety shall not certify an immobilizing or disabling device under this section unless it meets the requirements specified and published by the director in the rules adopted pursuant to this division. A certified device may consist of an ignition interlock device, an ignition blocking device initiated by time or magnetic or electronic encoding, an activity monitor, or any other device that reasonably assures compliance with an order granting limited driving privileges.
The requirements for an immobilizing or disabling device that is an ignition interlock device shall include provisions for setting a minimum and maximum calibration range and shall include, but shall not be limited to, specifications that the device complies with all of the following:
(a) It does not impede the safe operation of the vehicle.
(b) It has features that make circumvention difficult and that do not interfere with the normal use of the vehicle.
(c) It correlates well with established measures of alcohol impairment.
(d) It works accurately and reliably in an unsupervised environment.
(e) It is resistant to tampering and shows evidence of tampering if tampering is attempted.
(f) It is difficult to circumvent and requires premeditation to do so.
(g) It minimizes inconvenience to a sober user.
(h) It requires a proper, deep-lung breath sample or other accurate measure of the concentration by weight of alcohol in the breath.
(i) It operates reliably over the range of automobile environments.
(j) It is made by a manufacturer who is covered by product liability insurance.
(3) The director of public safety may adopt, in whole or in part, the guidelines, rules, regulations, studies, or independent laboratory tests performed and relied upon by other states, or their agencies or commissions, in the certification or approval of immobilizing or disabling devices.
(4) The director of public safety shall adopt rules in accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code for the design of a warning label that shall be affixed to each immobilizing or disabling device upon installation. The label shall contain a warning that any person tampering, circumventing, or otherwise misusing the device is subject to a fine, imprisonment, or both and may be subject to civil liability.
(B) A court considering the use of a prototype device in a pilot program shall advise the director of public safety, thirty days before the use, of the prototype device and its protocol, methodology, manufacturer, and licensor, lessor, other agent, or owner, and the length of the court's pilot program. A prototype device shall not be used for a violation of section 4510.14 or 4511.19 of the Revised Code, a violation of a municipal OVI ordinance, or in relation to a suspension imposed under section 4511.191 of the Revised Code. A court that uses a prototype device in a pilot program, periodically during the existence of the program and within fourteen days after termination of the program, shall report in writing to the director of public safety regarding the effectiveness of the prototype device and the program.
(C) If a person has been granted limited driving privileges with a condition of the privileges being that the motor vehicle that is operated under the privileges must be equipped with an immobilizing or disabling device, all of the following apply:
(1) If the person may operate a motor vehicle to be driven under the limited driving privileges that is owned by the person's employer and only if the person is required to operate that motor vehicle in the course and scope of the offender's employment, the. Such a person may operate that vehicle without the installation of an immobilizing or disabling device, provided that the employer has been notified that the person has limited driving privileges and of the nature of the restriction and further provided that the person has proof of the employer's notification in the person's possession while operating the employer's vehicle for normal business duties. A motor vehicle owned by a business that is partly or entirely owned or controlled by a person with limited driving privileges is not a motor vehicle owned by an employer, for purposes of this division.
(2) If the motor vehicle to be driven under the limited driving privileges is registered in a state other than this state, instead of installing on that vehicle an immobilizing or disabling device, the person with the limited driving privileges shall display on the vehicle a decal, as prescribed by the registrar of motor vehicles, that states that the vehicle is subject to limited driving privileges in this state and that describes the restriction. The decal shall be displayed on the bottom left corner of the back window of the vehicle or, if there is no back window, on the bottom left corner of the windshield of the vehicle.
Sec. 4511.01.  As used in this chapter and in Chapter 4513. of the Revised Code:
(A) "Vehicle" means every device, including a motorized bicycle, in, upon, or by which any person or property may be transported or drawn upon a highway, except motorized wheelchairs, electric personal assistive mobility devices, devices moved by power collected from overhead electric trolley wires, or used exclusively upon stationary rails or tracks, and devices other than bicycles moved by human power.
(B) "Motor vehicle" means every vehicle propelled or drawn by power other than muscular power or power collected from overhead electric trolley wires, except motorized bicycles, road rollers, traction engines, power shovels, power cranes, and other equipment used in construction work and not designed for or employed in general highway transportation, hole-digging machinery, well-drilling machinery, ditch-digging machinery, farm machinery, trailers used to transport agricultural produce or agricultural production materials between a local place of storage or supply and the farm when drawn or towed on a street or highway at a speed of twenty-five miles per hour or less, threshing machinery, hay-baling machinery, agricultural tractors and machinery used in the production of horticultural, floricultural, agricultural, and vegetable products, and trailers designed and used exclusively to transport a boat between a place of storage and a marina, or in and around a marina, when drawn or towed on a street or highway for a distance of no more than ten miles and at a speed of twenty-five miles per hour or less.
(C) "Motorcycle" means every motor vehicle, other than a tractor, having a saddle for the use of the operator and designed to travel on not more than three wheels in contact with the ground, including, but not limited to, motor vehicles known as "motor-driven cycle," "motor scooter," or "motorcycle" without regard to weight or brake horsepower.
(D) "Emergency vehicle" means emergency vehicles of municipal, township, or county departments or public utility corporations when identified as such as required by law, the director of public safety, or local authorities, and motor vehicles when commandeered by a police officer.
(E) "Public safety vehicle" means any of the following:
(1) Ambulances, including private ambulance companies under contract to a municipal corporation, township, or county, and private ambulances and nontransport vehicles bearing license plates issued under section 4503.49 of the Revised Code;
(2) Motor vehicles used by public law enforcement officers or other persons sworn to enforce the criminal and traffic laws of the state;
(3) Any motor vehicle when properly identified as required by the director of public safety, when used in response to fire emergency calls or to provide emergency medical service to ill or injured persons, and when operated by a duly qualified person who is a member of a volunteer rescue service or a volunteer fire department, and who is on duty pursuant to the rules or directives of that service. The state fire marshal shall be designated by the director of public safety as the certifying agency for all public safety vehicles described in division (E)(3) of this section.
(4) Vehicles used by fire departments, including motor vehicles when used by volunteer fire fighters responding to emergency calls in the fire department service when identified as required by the director of public safety.
Any vehicle used to transport or provide emergency medical service to an ill or injured person, when certified as a public safety vehicle, shall be considered a public safety vehicle when transporting an ill or injured person to a hospital regardless of whether such vehicle has already passed a hospital.
(5) Vehicles used by the commercial motor vehicle safety carrier enforcement unit for the enforcement of orders and rules of the public utilities commission as specified in section 5503.34 of the Revised Code.
(F) "School bus" means every bus designed for carrying more than nine passengers that is owned by a public, private, or governmental agency or institution of learning and operated for the transportation of children to or from a school session or a school function, or owned by a private person and operated for compensation for the transportation of children to or from a school session or a school function, provided "school bus" does not include a bus operated by a municipally owned transportation system, a mass transit company operating exclusively within the territorial limits of a municipal corporation, or within such limits and the territorial limits of municipal corporations immediately contiguous to such municipal corporation, nor a common passenger carrier certified by the public utilities commission unless such bus is devoted exclusively to the transportation of children to and from a school session or a school function, and "school bus" does not include a van or bus used by a licensed child day-care center or type A family day-care home to transport children from the child day-care center or type A family day-care home to a school if the van or bus does not have more than fifteen children in the van or bus at any time.
(G) "Bicycle" means every device, other than a tricycle designed solely for use as a play vehicle by a child, propelled solely by human power upon which any person may ride having either two tandem wheels, or one wheel in the front and two wheels in the rear, any of which is more than fourteen inches in diameter.
(H) "Motorized bicycle" means any vehicle having either two tandem wheels or one wheel in the front and two wheels in the rear, that is capable of being pedaled and is equipped with a helper motor of not more than fifty cubic centimeters piston displacement that produces no more than one brake horsepower and is capable of propelling the vehicle at a speed of no greater than twenty miles per hour on a level surface.
(I) "Commercial tractor" means every motor vehicle having motive power designed or used for drawing other vehicles and not so constructed as to carry any load thereon, or designed or used for drawing other vehicles while carrying a portion of such other vehicles, or load thereon, or both.
(J) "Agricultural tractor" means every self-propelling vehicle designed or used for drawing other vehicles or wheeled machinery but having no provision for carrying loads independently of such other vehicles, and used principally for agricultural purposes.
(K) "Truck" means every motor vehicle, except trailers and semitrailers, designed and used to carry property.
(L) "Bus" means every motor vehicle designed for carrying more than nine passengers and used for the transportation of persons other than in a ridesharing arrangement, and every motor vehicle, automobile for hire, or funeral car, other than a taxicab or motor vehicle used in a ridesharing arrangement, designed and used for the transportation of persons for compensation.
(M) "Trailer" means every vehicle designed or used for carrying persons or property wholly on its own structure and for being drawn by a motor vehicle, including any such vehicle when formed by or operated as a combination of a "semitrailer" and a vehicle of the dolly type, such as that commonly known as a "trailer dolly," a vehicle used to transport agricultural produce or agricultural production materials between a local place of storage or supply and the farm when drawn or towed on a street or highway at a speed greater than twenty-five miles per hour, and a vehicle designed and used exclusively to transport a boat between a place of storage and a marina, or in and around a marina, when drawn or towed on a street or highway for a distance of more than ten miles or at a speed of more than twenty-five miles per hour.
(N) "Semitrailer" means every vehicle designed or used for carrying persons or property with another and separate motor vehicle so that in operation a part of its own weight or that of its load, or both, rests upon and is carried by another vehicle.
(O) "Pole trailer" means every trailer or semitrailer attached to the towing vehicle by means of a reach, pole, or by being boomed or otherwise secured to the towing vehicle, and ordinarily used for transporting long or irregular shaped loads such as poles, pipes, or structural members capable, generally, of sustaining themselves as beams between the supporting connections.
(P) "Railroad" means a carrier of persons or property operating upon rails placed principally on a private right-of-way.
(Q) "Railroad train" means a steam engine or an electric or other motor, with or without cars coupled thereto, operated by a railroad.
(R) "Streetcar" means a car, other than a railroad train, for transporting persons or property, operated upon rails principally within a street or highway.
(S) "Trackless trolley" means every car that collects its power from overhead electric trolley wires and that is not operated upon rails or tracks.
(T) "Explosives" means any chemical compound or mechanical mixture that is intended for the purpose of producing an explosion that contains any oxidizing and combustible units or other ingredients in such proportions, quantities, or packing that an ignition by fire, by friction, by concussion, by percussion, or by a detonator of any part of the compound or mixture may cause such a sudden generation of highly heated gases that the resultant gaseous pressures are capable of producing destructive effects on contiguous objects, or of destroying life or limb. Manufactured articles shall not be held to be explosives when the individual units contain explosives in such limited quantities, of such nature, or in such packing, that it is impossible to procure a simultaneous or a destructive explosion of such units, to the injury of life, limb, or property by fire, by friction, by concussion, by percussion, or by a detonator, such as fixed ammunition for small arms, firecrackers, or safety fuse matches.
(U) "Flammable liquid" means any liquid that has a flash point of seventy degrees Fahrenheit, or less, as determined by a tagliabue or equivalent closed cup test device.
(V) "Gross weight" means the weight of a vehicle plus the weight of any load thereon.
(W) "Person" means every natural person, firm, co-partnership, association, or corporation.
(X) "Pedestrian" means any natural person afoot.
(Y) "Driver or operator" means every person who drives or is in actual physical control of a vehicle, trackless trolley, or streetcar.
(Z) "Police officer" means every officer authorized to direct or regulate traffic, or to make arrests for violations of traffic regulations.
(AA) "Local authorities" means every county, municipal, and other local board or body having authority to adopt police regulations under the constitution and laws of this state.
(BB) "Street" or "highway" means the entire width between the boundary lines of every way open to the use of the public as a thoroughfare for purposes of vehicular travel.
(CC) "Controlled-access highway" means every street or highway in respect to which owners or occupants of abutting lands and other persons have no legal right of access to or from the same except at such points only and in such manner as may be determined by the public authority having jurisdiction over such street or highway.
(DD) "Private road or driveway" means every way or place in private ownership used for vehicular travel by the owner and those having express or implied permission from the owner but not by other persons.
(EE) "Roadway" means that portion of a highway improved, designed, or ordinarily used for vehicular travel, except the berm or shoulder. If a highway includes two or more separate roadways the term "roadway" means any such roadway separately but not all such roadways collectively.
(FF) "Sidewalk" means that portion of a street between the curb lines, or the lateral lines of a roadway, and the adjacent property lines, intended for the use of pedestrians.
(GG) "Laned highway" means a highway the roadway of which is divided into two or more clearly marked lanes for vehicular traffic.
(HH) "Through highway" means every street or highway as provided in section 4511.65 of the Revised Code.
(II) "State highway" means a highway under the jurisdiction of the department of transportation, outside the limits of municipal corporations, provided that the authority conferred upon the director of transportation in section 5511.01 of the Revised Code to erect state highway route markers and signs directing traffic shall not be modified by sections 4511.01 to 4511.79 and 4511.99 of the Revised Code.
(JJ) "State route" means every highway that is designated with an official state route number and so marked.
(KK) "Intersection" means:
(1) The area embraced within the prolongation or connection of the lateral curb lines, or, if none, then the lateral boundary lines of the roadways of two highways which join one another at, or approximately at, right angles, or the area within which vehicles traveling upon different highways joining at any other angle may come in conflict.
(2) Where a highway includes two roadways thirty feet or more apart, then every crossing of each roadway of such divided highway by an intersecting highway shall be regarded as a separate intersection. If an intersecting highway also includes two roadways thirty feet or more apart, then every crossing of two roadways of such highways shall be regarded as a separate intersection.
(3) The junction of an alley with a street or highway, or with another alley, shall not constitute an intersection.
(LL) "Crosswalk" means:
(1) That part of a roadway at intersections ordinarily included within the real or projected prolongation of property lines and curb lines or, in the absence of curbs, the edges of the traversable roadway;
(2) Any portion of a roadway at an intersection or elsewhere, distinctly indicated for pedestrian crossing by lines or other markings on the surface;
(3) Notwithstanding divisions (LL)(1) and (2) of this section, there shall not be a crosswalk where local authorities have placed signs indicating no crossing.
(MM) "Safety zone" means the area or space officially set apart within a roadway for the exclusive use of pedestrians and protected or marked or indicated by adequate signs as to be plainly visible at all times.
(NN) "Business district" means the territory fronting upon a street or highway, including the street or highway, between successive intersections within municipal corporations where fifty per cent or more of the frontage between such successive intersections is occupied by buildings in use for business, or within or outside municipal corporations where fifty per cent or more of the frontage for a distance of three hundred feet or more is occupied by buildings in use for business, and the character of such territory is indicated by official traffic control devices.
(OO) "Residence district" means the territory, not comprising a business district, fronting on a street or highway, including the street or highway, where, for a distance of three hundred feet or more, the frontage is improved with residences or residences and buildings in use for business.
(PP) "Urban district" means the territory contiguous to and including any street or highway which is built up with structures devoted to business, industry, or dwelling houses situated at intervals of less than one hundred feet for a distance of a quarter of a mile or more, and the character of such territory is indicated by official traffic control devices.
(QQ) "Traffic control devices" means all flaggers, signs, signals, markings, and devices placed or erected by authority of a public body or official having jurisdiction, for the purpose of regulating, warning, or guiding traffic, including signs denoting names of streets and highways.
(RR) "Traffic control signal" means any device, whether manually, electrically, or mechanically operated, by which traffic is alternately directed to stop, to proceed, to change direction, or not to change direction.
(SS) "Railroad sign or signal" means any sign, signal, or device erected by authority of a public body or official or by a railroad and intended to give notice of the presence of railroad tracks or the approach of a railroad train.
(TT) "Traffic" means pedestrians, ridden or herded animals, vehicles, streetcars, trackless trolleys, and other devices, either singly or together, while using any highway for purposes of travel.
(UU) "Right-of-way" means either of the following, as the context requires:
(1) The right of a vehicle, streetcar, trackless trolley, or pedestrian to proceed uninterruptedly in a lawful manner in the direction in which it or the individual is moving in preference to another vehicle, streetcar, trackless trolley, or pedestrian approaching from a different direction into its or the individual's path;
(2) A general term denoting land, property, or the interest therein, usually in the configuration of a strip, acquired for or devoted to transportation purposes. When used in this context, right-of-way includes the roadway, shoulders or berm, ditch, and slopes extending to the right-of-way limits under the control of the state or local authority.
(VV) "Rural mail delivery vehicle" means every vehicle used to deliver United States mail on a rural mail delivery route.
(WW) "Funeral escort vehicle" means any motor vehicle, including a funeral hearse, while used to facilitate the movement of a funeral procession.
(XX) "Alley" means a street or highway intended to provide access to the rear or side of lots or buildings in urban districts and not intended for the purpose of through vehicular traffic, and includes any street or highway that has been declared an "alley" by the legislative authority of the municipal corporation in which such street or highway is located.
(YY) "Freeway" means a divided multi-lane highway for through traffic with all crossroads separated in grade and with full control of access.
(ZZ) "Expressway" means a divided arterial highway for through traffic with full or partial control of access with an excess of fifty per cent of all crossroads separated in grade.
(AAA) "Thruway" means a through highway whose entire roadway is reserved for through traffic and on which roadway parking is prohibited.
(BBB) "Stop intersection" means any intersection at one or more entrances of which stop signs are erected.
(CCC) "Arterial street" means any United States or state numbered route, controlled access highway, or other major radial or circumferential street or highway designated by local authorities within their respective jurisdictions as part of a major arterial system of streets or highways.
(DDD) "Ridesharing arrangement" means the transportation of persons in a motor vehicle where such transportation is incidental to another purpose of a volunteer driver and includes ridesharing arrangements known as carpools, vanpools, and buspools.
(EEE) "Motorized wheelchair" means any self-propelled vehicle designed for, and used by, a handicapped person and that is incapable of a speed in excess of eight miles per hour.
(FFF) "Child day-care center" and "type A family day-care home" have the same meanings as in section 5104.01 of the Revised Code.
(GGG) "Multi-wheel agricultural tractor" means a type of agricultural tractor that has two or more wheels or tires on each side of one axle at the rear of the tractor, is designed or used for drawing other vehicles or wheeled machinery, has no provision for carrying loads independently of the drawn vehicles or machinery, and is used principally for agricultural purposes.
Sec. 4511.121. (A)(1) Except as provided in division (B) of this section, any operator of a commercial motor vehicle, upon approaching a scale location established for the purpose of determining the weight of the vehicle and its load, shall comply with any traffic control device or the order of a peace officer directing the vehicle to proceed to be weighed or otherwise inspected.
(2) Any operator of a commercial motor vehicle, upon bypassing a scale location in accordance with division (B) of this section, shall comply with an order of a peace officer to stop the vehicle to verify the use and operation of an electronic clearance device.
(B) Any operator of a commercial motor vehicle that is equipped with an electronic clearance device authorized by the superintendent of the state highway patrol under section 4549.081 of the Revised Code may bypass a scale location, regardless of the instruction of a traffic control device to enter the scale facility, if either of the following apply:
(1) The in-cab transponder displays a green light or other affirmative visual signal and also sounds an affirmative audible signal;
(2) Any other criterion established by the superintendent by rule is met.
(C) Any peace officer may order the operator of a commercial motor vehicle that bypasses a scale location to stop the vehicle to verify the use and operation of an electronic clearance device.
(D) Whoever violates division (A) of this section is guilty of a minor misdemeanor. If, within one year of the offense, the offender previously has been convicted of or pleaded guilty to a violation of division (A) of this section, whoever violates that division is guilty of a misdemeanor of the fourth degree. If, within one year of the offense, the offender previously has been convicted of or pleaded guilty to two or more violations of division (A) of this section, whoever violates division (A) is guilty of a misdemeanor of the third degree.
(E) As used in this section and in section 4549.081 of the Revised Code, "commercial motor vehicle" means any combination of vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating or an actual gross vehicle weight of more than ten thousand pounds if the vehicle is used in interstate or intrastate commerce to transport property and also means any vehicle that is transporting hazardous materials for which placarding is required pursuant to 49 C.F.R. Parts 100 to 180.
Sec. 4513.61.  The sheriff of a county or chief of police of a municipal corporation, township, or township police district, within the sheriff's or chief's respective territorial jurisdiction, or a state highway patrol trooper, upon notification to the sheriff or chief of police of such action and of the location of the place of storage, may order into storage any motor vehicle, including an abandoned junk motor vehicle as defined in section 4513.63 of the Revised Code, that has come into the possession of the sheriff, chief of police, or state highway patrol trooper as a result of the performance of the sheriff's, chief's, or trooper's duties or that has been left on a public street or other property open to the public for purposes of vehicular travel, or upon or within the right-of-way of any road or highway, for forty-eight hours or longer without notification to the sheriff or chief of police of the reasons for leaving the motor vehicle in such place, except that when such a motor vehicle constitutes an obstruction to traffic it may be ordered into storage immediately. The sheriff or chief of police shall designate the place of storage of any motor vehicle so ordered removed.
The sheriff or chief of police immediately shall cause a search to be made of the records of the bureau of motor vehicles to ascertain the owner and any lienholder of a motor vehicle ordered into storage by the sheriff or chief of police, or by a state highway patrol trooper, and, if known, shall send or cause to be sent notice to the owner or lienholder at the owner's or lienholder's last known address by certified mail with return receipt requested, that the motor vehicle will be declared a nuisance and disposed of if not claimed within ten days of the date of mailing of the notice. The owner or lienholder of the motor vehicle may reclaim it upon payment of any expenses or charges incurred in its removal and storage, and presentation of proof of ownership, which may be evidenced by a certificate of title or memorandum certificate of title to the motor vehicle. If the owner or lienholder of the motor vehicle reclaims it after a search of the records of the bureau has been conducted and after notice has been sent to the owner or lienholder as described in this section, and the search was conducted by the owner of the place of storage or the owner's employee, and the notice was sent to the motor vehicle owner by the owner of the place of storage or the owner's employee, the owner or lienholder shall pay to the place of storage a processing fee of twenty-five dollars, in addition to any expenses or charges incurred in the removal and storage of the vehicle.
If the owner or lienholder makes no claim to the motor vehicle within ten days of the date of mailing of the notice, and if the vehicle is to be disposed of at public auction as provided in section 4513.62 of the Revised Code, the sheriff or chief of police shall file with the clerk of courts of the county in which the place of storage is located an affidavit showing compliance with the requirements of this section. Upon presentation of the affidavit, the clerk, without charge, shall issue a salvage certificate of title, free and clear of all liens and encumbrances, to the sheriff or chief of police. If the vehicle is to be disposed of to a motor vehicle salvage dealer or other facility as provided in section 4513.62 of the Revised Code, the sheriff or chief of police shall execute in triplicate an affidavit, as prescribed by the registrar of motor vehicles, describing the motor vehicle and the manner in which it was disposed of, and that all requirements of this section have been complied with. The sheriff or chief of police shall retain the original of the affidavit for the sheriff's or chief's records, and shall furnish two copies to the motor vehicle salvage dealer or other facility. Upon presentation of a copy of the affidavit by the motor vehicle salvage dealer, the clerk of courts, within thirty days of the presentation, shall issue to such owner a salvage certificate of title, free and clear of all liens and encumbrances.
Whenever a motor vehicle salvage dealer or other facility receives an affidavit for the disposal of a motor vehicle as provided in this section, the dealer or facility shall not be required to obtain an Ohio certificate of title to the motor vehicle in the dealer's or facility's own name if the vehicle is dismantled or destroyed and both copies of the affidavit are delivered to the clerk of courts.
Sec. 4513.63.  "Abandoned junk motor vehicle" means any motor vehicle meeting all of the following requirements:
(A) Left on private property for forty-eight hours or longer without the permission of the person having the right to the possession of the property, on a public street or other property open to the public for purposes of vehicular travel or parking, or upon or within the right-of-way of any road or highway, for forty-eight hours or longer;
(B) Three years old, or older;
(C) Extensively damaged, such damage including but not limited to any of the following: missing wheels, tires, motor, or transmission;
(D) Apparently inoperable;
(E) Having a fair market value of one thousand five hundred dollars or less.
The sheriff of a county or chief of police of a municipal corporation, township, or township police district, within the sheriff's or chief's respective territorial jurisdiction, or a state highway patrol trooper, upon notification to the sheriff or chief of police of such action, shall order any abandoned junk motor vehicle to be photographed by a law enforcement officer. The officer shall record the make of motor vehicle, the serial number when available, and shall also detail the damage or missing equipment to substantiate the value of one thousand five hundred dollars or less. The sheriff or chief of police shall thereupon immediately dispose of the abandoned junk motor vehicle to a motor vehicle salvage dealer as defined in section 4738.01 of the Revised Code or a scrap metal processing facility as defined in section 4737.05 of the Revised Code which is under contract to the county, township, or municipal corporation, or to any other facility owned by or under contract with the county, township, or municipal corporation for the destruction of such motor vehicles. The records and photograph relating to the abandoned junk motor vehicle shall be retained by the law enforcement agency ordering the disposition of such vehicle for a period of at least two years. The law enforcement agency shall execute in quadruplicate an affidavit, as prescribed by the registrar of motor vehicles, describing the motor vehicle and the manner in which it was disposed of, and that all requirements of this section have been complied with, and, within thirty days of disposing of the vehicle, shall sign and file the same affidavit with the clerk of courts of the county in which the motor vehicle was abandoned. The clerk of courts shall retain the original of the affidavit for the clerk's files, shall furnish one copy thereof to the registrar, one copy to the motor vehicle salvage dealer or other facility handling the disposal of the vehicle, and one copy to the law enforcement agency ordering the disposal, who shall file such copy with the records and photograph relating to the disposal. Any moneys arising from the disposal of an abandoned junk motor vehicle shall be deposited in the general fund of the county, township, or the municipal corporation, as the case may be.
Notwithstanding section 4513.61 of the Revised Code, any motor vehicle meeting the requirements of divisions (C), (D), and (E) of this section which has remained unclaimed by the owner or lienholder for a period of ten days or longer following notification as provided in section 4513.61 of the Revised Code may be disposed of as provided in this section.
Sec. 4517.10.  At the time the registrar of motor vehicles grants the application of any person for a license as motor vehicle dealer, motor vehicle leasing dealer, manufactured home broker, distributor, motor vehicle auction owner, or motor vehicle salesperson, the registrar shall issue to the person a license. The registrar shall prescribe different forms for the licenses of motor vehicle dealers, motor vehicle leasing dealers, manufactured home brokers, distributors, motor vehicle auction owners, and motor vehicle salespersons, and all licenses shall include the name and post-office address of the person licensed.
The fee for a dealer's license, a motor vehicle leasing dealer's license, and a manufactured home broker's license shall be twenty-five fifty dollars, and the fee for a salesperson's license shall be five ten dollars. The fee for a motor vehicle auction owner's license shall be fifty one hundred dollars for each location. The fee for a distributor's license shall be fifty one hundred dollars for each distributorship. In all cases, the fee shall accompany the application for license.
The registrar may require each applicant for a license issued under this chapter to pay an additional fee, which shall be used by the registrar to pay the costs of obtaining a record of any arrests and convictions of the applicant from the Ohio bureau of identification and investigation. The amount of the fee shall be equal to that paid by the registrar to obtain such record.
If a dealer, a motor vehicle leasing dealer, or a manufactured home broker, has more than one place of business in the county, the dealer or the broker shall make application, in such form as the registrar prescribes, for a certified copy of the license issued to the dealer or manufactured home broker for each place of business operated. In the event of the loss, mutilation, or destruction of a license issued under sections 4517.01 to 4517.65 of the Revised Code, any licensee may make application to the registrar, in such form as the registrar prescribes, for a duplicate copy thereof. The fee for a certified or duplicate copy of a dealer's, motor vehicle leasing dealer's, manufactured home broker's, distributor's, or auction owner's license, is two dollars, and the fee for a duplicate copy of a salesperson's license is one dollar. All fees for such copies shall accompany the applications.
All Beginning on the effective date of this amendment, all dealers' licenses, motor vehicle leasing dealers' licenses, manufactured home broker's licenses, distributors' licenses, and auction owners' licenses issued or renewed each year shall expire biennially on the last day of March of each two-year cycle and all salespersons' licenses issued or renewed each year shall expire biennially on the last day of June next following the date of their issuance of each two-year cycle, unless sooner suspended or revoked. Each licensed dealer, motor vehicle leasing dealer, manufactured home broker, distributor, and auction owner licensed during any year shall, before the first day of April each in the year thereafter in which the license will expire and each licensed salesperson licensed during any year shall, before the first day of July each in the year thereafter in which the license will expire, file an application, in such form as the registrar prescribes, for the renewal of such license. The fee provided in this section for the original license shall accompany the application.
Any salesperson's license shall be suspended upon the termination, suspension, or revocation of the license of the motor vehicle dealer or manufactured home broker for whom the salesperson is acting, or upon the salesperson leaving the service of the motor vehicle dealer or manufactured home broker; provided that upon the termination, suspension, or revocation of the license of the motor vehicle dealer or manufactured home broker for whom the salesperson is acting, or upon the salesperson leaving the service of a licensed motor vehicle dealer or manufactured home broker, the licensed salesperson, upon entering the service of any other licensed motor vehicle dealer or manufactured home broker, shall make application to the registrar, in such form as the registrar prescribes, to have the salesperson's license reinstated, transferred, and registered as a salesperson for the other dealer or broker. If the information contained in the application is satisfactory to the registrar, the registrar shall have the salesperson's license reinstated, transferred, and registered as a salesperson for the other dealer or broker. The fee for the reinstatement and transfer of license shall be two dollars. No license issued to a dealer, motor vehicle leasing dealer, auction owner, manufactured home broker, or salesperson, under sections 4517.01 to 4517.65 of the Revised Code shall be transferable to any other person.
Each dealer, motor vehicle leasing dealer, manufactured home broker, distributor, and auction owner shall keep the license or a certified copy thereof and, in the case of a dealer or broker, a current list of the dealer's or the broker's licensed salespersons, showing the names, addresses, and serial numbers of their licenses, posted in a conspicuous place in each place of business. Each salesperson shall carry the salesperson's license or a certified copy thereof and shall exhibit such license or copy upon demand to any inspector of the bureau of motor vehicles, state highway patrol trooper, police officer, or person with whom the salesperson seeks to transact business as a motor vehicle salesperson.
If a dealer's, motor vehicle leasing dealer's, manufactured home broker's, distributor's, auction owner's, or salesperson's license, is not granted, the fee shall be returned to the applicant at the time of notification that the application has been refused. The notice of refusal to grant a license shall disclose the reason for refusal.
Sec. 4517.14.  The registrar of motor vehicles shall deny the application of any person for a license as a salesperson and refuse to issue the license if the registrar finds that the applicant:
(A) Has made any false statement of a material fact in the application;
(B) Has not complied with sections 4517.01 to 4517.45 of the Revised Code;
(C) Is of bad business repute or has habitually defaulted on financial obligations;
(D) Has been guilty of a fraudulent act in connection with selling or otherwise dealing in motor vehicles;
(E) Has not been designated to act as salesperson for a motor vehicle dealer or manufactured home broker licensed to do business in this state under section 4517.10 of the Revised Code, or intends to act as salesperson for more than one licensed motor vehicle dealer or manufactured home broker at the same time, except that a licensed salesperson may act as a salesperson at any licensed dealership owned or operated by the same corporation, regardless of the county in which the dealership's facility is located;
(F) Holds a current motor vehicle dealer's or manufactured home broker's license issued under section 4517.10 of the Revised Code, and intends to act as salesperson for another licensed motor vehicle dealer or manufactured home broker;
(G) Has, less than twelve months prior to making application, been denied a salesperson's license or had a salesperson's license revoked.
The registrar may refuse to issue a salesperson's license to an applicant who was salesperson for, or in the employ of, a motor vehicle dealer or manufactured home broker at the time the dealer's or broker's license was revoked. The registrar's finding may be based upon any statement contained in the application or upon any facts within the registrar's knowledge, and, immediately upon refusing to issue a salesperson's license, the registrar shall enter a final order and shall certify the final order together with his findings to the motor vehicle dealers board.
Sec. 4519.03.  (A) The owner of every snowmobile, off-highway motorcycle, and all-purpose vehicle required to be registered under section 4519.02 of the Revised Code shall file an application for registration with the registrar of motor vehicles or a deputy registrar, on blanks furnished by the registrar for that purpose and containing all of the following information:
(1) A brief description of the snowmobile, off-highway motorcycle, or all-purpose vehicle, including the name of the manufacturer, the factory or year, make, model number, and the vehicle identification number;
(2) The name, residence, and business address of the owner;
(3) A statement that the snowmobile, off-highway motorcycle, or all-purpose vehicle is equipped as required by section 4519.20 of the Revised Code and any rule adopted under that section. The statement shall include a check list of the required equipment items in the form the registrar shall prescribe.
The application shall be signed by the owner of the snowmobile, off-highway motorcycle, or all-purpose vehicle and shall be accompanied by a fee as provided in division (C) of section 4519.04 of the Revised Code.
If the application is not in proper form, or if the vehicle for which registration is sought does not appear to be equipped as required by section 4519.20 of the Revised Code or any rule adopted under that section, the registration shall be refused, and no registration sticker shall be issued.
(B) On and after July 1, 1999, no certificate of registration or renewal of a certificate of registration shall be issued for an off-highway motorcycle or all-purpose vehicle required to be registered under section 4519.02 of the Revised Code, and no certificate of registration issued under this chapter for an off-highway motorcycle or all-purpose vehicle that is sold or otherwise transferred shall be transferred to the new owner of the off-highway motorcycle or all-purpose vehicle as permitted by division (B) of section 4519.05 of the Revised Code, unless a certificate of title has been issued under this chapter for the motorcycle or vehicle, and the owner or new owner, as the case may be, presents a physical certificate of title or memorandum certificate of title for inspection at the time the owner or new owner first submits a registration application, registration renewal application, or registration transfer application for the motorcycle or vehicle on or after July 1, 1999, if a physical certificate of title or memorandum certificate has been issued by a clerk of a court of common pleas. If, under sections 4519.512 and 4519.58 of the Revised Code, a clerk instead has issued an electronic certificate of title for the applicant's off-highway motorcycle or all-purpose vehicle, that certificate may be presented for inspection at the time of first registration in a manner prescribed by rules adopted by the registrar.
(C) When the owner of an off-highway motorcycle or all-purpose vehicle first registers it in the owner's name, and a certificate of title has been issued for the motorcycle or vehicle, the owner shall present for inspection a physical certificate of title or memorandum certificate of title showing title to the off-highway motorcycle or all-purpose vehicle in the name of the owner if a physical certificate of title or memorandum certificate has been issued by a clerk of a court of common pleas. If, under sections 4519.512 and 4519.58 of the Revised Code, a clerk instead has issued an electronic certificate of title for the applicant's off-highway motorcycle or all-purpose vehicle, that certificate may be presented for inspection at the time of first registration in a manner prescribed by rules adopted by the registrar. If, when the owner of such an off-highway motorcycle or all-purpose vehicle first makes application to register it in the owner's name, the application is not in proper form or the certificate of title or memorandum certificate of title does not accompany the registration or, in the case of an electronic certificate of title, is not presented in a manner prescribed by the registrar, the registration shall be refused, and neither a certificate of registration nor a registration sticker shall be issued. When a certificate of registration and registration sticker are issued upon the first registration of an off-highway motorcycle or all-purpose vehicle by or on behalf of the owner, the official issuing them shall indicate the issuance with a stamp on the certificate of title or memorandum certificate of title or, in the case of an electronic certificate of title, an electronic stamp or other notation as specified in rules adopted by the registrar.
(D) Each deputy registrar shall be allowed a fee of two dollars and seventy-five cents commencing on July 1, 2001, three dollars and twenty-five cents commencing on January 1, 2003, and three dollars and fifty cents commencing on January 1, 2004, for each application or renewal application received by the deputy registrar, which shall be for the purpose of compensating the deputy registrar for services, and office and rental expense, as may be necessary for the proper discharge of the deputy registrar's duties in the receiving of applications and the issuing of certificates of registration.
Each deputy registrar, upon receipt of any application for registration, together with the registration fee, shall transmit the fee, together with the original and duplicate copy of the application, to the registrar in the manner and at the times the registrar, subject to the approval of the director of public safety and the treasurer of state, shall prescribe by rule.
Sec. 4519.05.  (A) Whenever a registered snowmobile, off-highway motorcycle, or all-purpose vehicle is destroyed or similarly disposed of, the owner shall surrender the certificate of registration to the registrar of motor vehicles or a deputy registrar within fifteen days following the destruction or disposal. The registrar thereupon shall cancel the certificate and enter that fact in the registrar's records.
In the case of an off-highway motorcycle or all-purpose vehicle for which a certificate of title has been issued, the owner also shall surrender the certificate of title to the clerk of the court of common pleas who issued it and the clerk, with the consent of any lienholders noted thereon, shall enter a cancellation upon the clerk's records and shall notify the registrar of the cancellation. Upon the cancellation of a certificate of title in the manner prescribed by this division, the clerk and the registrar may cancel and destroy all certificates of title and memorandum certificates of title in that chain of title.
(B) Subject to division (B) of section 4519.03 of the Revised Code, whenever the ownership of a registered snowmobile, off-highway motorcycle, or all-purpose vehicle is transferred by sale or otherwise, the new owner, within fifteen days following the transfer, shall make application to the registrar or a deputy registrar for the transfer of the certificate of registration. Upon receipt of the application and a fee of one dollar, the registrar shall transfer the certificate to the new owner and shall enter the new owner's name and address in the registrar's records.
(C) Whenever the owner of a registered snowmobile, off-highway motorcycle, or all-purpose vehicle changes address, the owner shall surrender the certificate of registration to the registrar or a deputy registrar within fifteen days following the address change. Upon receipt of the certificate, the registrar shall enter the new address thereon and shall make the appropriate change in the registrar's records. In a case where the owner's change of address involves a move outside of the state, the registrar shall cancel the certificate of registration for that snowmobile, off-highway motorcycle, or all-purpose vehicle.
(D) Whenever a certificate of registration for a snowmobile, off-highway motorcycle, or all-purpose vehicle is lost, mutilated, or destroyed, the owner may obtain a duplicate certificate, which shall be identified as such, upon application and the payment of a fee of one dollar.
(E) The registrar and each deputy registrar may collect and retain an additional fee of two dollars and seventy-five cents commencing on July 1, 2001, three dollars and twenty-five cents commencing on January 1, 2003, and three dollars and fifty cents commencing on January 1, 2004, for each application for the transfer of a certificate of registration or duplicate certificate of registration received by the registrar or deputy registrar.
Sec. 4519.55.  Application for a certificate of title for an off-highway motorcycle or all-purpose vehicle shall be made upon a form prescribed by the registrar of motor vehicles and shall be sworn to before a notary public or other officer empowered to administer oaths. The application shall be filed with the clerk of any court of common pleas. An application for a certificate of title may be filed electronically by any electronic means approved by the registrar in any county with the clerk of the court of common pleas of that county.
If an application for a certificate of title is filed electronically by an electronic dealer on behalf of the purchaser of an off-highway motorcycle or all-purpose vehicle, the clerk shall retain the completed electronic record to which the dealer converted the certificate of title application and other required documents. The electronic dealer shall forward the actual application and all other documents relating to the sale of the off-highway motorcycle or all-purpose vehicle to any clerk within thirty days after the certificate of title is issued. The registrar, after consultation with the attorney general, shall adopt rules that govern determine the location at which, and the manner in which, are stored the actual application and all other documents relating to the sale of an off-highway motorcycle or all-purpose vehicle when an electronic dealer files the application for a certificate of title electronically on behalf of the purchaser. The determination may be made by rules that the registrar adopts.
The application shall be accompanied by the fee prescribed in section 4519.59 of the Revised Code. The fee shall be retained by the clerk who issues the certificate of title and shall be distributed in accordance with that section. If a clerk of a court of common pleas, other than the clerk of the court of common pleas of an applicant's county of residence, issues a certificate of title to the applicant, the clerk shall transmit data related to the transaction to the automated title processing system.
If a certificate of title previously has been issued for an off-highway motorcycle or all-purpose vehicle, the application also shall be accompanied by the certificate of title duly assigned, unless otherwise provided in this chapter. If a certificate of title previously has not been issued for the off-highway motorcycle or all-purpose vehicle, the application, unless otherwise provided in this chapter, shall be accompanied by a manufacturer's or importer's certificate; by a sworn statement of ownership; or by a certificate of title, bill of sale, or other evidence of ownership required by law of another state from which the off-highway motorcycle or all-purpose vehicle was brought into this state. The registrar, in accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code, shall prescribe the types of additional documentation sufficient to establish proof of ownership, including, but not limited to, receipts from the purchase of parts or components, photographs, and affidavits of other persons.
For purposes of the transfer of a certificate of title, if the clerk is satisfied that a secured party has duly discharged a lien notation but has not canceled the lien notation with a clerk, the clerk may cancel the lien notation on the automated title processing system and notify the clerk of the county of origin.
In the case of the sale of an off-highway motorcycle or all-purpose vehicle by a dealer to a general purchaser or user, the certificate of title shall be obtained in the name of the purchaser by the dealer upon application signed by the purchaser. In all other cases, the certificate shall be obtained by the purchaser. In all cases of transfer of an off-highway motorcycle or all-purpose vehicle, the application for certificate of title shall be filed within thirty days after the later of the date of purchase or assignment of ownership of the off-highway motorcycle or all-purpose vehicle. If the application for certificate of title is not filed within thirty days after the later of the date of purchase or assignment of ownership of the off-highway motorcycle or all-purpose vehicle, the clerk shall charge a late filing fee of five dollars in addition to the fee prescribed by section 4519.59 of the Revised Code. The clerk shall retain the entire amount of each late filing fee.
Except in the case of an off-highway motorcycle or all-purpose vehicle purchased prior to July 1, 1999, the clerk shall refuse to accept an application for certificate of title unless the applicant either tenders with the application payment of all taxes levied by or pursuant to Chapter 5739. or 5741. of the Revised Code based on the purchaser's county of residence, or submits either of the following:
(A) A receipt issued by the tax commissioner or a clerk of courts showing payment of the tax;
(B) An exemption certificate, in any form prescribed by the tax commissioner, that specifies why the purchase is not subject to the tax imposed by Chapter 5739. or 5741. of the Revised Code.
Payment of the tax shall be made in accordance with division (E) of section 4505.06 of the Revised Code and any rules issued by the tax commissioner. When a dealer submits payment of the tax to the clerk, the dealer shall retain any discount to which the dealer is entitled under section 5739.12 of the Revised Code. The clerk shall issue a receipt in the form prescribed by the tax commissioner to any applicant who tenders payment of the tax with the application for a certificate of title. If the application for a certificate of title is for an off-highway motorcycle or all-purpose vehicle purchased prior to July 1, 1999, the clerk shall accept the application without payment of the taxes levied by or pursuant to Chapter 5739. or 5741. of the Revised Code or presentation of either of the items listed in division (A) or (B) of this section.
For receiving and disbursing such taxes paid to the clerk by a resident of the clerk's county, the clerk may retain a poundage fee of one and one-hundredth per cent of the taxes collected, which shall be paid into the certificate of title administration fund created by section 325.33 of the Revised Code. The clerk shall not retain a poundage fee from payments of taxes by persons who do not reside in the clerk's county.
A clerk, however, may retain from the taxes paid to the clerk an amount equal to the poundage fees associated with certificates of title issued by other clerks of courts of common pleas to applicants who reside in the first clerk's county. The registrar, in consultation with the tax commissioner and the clerks of the courts of common pleas, shall develop a report from the automated title processing system that informs each clerk of the amount of the poundage fees that the clerk is permitted to retain from those taxes because of certificates of title issued by the clerks of other counties to applicants who reside in the first clerk's county.
In the case of casual sales of off-highway motorcycles or all-purpose vehicles that are subject to the tax imposed by Chapter 5739. or 5741. of the Revised Code, the purchase price for the purpose of determining the tax shall be the purchase price on an affidavit executed and filed with the clerk by the seller on a form to be prescribed by the registrar, which shall be prima-facie evidence of the price for the determination of the tax.
In addition to the information required by section 4519.57 of the Revised Code, each certificate of title shall contain in bold lettering the following notification and statements: "WARNING TO TRANSFEROR AND TRANSFEREE (SELLER AND BUYER): You are required by law to state the true selling price. A false statement is in violation of section 2921.13 of the Revised Code and is punishable by six months imprisonment or a fine of up to one thousand dollars, or both. All transfers are audited by the department of taxation. The seller and buyer must provide any information requested by the department of taxation. The buyer may be assessed any additional tax found to be due."
The clerk shall forward all payments of taxes, less poundage fees, to the treasurer of state in a manner to be prescribed by the tax commissioner and shall furnish information to the commissioner as the commissioner may require.
Every clerk shall have the capability to transact by electronic means all procedures and transactions relating to the issuance of certificates of title for off-highway motorcycles and all-purpose vehicles that are described in the Revised Code as being accomplished by electronic means.
Sec. 4519.56.  (A) An application for a certificate of title shall be sworn to before a notary public or other officer empowered to administer oaths by the lawful owner or purchaser of the off-highway motorcycle or all-purpose vehicle and shall contain at least the following information in a form and together with any other information the registrar of motor vehicles may require:
(1) Name, address, and social security number or employer's tax identification number of the applicant;
(2) Statement of how the off-highway motorcycle or all-purpose vehicle was acquired;
(3) Name and address of the previous owner;
(4) A statement of all liens, mortgages, or other encumbrances on the off-highway motorcycle or all-purpose vehicle, and the name and address of each holder thereof;
(5) If there are no outstanding liens, mortgages, or other encumbrances, a statement of that fact;
(6) A description of the off-highway motorcycle or all-purpose vehicle, including the make, year, series or model, if any, body type, and manufacturer's vehicle identification number.
If the off-highway motorcycle or all-purpose vehicle contains a permanent identification number placed thereon by the manufacturer, this number shall be used as the vehicle identification number. Except as provided in division (B) of this section, if the application for a certificate of title refers to an off-highway motorcycle or all-purpose vehicle that contains such a permanent identification number, but for which no certificate of title has been issued previously by this state, the application shall be accompanied by a physical inspection certificate as described in that division.
If there is no manufacturer's vehicle identification number or if the manufacturer's vehicle identification number has been removed or obliterated, the registrar, upon receipt of a prescribed application and proof of ownership, but prior to issuance of a certificate of title, shall assign a vehicle identification number for the off-highway motorcycle or all-purpose vehicle. This assigned vehicle identification number shall be permanently affixed to or imprinted upon the off-highway motorcycle or all-purpose vehicle by the state highway patrol. The state highway patrol shall assess a fee of fifty dollars for affixing the number to the off-highway motorcycle or all-purpose vehicle and shall deposit each such fee in the state highway safety fund established by section 4501.06 of the Revised Code.
(B) Except in the case of a new off-highway motorcycle or all-purpose vehicle sold by a dealer licensed under Chapter 4517. of the Revised Code title to which is evidenced by a manufacturer's or importer's certificate, if the application for a certificate of title refers to an off-highway motorcycle or all-purpose vehicle that contains a permanent identification number placed thereon by the manufacturer, but for which no certificate of title previously has been issued by this state, the application shall be accompanied by a physical inspection certificate issued by the department of public safety verifying the make, year, series or model, if any, body type, and manufacturer's vehicle identification number of the off-highway motorcycle or all-purpose vehicle for which the certificate of title is desired. The physical inspection certificate shall be in such form as is designated by the registrar. The physical inspection shall be made at a deputy registrar's office or at an established place of business operated by a licensed motor vehicle dealer. The deputy registrar or motor vehicle dealer may charge a maximum fee of two dollars and seventy-five cents commencing on July 1, 2001, three dollars and twenty-five cents commencing on January 1, 2003, and three dollars and fifty cents commencing on January 1, 2004, for conducting the physical inspection.
The clerk of the court of common pleas shall charge a fee of one dollar and fifty cents for the processing of each physical inspection certificate. The clerk shall retain fifty cents of the one dollar and fifty cents so charged and shall pay the remaining one dollar to the registrar by monthly returns, which shall be forwarded to the registrar not later than the fifth day of the month next succeeding that in which the certificate is received by the clerk. The registrar shall pay such remaining sums into the state bureau of motor vehicles fund established by section 4501.25 of the Revised Code.
Sec. 4519.58.  (A) When the clerk of a court of common pleas issues a physical certificate of title, the clerk shall issue the certificate of title on a form and in duplicate. One copy shall be retained and filed a manner prescribed by the registrar of motor vehicles. The clerk shall file a copy of the physical certificate of title in the clerk's office, and a manner prescribed by the registrar. The information contained in it shall be transmitted to the registrar of motor vehicles on the day it is issued. The clerk shall sign and affix the clerk's seal to the original certificate of title and, if there are no liens on the off-highway motorcycle or all-purpose vehicle, shall deliver the certificate to the applicant or the selling dealer. Except as otherwise provided in this section, if there are one or more liens on the off-highway motorcycle or all-purpose vehicle, the certificate of title shall be delivered to the holder of the first lien. If the certificate of title is obtained by a dealer on behalf of the applicant and there are one or more liens on the off-highway motorcycle or all-purpose vehicle, the clerk shall issue a certificate of title and may issue a memorandum certificate of title. The certificate of title and memorandum certificate of title, if issued, shall be delivered to the holder of the first lien or the selling dealer, who shall deliver the certificate of title to the holder of the first lien and the memorandum certificate of title to the applicant. The selling dealer also may make arrangements with the clerk to have the clerk deliver the memorandum certificate of title to the applicant.
(B) The registrar shall prescribe a uniform method of numbering certificates of title. The numbering shall be in such manner that the county of issuance is indicated. Numbers shall be assigned to certificates of title in the manner prescribed by the registrar. The clerk shall file all certificates of title according to the rules to be prescribed by the registrar, and the clerk shall maintain in the clerk's office indexes for the certificates of title.
The clerk need not retain on file any current certificates of title, current duplicate certificates of title, current memorandum certificates of title, or current salvage certificates of title, or supporting evidence of them, including the electronic record described in section 4519.55 of the Revised Code, covering any off-highway motorcycle or all-purpose vehicle for a period longer than seven years after the date of their filing; thereafter, the documents and supporting evidence may be destroyed. The clerk need not retain on file any inactive records, including certificates of title, duplicate certificates of title, or memorandum certificates of title, or supporting evidence of them, including the electronic record described in section 4519.55 of the Revised Code, covering any off-highway motorcycle or all-purpose vehicle for a period longer than five years after the date of their filing; thereafter, the documents and supporting evidence may be destroyed.
The automated title processing system shall contain all active records and an index of the active records, and shall contain a record and index of all inactive titles for ten years, and a record and index of all inactive titles for manufactured and mobile homes for thirty years. If the clerk provides a written copy of any information contained in the database, the copy shall be considered the original for purposes of the clerk certifying the record of such information for use in any legal proceedings.
(C) The clerk shall issue a physical certificate of title to an applicant unless the applicant specifically requests the clerk not to issue a physical certificate of title and instead to issue an electronic certificate of title. The fact that a physical certificate of title is not issued for an off-highway motorcycle or all-purpose vehicle does not affect ownership of the motorcycle or vehicle. In that case, when the clerk completes the process of entering certificate of title application information into the automated title processing system, the effect of the completion of the process is the same as if the clerk actually issued a physical certificate of title for the motorcycle or vehicle.
(D) An electronic dealer who applies for a certificate of title on behalf of a customer who purchases an off-highway motorcycle or all-purpose vehicle from the dealer may print a non-negotiable evidence of ownership for the customer if the customer so requests. The authorization to print the non-negotiable evidence of ownership shall come from the clerk with whom the dealer makes application for the certificate of title for the customer, but the printing by the dealer does not create an agency relationship of any kind between the dealer and the clerk.
(E) If an electronic certificate of title previously has been issued for an off-highway motorcycle or all-purpose vehicle, the The owner of the off-highway motorcycle or all-purpose vehicle may apply at any time to a clerk of a court of common pleas for a non-negotiable evidence of ownership for the off-highway motorcycle or all-purpose vehicle.
Sec. 4519.61.  (A) Each owner of an off-highway motorcycle or all-purpose vehicle and each person mentioned as owner in the last certificate of title, when the off-highway motorcycle or all-purpose vehicle is dismantled, destroyed, or changed in such manner that it loses its character as an off-highway motorcycle or all-purpose vehicle, or changed in such manner that it is not the off-highway motorcycle or all-purpose vehicle described in the certificate of title, shall surrender the certificate of title to a clerk of a court of common pleas, and the clerk, with the consent of the holders of any liens noted on the certificate of title, then shall enter a cancellation upon the clerk's records and shall notify the registrar of motor vehicles of the cancellation.
Upon the cancellation of a certificate of title in the manner prescribed by this section, any clerk and the registrar may cancel and destroy all certificates and all memorandum certificates in that chain of title.
(B) If an Ohio certificate of title or salvage certificate of title to an off-highway motorcycle or all-purpose vehicle is assigned to a salvage dealer, the dealer shall not be required to obtain an Ohio certificate of title or a salvage certificate of title to the off-highway motorcycle or all-purpose vehicle in the dealer's own name if the dealer dismantles or destroys the off-highway motorcycle or all-purpose vehicle, completes the assignment on the certificate of title or salvage certificate of title, indicates the number of the dealer's motor vehicle salvage dealer's license on it, marks "FOR DESTRUCTION" across the face of the certificate of title or salvage certificate of title, and surrenders the certificate of title or salvage certificate of title to a clerk of a court of common pleas as provided in division (A) of this section. If the salvage dealer retains the off-highway motorcycle or all-purpose vehicle for resale, the salvage dealer shall make application for a salvage certificate of title to the off-highway motorcycle or all-purpose vehicle in the salvage dealer's own name as provided in division (C)(1) of this section.
(C)(1) When an insurance company declares it economically impractical to repair the off-highway motorcycle or all-purpose vehicle and has paid an agreed price for the purchase of the off-highway motorcycle or all-purpose vehicle to any insured or claimant owner, the insurance company shall receive the certificate of title and off-highway motorcycle or all-purpose vehicle and proceed as follows. Within thirty days, the insurance company shall deliver the certificate of title to a clerk of a court of common pleas and shall make application for a salvage certificate of title. The clerk shall issue the salvage certificate of title on a form, prescribed by the registrar, that shall be easily distinguishable from the original certificate of title and shall bear the same number and information as the original certificate of title except that it may bear a different number from that of the original certificate of title. Except as provided in division (C)(2) of this section, the salvage certificate of title shall be assigned by the insurance company to a salvage dealer or any other person for use as evidence of ownership upon the sale or other disposition of the off-highway motorcycle or all-purpose vehicle, and the salvage certificate of title shall be transferable to any other person. The clerk of the court of common pleas shall charge a fee of four dollars for the cost of processing each salvage certificate of title.
(2) If an insurance company considers an off-highway motorcycle or all-purpose vehicle as described in division (C)(1) of this section to be impossible to restore to normal operation, the insurance company may assign the certificate of title to the off-highway motorcycle or all-purpose vehicle to a salvage dealer or scrap metal processing facility and send the assigned certificate of title to the clerk of the court of common pleas of the any county in which the salvage dealer or scrap metal processing facility is located. The insurance company shall mark the face of the certificate of title "FOR DESTRUCTION" and shall deliver a photocopy of the certificate of title to the salvage dealer or scrap metal processing facility for its records.
(3) If an insurance company declares it economically impractical to repair an off-highway motorcycle or all-purpose vehicle, agrees to pay to the insured or claimant owner an amount in settlement of a claim against a policy of motor vehicle insurance covering the off-highway motorcycle or all-purpose vehicle, and agrees to permit the insured or claimant owner to retain possession of the off-highway motorcycle or all-purpose vehicle, the insurance company shall not pay the insured or claimant owner any amount in settlement of the insurance claim until the owner obtains a salvage certificate of title to the vehicle and furnishes a copy of the salvage certificate of title to the insurance company.
(D) When a self-insured organization, rental or leasing company, or secured creditor becomes the owner of an off-highway motorcycle or all-purpose vehicle that is burned, damaged, or dismantled and is determined to be economically impractical to repair, the self-insured organization, rental or leasing company, or secured creditor shall do one of the following:
(1) Mark the face of the certificate of title to the off-highway motorcycle or all-purpose vehicle "FOR DESTRUCTION" and surrender the certificate of title to a clerk of a court of common pleas for cancellation as described in division (A) of this section. The self-insured organization, rental or leasing company, or secured creditor then shall deliver the off-highway motorcycle or all-purpose vehicle, together with a photocopy of the certificate of title, to a salvage dealer or scrap metal processing facility and shall cause the off-highway motorcycle or all-purpose vehicle to be dismantled, flattened, crushed, or destroyed.
(2) Obtain a salvage certificate of title to the off-highway motorcycle or all-purpose vehicle in the name of the self-insured organization, rental or leasing company, or secured creditor, as provided in division (C)(1) of this section, and then sell or otherwise dispose of the off-highway motorcycle or all-purpose vehicle. If the off-highway motorcycle or all-purpose vehicle is sold, the self-insured organization, rental or leasing company, or secured creditor shall obtain a salvage certificate of title to the off-highway motorcycle or all-purpose vehicle in the name of the purchaser from a clerk of a court of common pleas.
(E) If an off-highway motorcycle or all-purpose vehicle titled with a salvage certificate of title is restored for operation, application shall be made to a clerk of a court of common pleas for a certificate of title after inspection by the state highway patrol. The inspection shall include establishing proof of ownership and an inspection of the motor number and vehicle identification number of the off-highway motorcycle or all-purpose vehicle and of documentation or receipts for the materials used in restoration by the owner of the off-highway motorcycle or all-purpose vehicle being inspected, which documentation or receipts shall be presented at the time of inspection. Upon successful completion of the inspection, the state highway patrol shall issue to the owner a completed inspection form. The clerk, upon submission of the completed inspection form and surrender of the salvage certificate of title, shall issue a certificate of title for a fee prescribed by the registrar. The certificate of title shall be in the same form as the original certificate of title, shall bear the same number as the salvage certificate of title and the original certificate of title, and shall bear the words "REBUILT SALVAGE" in black boldface letters on its face. Every subsequent certificate of title, memorandum certificate of title, or certified copy of a certificate of title or memorandum certificate of title issued for the off-highway motorcycle or all-purpose vehicle also shall bear the words "REBUILT SALVAGE" in black boldface letters on its face. The exact location on the face of the certificate of title of the words "REBUILT SALVAGE" shall be determined by the registrar, who shall develop an automated procedure within the automated title processing system to comply with this division. The clerk shall use reasonable care in performing the duties imposed on the clerk by this division in issuing a certificate of title pursuant to this division, but the clerk is not liable for errors or omissions of the clerk of courts, the clerk's deputies, or the automated title processing system in the performance of such duties. A fee of fifty dollars shall be assessed by the state highway patrol for each inspection made pursuant to this division.
(F) No off-highway motorcycle or all-purpose vehicle the certificate of title to which has been marked "FOR DESTRUCTION" and surrendered to a clerk of a court of common pleas shall be used for anything except parts and scrap metal.
Sec. 4519.631. The registrar of motor vehicles shall enable the public to access off-highway motorcycle and all-purpose vehicle title information via electronic means. No fee shall be charged for this access. The title information that must be so accessible is only the title information that is in an electronic format at the time a person requests this access.
The registrar, shall establish procedures governing this access. The procedures may be established by rule in accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code, shall adopt rules governing this access. In adopting the rules, the registrar shall confer with the clerks of the courts of common pleas.
Access by the public to off-highway motorcycle and all-purpose vehicle title information under this section shall comply with all restrictions contained in the Revised Code and federal law that govern the disclosure of that information.
Sec. 4519.68.  (A)(1) Chapter 1309. of the Revised Code does not permit or require the deposit, filing, or other record of a security interest covering an off-highway motorcycle or all-purpose vehicle, except as provided in division (A)(2) of this section.
(2) Chapter 1309. of the Revised Code applies to a security interest in an off-highway motorcycle or all-purpose vehicle held as inventory, as defined in section 1309.102 of the Revised Code, for sale by a dealer. The security interest has priority over creditors of the dealer as provided in Chapter 1309. of the Revised Code without notation of the security interest on a certificate of title, without entry of a notation of the security interest into the automated title processing system if a physical certificate of title has not been issued, or without the retention of a manufacturer's or importer's certificate.
(B) Subject to division (A) of this section, any security agreement covering a security interest in an off-highway motorcycle or all-purpose vehicle, if a notation of the agreement has been made by a clerk of a court of common pleas on the face of the certificate of title or if the clerk has entered a notation of the agreement into the automated title processing system if a physical certificate of title has not been issued, is valid as against the creditors of the debtor, whether armed with process or not, and against subsequent purchasers, secured parties, and other lienholders or claimants. All security interests, liens, mortgages, and encumbrances entered into the automated title processing system in relation to a particular certificate of title, regardless of whether a physical certificate of title is issued, take priority according to the order of time in which they are entered into the automated title processing system by the clerk. Exposure for sale of any off-highway motorcycle or all-purpose vehicle by its owner, with the knowledge or with the knowledge and consent of the holder of any security interest, lien, mortgage, or encumbrance on it, does not render the security interest, lien, mortgage, or encumbrance ineffective as against the creditors of the owner, or against holders of subsequent security interests, liens, mortgages, or encumbrances upon the off-highway motorcycle or all-purpose vehicle.
The secured party, upon presentation of evidence of a security interest to a clerk of a court of common pleas, together with the certificate of title if a physical certificate of title for the off-highway motorcycle or all-purpose vehicle exists, and the fee prescribed by section 4519.59 of the Revised Code, may have a notation of the security interest made on the face of the certificate of title, and, if such a notation is made, another notation of the security interest shall be entered into the automated title processing system. Unless the secured party specifically requests the clerk not to issue a physical certificate of title and instead to issue an electronic certificate of title, the clerk, over the clerk's signature and seal of office, shall issue a new original certificate of title from the automated title processing system that indicates the security interest and the date of the security interest.
If a security interest is fully discharged as a result of its holder's receipt of good funds in the correct amount and if the holder of the security interest holds a physical certificate of title, the holder of the security interest shall note its the discharge of the security interest over the holder's signature on the face of the certificate of title, or over the holder's signature on a form prescribed by the registrar of motor vehicles when there is no space for the discharge on the face of the certificate of title. Prior Except as otherwise provided in this section, prior to delivering the certificate of title to the owner, the holder or the holder's agent shall present it and any additional information a clerk requires to a clerk to have the clerk note the cancellation of the security interest on the face of convey the certificate of title and upon the records of the or a separate sworn statement of the discharge of the security interest to a clerk. The conveyance shall occur not more than seven business days after the date good funds in the correct amount to discharge fully the security interest have been credited to an account of the holder, provided the holder has been provided accurate information concerning the off-highway motorcycle or all-purpose vehicle. Conveyance of the certificate of title or separate sworn statement of the discharge within the required seven business days may be indicated by postmark or receipt by a clerk within that period. If the discharge of the security interest appears to be genuine, the clerk shall note the cancellation of the security interest on the face of the certificate of title, if it was so conveyed, and also shall note the cancellation on the clerk's records and notify the registrar, who shall note the cancellation. If a security interest that is discharged does not appear on the face of the certificate of title, but instead was entered into the automated title processing system, the clerk shall enter the cancellation into it in the automated title processing system and also shall note the cancellation on a form prescribed by the registrar.
(C) In all cases, a secured party may choose to present a clerk with evidence of a security interest via electronic means, and the clerk shall enter the security interest into the automated title processing system. A secured party also may choose to notify a clerk of the discharge of its security interest via electronic means, and the clerk shall enter the cancellation into the automated title processing system.
(D) If a physical certificate of title has not been issued for an off-highway motorcycle or all-purpose vehicle and all the security interests relating to that motorcycle or vehicle have been discharged, the owner of the motorcycle or vehicle may obtain a physical certificate of title from the clerk of any court of common pleas upon payment of the fee specified in section 4519.59 of the Revised Code.
(D)(E) If a clerk of a court of common pleas, other than the clerk of the court of common pleas of the county in which the owner of an off-highway motorcycle or all-purpose vehicle resides, enters a notation of the existence of, or the cancellation of, a security interest relating to the off-highway motorcycle or all-purpose vehicle, the clerk shall transmit the data relating to the notation to the automated title processing system.
Sec. 4549.08.  No person shall operate or drive a motor vehicle upon the public roads and highways in this state if it displays a license plate or a distinctive number or identification mark that meets any of the following criteria:
(A) Is fictitious;
(B) Is a counterfeit or an unlawfully made copy of any distinctive number or identification mark;
(C) Belongs to another motor vehicle, provided that this section does not apply to a motor vehicle that is operated on the public roads and highways in this state when the motor vehicle displays license plates that originally were issued for a motor vehicle that previously was owned by the same person who owns the motor vehicle that is operated on the public roads and highways in this state, during the thirty-day period described in division (D)(A)(4) of section 4503.12 of the Revised Code.
A person who fails to comply with the transfer of registration provisions of section 4503.12 of the Revised Code and is charged with a violation of that section shall not be charged with a violation of this section.
Sec. 4549.081. (A) The superintendent of the state highway patrol shall adopt rules governing the use of an electronic clearance device that enables an operator of a commercial motor vehicle, in accordance with division (B) of section 4511.121 of the Revised Code, to bypass a scale location established for the purpose of determining the weight of the vehicle and its load. The superintendent shall establish the acceptable types and features of such devices. The rules of the superintendent also shall establish a method for a peace officer to determine that the device and its use are in compliance with this section and the rules of the superintendent.
(B) No person shall use an electronic clearance device if the device or its use is not in compliance with rules of the superintendent.
(C) Whoever violates division (B) of this section is guilty of a misdemeanor of the fourth degree on a first offense and a misdemeanor of the third degree on each subsequent offense.
Sec. 4738.05.  At the time the registrar of motor vehicles grants the application of any person for a license under this chapter, he the registrar shall issue to the person a license that shall have provisional status for a period of one hundred eighty days from the date of issuance. At the end of that period and subject to the results of the inspection described in section 4738.071 of the Revised Code of the place of business of the license holder, the license either shall be revoked or shall remain valid and no longer have provisional status. The registrar shall prescribe forms for licenses, and all licenses shall include the name and post office address of the person licensed.
The fee for a motor vehicle salvage dealer's license, a salvage motor vehicle auction license, or a salvage motor vehicle pool license shall be fifty one hundred dollars. In all cases the fee shall accompany the application for license.
If a licensee has more than one place of business in the county, he the licensee shall make application, in a form as the registrar prescribes, for a certified copy of the license issued to the person for each place of business operated. In the event of the loss, mutilation, or destruction of a license issued under sections 4738.01 to 4738.16 of the Revised Code, any licensee may make application to the registrar, in a form as the registrar prescribes, for a duplicate copy thereof. The fee for a certified or duplicate copy of a license is one dollar. All fees for copies shall accompany the applications.
All Beginning on the effective date of this amendment, all licenses issued or renewed each year shall expire biennially on the last day of July of each two-year license cycle unless sooner suspended or revoked, and each motor vehicle salvage dealer, salvage motor vehicle auction, or salvage motor vehicle pool licensed during any year shall, before the first day of August each in the year in which the license will expire, file an application, in a form as the registrar prescribes, for the renewal of the license. The fee provided in this section for the original license shall accompany the application.
Sec. 4738.18.  (A) Any person licensed under division (A) of section 4738.03 of the Revised Code who wishes to purchase salvage motor vehicles at salvage motor vehicle auctions or salvage motor vehicle pools shall make application to the registrar of motor vehicles for a buyer's identification card. The application shall be on a form prescribed by the registrar and shall contain the applicant's name, principal business address, the license number under which the applicant will be making purchases, and such other information as the registrar requires. In lieu of directly obtaining a buyer's identification card or in addition thereto, any person licensed under division (A) of section 4738.03 of the Revised Code may designate up to two employees to act as buyers for the licensee. The licensee shall make application for a buyer's identification card for each employee in the same manner as for a card for the licensee.
(B) The fee for each buyer's identification card shall be ten thirty-five dollars.
(C) Beginning on the effective date of this amendment, each buyer's identification card shall expire biennially on a day within the two-year cycle that is prescribed by the registrar, unless sooner suspended or revoked. Before the first day after the day prescribed by the registrar in the year that the card expires, each cardholder shall file an application for renewal of the card, in a form that the registrar prescribes. A buyer's identification card is nontransferable. If the holder of a card no longer possesses a valid salvage motor vehicle dealer's license, or if an employee of the licensee leaves the employment of the licensee, the buyer's identification card of that person is invalid and the holder shall return the card to the registrar.
(D) Any person who holds a valid salvage motor vehicle dealer's license from another state that imposes qualifications and requirements with respect to the license that are equivalent to those required by Chapter 4738. of the Revised Code may make application and receive a buyer's identification card. The person shall make application to the registrar who shall, based upon his the registrar's investigation, issue a buyer's identification card to those applicants who the registrar determines are qualified.
(E) All applicants for a buyer's identification card must be of good financial repute and not have been convicted of a felony as verified by a report from a law enforcement agency and credit report furnished to the registrar by the applicant.
(F) The registrar may revoke or suspend the license of any salvage motor vehicle dealer who allows his the dealer's card or the card of any employee to be used by any unauthorized person.
Sec. 4905.06.  The public utilities commission has general supervision over all public utilities within its jurisdiction as defined in section 4905.05 of the Revised Code, and may examine such public utilities and keep informed as to their general condition, capitalization, and franchises, and as to the manner in which their properties are leased, operated, managed, and conducted with respect to the adequacy or accommodation afforded by their service, the safety and security of the public and their employees, and their compliance with all laws, orders of the commission, franchises, and charter requirements. The commission has general supervision over all other companies referred to in section 4905.05 of the Revised Code to the extent of its jurisdiction as defined in that section, and may examine such companies and keep informed as to their general condition and capitalization, and as to the manner in which their properties are leased, operated, managed, and conducted with respect to the adequacy or accommodation afforded by their service, and their compliance with all laws and orders of the commission, insofar as any of such matters may relate to the costs associated with the provision of electric utility service by public utilities in this state which are affiliated or associated with such companies. The commission, through the public utilities commissioners or inspectors or employees of the commission authorized by it, may enter in or upon, for purposes of inspection, any property, equipment, building, plant, factory, office, apparatus, machinery, device, and lines of any public utility. The power to inspect includes the power to prescribe any rule or order that the commission finds necessary for protection of the public safety. In order to assist the commission in the performance of its duties under this chapter, authorized employees of the commercial motor vehicle safety carrier enforcement unit, created under section 5503.04 of the Revised Code in the division of state highway patrol, of the department of public safety may enter in or upon, for inspection purposes, any motor vehicle of any motor transportation company or private motor carrier as defined in section 4923.02 of the Revised Code.
In order to inspect motor vehicles owned or operated by a motor transportation company engaged in the transportation of persons, authorized employees of the commercial motor vehicle safety carrier enforcement unit, division of state highway patrol, of the department of public safety may enter in or upon any property of any motor transportation company, as defined in section 4913.02 4921.02 of the Revised Code, engaged in the intrastate transportation of persons.
Sec. 4919.79.  (A) The public utilities commission may adopt safety rules applicable to the highway transportation and offering for transportation of hazardous materials in interstate commerce, which highway transportation takes place into or through this state.
(B) The commission may adopt safety rules applicable to the highway transportation of persons or property in interstate commerce, which transportation takes place into or through this state.
(C) Rules adopted under divisions (A) and (B) of this section shall be consistent with, and equivalent in scope, coverage, and content to, the "Hazardous Materials Transportation Act," 88 Stat. 2156 (1975), 49 U.S.C.A. 1801, as amended, and regulations adopted under it, and the "Motor Carrier Safety Act of 1984," 98 Stat. 2832, 49 U.S.C.A. 2501, and regulations adopted under it, respectively. No person shall violate a rule adopted under division (A) or (B) of this section or any order of the commission issued to secure compliance with any such rule.
(D) The commission shall cooperate with, and permit the use of, the services, records, and facilities of the commission as fully as practicable by appropriate officers of the interstate commerce commission, the United States department of transportation, and other federal agencies or commissions and appropriate commissions of other states in the enforcement and administration of state and federal laws relating to highway transportation by motor vehicles. The commission may enter into cooperative agreements with the interstate commerce commission, the United States department of transportation, and any other federal agency or commission to enforce the economic and safety laws and rules of this state and of the United States concerning highway transportation by motor vehicles.
(E) To achieve the purposes of this section, the commission may, through its inspectors or other authorized employees, may inspect any vehicles of carriers of persons or property in interstate commerce subject to the safety rules prescribed by this section and may enter upon the premises and vehicles of such carriers to examine any of the carriers' records or documents that relate to the safety of operation of such carriers. In order to assist the commission in the performance of its duties under this section, authorized employees of the commercial motor vehicle safety carrier enforcement unit, created under section 5503.34 of the Revised Code in the division of state highway patrol, of the department of public safety may enter in or upon, for purposes of inspection, any vehicle of any such carrier.
In order to inspect motor vehicles owned or operated by private motor carriers of persons, authorized employees of the commercial motor vehicle safety carrier enforcement unit, division of state highway patrol, of the department of public safety may enter in or upon the premises of any private carrier of persons in interstate commerce, subject to the safety rules prescribed by this section.
Sec. 4923.20.  (A) As used in this section:
(1) "Private motor carrier" has the same meaning as in section 4923.02 of the Revised Code, except that it includes only private motor carriers operating on a not-for-hire basis and excludes all private motor carriers operating on a for-hire basis.
(2) "Commercial motor vehicle" has the same meaning as in the "Commercial Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1986," 49 U.S.C.A. 2701, as amended, except that "commerce" means trade, traffic, and transportation solely within this state.
(B) The public utilities commission may adopt and enforce rules concerning the safety of operation of commercial motor vehicles by private motor carriers, except that the rules shall not affect any rights or duties granted to or imposed upon the operator of such a motor vehicle by Chapter 4511. of the Revised Code.
(C) The commission may adopt safety rules applicable to the transportation of hazardous materials by private motor carriers by means of commercial motor vehicles and applicable to the offering of hazardous materials for such transportation. The rules shall be consistent with, and equivalent in scope, coverage, and content to, the "Hazardous Materials Transportation Act," 88 Stat. 2156 (1975), 49 U.S.C.A. 1801, as amended, and regulations adopted under it.
(D) To achieve the purposes of this section, the commission may, through inspectors or other authorized employees, inspect any motor vehicles of such carriers and may enter upon the premises and vehicles of the carriers to examine any of the carriers' records or documents that relate to the safety of operation of private motor carriers. In order to assist the commission in performing its duties under this section, authorized employees of the commercial motor vehicle safety carrier enforcement unit, created under section 5503.34 of the Revised Code in the division of state highway patrol, of the department of public safety may enter in or upon, for purposes of inspection, any motor vehicle of any such carrier.
In order to inspect motor vehicles owned or operated by private motor carriers engaged in the transportation of persons, authorized employees of the commercial motor vehicle safety carrier enforcement unit, division of state highway patrol, of the department of public safety may enter in or upon the premises of any private motor carrier engaged in the intrastate transportation of persons.
(E) No private motor carrier or person offering hazardous materials for transportation by private motor carrier shall fail to comply with any order, decision, or rule adopted under this section or any order of the commission issued to secure compliance with any such rule.
Sec. 5502.011. (A) As used in this section, "department of public safety" and "department" include all divisions within the department of public safety.
(B) The director of the department of public safety is the chief executive and administrative officer of the department. The director may establish policies governing the department, the performance of its employees and officers, the conduct of its business, and the custody, use, and preservation of departmental records, papers, books, documents, and property. The director also may authorize and approve investigations to be conducted by any of the department's divisions. Whenever the Revised Code imposes a duty upon or requires an action of the department, the director may perform the action or duty in the name of the department or direct such performance to be performed by the director's designee.
(C) In addition to any other duties enumerated in the Revised Code, the director or the director's designee shall do all of the following:
(1) Administer and direct the performance of the duties of the department;
(2) Pursuant to Chapter 119. of the Revised Code, approve, adopt, and prescribe such forms and rules as are necessary to carry out the duties of the department;
(3) On behalf of the department and in addition to any authority the Revised Code otherwise grants to the department, have the authority and responsibility for approving and entering into contracts, agreements, and other business arrangements;
(4) Make appointments for the department as needed to comply with requirements of the Revised Code;
(5) Approve employment actions of the department, including appointments, promotions, discipline, investigations, and terminations;
(6) Accept, hold, and use, for the benefit of the department, any gift, donation, bequest, or devise, and may agree to and perform all conditions of the gift, donation, bequest, or devise, that are not contrary to law;
(7) Do all other acts necessary or desirable to carry out this chapter.
(D)(1) The director of public safety may assess a reasonable fee, plus the amount of any charge or fee passed on from a financial institution, on a drawer or indorser for each of the following:
(a) A check, draft, or money order that is returned or dishonored;
(b) An automatic bank transfer that is declined, due to insufficient funds or for any other reason;
(c) Any financial transaction device that is returned or dishonored for any reason.
(2) The director shall deposit any fee collected under this division in an appropriate fund as determined by the director based on the tax, fee, or fine being paid.
(3) As used in this division, "financial transaction device" has the same meaning as in section 113.40 of the Revised Code.
Sec. 5502.11.  Every law enforcement agency representing a township, county, municipal corporation, or other political subdivision investigating a motor vehicle accident involving a fatality, personal injury, or property damage in an amount not less greater than one hundred fifty four hundred dollars shall, within five days, forward a written report of such accident to the director of public safety on a form which the director shall adopt subject to sections 119.01 to 119.13 of the Revised Code.
Sec. 5503.03.  The state highway patrol and the superintendent of the state highway patrol shall be furnished by the state with such vehicles, equipment, and supplies as the director of public safety deems necessary, all of which shall remain the property of the state and be strictly accounted for by each member of the patrol.
The patrol may be equipped with standardized and tested devices for weighing vehicles, and may stop and weigh any vehicle which appears to weigh in excess of the amounts permitted by sections 5577.01 to 5577.14 of the Revised Code.
The superintendent, with the approval of the director, shall prescribe rules for instruction and discipline, make all administrative rules, and fix the hours of duty for patrol officers. He The superintendent shall divide the state into districts and assign members of the patrol to such districts in a manner that he the superintendent deems proper. He The superintendent may transfer members of the patrol from one district to another, and classify and rank members of the patrol. All promotions to a higher grade shall be made from the next lower grade. When Notwithstanding the step seven limitations in division (G) of section 124.15 of the Revised Code, when a patrol officer is promoted by the superintendent, the officer's salary shall be increased to that of the lowest step in the pay range for the new grade which shall increase the officer's salary or wage by at least nine per cent of the base pay wherever possible.
Sec. 5503.34.  There is hereby created in the department of public safety, division of state highway patrol, a commercial motor vehicle safety carrier enforcement unit, to be administered by the superintendent of the state highway patrol. This unit shall be responsible for enforcement of commercial motor vehicle transportation safety, economic, and hazardous materials requirements.
The superintendent, with the approval of the director of public safety, may appoint and maintain necessary staff to carry out the duties assigned under this section.
Employees of the commercial motor vehicle safety carrier enforcement unit shall cooperate with the public utilities commission to enforce compliance with orders and rules of the commission, applicable laws under Chapters 4919., 4921., and 4923. of the Revised Code, and any other applicable laws or rules.
Uniformed employees of the commercial motor vehicle safety carrier enforcement unit may stop commercial motor vehicles for the exclusive purpose of inspecting such vehicles to enforce compliance with orders and rules of the public utilities commission as required by division (F) of section 5502.01 of the Revised Code.
Sec. 5577.05. (A) No vehicle shall be operated upon the public highways, streets, bridges, and culverts within the state, whose dimensions exceed those specified in this section.
(A)(B) No such vehicle shall have a width in excess of:
(1) One hundred four inches for passenger bus type vehicles operated exclusively within municipal corporations;
(2) One hundred two inches, excluding such safety devices as are required by law, for passenger bus type vehicles operated over freeways, and such other state roads with minimum pavement widths of twenty-two feet, except those roads or portions thereof over which operation of one hundred two-inch buses is prohibited by order of the director of transportation;
(3) One hundred thirty-two inches for traction engines;
(4) One hundred two inches for recreational vehicles, excluding safety devices and retracted awnings and other appurtenances of six inches or less in width and except that the director may prohibit the operation of one hundred two inch recreational vehicles on designated state highways or portions of highways;
(5) One hundred two inches, including load, for all other vehicles, except that the director may prohibit the operation of one hundred two-inch vehicles on such state highways or portions thereof as the director designates.
(B)(C) No such vehicle shall have a length in excess of:
(1) Sixty feet for passenger bus type vehicles operated by a regional transit authority pursuant to sections 306.30 to 306.54 of the Revised Code;
(2) Forty Forty-five feet for all other passenger bus type vehicles;
(3) Fifty-three feet for any semitrailer when operated in a commercial tractor-semitrailer combination, with or without load, except that the director may prohibit the operation of any such commercial tractor-semitrailer combination on such state highways or portions thereof as the director designates.
(4) Twenty-eight and one-half feet for any semitrailer or trailer when operated in a commercial tractor-semitrailer-trailer or commercial tractor-semitrailer-semitrailer combination, except that the director may prohibit the operation of any such commercial tractor-semitrailer-trailer or commercial tractor-semitrailer-semitrailer combination on such state highways or portions thereof as the director designates;
(5) Seventy-five feet for drive-away saddlemount vehicle transporter combinations and drive-away saddlemount with fullmount vehicle transporter combinations, not to exceed three saddlemounted vehicles, but which may include one fullmount.
(6) Sixty-five feet for any other combination of vehicles coupled together, with or without load, except as provided in divisions (B)(C)(3) and (4), and in division (D)(E) of this section;
(7) Forty-five feet for recreational vehicles;
(8) Forty feet for all other vehicles except trailers and semitrailers, with or without load.
(C)(D) No such vehicle shall have a height in excess of thirteen feet six inches, with or without load.
(D)(E) An automobile transporter or boat transporter shall be allowed a length of sixty-five feet and a stinger-steered automobile transporter or stinger-steered boat transporter shall be allowed a length of seventy-five feet, except that the load thereon may extend no more than four feet beyond the rear of such vehicles and may extend no more than three feet beyond the front of such vehicles, and except further that the director may prohibit the operation of a stinger-steered automobile transporter, stinger-steered boat transporter, or a B-train assembly on any state highway or portion thereof that the director designates.
(F) The widths prescribed in division (B) of this section shall not include side mirrors, turn signal lamps, marker lamps, handholds for cab entry and egress, flexible fender extensions, mud flaps, splash and spray suppressant devices, and load-induced tire bulge.
The width prescribed in division (A)(B)(5) of this section shall not include automatic covering devices used by a vehicle hauling solid waste, tarp and tarp hardware, and tiedown assemblies, provided these safety devices do not extend more than three inches from each side of the vehicle.
The lengths prescribed in divisions (B)(C)(2) to (7) of this section shall not include safety devices, bumpers attached to the front or rear of such bus or combination, B-train assembly used between the first and second semitrailer of a commercial tractor-semitrailer-semitrailer combination, energy conservation devices as provided in any regulations adopted by the secretary of the United States department of transportation, or any noncargo-carrying refrigeration equipment attached to the front of trailers and semitrailers. In special cases, vehicles whose dimensions exceed those prescribed by this section may operate in accordance with rules adopted by the director.
(E)(G) This section does not apply to fire engines, fire trucks, or other vehicles or apparatus belonging to any municipal corporation or to the volunteer fire department of any municipal corporation or used by such department in the discharge of its functions. This section does not apply to vehicles and pole trailers used in the transportation of wooden and metal poles, nor to the transportation of pipes or well-drilling equipment, nor to farm machinery and equipment. The owner or operator of any vehicle, machinery, or equipment not specifically enumerated in this section but the dimensions of which exceed the dimensions provided by this section, when operating the same on the highways and streets of this state, shall comply with the rules of the director governing such movement, which the director may adopt. Sections 119.01 to 119.13 of the Revised Code apply to any rules the director adopts under this section, or the amendment or rescission thereof, and any person adversely affected shall have the same right of appeal as provided in those sections.
This section does not require the state, a municipal corporation, county, township, or any railroad or other private corporation to provide sufficient vertical clearance to permit the operation of such vehicle, or to make any changes in or about existing structures now crossing streets, roads, and other public thoroughfares in this state.
(F)(H) As used in this section, "recreational vehicle" has the same meaning as in section 4501.01 of the Revised Code.
Sec. 5577.99.  (A) Whoever violates the weight provisions of sections 5577.01 to 5577.07 or the weight provisions in regard to highways under section 5577.04 of the Revised Code shall be fined eighty dollars for the first two thousand pounds, or fraction thereof, of overload; for overloads in excess of two thousand pounds, but not in excess of five thousand pounds, such person shall be fined one hundred dollars, and in addition thereto one dollar per one hundred pounds of overload; for overloads in excess of five thousand pounds, but not in excess of ten thousand pounds, such person shall be fined one hundred thirty dollars and in addition thereto two dollars per one hundred pounds of overload, or imprisoned not more than thirty days, or both. For all overloads in excess of ten thousand pounds such person shall be fined one hundred sixty dollars, and in addition thereto three dollars per one hundred pounds of overload, or imprisoned not more than thirty days, or both. Whoever violates the weight provisions of vehicle and load relating to gross load limits shall be fined not less than one hundred dollars. No penalty prescribed in this division shall be imposed on any vehicle combination if the overload on any axle does not exceed one thousand pounds, and if the immediately preceding or following axle, excepting the front axle of the vehicle combination, is underloaded by the same or a greater amount. For purposes of this division, two axles on one vehicle less than eight feet apart, shall be considered as one axle.
(B) Whoever violates the weight provisions of section 5571.071 or 5577.08 or the weight provisions in regard to bridges under section 5577.09, and whoever exceeds the carrying capacity specified under section 5591.42 of the Revised Code, shall be fined eighty dollars for the first two thousand pounds, or fraction thereof, of overload; for overloads in excess of two thousand pounds, but not in excess of five thousand pounds, the person shall be fined one hundred dollars, and in addition thereto one dollar per one hundred pounds of overload; for overloads in excess of five thousand pounds, but not in excess of ten thousand pounds, the person shall be fined one hundred thirty dollars, and in addition thereto two dollars per one hundred pounds of overload, or imprisoned not more than thirty days, or both. For all overloads in excess of ten thousand pounds, the person shall be fined one hundred sixty dollars, and in addition thereto three dollars per one hundred pounds of overload, or imprisoned not more than thirty days, or both.
Notwithstanding any other provision of the Revised Code that specifies a procedure for the distribution of fines, all fines collected pursuant to this section shall be paid into the treasury of the county and credited to any fund for the maintenance and repair of roads, highways, bridges, or culverts.
(C) Whoever violates any other provision of sections 5577.01 to 5577.09 of the Revised Code shall be fined not more than twenty-five dollars for is guilty of a minor misdemeanor on a first offense; for a second offense within one year thereafter, such person shall be fined not less than ten nor more than one hundred dollars, or imprisoned not more than ten days, or both; for on a second or subsequent offense within one year after the first offense, such person shall be fined not less than twenty-five nor more than two hundred dollars, or imprisoned not more than thirty days, or both is guilty of a misdemeanor of the fourth degree.
(D) Whoever violates section 5577.10 of the Revised Code shall be fined not more than five thousand dollars or imprisoned for not less than thirty days nor more than six months, or both.
(E) Whoever violates section 5577.11 of the Revised Code shall be fined not more than twenty-five dollars.
Section 2.  That existing sections 109.801, 1548.06, 1548.09, 1548.13, 2935.27, 2937.221, 3937.41, 3937.45, 4501.01, 4501.02, 4501.021, 4503.01, 4503.03, 4503.034, 4503.04, 4503.041, 4503.042, 4503.10, 4503.12, 4503.24, 4503.44, 4505.06, 4505.08, 4505.09, 4505.10, 4505.11, 4505.13, 4505.141, 4506.01, 4506.08, 4506.11, 4506.12, 4507.13, 4507.141, 4507.19, 4507.20, 4507.50, 4507.51, 4507.53, 4507.99, 4509.05, 4509.101, 4509.79, 4510.036, 4510.22, 4510.31, 4510.43, 4511.01, 4513.61, 4513.63, 4517.10, 4517.14, 4519.03, 4519.05, 4519.55, 4519.56, 4519.58, 4519.61, 4519.631, 4519.68, 4549.08, 4738.05, 4738.18, 4905.06, 4919.79, 4923.20, 5502.11, 5503.03, 5503.34, 5577.05, and 5577.99 of the Revised Code are hereby repealed.
Section 3. Sections 2935.27, 2937.221, 4510.036, 4510.22, 4510.31, and 4510.43 of the Revised Code, as amended by this act, shall take effect January 1, 2004.
Section 4. The amendment by this act of section 4549.08 of the Revised Code has interim effect and does not supersede the earlier amendment, with delayed effective date, of the section by Am. Sub. S.B. 123 of the 124th General Assembly.
Section 5. That the versions of sections 4501.01, 4503.10, 4503.12, 4503.44, 4505.11, 4506.01, 4506.11, 4506.12, 4507.13, 4507.19, 4507.20, 4507.50, 4507.99, 4509.101, 4509.79, 4511.01, and 4519.05 of the Revised Code that are scheduled to take effect January 1, 2004, be amended to read as follows:
Sec. 4501.01.  As used in this chapter and Chapters 4503., 4505., 4507., 4509., 4510., 4511., 4513., 4515., and 4517. of the Revised Code, and in the penal laws, except as otherwise provided:
(A) "Vehicles" means everything on wheels or runners, including motorized bicycles, but does not mean electric personal assistive mobility devices, vehicles that are operated exclusively on rails or tracks or from overhead electric trolley wires, and vehicles that belong to any police department, municipal fire department, or volunteer fire department, or that are used by such a department in the discharge of its functions.
(B) "Motor vehicle" means any vehicle, including mobile homes and recreational vehicles, that is propelled or drawn by power other than muscular power or power collected from overhead electric trolley wires. "Motor vehicle" does not include motorized bicycles, road rollers, traction engines, power shovels, power cranes, and other equipment used in construction work and not designed for or employed in general highway transportation, well-drilling machinery, ditch-digging machinery, farm machinery, trailers that are used to transport agricultural produce or agricultural production materials between a local place of storage or supply and the farm when drawn or towed on a public road or highway at a speed of twenty-five miles per hour or less, threshing machinery, hay-baling machinery, corn sheller, hammermill and agricultural tractors, machinery used in the production of horticultural, agricultural, and vegetable products, and trailers that are designed and used exclusively to transport a boat between a place of storage and a marina, or in and around a marina, when drawn or towed on a public road or highway for a distance of no more than ten miles and at a speed of twenty-five miles per hour or less.
(C) "Agricultural tractor" and "traction engine" mean any self-propelling vehicle that is designed or used for drawing other vehicles or wheeled machinery, but has no provisions for carrying loads independently of such other vehicles, and that is used principally for agricultural purposes.
(D) "Commercial tractor," except as defined in division (C) of this section, means any motor vehicle that has motive power and either is designed or used for drawing other motor vehicles, or is designed or used for drawing another motor vehicle while carrying a portion of the other motor vehicle or its load, or both.
(E) "Passenger car" means any motor vehicle that is designed and used for carrying not more than nine persons and includes any motor vehicle that is designed and used for carrying not more than fifteen persons in a ridesharing arrangement.
(F) "Collector's vehicle" means any motor vehicle or agricultural tractor or traction engine that is of special interest, that has a fair market value of one hundred dollars or more, whether operable or not, and that is owned, operated, collected, preserved, restored, maintained, or used essentially as a collector's item, leisure pursuit, or investment, but not as the owner's principal means of transportation. "Licensed collector's vehicle" means a collector's vehicle, other than an agricultural tractor or traction engine, that displays current, valid license tags issued under section 4503.45 of the Revised Code, or a similar type of motor vehicle that displays current, valid license tags issued under substantially equivalent provisions in the laws of other states.
(G) "Historical motor vehicle" means any motor vehicle that is over twenty-five years old and is owned solely as a collector's item and for participation in club activities, exhibitions, tours, parades, and similar uses, but that in no event is used for general transportation.
(H) "Noncommercial motor vehicle" means any motor vehicle, including a farm truck as defined in section 4503.04 of the Revised Code, that is designed by the manufacturer to carry a load of no more than one ton and is used exclusively for purposes other than engaging in business for profit.
(I) "Bus" means any motor vehicle that has motor power and is designed and used for carrying more than nine passengers, except any motor vehicle that is designed and used for carrying not more than fifteen passengers in a ridesharing arrangement.
(J) "Commercial car" or "truck" means any motor vehicle that has motor power and is designed and used for carrying merchandise or freight, or that is used as a commercial tractor.
(K) "Bicycle" means every device, other than a tricycle that is designed solely for use as a play vehicle by a child, that is propelled solely by human power upon which any person may ride, and that has either two tandem wheels, or one wheel in front and two wheels in the rear, any of which is more than fourteen inches in diameter.
(L) "Motorized bicycle" means any vehicle that either has two tandem wheels or one wheel in the front and two wheels in the rear, that is capable of being pedaled, and that is equipped with a helper motor of not more than fifty cubic centimeters piston displacement that produces no more than one brake horsepower and is capable of propelling the vehicle at a speed of no greater than twenty miles per hour on a level surface.
(M) "Trailer" means any vehicle without motive power that is designed or used for carrying property or persons wholly on its own structure and for being drawn by a motor vehicle, and includes any such vehicle that is formed by or operated as a combination of a semitrailer and a vehicle of the dolly type such as that commonly known as a trailer dolly, a vehicle used to transport agricultural produce or agricultural production materials between a local place of storage or supply and the farm when drawn or towed on a public road or highway at a speed greater than twenty-five miles per hour, and a vehicle that is designed and used exclusively to transport a boat between a place of storage and a marina, or in and around a marina, when drawn or towed on a public road or highway for a distance of more than ten miles or at a speed of more than twenty-five miles per hour. "Trailer" does not include a manufactured home or travel trailer.
(N) "Noncommercial trailer" means any trailer, except a travel trailer or trailer that is used to transport a boat as described in division (B) of this section, but, where applicable, includes a vehicle that is used to transport a boat as described in division (M) of this section, that has a gross weight of no more than three thousand pounds, and that is used exclusively for purposes other than engaging in business for a profit.
(O) "Mobile home" means a building unit or assembly of closed construction that is fabricated in an off-site facility, is more than thirty-five body feet in length or, when erected on site, is three hundred twenty or more square feet, is built on a permanent chassis, is transportable in one or more sections, and does not qualify as a manufactured home as defined in division (C)(4) of section 3781.06 of the Revised Code or as an industrialized unit as defined in division (C)(3) of section 3781.06 of the Revised Code.
(P) "Semitrailer" means any vehicle of the trailer type that does not have motive power and is so designed or used with another and separate motor vehicle that in operation a part of its own weight or that of its load, or both, rests upon and is carried by the other vehicle furnishing the motive power for propelling itself and the vehicle referred to in this division, and includes, for the purpose only of registration and taxation under those chapters, any vehicle of the dolly type, such as a trailer dolly, that is designed or used for the conversion of a semitrailer into a trailer.
(Q) "Recreational vehicle" means a vehicular portable structure that meets all of the following conditions:
(1) It is designed for the sole purpose of recreational travel.
(2) It is not used for the purpose of engaging in business for profit.
(3) It is not used for the purpose of engaging in intrastate commerce.
(4) It is not used for the purpose of commerce as defined in 49 C.F.R. 383.5, as amended.
(5) It is not regulated by the public utilities commission pursuant to Chapter 4919., 4921., or 4923. of the Revised Code.
(6) It is classed as one of the following:
(a) "Travel trailer" means a nonself-propelled recreational vehicle that does not exceed an overall length of thirty-five feet, exclusive of bumper and tongue or coupling, and contains less than three hundred twenty square feet of space when erected on site. "Travel trailer" includes a tent-type fold-out camping trailer as defined in section 4517.01 of the Revised Code.
(b) "Motor home" means a self-propelled recreational vehicle that has no fifth wheel and is constructed with permanently installed facilities for cold storage, cooking and consuming of food, and for sleeping.
(c) "Truck camper" means a nonself-propelled recreational vehicle that does not have wheels for road use and is designed to be placed upon and attached to a motor vehicle. "Truck camper" does not include truck covers that consist of walls and a roof, but do not have floors and facilities enabling them to be used as a dwelling.
(d) "Fifth wheel trailer" means a vehicle that is of such size and weight as to be movable without a special highway permit, that has a gross trailer area of four hundred square feet or less, that is constructed with a raised forward section that allows a bi-level floor plan, and that is designed to be towed by a vehicle equipped with a fifth-wheel hitch ordinarily installed in the bed of a truck.
(e) "Park trailer" means a vehicle that is commonly known as a park model recreational vehicle, meets the American national standard institute standard A119.5 (1988) for park trailers, is built on a single chassis, has a gross trailer area of four hundred square feet or less when set up, is designed for seasonal or temporary living quarters, and may be connected to utilities necessary for the operation of installed features and appliances.
(R) "Pneumatic tires" means tires of rubber and fabric or tires of similar material, that are inflated with air.
(S) "Solid tires" means tires of rubber or similar elastic material that are not dependent upon confined air for support of the load.
(T) "Solid tire vehicle" means any vehicle that is equipped with two or more solid tires.
(U) "Farm machinery" means all machines and tools that are used in the production, harvesting, and care of farm products, and includes trailers that are used to transport agricultural produce or agricultural production materials between a local place of storage or supply and the farm when drawn or towed on a public road or highway at a speed of twenty-five miles per hour or less.
(V) "Owner" includes any person or firm, other than a manufacturer or dealer, that has title to a motor vehicle, except that, in sections 4505.01 to 4505.19 of the Revised Code, "owner" includes in addition manufacturers and dealers.
(W) "Manufacturer" and "dealer" include all persons and firms that are regularly engaged in the business of manufacturing, selling, displaying, offering for sale, or dealing in motor vehicles, at an established place of business that is used exclusively for the purpose of manufacturing, selling, displaying, offering for sale, or dealing in motor vehicles. A place of business that is used for manufacturing, selling, displaying, offering for sale, or dealing in motor vehicles shall be deemed to be used exclusively for those purposes even though snowmobiles or all-purpose vehicles are sold or displayed for sale thereat, even though farm machinery is sold or displayed for sale thereat, or even though repair, accessory, gasoline and oil, storage, parts, service, or paint departments are maintained thereat, or, in any county having a population of less than seventy-five thousand at the last federal census, even though a department in a place of business is used to dismantle, salvage, or rebuild motor vehicles by means of used parts, if such departments are operated for the purpose of furthering and assisting in the business of manufacturing, selling, displaying, offering for sale, or dealing in motor vehicles. Places of business or departments in a place of business used to dismantle, salvage, or rebuild motor vehicles by means of using used parts are not considered as being maintained for the purpose of assisting or furthering the manufacturing, selling, displaying, and offering for sale or dealing in motor vehicles.
(X) "Operator" includes any person who drives or operates a motor vehicle upon the public highways.
(Y) "Chauffeur" means any operator who operates a motor vehicle, other than a taxicab, as an employee for hire; or any operator whether or not the owner of a motor vehicle, other than a taxicab, who operates such vehicle for transporting, for gain, compensation, or profit, either persons or property owned by another. Any operator of a motor vehicle who is voluntarily involved in a ridesharing arrangement is not considered an employee for hire or operating such vehicle for gain, compensation, or profit.
(Z) "State" includes the territories and federal districts of the United States, and the provinces of Canada.
(AA) "Public roads and highways" for vehicles includes all public thoroughfares, bridges, and culverts.
(BB) "Manufacturer's number" means the manufacturer's original serial number that is affixed to or imprinted upon the chassis or other part of the motor vehicle.
(CC) "Motor number" means the manufacturer's original number that is affixed to or imprinted upon the engine or motor of the vehicle.
(DD) "Distributor" means any person who is authorized by a motor vehicle manufacturer to distribute new motor vehicles to licensed motor vehicle dealers at an established place of business that is used exclusively for the purpose of distributing new motor vehicles to licensed motor vehicle dealers, except when the distributor also is a new motor vehicle dealer, in which case the distributor may distribute at the location of the distributor's licensed dealership.
(EE) "Ridesharing arrangement" means the transportation of persons in a motor vehicle where the transportation is incidental to another purpose of a volunteer driver and includes ridesharing arrangements known as carpools, vanpools, and buspools.
(FF) "Apportionable vehicle" means any vehicle that is used or intended for use in two or more international registration plan member jurisdictions that allocate or proportionally register vehicles, that is used for the transportation of persons for hire or designed, used, or maintained primarily for the transportation of property, and that meets any of the following qualifications:
(1) Is a power unit having a gross vehicle weight in excess of twenty-six thousand pounds;
(2) Is a power unit having three or more axles, regardless of the gross vehicle weight;
(3) Is a combination vehicle with a gross vehicle weight in excess of twenty-six thousand pounds.
"Apportionable vehicle" does not include recreational vehicles, vehicles displaying restricted plates, city pick-up and delivery vehicles, buses used for the transportation of chartered parties, or vehicles owned and operated by the United States, this state, or any political subdivisions thereof.
(GG) "Chartered party" means a group of persons who contract as a group to acquire the exclusive use of a passenger-carrying motor vehicle at a fixed charge for the vehicle in accordance with the carrier's tariff, lawfully on file with the United States department of transportation, for the purpose of group travel to a specified destination or for a particular itinerary, either agreed upon in advance or modified by the chartered group after having left the place of origin.
(HH) "International registration plan" means a reciprocal agreement of member jurisdictions that is endorsed by the American association of motor vehicle administrators, and that promotes and encourages the fullest possible use of the highway system by authorizing apportioned registration of fleets of vehicles and recognizing registration of vehicles apportioned in member jurisdictions.
(II) "Restricted plate" means a license plate that has a restriction of time, geographic area, mileage, or commodity, and includes license plates issued to farm trucks under division (K)(J) of section 4503.04 of the Revised Code.
(JJ) "Gross vehicle weight," with regard to any commercial car, trailer, semitrailer, or bus that is taxed at the rates established under section 4503.042 of the Revised Code, means the unladen weight of the vehicle fully equipped plus the maximum weight of the load to be carried on the vehicle.
(KK) "Combined gross vehicle weight" with regard to any combination of a commercial car, trailer, and semitrailer, that is taxed at the rates established under section 4503.042 of the Revised Code, means the total unladen weight of the combination of vehicles fully equipped plus the maximum weight of the load to be carried on that combination of vehicles.
(LL) "Chauffeured limousine" means a motor vehicle that is designed to carry nine or fewer passengers and is operated for hire on an hourly basis pursuant to a prearranged contract for the transportation of passengers on public roads and highways along a route under the control of the person hiring the vehicle and not over a defined and regular route. "Prearranged contract" means an agreement, made in advance of boarding, to provide transportation from a specific location in a chauffeured limousine at a fixed rate per hour or trip. "Chauffeured limousine" does not include any vehicle that is used exclusively in the business of funeral directing.
(MM) "Manufactured home" has the same meaning as in division (C)(4) of section 3781.06 of the Revised Code.
(NN) "Acquired situs," with respect to a manufactured home or a mobile home, means to become located in this state by the placement of the home on real property, but does not include the placement of a manufactured home or a mobile home in the inventory of a new motor vehicle dealer or the inventory of a manufacturer, remanufacturer, or distributor of manufactured or mobile homes.
(OO) "Electronic" includes electrical, digital, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, or any other form of technology that entails capabilities similar to these technologies.
(PP) "Electronic record" means a record generated, communicated, received, or stored by electronic means for use in an information system or for transmission from one information system to another.
(QQ) "Electronic signature" means a signature in electronic form attached to or logically associated with an electronic record.
(RR) "Financial transaction device" has the same meaning as in division (A) of section 113.40 of the Revised Code.
(SS) "Electronic motor vehicle dealer" means a motor vehicle dealer licensed under Chapter 4517. of the Revised Code whom the registrar of motor vehicles determines meets the criteria designated in section 4503.035 of the Revised Code for electronic motor vehicle dealers and designates as an electronic motor vehicle dealer under that section.
(TT) "Electric personal assistive mobility device" means a self-balancing two non-tandem wheeled device that is designed to transport only one person, has an electric propulsion system of an average of seven hundred fifty watts, and when ridden on a paved level surface by an operator who weighs one hundred seventy pounds has a maximum speed of less than twenty miles per hour.
(TT)(UU) "Limited driving privileges" means the privilege to operate a motor vehicle that a court grants under section 4510.021 of the Revised Code to a person whose driver's or commercial driver's license or permit or nonresident operating privilege has been suspended.
Sec. 4503.10.  (A) The owner of every snowmobile, off-highway motorcycle, and all-purpose vehicle required to be registered under section 4519.02 of the Revised Code shall file an application for registration under section 4519.03 of the Revised Code. The owner of a motor vehicle, other than a snowmobile, off-highway motorcycle, or all-purpose vehicle, that is not designed and constructed by the manufacturer for operation on a street or highway may not register it under this chapter except upon certification of inspection pursuant to section 4513.02 of the Revised Code by the sheriff, or the chief of police of the municipal corporation or township, with jurisdiction over the political subdivision in which the owner of the motor vehicle resides. Except as provided in section 4503.103 of the Revised Code, every owner of every other motor vehicle not previously described in this section and every person mentioned as owner in the last certificate of title of a motor vehicle that is operated or driven upon the public roads or highways shall cause to be filed each year, by mail or otherwise, in the office of the registrar of motor vehicles or a deputy registrar, a written or electronic application or a preprinted registration renewal notice issued under section 4503.102 of the Revised Code, the form of which shall be prescribed by the registrar, for registration for the following registration year, which shall begin on the first day of January of every calendar year and end on the thirty-first day of December in the same year. Applications for registration and registration renewal notices shall be filed at the times established by the registrar pursuant to section 4503.101 of the Revised Code. A motor vehicle owner also may elect to apply for or renew a motor vehicle registration by electronic means using electronic signature in accordance with rules adopted by the registrar. Except as provided in division (J) of this section, applications for registration shall be made on blanks furnished by the registrar for that purpose, containing the following information:
(1) A brief description of the motor vehicle to be registered, including the name of the manufacturer, the factory number of the vehicle, the year's model year, make, model, and vehicle identification number, and, in the case of commercial cars, the gross weight of the vehicle fully equipped computed in the manner prescribed in section 4503.08 of the Revised Code;
(2) The name and residence address of the owner, and the township and municipal corporation in which the owner resides;
(3) The district of registration, which shall be determined as follows:
(a) In case the motor vehicle to be registered is used for hire or principally in connection with any established business or branch business, conducted at a particular place, the district of registration is the municipal corporation in which that place is located or, if not located in any municipal corporation, the county and township in which that place is located.
(b) In case the vehicle is not so used, the district of registration is the municipal corporation or county in which the owner resides at the time of making the application.
(4) Whether the motor vehicle is a new or used motor vehicle;
(5) The date of purchase of the motor vehicle;
(6) Whether the fees required to be paid for the registration or transfer of the motor vehicle, during the preceding registration year and during the preceding period of the current registration year, have been paid. Each application for registration shall be signed by the owner, either manually or by electronic signature, or pursuant to obtaining a limited power of attorney authorized by the registrar for registration, or other document authorizing such signature. If the owner elects to apply for or renew the motor vehicle registration with the registrar by electronic means, the owner's manual signature is not required.
(7) The owner's social security number, if assigned, or, where a motor vehicle to be registered is used for hire or principally in connection with any established business, the owner's federal taxpayer identification number. The bureau of motor vehicles shall retain in its records all social security numbers provided under this section, but the bureau shall not place social security numbers on motor vehicle certificates of registration.
(B) Each time an applicant first registers a motor vehicle in the applicant's name, the applicant shall present for inspection a physical certificate of title or memorandum certificate showing title to the motor vehicle to be registered in the name of the applicant if a physical certificate of title or memorandum certificate has been issued by a clerk of a court of common pleas. If, under sections 4505.021, 4505.06, and 4505.08 of the Revised Code, a clerk instead has issued an electronic certificate of title for the applicant's motor vehicle, that certificate may be presented for inspection at the time of first registration in a manner prescribed by rules adopted by the registrar. When a motor vehicle inspection and maintenance program is in effect under section 3704.14 of the Revised Code and rules adopted under it, each application for registration for a vehicle required to be inspected under that section and those rules shall be accompanied by an inspection certificate for the motor vehicle issued in accordance with that section. The application shall be refused if any of the following applies:
(1) The application is not in proper form.
(2) The application is prohibited from being accepted by division (D) of section 2935.27, division (A) of section 2937.221, division (A) of section 4503.13, division (B) of section 4510.22, or division (B)(1) of section 4521.10 of the Revised Code.
(3) A certificate of title or memorandum certificate of title does not accompany the application or, in the case of an electronic certificate of title, is not presented in a manner prescribed by the registrar's rules.
(4) All registration and transfer fees for the motor vehicle, for the preceding year or the preceding period of the current registration year, have not been paid.
(5) The owner or lessee does not have an inspection certificate for the motor vehicle as provided in section 3704.14 of the Revised Code, and rules adopted under it, if that section is applicable.
This section does not require the payment of license or registration taxes on a motor vehicle for any preceding year, or for any preceding period of a year, if the motor vehicle was not taxable for that preceding year or period under sections 4503.02, 4503.04, 4503.11, 4503.12, and 4503.16 or Chapter 4504. of the Revised Code. When a certificate of registration is issued upon the first registration of a motor vehicle by or on behalf of the owner, the official issuing the certificate shall indicate the issuance with a stamp on the certificate of title or memorandum certificate or, in the case of an electronic certificate of title, an electronic stamp or other notation as specified in rules adopted by the registrar, and with a stamp on the inspection certificate for the motor vehicle, if any. The official also shall indicate, by a stamp or by other means the registrar prescribes, on the registration certificate issued upon the first registration of a motor vehicle by or on behalf of the owner the odometer reading of the motor vehicle as shown in the odometer statement included in or attached to the certificate of title. Upon each subsequent registration of the motor vehicle by or on behalf of the same owner, the official also shall so indicate the odometer reading of the motor vehicle as shown on the immediately preceding certificate of registration.
The registrar shall include in the permanent registration record of any vehicle required to be inspected under section 3704.14 of the Revised Code the inspection certificate number from the inspection certificate that is presented at the time of registration of the vehicle as required under this division.
(C)(1) Commencing with each registration renewal with an expiration date on or after October 1, 2003, and for each initial application for registration received on and after that date, the registrar and each deputy registrar shall collect an additional fee of eleven dollars for each application for registration and registration renewal received. The additional fee is for the purpose of defraying the department of public safety's costs associated with the administration and enforcement of the motor vehicle and traffic laws of Ohio. Each deputy registrar shall transmit the fees collected under division (C)(1) of this section in the time and manner provided in this section. The registrar shall deposit all moneys received under division (C)(1) of this section into the state highway safety fund established in section 4501.06 of the Revised Code.
(2) In addition, a charge of twenty-five cents shall be made for each reflectorized safety license plate issued, and a single charge of twenty-five cents shall be made for each county identification sticker or each set of county identification stickers issued, as the case may be, to cover the cost of producing the license plates and stickers, including material, manufacturing, and administrative costs. Those fees shall be in addition to the license tax. If the total cost of producing the plates is less than twenty-five cents per plate, or if the total cost of producing the stickers is less than twenty-five cents per sticker or per set issued, any excess moneys accruing from the fees shall be distributed in the same manner as provided by section 4501.04 of the Revised Code for the distribution of license tax moneys. If the total cost of producing the plates exceeds twenty-five cents per plate, or if the total cost of producing the stickers exceeds twenty-five cents per sticker or per set issued, the difference shall be paid from the license tax moneys collected pursuant to section 4503.02 of the Revised Code.
(D) Each deputy registrar shall be allowed a fee of two dollars and seventy-five cents commencing on July 1, 2001, three dollars and twenty-five cents commencing on January 1, 2003, and three dollars and fifty cents commencing on January 1, 2004, for each application for registration and registration renewal notice the deputy registrar receives, which shall be for the purpose of compensating the deputy registrar for the deputy registrar's services, and such office and rental expenses, as may be necessary for the proper discharge of the deputy registrar's duties in the receiving of applications and renewal notices and the issuing of registrations.
(E) Upon the certification of the registrar, the county sheriff or local police officials shall recover license plates erroneously or fraudulently issued.
(F) Each deputy registrar, upon receipt of any application for registration or registration renewal notice, together with the license fee and any local motor vehicle license tax levied pursuant to Chapter 4504. of the Revised Code, shall transmit that fee and tax, if any, in the manner provided in this section, together with the original and duplicate copy of the application, to the registrar. The registrar, subject to the approval of the director of public safety, may deposit the funds collected by those deputies in a local bank or depository to the credit of the "state of Ohio, bureau of motor vehicles." Where a local bank or depository has been designated by the registrar, each deputy registrar shall deposit all moneys collected by the deputy registrar into that bank or depository not more than one business day after their collection and shall make reports to the registrar of the amounts so deposited, together with any other information, some of which may be prescribed by the treasurer of state, as the registrar may require and as prescribed by the registrar by rule. The registrar, within three days after receipt of notification of the deposit of funds by a deputy registrar in a local bank or depository, shall draw on that account in favor of the treasurer of state. The registrar, subject to the approval of the director and the treasurer of state, may make reasonable rules necessary for the prompt transmittal of fees and for safeguarding the interests of the state and of counties, townships, municipal corporations, and transportation improvement districts levying local motor vehicle license taxes. The registrar may pay service charges usually collected by banks and depositories for such service. If deputy registrars are located in communities where banking facilities are not available, they shall transmit the fees forthwith, by money order or otherwise, as the registrar, by rule approved by the director and the treasurer of state, may prescribe. The registrar may pay the usual and customary fees for such service.
(G) This section does not prevent any person from making an application for a motor vehicle license directly to the registrar by mail, by electronic means, or in person at any of the registrar's offices, upon payment of a service fee of two dollars and seventy-five cents commencing on July 1, 2001, three dollars and twenty-five cents commencing on January 1, 2003, and three dollars and fifty cents commencing on January 1, 2004, for each application.
(H) No person shall make a false statement as to the district of registration in an application required by division (A) of this section. Violation of this division is falsification under section 2921.13 of the Revised Code and punishable as specified in that section.
(I)(1) Where applicable, the requirements of division (B) of this section relating to the presentation of an inspection certificate issued under section 3704.14 of the Revised Code and rules adopted under it for a motor vehicle, the refusal of a license for failure to present an inspection certificate, and the stamping of the inspection certificate by the official issuing the certificate of registration apply to the registration of and issuance of license plates for a motor vehicle under sections 4503.102, 4503.12, 4503.14, 4503.15, 4503.16, 4503.171, 4503.172, 4503.19, 4503.40, 4503.41, 4503.42, 4503.43, 4503.44, 4503.46, 4503.47, and 4503.51 of the Revised Code.
(2)(a) The registrar shall adopt rules ensuring that each owner registering a motor vehicle in a county where a motor vehicle inspection and maintenance program is in effect under section 3704.14 of the Revised Code and rules adopted under it receives information about the requirements established in that section and those rules and about the need in those counties to present an inspection certificate with an application for registration or preregistration.
(b) Upon request, the registrar shall provide the director of environmental protection, or any person that has been awarded a contract under division (D) of section 3704.14 of the Revised Code, an on-line computer data link to registration information for all passenger cars, noncommercial motor vehicles, and commercial cars that are subject to that section. The registrar also shall provide to the director of environmental protection a magnetic data tape containing registration information regarding passenger cars, noncommercial motor vehicles, and commercial cars for which a multi-year registration is in effect under section 4503.103 of the Revised Code or rules adopted under it, including, without limitation, the date of issuance of the multi-year registration, the registration deadline established under rules adopted under section 4503.101 of the Revised Code that was applicable in the year in which the multi-year registration was issued, and the registration deadline for renewal of the multi-year registration.
(J) Application for registration under the international registration plan, as set forth in sections 4503.60 to 4503.66 of the Revised Code, shall be made to the registrar on forms furnished by the registrar. In accordance with international registration plan guidelines and pursuant to rules adopted by the registrar, the forms shall include the following:
(1) A uniform mileage schedule;
(2) The gross vehicle weight of the vehicle or combined gross vehicle weight of the combination vehicle as declared by the registrant;
(3) Any other information the registrar requires by rule.
Sec. 4503.12.  (A) Upon the transfer of ownership of a motor vehicle, the registration of the motor vehicle expires, and the original owner immediately shall remove the license plates from the motor vehicle, except that:
(1) If a statutory merger or consolidation results in the transfer of ownership of a motor vehicle from a constituent corporation to the surviving corporation, or if the incorporation of a proprietorship or partnership results in the transfer of ownership of a motor vehicle from the proprietorship or partnership to the corporation, the registration shall be continued upon the filing by the surviving or new corporation, within thirty days of such transfer, of an application for an amended certificate of registration, unless such registration is prohibited by division (D) of section 2935.27, division (A) of section 2937.221, division (B) of section 4507.168, or division (B)(1) of section 4521.10 of the Revised Code. The application shall be accompanied by a service fee of two dollars and seventy-five cents commencing on July 1, 2001, three dollars and twenty-five cents commencing on January 1, 2003, and three dollars and fifty cents commencing on January 1, 2004, a transfer fee of one dollar, and the original certificate of registration. Upon a proper filing, the registrar of motor vehicles shall issue an amended certificate of registration in the name of the new owner.
(2) If the death of the owner of a motor vehicle results in the transfer of ownership of the motor vehicle to the surviving spouse of the owner or if a motor vehicle is owned by two persons under joint ownership with right of survivorship established under section 2131.12 of the Revised Code and one of those persons dies, the registration shall be continued upon the filing by the survivor of an application for an amended certificate of registration, unless such registration is prohibited by division (D) of section 2935.27, division (A) of section 2937.221, division (A) of section 4503.13, division (B) of section 4510.22, or division (B)(1) of section 4521.10 of the Revised Code. The application shall be accompanied by a service fee of two dollars and seventy-five cents commencing on July 1, 2001, three dollars and twenty-five cents commencing on January 1, 2003, and three dollars and fifty cents commencing on January 1, 2004, a transfer fee of one dollar, the original certificate of registration, and, in. In relation to a motor vehicle that is owned by two persons under joint ownership with right of survivorship established under section 2131.12 of the Revised Code, the application shall be accompanied by a copy of the certificate of title that specifies that the vehicle is owned under joint ownership with right of survivorship. Upon a proper filing, the registrar shall issue an amended certificate of registration in the name of the survivor.
(3) If the death of the owner of a motor vehicle results in the transfer of ownership of the motor vehicle to a transfer-on-death beneficiary or beneficiaries designated under section 2131.13 of the Revised Code, the registration shall be continued upon the filing by the transfer-on-death beneficiary or beneficiaries of an application for an amended certificate of registration, unless that registration is prohibited by division (D) of section 2935.27, division (A) of section 2937.221, division (A) of section 4503.13, division (B) of section 4510.22, or division (B)(1) of section 4521.10 of the Revised Code. The application shall be accompanied by a service fee of two dollars and seventy-five cents commencing on July 1, 2001, three dollars and twenty-five cents commencing on January 1, 2003, and three dollars and fifty cents commencing on January 1, 2004, a transfer fee of one dollar, the original certificate of registration, and a copy of the certificate of title that specifies that the owner of the motor vehicle has designated the motor vehicle in beneficiary form under section 2131.13 of the Revised Code. Upon a proper filing, the registrar shall issue an amended certificate of registration in the name of the transfer-on-death beneficiary or beneficiaries.
(4) If the original owner of a motor vehicle that has been transferred makes application for the registration of another motor vehicle at any time during the remainder of the registration period for which the transferred motor vehicle was registered, the owner, unless such registration is prohibited by division (D) of section 2935.27, division (A) of section 2937.221, division (A) of section 4503.13, division (E) of section 4503.234, division (B) of section 4510.22, or division (B)(1) of section 4521.10 of the Revised Code, may file an application for transfer of the registration and, where applicable, the license plates, accompanied by a service fee of two dollars and seventy-five cents commencing on July 1, 2001, three dollars and twenty-five cents commencing on January 1, 2003, and three dollars and fifty cents commencing on January 1, 2004, a transfer fee of one dollar, and the original certificate of registration. The transfer of the registration and, where applicable, the license plates from the motor vehicle for which they originally were issued to a succeeding motor vehicle purchased by the same person in whose name the original registration and license plates were issued shall be done within a period not to exceed thirty days. During that thirty-day period, the license plates from the motor vehicle for which they originally were issued may be displayed on the succeeding motor vehicle, and the succeeding motor vehicle may be operated on the public roads and highways in this state.
At the time of application for transfer, the registrar shall compute and collect the amount of tax due on the succeeding motor vehicle, based upon the amount that would be due on a new registration as of the date on which the transfer is made less a credit for the unused portion of the original registration beginning on that date. If the credit exceeds the amount of tax due on the new registration, no refund shall be made. In computing the amount of tax due and credits to be allowed under this division, the provisions of division (B)(1)(a) and (b) of section 4503.11 of the Revised Code shall apply. As to passenger cars, noncommercial vehicles, motor homes, and motorcycles, transfers within or between these classes of motor vehicles only shall be allowed. If the succeeding motor vehicle is of a different class than the motor vehicle for which the registration originally was issued, new license plates also shall be issued upon the surrender of the license plates originally issued and payment of the fees provided in divisions (C) and (D) of section 4503.10 of the Revised Code.
(5) The owner of a commercial car having a gross vehicle weight or combined gross vehicle weight of more than ten thousand pounds may transfer the registration of that commercial car to another commercial car the owner owns without transferring ownership of the first commercial car, unless registration of the second commercial car is prohibited by division (D) of section 2935.27, division (A) of section 2937.221, division (A) of section 4503.13, division (B) of section 4507.168, or division (B)(1) of section 4521.10 of the Revised Code. At any time during the remainder of the registration period for which the first commercial car was registered, the owner may file an application for the transfer of the registration and, where applicable, the license plates, accompanied by a service fee of two dollars and seventy-five cents commencing on July 1, 2001, three dollars and twenty-five cents commencing on January 1, 2003, and three dollars and fifty cents commencing on January 1, 2004, a transfer fee of one dollar, and the certificate of registration of the first commercial car. The amount of any tax due or credit to be allowed for a transfer of registration under this division shall be computed in accordance with division (A)(4) of this section.
No commercial car to which a registration is transferred under this division shall be operated on a public road or highway in this state until after the transfer of registration is completed in accordance with this division.
(6) Upon application to the registrar or a deputy registrar, a person who owns or leases a motor vehicle may transfer special license plates assigned to that vehicle to any other vehicle that the person owns or leases or that is owned or leased by the person's spouse. The application shall be accompanied by a service fee of two dollars and seventy-five cents commencing on July 1, 2001, three dollars and twenty-five cents commencing on January 1, 2003, and three dollars and fifty cents commencing on January 1, 2004, a transfer fee of one dollar, and the original certificate of registration. As appropriate, the application also shall be accompanied by a power of attorney for the registration of a leased vehicle and a written statement releasing the special plates to the applicant. Upon a proper filing, the registrar or deputy registrar shall assign the special license plates to the motor vehicle owned or leased by the applicant and issue a new certificate of registration for that motor vehicle.
(7) If a corporation transfers the ownership of a motor vehicle to an affiliated corporation, the affiliated corporation may apply to the registrar for the transfer of the registration and any license plates. The registrar may require the applicant to submit documentation of the corporate relationship and shall determine whether the application for registration transfer is made in good faith and not for the purposes of circumventing the provisions of this chapter. Upon a proper filing, the registrar shall issue an amended certificate of registration in the name of the new owner.
(B) An application under division (A) of this section shall be accompanied by a service fee of two dollars and seventy-five cents commencing on July 1, 2001, three dollars and twenty-five cents commencing on January 1, 2003, and three dollars and fifty cents commencing on January 1, 2004, a transfer fee of one dollar, and the original certificate of registration, if applicable.
(C) Neither the registrar nor a deputy registrar shall transfer a registration under division (A) of this section if the registration is prohibited by division (D) of section 2935.27, division (A) of section 2937.221, division (A) of section 4503.13, division (D) of section 4503.234, division (B) of section 4510.22, or division (B)(1) of section 4521.10 of the Revised Code.
(D) Whoever violates division (A) of this section is guilty of a misdemeanor of the fourth degree.
(C)(E) As used in division (A)(6) of this section, "special license plates" means either of the following:
(1) Any license plates for which the person to whom the license plates are issued must pay an additional fee in excess of the fees prescribed in section 4503.04 of the Revised Code, Chapter 4504. of the Revised Code, and the service fee prescribed in division (D) or (G) of section 4503.10 of the Revised Code;
(2) License plates issued under section 4503.44 of the Revised Code.
Sec. 4503.44.  (A) As used in this section and in section 4511.69 of the Revised Code:
(1) "Person with a disability that limits or impairs the ability to walk" means any person who, as determined by a physician or chiropractor, meets any of the following criteria:
(a) Cannot walk two hundred feet without stopping to rest;
(b) Cannot walk without the use of, or assistance from, a brace, cane, crutch, another person, prosthetic device, wheelchair, or other assistive device;
(c) Is restricted by a lung disease to such an extent that the person's forced (respiratory) expiratory volume for one second, when measured by spirometry, is less than one liter, or the arterial oxygen tension is less than sixty millimeters of mercury on room air at rest;
(d) Uses portable oxygen;
(e) Has a cardiac condition to the extent that the person's functional limitations are classified in severity as class III or class IV according to standards set by the American heart association;
(f) Is severely limited in the ability to walk due to an arthritic, neurological, or orthopedic condition;
(g) Is blind.
(2) "Organization" means any private organization or corporation, or any governmental board, agency, department, division, or office, that, as part of its business or program, transports persons with disabilities that limit or impair the ability to walk on a regular basis in a motor vehicle that has not been altered for the purpose of providing it with special equipment for use by handicapped persons. This definition does not apply to division (J) of this section.
(3) "Physician" means a person licensed to practice medicine or surgery or osteopathic medicine and surgery under Chapter 4731. of the Revised Code.
(4) "Chiropractor" means a person licensed to practice chiropractic under Chapter 4734. of the Revised Code.
(B) Any organization or person with a disability that limits or impairs the ability to walk may apply to the registrar of motor vehicles for a removable windshield placard or, if the person owns or leases a motor vehicle, the person may apply for the registration of any motor vehicle the person owns or leases. In addition to one or more sets of license plates or one placard, a person with a disability that limits or impairs the ability to walk is entitled to one additional placard, but only if the person applies separately for the additional placard, states the reasons why the additional placard is needed, and the registrar, in the registrar's discretion, determines that good and justifiable cause exists to approve the request for the additional placard. When a motor vehicle has been altered for the purpose of providing it with special equipment for a person with a disability that limits or impairs the ability to walk, but is owned or leased by someone other than such a person, the owner or lessee may apply to the registrar or a deputy registrar for registration under this section. The application for registration of a motor vehicle owned or leased by a person with a disability that limits or impairs the ability to walk shall be accompanied by a signed statement from the applicant's personal physician or chiropractor certifying that the applicant meets at least one of the criteria contained in division (A)(1) of this section and that the disability is expected to continue for more than six consecutive months. The application for a removable windshield placard made by a person with a disability that limits or impairs the ability to walk shall be accompanied by a prescription from the applicant's personal physician or chiropractor prescribing such a placard for the applicant, and by a signed statement certifying provided that the applicant meets at least one of the criteria contained in division (A)(1) of this section. The physician or chiropractor shall state on the prescription the length of time the physician or chiropractor expects the applicant to have the disability that limits or impairs the applicant's ability to walk. The application for a removable windshield placard made by an organization shall be accompanied by such documentary evidence of regular transport of persons with disabilities that limit or impair the ability to walk by the organization as the registrar may require by rule and shall be completed in accordance with procedures that the registrar may require by rule. The application for registration of a motor vehicle that has been altered for the purpose of providing it with special equipment for a person with a disability that limits or impairs the ability to walk but is owned by someone other than such a person shall be accompanied by such documentary evidence of vehicle alterations as the registrar may require by rule.
(C) When an organization, a person with a disability that limits or impairs the ability to walk, or a person who does not have a disability that limits or impairs the ability to walk but owns a motor vehicle that has been altered for the purpose of providing it with special equipment for a person with a disability that limits or impairs the ability to walk first submits an application for registration of a motor vehicle under this section and every fifth year thereafter, the organization or person shall submit a signed statement from the applicant's personal physician or chiropractor, a completed application, and any required documentary evidence of vehicle alterations as provided in division (B) of this section, and also a power of attorney from the owner of the motor vehicle if the applicant leases the vehicle. Upon submission of these items, the registrar or deputy registrar shall issue to the applicant appropriate vehicle registration and a set of license plates and validation stickers, or validation stickers alone when required by section 4503.191 of the Revised Code. In addition to the letters and numbers ordinarily inscribed thereon, the license plates shall be imprinted with the international symbol of access. The license plates and validation stickers shall be issued upon payment of the regular license fee as prescribed under section 4503.04 of the Revised Code and any motor vehicle tax levied under Chapter 4504. of the Revised Code, and the payment of a service fee equal to the amount specified in division (D) or (G) of section 4503.10 of the Revised Code.
(D)(1) Upon receipt of a completed and signed application for a removable windshield placard, a prescription as described in division (B) of this section, documentary evidence of regular transport of persons with disabilities that limit or impair the ability to walk, if required, and payment of a service fee equal to the amount specified in division (D) or (G) of section 4503.10 of the Revised Code, the registrar or deputy registrar shall issue to the applicant a removable windshield placard, which shall bear the date of expiration on both sides of the placard and shall be valid until expired, revoked, or surrendered. Every removable windshield placard expires as described in division (D)(2) of this section, but in no case shall a removable windshield placard be valid for a period of less than sixty days. Removable windshield placards shall be renewable upon application as provided in division (B) of this section, and a service fee equal to the amount specified in division (D) or (G) of section 4503.10 of the Revised Code shall be charged for the renewal of a removable windshield placard. The registrar shall provide the application form and shall determine the information to be included thereon. The registrar also shall determine the form and size of the removable windshield placard, the material of which it is to be made, and any other information to be included thereon, and shall adopt rules relating to the issuance, expiration, revocation, surrender, and proper display of such placards. Any placard issued after October 14, 1999, shall be manufactured in a manner that allows the expiration date of the placard to be indicated on it through the punching, drilling, boring, or creation by any other means of holes in the placard.
(2) At the time a removable windshield placard is issued to a person with a disability that limits or impairs the ability to walk, the registrar or deputy registrar shall enter into the records of the bureau of motor vehicles the last date on which the person will have that disability, as indicated on the accompanying prescription. Not less than thirty days prior to that date and all removable windshield placard renewal dates, the bureau shall send a renewal notice to that person at the person's last known address as shown in the records of the bureau, informing the person that the person's removable windshield placard will expire on the indicated date not to exceed five years from the date of issuance, and that the person is required to renew the placard by submitting to the registrar or a deputy registrar another prescription, as described in division (B) of this section, and by complying with the renewal provisions prescribed in division (D)(1) of this section. If such a prescription is not received by the registrar or a deputy registrar by that date, the placard issued to that person expires and no longer is valid, and this fact shall be recorded in the records of the bureau.
(3) At least once every year, on a date determined by the registrar, the bureau shall examine the records of the office of vital statistics, located within the department of health, that pertain to deceased persons, and also the bureau's records of all persons who have been issued removable windshield placards and temporary removable windshield placards. If the records of the office of vital statistics indicate that a person to whom a removable windshield placard or temporary removable windshield placard has been issued is deceased, the bureau shall cancel that placard, and note the cancellation in its records.
The office of vital statistics shall make available to the bureau all information necessary to enable the bureau to comply with division (D)(3) of this section.
(4) Nothing in this section shall be construed to require a person or organization to apply for a removable windshield placard or special license plates if the parking card or special license plates issued to the person or organization under prior law have not expired or been surrendered or revoked.
(E) Any person with a disability that limits or impairs the ability to walk may apply to the registrar or a deputy registrar for a temporary removable windshield placard. The application for a temporary removable windshield placard shall be accompanied by a prescription from the applicant's personal physician or chiropractor prescribing such a placard for the applicant, and by a signed statement certifying provided that the applicant meets at least one of the criteria contained in division (A)(1) of this section and that the disability is expected to continue for six consecutive months or less. The physician or chiropractor shall state on the prescription the length of time the physician or chiropractor expects the applicant to have the disability that limits or impairs the applicant's ability to walk, which cannot exceed six months from the date of the prescription. Upon receipt of an application for a temporary removable windshield placard, presentation of the prescription and the signed statement from the applicant's personal physician or chiropractor, and payment of a service fee equal to the amount specified in division (D) or (G) of section 4503.10 of the Revised Code, the registrar or deputy registrar shall issue to the applicant a temporary removable windshield placard. The temporary removable windshield placard shall be of the same size and form as the removable windshield placard, shall be printed in white on a red-colored background, and shall bear the word "temporary" in letters of such size as the registrar shall prescribe. A temporary removable windshield placard also shall bear the date of expiration on the front and back of the placard, and shall be valid until expired, surrendered, or revoked, but in no case shall such a placard be valid for a period of less than sixty days. The registrar shall provide the application form and shall determine the information to be included on it. The registrar also shall determine the material of which the temporary removable windshield placard is to be made and any other information to be included on the placard and shall adopt rules relating to the issuance, expiration, surrender, revocation, and proper display of those placards. Any temporary removable windshield placard issued after October 14, 1999, shall be manufactured in a manner that allows for the expiration date of the placard to be indicated on it through the punching, drilling, boring, or creation by any other means of holes in the placard.
(F) If an applicant for a removable windshield placard is a veteran of the armed forces of the United States whose disability, as defined in division (A)(1) of this section, is service-connected, the registrar or deputy registrar, upon receipt of the application, presentation of a signed statement from the applicant's personal physician or chiropractor certifying the applicant's disability, and presentation of such documentary evidence from the department of veterans affairs that the disability of the applicant meets at least one of the criteria identified in division (A)(1) of this section and is service-connected as the registrar may require by rule, but without the payment of any service fee, shall issue the applicant a removable windshield placard that is valid until expired, surrendered, or revoked.
Upon a conviction of a violation of division (H), (I), or (J) of this section, the court shall report the conviction, and send the placard or parking card, if available, to the registrar, who thereupon shall revoke the privilege of using the placard or parking card and send notice in writing to the placardholder or cardholder at that holder's last known address as shown in the records of the bureau, and the placardholder or cardholder shall return the placard or card if not previously surrendered to the court, to the registrar within ten days following mailing of the notice.
Whenever a person to whom a removable windshield placard or parking card has been issued moves to another state, the person shall surrender the placard or card to the registrar; and whenever an organization to which a placard or card has been issued changes its place of operation to another state, the organization shall surrender the placard or card to the registrar.
(G) Subject to division (F) of section 4511.69 of the Revised Code, the operator of a motor vehicle displaying a removable windshield placard, temporary removable windshield placard, parking card, or the special license plates authorized by this section is entitled to park the motor vehicle in any special parking location reserved for persons with disabilities that limit or impair the ability to walk, also known as handicapped parking spaces or disability parking spaces.
(H) No person or organization that is not eligible under division (B) or (E) of this section shall willfully and falsely represent that the person or organization is so eligible.
No person or organization shall display license plates issued under this section unless the license plates have been issued for the vehicle on which they are displayed and are valid.
(I) No person or organization to which a removable windshield placard or temporary removable windshield placard is issued shall do either of the following:
(1) Display or permit the display of the placard on any motor vehicle when having reasonable cause to believe the motor vehicle is being used in connection with an activity that does not include providing transportation for persons with disabilities that limit or impair the ability to walk;
(2) Refuse to return or surrender the placard, when required.
(J)(1) No person or organization to which a parking card is issued shall do either of the following:
(a) Display or permit the display of the parking card on any motor vehicle when having reasonable cause to believe the motor vehicle is being used in connection with an activity that does not include providing transportation for a handicapped person;
(b) Refuse to return or surrender the parking card, when required.
(2) As used in division (J) of this section:
(a) "Handicapped person" means any person who has lost the use of one or both legs or one or both arms, who is blind, deaf, or so severely handicapped as to be unable to move about without the aid of crutches or a wheelchair, or whose mobility is restricted by a permanent cardiovascular, pulmonary, or other handicapping condition.
(b) "Organization" means any private organization or corporation, or any governmental board, agency, department, division, or office, that, as part of its business or program, transports handicapped persons on a regular basis in a motor vehicle that has not been altered for the purposes of providing it with special equipment for use by handicapped persons.
(K) If a removable windshield placard, temporary removable windshield placard, or parking card is lost, destroyed, or mutilated, the placardholder or cardholder may obtain a duplicate by doing both of the following:
(1) Furnishing suitable proof of the loss, destruction, or mutilation to the registrar;
(2) Paying a service fee equal to the amount specified in division (D) or (G) of section 4503.10 of the Revised Code.
Any placardholder or cardholder who loses a placard or card and, after obtaining a duplicate, finds the original, immediately shall surrender the original placard or card to the registrar.
(L) The registrar shall pay all fees received under this section for the issuance of removable windshield placards or temporary removable windshield placards or duplicate removable windshield placards or cards into the state treasury to the credit of the state bureau of motor vehicles fund created in section 4501.25 of the Revised Code.
(M) For purposes of enforcing this section, every peace officer is deemed to be an agent of the registrar. Any peace officer or any authorized employee of the bureau of motor vehicles who, in the performance of duties authorized by law, becomes aware of a person whose placard or parking card has been revoked pursuant to this section, may confiscate that placard or parking card and return it to the registrar. The registrar shall prescribe any forms used by law enforcement agencies in administering this section.
No peace officer, law enforcement agency employing a peace officer, or political subdivision or governmental agency employing a peace officer, and no employee of the bureau is liable in a civil action for damages or loss to persons arising out of the performance of any duty required or authorized by this section. As used in this division, "peace officer" has the same meaning as in division (B) of section 2935.01 of the Revised Code.
(N) All applications for registration of motor vehicles, removable windshield placards, and temporary removable windshield placards issued under this section, all renewal notices for such items, and all other publications issued by the bureau that relate to this section shall set forth the criminal penalties that may be imposed upon a person who violates any provision relating to special license plates issued under this section, the parking of vehicles displaying such license plates, and the issuance, procurement, use, and display of removable windshield placards and temporary removable windshield placards issued under this section.
(O) Whoever violates this section is guilty of a misdemeanor of the fourth degree.
Sec. 4505.11.  (A) Each owner of a motor vehicle and each person mentioned as owner in the last certificate of title, when the motor vehicle is dismantled, destroyed, or changed in such manner that it loses its character as a motor vehicle, or changed in such manner that it is not the motor vehicle described in the certificate of title, shall surrender the certificate of title to that motor vehicle to a clerk of a court of common pleas, and the clerk, with the consent of any holders of any liens noted on the certificate of title, then shall enter a cancellation upon the clerk's records and shall notify the registrar of motor vehicles of the cancellation.
Upon the cancellation of a certificate of title in the manner prescribed by this section, any clerk and the registrar of motor vehicles may cancel and destroy all certificates and all memorandum certificates in that chain of title.
(B) If an Ohio certificate of title or salvage certificate of title to a motor vehicle is assigned to a salvage dealer, the dealer is not required to obtain an Ohio certificate of title or a salvage certificate of title to the motor vehicle in the dealer's own name if the dealer dismantles or destroys the motor vehicle, indicates the number of the dealer's motor vehicle salvage dealer's license on it, marks "FOR DESTRUCTION" across the face of the certificate of title or salvage certificate of title, and surrenders the certificate of title or salvage certificate of title to a clerk of a court of common pleas as provided in division (A) of this section. If the salvage dealer retains the motor vehicle for resale, the dealer shall make application for a salvage certificate of title to the motor vehicle in the dealer's own name as provided in division (C)(1) of this section.
(C)(1) When an insurance company declares it economically impractical to repair such a motor vehicle and has paid an agreed price for the purchase of the motor vehicle to any insured or claimant owner, the insurance company shall receive the certificate of title and the motor vehicle and proceed as follows. Within thirty days, the insurance company shall deliver the certificate of title to a clerk of a court of common pleas and shall make application for a salvage certificate of title. The clerk shall issue the salvage certificate of title on a form, prescribed by the registrar, that shall be easily distinguishable from the original certificate of title and shall bear the same number and information as the original certificate of title except that it may bear a different number than that of the original certificate of title. Except as provided in division (C)(2) of this section, the salvage certificate of title shall be assigned by the insurance company to a salvage dealer or any other person for use as evidence of ownership upon the sale or other disposition of the motor vehicle, and the salvage certificate of title shall be transferrable to any other person. The clerk shall charge a fee of four dollars for the cost of processing each salvage certificate of title.
(2) If an insurance company considers a motor vehicle as described in division (C)(1) of this section to be impossible to restore for highway operation, the insurance company may assign the certificate of title to the motor vehicle to a salvage dealer or scrap metal processing facility and send the assigned certificate of title to the clerk of the court of common pleas of the any county in which the salvage dealer or scrap metal processing facility is located. The insurance company shall mark the face of the certificate of title "FOR DESTRUCTION" and shall deliver a photocopy of the certificate of title to the salvage dealer or scrap metal processing facility for its records.
(3) If an insurance company declares it economically impractical to repair a motor vehicle, agrees to pay to the insured or claimant owner an amount in settlement of a claim against a policy of motor vehicle insurance covering the motor vehicle, and agrees to permit the insured or claimant owner to retain possession of the motor vehicle, the insurance company shall not pay the insured or claimant owner any amount in settlement of the insurance claim until the owner obtains a salvage certificate of title to the vehicle and furnishes a copy of the salvage certificate of title to the insurance company.
(D) When a self-insured organization, rental or leasing company, or secured creditor becomes the owner of a motor vehicle that is burned, damaged, or dismantled and is determined to be economically impractical to repair, the self-insured organization, rental or leasing company, or secured creditor shall do one of the following:
(1) Mark the face of the certificate of title to the motor vehicle "FOR DESTRUCTION" and surrender the certificate of title to a clerk of a court of common pleas for cancellation as described in division (A) of this section. The self-insured organization, rental or leasing company, or secured creditor then shall deliver the motor vehicle, together with a photocopy of the certificate of title, to a salvage dealer or scrap metal processing facility and shall cause the motor vehicle to be dismantled, flattened, crushed, or destroyed.
(2) Obtain a salvage certificate of title to the motor vehicle in the name of the self-insured organization, rental or leasing company, or secured creditor, as provided in division (C)(1) of this section, and then sell or otherwise dispose of the motor vehicle. If the motor vehicle is sold, the self-insured organization, rental or leasing company, or secured creditor shall obtain a salvage certificate of title to the motor vehicle in the name of the purchaser from a clerk of a court of common pleas.
(E) If a motor vehicle titled with a salvage certificate of title is restored for operation upon the highways, application shall be made to a clerk of a court of common pleas for a certificate of title. Upon inspection by the state highway patrol, which shall include establishing proof of ownership and an inspection of the motor number and vehicle identification number of the motor vehicle and of documentation or receipts for the materials used in restoration by the owner of the motor vehicle being inspected, which documentation or receipts shall be presented at the time of inspection, the clerk, upon surrender of the salvage certificate of title, shall issue a certificate of title for a fee prescribed by the registrar. The certificate of title shall be in the same form as the original certificate of title, shall bear the same number as the salvage certificate of title and the original certificate of title, and shall bear the words "REBUILT SALVAGE" in black boldface letters on its face. Every subsequent certificate of title, memorandum certificate of title, or duplicate certificate of title issued for the motor vehicle also shall bear the words "REBUILT SALVAGE" in black boldface letters on its face. The exact location on the face of the certificate of title of the words "REBUILT SALVAGE" shall be determined by the registrar, who shall develop an automated procedure within the automated title processing system to comply with this division. The clerk shall use reasonable care in performing the duties imposed on the clerk by this division in issuing a certificate of title pursuant to this division, but the clerk is not liable for any of the clerk's errors or omissions or those of the clerk's deputies, or the automated title processing system in the performance of those duties. A fee of fifty dollars shall be assessed by the state highway patrol for each inspection made pursuant to this division and shall be deposited into the state highway safety fund established by section 4501.06 of the Revised Code.
(F) No person shall operate upon the highways in this state a motor vehicle, title to which is evidenced by a salvage certificate of title, except to deliver the motor vehicle pursuant to an appointment for an inspection under this section.
(G) No motor vehicle the certificate of title to which has been marked "FOR DESTRUCTION" and surrendered to a clerk of a court of common pleas shall be used for anything except parts and scrap metal.
(H)(1) Except as otherwise provided in this division, an owner of a manufactured or mobile home that will be taxed as real property pursuant to division (B) of section 4503.06 of the Revised Code shall surrender the certificate of title to the auditor of the county containing the taxing district in which the home is located. An owner whose home qualifies for real property taxation under divisions (B)(1)(a) and (b) of section 4503.06 of the Revised Code shall surrender the certificate within fifteen days after the home meets the conditions specified in those divisions. The auditor shall deliver the certificate of title to the clerk of the court of common pleas who issued it.
(2) If the certificate of title for a manufactured or mobile home that is to be taxed as real property is held by a lienholder, the lienholder shall surrender the certificate of title to the auditor of the county containing the taxing district in which the home is located, and the auditor shall deliver the certificate of title to the clerk of the court of common pleas who issued it. The lienholder shall surrender the certificate within thirty days after both of the following have occurred:
(a) The homeowner has provided written notice to the lienholder requesting that the certificate of title be surrendered to the auditor of the county containing the taxing district in which the home is located.
(b) The homeowner has either paid the lienholder the remaining balance owed to the lienholder, or, with the lienholder's consent, executed and delivered to the lienholder a mortgage on the home and land on which the home is sited in the amount of the remaining balance owed to the lienholder.
(3) Upon the delivery of a certificate of title by the county auditor to the clerk, the clerk shall inactivate it and retain it for a period of thirty years.
(4) Upon application by the owner of a manufactured or mobile home that is taxed as real property pursuant to division (B) of section 4503.06 of the Revised Code and that no longer satisfies divisions (B)(1)(a) and (b) or divisions (B)(2)(a) and (b) of that section, the clerk shall reactivate the record of the certificate of title that was inactivated under division (H)(3) of this section and shall issue a new certificate of title, but only if the application contains or has attached to it all of the following:
(a) An endorsement of the county treasurer that all real property taxes charged against the home under Title LVII of the Revised Code and division (B) of section 4503.06 of the Revised Code for all preceding tax years have been paid;
(b) An endorsement of the county auditor that the home will be removed from the real property tax list;
(c) Proof that there are no outstanding mortgages or other liens on the home or, if there are such mortgages or other liens, that the mortgagee or lienholder has consented to the reactivation of the certificate of title.
(I)(1) Whoever violates division (F) of this section shall be fined not more than two thousand dollars, imprisoned not more than one year, or both.
(2) Whoever violates division (G) of this section shall be fined not more than one thousand dollars, imprisoned not more than six months, or both.
Sec. 4506.01.  As used in this chapter:
(A) "Alcohol concentration" means the concentration of alcohol in a person's blood, breath, or urine. When expressed as a percentage, it means grams of alcohol per the following:
(1) One hundred milliliters of whole blood, blood serum, or blood plasma;
(2) Two hundred ten liters of breath;
(3) One hundred milliliters of urine.
(B) "School bus" has the same meaning as in section 4511.01 of the Revised Code.
(C) "Commercial driver's license" means a license issued in accordance with this chapter that authorizes an individual to drive a commercial motor vehicle.
(D) "Commercial driver license information system" means the information system established pursuant to the requirements of the "Commercial Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1986," 100 Stat. 3207-171, 49 U.S.C.A. App. 2701.
(E) Except when used in section 4506.25 of the Revised Code, "commercial motor vehicle" means any motor vehicle designed or used to transport persons or property that meets any of the following qualifications:
(1) Any combination of vehicles with a combined gross vehicle weight rating of twenty-six thousand one pounds or more, provided the gross vehicle weight rating of the vehicle or vehicles being towed is in excess of ten thousand pounds;
(2) Any single vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating of twenty-six thousand one pounds or more, or any such vehicle towing a vehicle having a gross vehicle weight rating that is not in excess of ten thousand pounds;
(3) Any single vehicle or combination of vehicles that is not a class A or class B vehicle, but that either is designed to transport sixteen or more passengers including the driver, or is placarded for hazardous materials;
(4) Any school bus with a gross vehicle weight rating of less than twenty-six thousand one pounds that is designed to transport fewer than sixteen passengers including the driver;
(5) Is transporting hazardous materials for which placarding is required by regulations adopted under the "Hazardous Materials Transportation Act," 88 Stat. 2156 (1975), 49 U.S.C.A. 1801, as amended;
(6) Any single vehicle or combination of vehicles that is designed to be operated and to travel on a public street or highway and is considered by the federal highway administration to be a commercial motor vehicle, including, but not limited to, a motorized crane, a vehicle whose function is to pump cement, a rig for drilling wells, and a portable crane.
(F) "Controlled substance" means all of the following:
(1) Any substance classified as a controlled substance under the "Controlled Substances Act," 80 Stat. 1242 (1970), 21 U.S.C.A. 802(6), as amended;
(2) Any substance included in schedules I through V of 21 C.F.R. part 1308, as amended;
(3) Any drug of abuse.
(G) "Conviction" means an unvacated adjudication of guilt or a determination that a person has violated or failed to comply with the law in a court of original jurisdiction or an authorized administrative tribunal, an unvacated forfeiture of bail or collateral deposited to secure the person's appearance in court, the payment of a fine or court cost, or violation of a condition of release without bail, regardless of whether or not the penalty is rebated, suspended, or probated.
(H) "Disqualification" means withdrawal of the privilege to drive a commercial motor vehicle.
(I) "Drive" means to drive, operate, or be in physical control of a motor vehicle.
(J) "Driver" means any person who drives, operates, or is in physical control of a commercial motor vehicle or is required to have a commercial driver's license.
(K) "Driver's license" means a license issued by the bureau of motor vehicles that authorizes an individual to drive.
(L) "Drug of abuse" means any controlled substance, dangerous drug as defined in section 4729.01 of the Revised Code, or over-the-counter medication that, when taken in quantities exceeding the recommended dosage, can result in impairment of judgment or reflexes.
(M) "Employer" means any person, including the federal government, any state, and a political subdivision of any state, that owns or leases a commercial motor vehicle or assigns a person to drive such a motor vehicle.
(N) "Endorsement" means an authorization on a person's commercial driver's license that is required to permit the person to operate a specified type of commercial motor vehicle.
(O) "Felony" means any offense under federal or state law that is punishable by death or specifically classified as a felony under the law of this state, regardless of the penalty that may be imposed.
(P) "Foreign jurisdiction" means any jurisdiction other than a state.
(Q) "Gross vehicle weight rating" means the value specified by the manufacturer as the maximum loaded weight of a single or a combination vehicle. The gross vehicle weight rating of a combination vehicle is the gross vehicle weight rating of the power unit plus the gross vehicle weight rating of each towed unit.
(R) "Hazardous materials" means materials identified as such under regulations adopted under the "Hazardous Materials Transportation Act," 88 Stat. 2156 (1975), 49 U.S.C.A. 1801, as amended.
(S) "Motor vehicle" has the same meaning as in section 4511.01 of the Revised Code.
(T) Except when used in sections 4506.25 and 4506.26 of the Revised Code, "out-of-service order" means a temporary prohibition against driving a commercial motor vehicle issued under this chapter or a similar law of another state or of a foreign jurisdiction.
(U) "Residence" means any person's residence determined in accordance with standards prescribed in rules adopted by the registrar.
(V) "Temporary residence" means residence on a temporary basis as determined by the registrar in accordance with standards prescribed in rules adopted by the registrar.
(W) "Serious traffic violation" means a conviction arising from the operation of a commercial motor vehicle that involves any of the following:
(1) A single charge of any speed that is in excess of the posted speed limit by an amount specified by the United States secretary of transportation and that the director of public safety designates as such by rule;
(2) Violation of section 4511.20, 4511.201, or 4511.202 of the Revised Code or any similar ordinance or resolution, or of any similar law of another state or political subdivision of another state;
(3) Violation of a law of this state or an ordinance or resolution relating to traffic control, other than a parking violation, or of any similar law of another state or political subdivision of another state, that results in a fatal accident;
(4) Violation of any other law of this state or an ordinance or resolution relating to traffic control, other than a parking violation, that is determined to be a serious traffic violation by the United States secretary of transportation and the director designates as such by rule.
(X) "State" means a state of the United States and includes the District of Columbia.
(Y) "Tank vehicle" means any commercial motor vehicle that is designed to transport any liquid and has a maximum capacity greater than one hundred nineteen gallons or is designed to transport gaseous materials and has a water capacity greater than one thousand pounds within a tank that is either permanently or temporarily attached to the vehicle or its chassis. "Tank vehicle" does not include either any of the following:
(1) Any portable tank having a rated capacity of less than one thousand gallons;
(2) Tanks used exclusively as a fuel tank for the motor vehicle to which it is attached;
(3) An empty storage container tank that is not designed for transportation and that is readily distinguishable from a transportation tank;
(4) Ready-mix concrete mixers.
(Z) "United States" means the fifty states and the District of Columbia.
(AA) "Vehicle" has the same meaning as in section 4511.01 of the Revised Code.
(BB) "Peace officer" has the same meaning as in section 2935.01 of the Revised Code.
(CC) "Portable tank" means a liquid or gaseous packaging designed primarily to be loaded on or temporarily attached to a vehicle and equipped with skids, mountings, or accessories to facilitate handling of the tank by mechanical means.
Sec. 4506.11.  (A) Every commercial driver's license shall be marked "commercial driver's license" or "CDL" and shall be of such material and so designed as to prevent its reproduction or alteration without ready detection, and, to this end, shall be laminated with a transparent plastic material. The commercial driver's license for licensees under twenty-one years of age shall have characteristics prescribed by the registrar of motor vehicles distinguishing it from that issued to a licensee who is twenty-one years of age or older. Every commercial driver's license shall display all of the following information:
(1) The name and residence address of the licensee;
(2) A color photograph of the licensee;
(3) A physical description of the licensee, including sex, height, weight, and color of eyes and hair;
(4) The licensee's date of birth;
(5) The licensee's social security number if the person has requested that the number be displayed in accordance with section 4501.31 of the Revised Code or if federal law requires the social security number to be displayed and any number or other identifier the director of public safety considers appropriate and establishes by rules adopted under Chapter 119. of the Revised Code and in compliance with federal law.;
(6) The licensee's signature;
(7) The classes of commercial motor vehicles the licensee is authorized to drive and any endorsements or restrictions relating to the licensee's driving of those vehicles;
(8) A space marked "blood type" in which the licensee may specify the licensee's blood type;
(9) The name of this state;
(10)(9) The dates of issuance and of expiration of the license;
(11)(10) If the licensee has certified willingness to make an anatomical donation under section 2108.04 of the Revised Code, any symbol chosen by the registrar of motor vehicles to indicate that the licensee has certified that willingness;
(12)(11) If the licensee has executed a durable power of attorney for health care or a declaration governing the use or continuation, or the withholding or withdrawal, of life-sustaining treatment and has specified that the licensee wishes the license to indicate that the licensee has executed either type of instrument, any symbol chosen by the registrar to indicate that the licensee has executed either type of instrument;
(13)(12) Any other information the registrar considers advisable and requires by rule.
(B) The registrar may establish and maintain a file of negatives of photographs taken for the purposes of this section.
(C) Neither the registrar nor any deputy registrar shall issue a commercial driver's license to anyone under twenty-one years of age that does not have the characteristics prescribed by the registrar distinguishing it from the commercial driver's license issued to persons who are twenty-one years of age or older.
(D) Whoever violates division (C) of this section is guilty of a minor misdemeanor.
Sec. 4506.12.  (A) Commercial drivers' licenses shall be issued in the following classes and shall include any endorsements and restrictions that are applicable. Subject to any such endorsements and restrictions, the holder of a valid commercial driver's license may drive all commercial motor vehicles in the class for which that license is issued and all lesser classes of vehicles, except that the holder shall not operate a motorcycle unless the holder is licensed to do so under Chapter 4507. of the Revised Code.
(B) The classes of commercial drivers' licenses and the commercial motor vehicles that they authorize the operation of are as follows:
(1) Class A--any combination of vehicles with a combined gross vehicle weight rating of twenty-six thousand one pounds or more, if the gross vehicle weight rating of the vehicle or vehicles being towed is in excess of ten thousand pounds.
(2) Class B--any single vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating of twenty-six thousand one pounds or more or any such vehicle towing a vehicle having a gross vehicle weight rating that is not in excess of ten thousand pounds.
(3) Class C--any single vehicle, or combination of vehicles, that is not a class A or class B vehicle, but that either is designed to transport sixteen or more passengers, including the driver, or is placarded for hazardous materials and any school bus with a gross vehicle weight rating of less than twenty-six thousand one pounds that is designed to transport fewer than sixteen passengers including the driver.
(C) The following endorsements and restrictions apply to commercial drivers' licenses:
(1) H--authorizes the driver to drive a vehicle transporting hazardous materials;
(2) K--restricts the driver to only intrastate operation;
(3) L--restricts the driver to vehicles not equipped with air brakes;
(4) T--authorizes the driver to drive double and triple trailers;
(5) P--authorizes the driver to drive vehicles carrying passengers;
(6) P1--authorizes the driver to drive class A vehicles with fewer than fifteen passengers and all lesser classes of vehicles without restriction as to the number of passengers;
(7) P2--authorizes the driver to drive class A or B vehicles with fewer than fifteen passengers and all lesser classes of vehicles without restriction as to the number of passengers;
(8) P3--restricts the driver to driving class B school buses;
(9) P4--Restricts the driver to driving class C school buses designed to transport fewer than sixteen passengers including the driver.
(10) N--authorizes the driver to drive tank vehicles;
(11) S--authorizes the driver to drive school buses;
(12) X--authorizes the driver to drive tank vehicles transporting hazardous materials;
(13) W--restricts the driver to the operation of commercial motor vehicles in accordance with a waiver for farm-related service industries issued under section 4506.24 of the Revised Code.
(D) In addition to any endorsement that otherwise may apply, a person who is engaged in the towing of a disabled or wrecked motor vehicle shall hold a commercial driver's license bearing any endorsement required to drive the towed vehicle except the driver is not required to have either of the following:
(1) A passenger endorsement to tow an unoccupied passenger car;
(2) Any endorsement required for the wrecked or disabled vehicle when the driver initially removes a vehicle from the site of the emergency where the vehicle became wrecked or disabled to the nearest appropriate repair, disposal, or storage facility, as applicable.
(E) No person shall drive any commercial motor vehicle for which an endorsement is required under this section unless the proper endorsement appears on the person's commercial driver's license.
(E)(F) Whoever violates this section is guilty of a misdemeanor of the first degree.
Sec. 4507.13.  (A) The registrar of motor vehicles shall issue a driver's license to every person licensed as an operator of motor vehicles other than commercial motor vehicles. No person licensed as a commercial motor vehicle driver under Chapter 4506. of the Revised Code need procure a driver's license, but no person shall drive any commercial motor vehicle unless licensed as a commercial motor vehicle driver.
Every driver's license shall display on it the distinguishing number assigned to the licensee and shall display the licensee's name and date of birth; the licensee's residence address and county of residence; a color photograph of the licensee; a brief description of the licensee for the purpose of identification; a facsimile of the signature of the licensee as it appears on the application for the license; a space marked "blood type" in which a licensee may specify the licensee's blood type; a notation, in a manner prescribed by the registrar, indicating any condition described in division (D)(3) of section 4507.08 of the Revised Code to which the licensee is subject; if the licensee has executed a durable power of attorney for health care or a declaration governing the use or continuation, or the withholding or withdrawal, of life-sustaining treatment and has specified that the licensee wishes the license to indicate that the licensee has executed either type of instrument, any symbol chosen by the registrar to indicate that the licensee has executed either type of instrument; and any additional information that the registrar requires by rule. No license shall display the licensee's social security number unless the licensee specifically requests that the licensee's social security number be displayed on the license. If federal law requires the licensee's social security number to be displayed on the license, the social security number shall be displayed on the license notwithstanding this section.
The driver's license for licensees under twenty-one years of age shall have characteristics prescribed by the registrar distinguishing it from that issued to a licensee who is twenty-one years of age or older, except that a driver's license issued to a person who applies no more than thirty days before the applicant's twenty-first birthday shall have the characteristics of a license issued to a person who is twenty-one years of age or older.
The driver's license issued to a temporary resident shall contain the word "nonrenewable" and shall have any additional characteristics prescribed by the registrar distinguishing it from a license issued to a resident.
Every driver's or commercial driver's license displaying a motorcycle operator's endorsement and every restricted license to operate a motor vehicle also shall display the designation "novice," if the endorsement or license is issued to a person who is eighteen years of age or older and previously has not been licensed to operate a motorcycle by this state or another jurisdiction recognized by this state. The "novice" designation shall be effective for one year after the date of issuance of the motorcycle operator's endorsement or license.
Each license issued under this section shall be of such material and so designed as to prevent its reproduction or alteration without ready detection and, to this end, shall be laminated with a transparent plastic material.
(B) Except in regard to a driver's license issued to a person who applies no more than thirty days before the applicant's twenty-first birthday, neither the registrar nor any deputy registrar shall issue a driver's license to anyone under twenty-one years of age that does not have the characteristics prescribed by the registrar distinguishing it from the driver's license issued to persons who are twenty-one years of age or older.
(C) Whoever violates division (B) of this section is guilty of a minor misdemeanor.
Sec. 4507.19.  The registrar of motor vehicles may cancel any driver's or commercial driver's license or identification card that was obtained fraudulently or unlawfully, was issued in error, or has been altered or willfully destroyed.
Sec. 4507.20.  The registrar of motor vehicles, when the registrar has good cause to believe that the holder of a driver's or commercial driver's license is incompetent or otherwise not qualified to be licensed, shall upon send a written notice of at least thirty days sent to the licensee's last known address, require requiring the licensee to submit to a driver's license examination, a physical examination, or both, or a commercial driver's license examination within the time indicated on the notice. The physical examination may be conducted by any individual authorized by the Revised Code to do so, including a physician assistant, a clinical nurse specialist, a certified nurse practitioner, or a certified nurse-midwife. Any written documentation of the physical examination shall be completed by the individual who conducted the examination.
Upon the conclusion of the examination, the registrar may suspend the license of the person, may permit the licensee to retain the license, or may issue the licensee a restricted license. Refusal or neglect of the licensee to submit to the examination is ground for suspension of the licensee's license.
A physician licensed under Chapter 4731. of the Revised Code may submit a report to the registrar stating that in the physician's professional opinion the holder of a driver's or commercial driver's license may be incompetent or otherwise not qualified to operate safely a motor vehicle due to medical reasons. Any such report submitted to the registrar is confidential, is not a public record, and is not subject to disclosure under section 149.43 of the Revised Code.
Sec. 4507.50.  (A) The registrar of motor vehicles or a deputy registrar, upon receipt of an application filed in compliance with section 4507.51 of the Revised Code by any person who is a resident or a temporary resident of this state and, except as otherwise provided in this section, is not licensed as an operator of a motor vehicle in this state or another licensing jurisdiction, and, except as provided in division (B) of this section, upon receipt of a fee of three dollars and fifty cents, shall issue an identification card to that person.
Any person who is a resident or temporary resident of this state whose Ohio driver's or commercial driver's license has been suspended or canceled, upon application in compliance with section 4507.51 of the Revised Code and, except as provided in division (B) of this section, payment of a fee of three dollars and fifty cents, may be issued a temporary identification card. The temporary identification card shall be identical to an identification card, except that it shall be printed on its face with a statement that the card is valid during the effective dates of the suspension or cancellation of the cardholder's license, or until the birthday of the cardholder in the fourth year after the date on which it is issued, whichever is shorter. The cardholder shall surrender the identification card to the registrar or any deputy registrar before the cardholder's driver's or commercial driver's license is restored or reissued.
Except as provided in division (B) of this section, the deputy registrar shall be allowed a fee of two dollars and seventy-five cents commencing on July 1, 2001, three dollars and twenty-five cents commencing on January 1, 2003, and three dollars and fifty cents commencing on January 1, 2004, for each identification card issued under this section. The fee allowed to the deputy registrar shall be in addition to the fee for issuing an identification card.
Neither the registrar nor any deputy registrar shall charge a fee in excess of one dollar and fifty cents for laminating an identification card or temporary identification card. A deputy registrar laminating such a card shall retain the entire amount of the fee charged for lamination, less the actual cost to the registrar of the laminating materials used for that lamination, as specified in the contract executed by the bureau for the laminating materials and laminating equipment. The deputy registrar shall forward the amount of the cost of the laminating materials to the registrar for deposit as provided in this section.
The fee collected for issuing an identification card under this section, except the fee allowed to the deputy registrar, shall be paid into the state treasury to the credit of the state bureau of motor vehicles fund created in section 4501.25 of the Revised Code.
(B) A disabled veteran who has a service-connected disability rated at one hundred per cent by the veterans' administration may apply to the registrar or a deputy registrar for the issuance to that veteran of an identification card or a temporary identification card under this section without payment of any fee prescribed in division (A) of this section, including any lamination fee.
If the identification card or temporary identification card of a disabled veteran described in this division is laminated by a deputy registrar who is acting as a deputy registrar pursuant to a contract with the registrar that is in effect on the effective date of this amendment, the disabled veteran shall pay the deputy registrar the lamination fee prescribed in division (A) of this section. If the identification card or temporary identification card is laminated by a deputy registrar who is acting as a deputy registrar pursuant to a contract with the registrar that is executed after July 29, 1998, the disabled veteran is not required to pay the deputy registrar the lamination fee prescribed in division (A) of this section.
A disabled veteran whose identification card or temporary identification card is laminated by the registrar is not required to pay the registrar any lamination fee.
An application made under division (A)(B) of this section shall be accompanied by such documentary evidence of disability as the registrar may require by rule.
Sec. 4507.99.  (A) Unless another penalty is provided by the section that contains the provision violated or otherwise is provided by the laws of this state, whoever violates any provision of sections 4507.01 to 4507.081 or 4507.10 to 4507.37 of the Revised Code is guilty of a misdemeanor of the first degree.
(B) Whenever a person is found guilty of a violation of a traffic offense specified in Traffic Rule 13(B) that requires the person's appearance in court, the court shall require the person to verify the existence at the time of the offense of proof of financial responsibility covering the person's operation of the motor vehicle, or the motor vehicle if registered in the person's name, and notify the registrar pursuant to division (D) of section 4509.101 of the Revised Code if the person fails to verify the existence of such proof of financial responsibility.
Sec. 4509.101.  (A)(1) No person shall operate, or permit the operation of, a motor vehicle in this state, unless proof of financial responsibility is maintained continuously throughout the registration period with respect to that vehicle, or, in the case of a driver who is not the owner, with respect to that driver's operation of that vehicle.
(2) Whoever violates division (A)(1) of this section shall be subject to the following civil penalties:
(a) Subject to divisions (A)(2)(b) and (c) of this section, a class E suspension of the person's driver's license, commercial driver's license, temporary instruction permit, probationary license, or nonresident operating privilege for the period of time specified in division (B)(5) of section 4510.02 of the Revised Code and impoundment of the person's license. The court may grant limited driving privileges to the person only if the person presents proof of financial responsibility and has complied with division (A)(5) of this section.
(b) If, within five years of the violation, the person's operating privileges are again suspended and the person's license again is impounded for a violation of division (A)(1) of this section, a class C suspension of the person's driver's license, commercial driver's license, temporary instruction permit, probationary license, or nonresident operating privilege for the period of time specified in division (B)(3) of section 4510.02 of the Revised Code. The court may grant limited driving privileges to the person only if the person presents proof of financial responsibility and has complied with division (A)(5) of this section, and no court may grant limited driving privileges for the first fifteen days of the suspension.
(c) If, within five years of the violation, the person's operating privileges are suspended and the person's license is impounded two or more times for a violation of division (A)(1) of this section, a class B suspension of the person's driver's license, commercial driver's license, temporary instruction permit, probationary license, or nonresident operating privilege for the period of time specified in division (B)(2) of section 4510.02 of the Revised Code. No court may grant limited driving privileges during the suspension.
(d) In addition to the suspension of an owner's license under division (A)(2)(a), (b), or (c) of this section, the suspension of the rights of the owner to register the motor vehicle and the impoundment of the owner's certificate of registration and license plates until the owner complies with division (A)(5) of this section.
(3) A person to whom this state has issued a certificate of registration for a motor vehicle or a license to operate a motor vehicle or who is determined to have operated any motor vehicle or permitted the operation in this state of a motor vehicle owned by the person shall be required to verify the existence of proof of financial responsibility covering the operation of the motor vehicle or the person's operation of the motor vehicle under any of the following circumstances:
(a) The person or a motor vehicle owned by the person is involved in a traffic accident that requires the filing of an accident report under section 4509.06 of the Revised Code.
(b) The person receives a traffic ticket indicating that proof of the maintenance of financial responsibility was not produced upon the request of a peace officer or state highway patrol trooper made in accordance with division (D)(2) of this section.
(c) Whenever, in accordance with rules adopted by the registrar, the person is randomly selected by the registrar and requested to provide such verification.
(4) An order of the registrar that suspends and impounds a license or registration, or both, shall state the date on or before which the person is required to surrender the person's license or certificate of registration and license plates. The person is deemed to have surrendered the license or certificate of registration and license plates, in compliance with the order, if the person does either of the following:
(a) On or before the date specified in the order, personally delivers the license or certificate of registration and license plates, or causes the delivery of the items, to the registrar;
(b) Mails the license or certificate of registration and license plates to the registrar in an envelope or container bearing a postmark showing a date no later than the date specified in the order.
(5) Except as provided in division (A)(6) or (L) of this section, the registrar shall not restore any operating privileges or registration rights suspended under this section, return any license, certificate of registration, or license plates impounded under this section, or reissue license plates under section 4503.232 of the Revised Code, if the registrar destroyed the impounded license plates under that section, or reissue a license under section 4510.52 of the Revised Code, if the registrar destroyed the suspended license under that section, unless the rights are not subject to suspension or revocation under any other law and unless the person, in addition to complying with all other conditions required by law for reinstatement of the operating privileges or registration rights, complies with all of the following:
(a) Pays a financial responsibility reinstatement fee of seventy-five dollars for the first violation of division (A)(1) of this section, two hundred fifty dollars for a second violation of that division, and five hundred dollars for a third or subsequent violation of that division;
(b) If the person has not voluntarily surrendered the license, certificate, or license plates in compliance with the order, pays a financial responsibility nonvoluntary compliance fee in an amount, not to exceed fifty dollars, determined by the registrar;
(c) Files and continuously maintains proof of financial responsibility under sections 4509.44 to 4509.65 of the Revised Code.
(6) If the registrar issues an order under division (A)(2) of this section resulting from the failure of a person to respond to a financial responsibility random verification request under division (A)(3)(c) of this section and the person successfully maintains an affirmative defense to a violation of section 4510.16 of the Revised Code or is determined by the registrar or a deputy registrar to have been in compliance with division (A)(1) of this section at the time of the initial financial responsibility random verification request, the registrar shall do both of the following:
(a) Terminate the order of suspension or impoundment;
(b) Restore the operating privileges and registration rights of the person without payment of the fees established in divisions (A)(5)(a) and (b) of this section and without a requirement to file proof of financial responsibility.
(B)(1) Every party required to file an accident report under section 4509.06 of the Revised Code also shall include with the report a document described in division (G)(1) of this section.
If the registrar determines, within forty-five days after the report is filed, that an operator or owner has violated division (A)(1) of this section, the registrar shall do all of the following:
(a) Order the impoundment, with respect to the motor vehicle involved, required under division (A)(2)(d) of this section, of the certificate of registration and license plates of any owner who has violated division (A)(1) of this section;
(b) Order the suspension required under division (A)(2)(a), (b), or (c) of this section of the license of any operator or owner who has violated division (A)(1) of this section;
(c) Record the name and address of the person whose certificate of registration and license plates have been impounded or are under an order of impoundment, or whose license has been suspended or is under an order of suspension; the serial number of the person's license; the serial numbers of the person's certificate of registration and license plates; and the person's social security account number, if assigned, or, where the motor vehicle is used for hire or principally in connection with any established business, the person's federal taxpayer identification number. The information shall be recorded in such a manner that it becomes a part of the person's permanent record, and assists the registrar in monitoring compliance with the orders of suspension or impoundment.
(d) Send written notification to every person to whom the order pertains, at the person's last known address as shown on the records of the bureau. The person, within ten days after the date of the mailing of the notification, shall surrender to the registrar, in a manner set forth in division (A)(4) of this section, any certificate of registration and registration plates under an order of impoundment, or any license under an order of suspension.
(2) The registrar shall issue any order under division (B)(1) of this section without a hearing. Any person adversely affected by the order, within ten days after the issuance of the order, may request an administrative hearing before the registrar, who shall provide the person with an opportunity for a hearing in accordance with this paragraph. A request for a hearing does not operate as a suspension of the order. The scope of the hearing shall be limited to whether the person in fact demonstrated to the registrar proof of financial responsibility in accordance with this section. The registrar shall determine the date, time, and place of any hearing, provided that the hearing shall be held, and an order issued or findings made, within thirty days after the registrar receives a request for a hearing. If requested by the person in writing, the registrar may designate as the place of hearing the county seat of the county in which the person resides or a place within fifty miles of the person's residence. The person shall pay the cost of the hearing before the registrar, if the registrar's order of suspension or impoundment is upheld.
(C) Any order of suspension or impoundment issued under this section or division (B) of section 4509.37 of the Revised Code may be terminated at any time if the registrar determines upon a showing of proof of financial responsibility that the operator or owner of the motor vehicle was in compliance with division (A)(1) of this section at the time of the traffic offense, motor vehicle inspection, or accident that resulted in the order against the person. A determination may be made without a hearing. This division does not apply unless the person shows good cause for the person's failure to present satisfactory proof of financial responsibility to the registrar prior to the issuance of the order.
(D)(1) For the purpose of enforcing this section, every peace officer is deemed an agent of the registrar.
(a) Except as provided in division (D)(1)(b) of this section, any peace officer who, in the performance of the peace officer's duties as authorized by law, becomes aware of a person whose license is under an order of suspension, or whose certificate of registration and license plates are under an order of impoundment, pursuant to this section, may confiscate the license, certificate of registration, and license plates, and return them to the registrar.
(b) Any peace officer who, in the performance of the peace officer's duties as authorized by law, becomes aware of a person whose license is under an order of suspension, or whose certificate of registration and license plates are under an order of impoundment resulting from failure to respond to a financial responsibility random verification, shall not, for that reason, arrest the owner or operator or seize the vehicle or license plates. Instead, the peace officer shall issue a citation for a violation of section 4510.16 of the Revised Code specifying the circumstances as failure to respond to a financial responsibility random verification.
(2) A peace officer shall request the owner or operator of a motor vehicle to produce proof of financial responsibility in a manner described in division (G) of this section at the time the peace officer acts to enforce the traffic laws of this state and during motor vehicle inspections conducted pursuant to section 4513.02 of the Revised Code.
(3) A peace officer shall indicate on every traffic ticket whether the person receiving the traffic ticket produced proof of the maintenance of financial responsibility in response to the officer's request under division (D)(2) of this section. The peace officer shall inform every person who receives a traffic ticket and who has failed to produce proof of the maintenance of financial responsibility that the person must submit proof to the traffic violations bureau with any payment of a fine and costs for the ticketed violation or, if the person is to appear in court for the violation, the person must submit proof to the court.
(4)(a) If a person who has failed to produce proof of the maintenance of financial responsibility appears in court for a ticketed violation, the court may permit the defendant to present evidence of proof of financial responsibility to the court at such time and in such manner as the court determines to be necessary or appropriate. The In a manner prescribed by the registrar, the clerk of courts shall provide the registrar with the identity of any person who fails to submit proof of the maintenance of financial responsibility pursuant to division (D)(3) of this section.
(b) If a person who has failed to produce proof of the maintenance of financial responsibility also fails to submit that proof to the traffic violations bureau with payment of a fine and costs for the ticketed violation, the traffic violations bureau, in a manner prescribed by the registrar, shall notify the registrar of the identity of that person.
(5)(a) Upon receiving notice from a clerk of courts or traffic violations bureau pursuant to division (D)(4) of this section, the registrar shall order the suspension of the license of the person required under division (A)(2)(a), (b), or (c) of this section and the impoundment of the person's certificate of registration and license plates required under division (A)(2)(d) of this section, effective thirty days after the date of the mailing of notification. The registrar also shall notify the person that the person must present the registrar with proof of financial responsibility in accordance with this section, surrender to the registrar the person's certificate of registration, license plates, and license, or submit a statement subject to section 2921.13 of the Revised Code that the person did not operate or permit the operation of the motor vehicle at the time of the offense. Notification shall be in writing and shall be sent to the person at the person's last known address as shown on the records of the bureau of motor vehicles. The person, within fifteen days after the date of the mailing of notification, shall present proof of financial responsibility, surrender the certificate of registration, license plates, and license to the registrar in a manner set forth in division (A)(4) of this section, or submit the statement required under this section together with other information the person considers appropriate.
If the registrar does not receive proof or the person does not surrender the certificate of registration, license plates, and license, in accordance with this division, the registrar shall permit the order for the suspension of the license of the person and the impoundment of the person's certificate of registration and license plates to take effect.
(b) In the case of a person who presents, within the fifteen-day period, documents to show proof of financial responsibility, the registrar shall terminate the order of suspension and the impoundment of the registration and license plates required under division (A)(2)(d) of this section and shall send written notification to the person, at the person's last known address as shown on the records of the bureau.
(c) Any person adversely affected by the order of the registrar under division (D)(5)(a) or (b) of this section, within ten days after the issuance of the order, may request an administrative hearing before the registrar, who shall provide the person with an opportunity for a hearing in accordance with this paragraph. A request for a hearing does not operate as a suspension of the order. The scope of the hearing shall be limited to whether, at the time of the hearing, the person in fact demonstrated to the registrar presents proof of financial responsibility covering the vehicle and whether the person is eligible for an exemption in accordance with this section or any rule adopted under it. The registrar shall determine the date, time, and place of any hearing; provided, that the hearing shall be held, and an order issued or findings made, within thirty days after the registrar receives a request for a hearing. If requested by the person in writing, the registrar may designate as the place of hearing the county seat of the county in which the person resides or a place within fifty miles of the person's residence. Such person shall pay the cost of the hearing before the registrar, if the registrar's order of suspension or impoundment under division (D)(5)(a) or (b) of this section is upheld.
(6) A peace officer may charge an owner or operator of a motor vehicle with a violation of section 4510.16 of the Revised Code when the owner or operator fails to show proof of the maintenance of financial responsibility pursuant to a peace officer's request under division (D)(2) of this section, if a check of the owner or operator's driving record indicates that the owner or operator, at the time of the operation of the motor vehicle, is required to file and maintain proof of financial responsibility under section 4509.45 of the Revised Code for a previous violation of this chapter.
(7) Any forms used by law enforcement agencies in administering this section shall be prescribed, supplied, and paid for by the registrar.
(8) No peace officer, law enforcement agency employing a peace officer, or political subdivision or governmental agency that employs a peace officer shall be liable in a civil action for damages or loss to persons arising out of the performance of any duty required or authorized by this section.
(9) As used in this division and divisions (E) and (G) of this section, "peace officer" has the meaning set forth in section 2935.01 of the Revised Code.
(E) All fees, except court costs, collected under this section shall be paid into the state treasury to the credit of the financial responsibility compliance fund. The financial responsibility compliance fund shall be used exclusively to cover costs incurred by the bureau in the administration of this section and sections 4503.20, 4507.212, and 4509.81 of the Revised Code, and by any law enforcement agency employing any peace officer who returns any license, certificate of registration, and license plates to the registrar pursuant to division (C) of this section, except that the director of budget and management may transfer excess money from the financial responsibility compliance fund to the state bureau of motor vehicles fund if the registrar determines that the amount of money in the financial responsibility compliance fund exceeds the amount required to cover such costs incurred by the bureau or a law enforcement agency and requests the director to make the transfer.
All investment earnings of the financial responsibility compliance fund shall be credited to the fund.
(F) Chapter 119. of the Revised Code applies to this section only to the extent that any provision in that chapter is not clearly inconsistent with this section.
(G)(1) The registrar, court, traffic violations bureau, or peace officer may require proof of financial responsibility to be demonstrated by use of a standard form prescribed by the registrar. If the use of a standard form is not required, a person may demonstrate proof of financial responsibility under this section by presenting to the traffic violations bureau, court, registrar, or peace officer any of the following documents or a copy of the documents:
(a) A financial responsibility identification card as provided in section 4509.103 of the Revised Code;
(b) A certificate of proof of financial responsibility on a form provided and approved by the registrar for the filing of an accident report required to be filed under section 4509.06 of the Revised Code;
(c) A policy of liability insurance, a declaration page of a policy of liability insurance, or liability bond, if the policy or bond complies with section 4509.20 or sections 4509.49 to 4509.61 of the Revised Code;
(d) A bond or certification of the issuance of a bond as provided in section 4509.59 of the Revised Code;
(e) A certificate of deposit of money or securities as provided in section 4509.62 of the Revised Code;
(f) A certificate of self-insurance as provided in section 4509.72 of the Revised Code.
(2) If a person fails to demonstrate proof of financial responsibility in a manner described in division (G)(1) of this section, the person may demonstrate proof of financial responsibility under this section by any other method that the court or the bureau, by reason of circumstances in a particular case, may consider appropriate.
(3) A motor carrier certificated by the interstate commerce commission or by the public utilities commission may demonstrate proof of financial responsibility by providing a statement designating the motor carrier's operating authority and averring that the insurance coverage required by the certificating authority is in full force and effect.
(4)(a) A finding by the registrar or court that a person is covered by proof of financial responsibility in the form of an insurance policy or surety bond is not binding upon the named insurer or surety or any of its officers, employees, agents, or representatives and has no legal effect except for the purpose of administering this section.
(b) The preparation and delivery of a financial responsibility identification card or any other document authorized to be used as proof of financial responsibility under this division does not do any of the following:
(i) Create any liability or estoppel against an insurer or surety, or any of its officers, employees, agents, or representatives;
(ii) Constitute an admission of the existence of, or of any liability or coverage under, any policy or bond;
(iii) Waive any defenses or counterclaims available to an insurer, surety, agent, employee, or representative in an action commenced by an insured or third-party claimant upon a cause of action alleged to have arisen under an insurance policy or surety bond or by reason of the preparation and delivery of a document for use as proof of financial responsibility.
(c) Whenever it is determined by a final judgment in a judicial proceeding that an insurer or surety, which has been named on a document accepted by a court or the registrar as proof of financial responsibility covering the operation of a motor vehicle at the time of an accident or offense, is not liable to pay a judgment for injuries or damages resulting from such operation, the registrar, notwithstanding any previous contrary finding, shall forthwith suspend the operating privileges and registration rights of the person against whom the judgment was rendered as provided in division (A)(2) of this section.
(H) In order for any document described in division (G)(1)(b) of this section to be used for the demonstration of proof of financial responsibility under this section, the document shall state the name of the insured or obligor, the name of the insurer or surety company, and the effective and expiration dates of the financial responsibility, and designate by explicit description or by appropriate reference all motor vehicles covered which may include a reference to fleet insurance coverage.
(I) For purposes of this section, "owner" does not include a licensed motor vehicle leasing dealer as defined in section 4517.01 of the Revised Code, but does include a motor vehicle renting dealer as defined in section 4549.65 of the Revised Code. Nothing in this section or in section 4509.51 of the Revised Code shall be construed to prohibit a motor vehicle renting dealer from entering into a contractual agreement with a person whereby the person renting the motor vehicle agrees to be solely responsible for maintaining proof of financial responsibility, in accordance with this section, with respect to the operation, maintenance, or use of the motor vehicle during the period of the motor vehicle's rental.
(J) The purpose of this section is to require the maintenance of proof of financial responsibility with respect to the operation of motor vehicles on the highways of this state, so as to minimize those situations in which persons are not compensated for injuries and damages sustained in motor vehicle accidents. The general assembly finds that this section contains reasonable civil penalties and procedures for achieving this purpose.
(K) Nothing in this section shall be construed to be subject to section 4509.78 of the Revised Code.
(L) The registrar may terminate any suspension imposed under this section and not require the owner to comply with divisions (A)(5)(a), (b), and (c) of this section if the registrar with or without a hearing determines that the owner of the vehicle has established by clear and convincing evidence that all of the following apply:
(1) The owner customarily maintains proof of financial responsibility.
(2) Proof of financial responsibility was not in effect for the vehicle on the date in question for one of the following reasons:
(a) The vehicle was inoperable.
(b) The vehicle is operated only seasonally, and the date in question was outside the season of operation.
(c) A person other than the vehicle owner or driver was at fault for the lapse of proof of financial responsibility through no fault of the owner or driver.
(d) The lapse of proof of financial responsibility was caused by excusable neglect under circumstances that are not likely to recur and do not suggest a purpose to evade the requirements of this chapter.
(3) The owner or driver has not previously been granted relief under division (L) of this section only for a reason described in division (L)(2)(a) or (b) of this section.
(M) The registrar shall adopt rules in accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code that are necessary to administer and enforce this section. The rules shall include procedures for the surrender of license plates upon failure to maintain proof of financial responsibility and provisions relating to reinstatement of registration rights, acceptable forms of proof of financial responsibility, and verification of the existence of financial responsibility during the period of registration.
Sec. 4509.79.  (A) As used in this section, "ridesharing arrangement" means the transportation of persons in a motor vehicle where such transportation is incidental to another purpose of a volunteer driver and includes ridesharing arrangements known as carpools, vanpools, and buspools.
(B) Every owner registering as a passenger car a motor vehicle designed and used for carrying more than nine but not more than fifteen passengers or registering a bus under division (H)(8)(G) of section 4503.04 of the Revised Code shall have in effect, whenever the motor vehicle is used in a ridesharing arrangement, a policy of liability insurance with respect to the motor vehicle in amounts and coverage no less than:
(1) One hundred thousand dollars because of bodily injury to or death of one person in any one accident;
(2) Three hundred thousand dollars because of bodily injury to or death of two or more persons in any one accident;
(3) Fifty thousand dollars because of injury to property of others in any one accident.
(C) Whoever violates this section shall be fined not more than five thousand dollars.
Sec. 4511.01.  As used in this chapter and in Chapter 4513. of the Revised Code:
(A) "Vehicle" means every device, including a motorized bicycle, in, upon, or by which any person or property may be transported or drawn upon a highway, except that "vehicle" does not include any motorized wheelchair, any electric personal assistive mobility devices device, any device that is moved by power collected from overhead electric trolley wires or that is used exclusively upon stationary rails or tracks, or any device, other than a bicycle, that is moved by human power.
(B) "Motor vehicle" means every vehicle propelled or drawn by power other than muscular power or power collected from overhead electric trolley wires, except motorized bicycles, road rollers, traction engines, power shovels, power cranes, and other equipment used in construction work and not designed for or employed in general highway transportation, hole-digging machinery, well-drilling machinery, ditch-digging machinery, farm machinery, trailers used to transport agricultural produce or agricultural production materials between a local place of storage or supply and the farm when drawn or towed on a street or highway at a speed of twenty-five miles per hour or less, threshing machinery, hay-baling machinery, agricultural tractors and machinery used in the production of horticultural, floricultural, agricultural, and vegetable products, and trailers designed and used exclusively to transport a boat between a place of storage and a marina, or in and around a marina, when drawn or towed on a street or highway for a distance of no more than ten miles and at a speed of twenty-five miles per hour or less.
(C) "Motorcycle" means every motor vehicle, other than a tractor, having a saddle for the use of the operator and designed to travel on not more than three wheels in contact with the ground, including, but not limited to, motor vehicles known as "motor-driven cycle," "motor scooter," or "motorcycle" without regard to weight or brake horsepower.
(D) "Emergency vehicle" means emergency vehicles of municipal, township, or county departments or public utility corporations when identified as such as required by law, the director of public safety, or local authorities, and motor vehicles when commandeered by a police officer.
(E) "Public safety vehicle" means any of the following:
(1) Ambulances, including private ambulance companies under contract to a municipal corporation, township, or county, and private ambulances and nontransport vehicles bearing license plates issued under section 4503.49 of the Revised Code;
(2) Motor vehicles used by public law enforcement officers or other persons sworn to enforce the criminal and traffic laws of the state;
(3) Any motor vehicle when properly identified as required by the director of public safety, when used in response to fire emergency calls or to provide emergency medical service to ill or injured persons, and when operated by a duly qualified person who is a member of a volunteer rescue service or a volunteer fire department, and who is on duty pursuant to the rules or directives of that service. The state fire marshal shall be designated by the director of public safety as the certifying agency for all public safety vehicles described in division (E)(3) of this section.
(4) Vehicles used by fire departments, including motor vehicles when used by volunteer fire fighters responding to emergency calls in the fire department service when identified as required by the director of public safety.
Any vehicle used to transport or provide emergency medical service to an ill or injured person, when certified as a public safety vehicle, shall be considered a public safety vehicle when transporting an ill or injured person to a hospital regardless of whether such vehicle has already passed a hospital.
(5) Vehicles used by the commercial motor vehicle safety carrier enforcement unit for the enforcement of orders and rules of the public utilities commission as specified in section 5503.34 of the Revised Code.
(F) "School bus" means every bus designed for carrying more than nine passengers that is owned by a public, private, or governmental agency or institution of learning and operated for the transportation of children to or from a school session or a school function, or owned by a private person and operated for compensation for the transportation of children to or from a school session or a school function, provided "school bus" does not include a bus operated by a municipally owned transportation system, a mass transit company operating exclusively within the territorial limits of a municipal corporation, or within such limits and the territorial limits of municipal corporations immediately contiguous to such municipal corporation, nor a common passenger carrier certified by the public utilities commission unless such bus is devoted exclusively to the transportation of children to and from a school session or a school function, and "school bus" does not include a van or bus used by a licensed child day-care center or type A family day-care home to transport children from the child day-care center or type A family day-care home to a school if the van or bus does not have more than fifteen children in the van or bus at any time.
(G) "Bicycle" means every device, other than a tricycle designed solely for use as a play vehicle by a child, propelled solely by human power upon which any person may ride having either two tandem wheels, or one wheel in the front and two wheels in the rear, any of which is more than fourteen inches in diameter.
(H) "Motorized bicycle" means any vehicle having either two tandem wheels or one wheel in the front and two wheels in the rear, that is capable of being pedaled and is equipped with a helper motor of not more than fifty cubic centimeters piston displacement that produces no more than one brake horsepower and is capable of propelling the vehicle at a speed of no greater than twenty miles per hour on a level surface.
(I) "Commercial tractor" means every motor vehicle having motive power designed or used for drawing other vehicles and not so constructed as to carry any load thereon, or designed or used for drawing other vehicles while carrying a portion of such other vehicles, or load thereon, or both.
(J) "Agricultural tractor" means every self-propelling vehicle designed or used for drawing other vehicles or wheeled machinery but having no provision for carrying loads independently of such other vehicles, and used principally for agricultural purposes.
(K) "Truck" means every motor vehicle, except trailers and semitrailers, designed and used to carry property.
(L) "Bus" means every motor vehicle designed for carrying more than nine passengers and used for the transportation of persons other than in a ridesharing arrangement, and every motor vehicle, automobile for hire, or funeral car, other than a taxicab or motor vehicle used in a ridesharing arrangement, designed and used for the transportation of persons for compensation.
(M) "Trailer" means every vehicle designed or used for carrying persons or property wholly on its own structure and for being drawn by a motor vehicle, including any such vehicle when formed by or operated as a combination of a "semitrailer" and a vehicle of the dolly type, such as that commonly known as a "trailer dolly," a vehicle used to transport agricultural produce or agricultural production materials between a local place of storage or supply and the farm when drawn or towed on a street or highway at a speed greater than twenty-five miles per hour, and a vehicle designed and used exclusively to transport a boat between a place of storage and a marina, or in and around a marina, when drawn or towed on a street or highway for a distance of more than ten miles or at a speed of more than twenty-five miles per hour.
(N) "Semitrailer" means every vehicle designed or used for carrying persons or property with another and separate motor vehicle so that in operation a part of its own weight or that of its load, or both, rests upon and is carried by another vehicle.
(O) "Pole trailer" means every trailer or semitrailer attached to the towing vehicle by means of a reach, pole, or by being boomed or otherwise secured to the towing vehicle, and ordinarily used for transporting long or irregular shaped loads such as poles, pipes, or structural members capable, generally, of sustaining themselves as beams between the supporting connections.
(P) "Railroad" means a carrier of persons or property operating upon rails placed principally on a private right-of-way.
(Q) "Railroad train" means a steam engine or an electric or other motor, with or without cars coupled thereto, operated by a railroad.
(R) "Streetcar" means a car, other than a railroad train, for transporting persons or property, operated upon rails principally within a street or highway.
(S) "Trackless trolley" means every car that collects its power from overhead electric trolley wires and that is not operated upon rails or tracks.
(T) "Explosives" means any chemical compound or mechanical mixture that is intended for the purpose of producing an explosion that contains any oxidizing and combustible units or other ingredients in such proportions, quantities, or packing that an ignition by fire, by friction, by concussion, by percussion, or by a detonator of any part of the compound or mixture may cause such a sudden generation of highly heated gases that the resultant gaseous pressures are capable of producing destructive effects on contiguous objects, or of destroying life or limb. Manufactured articles shall not be held to be explosives when the individual units contain explosives in such limited quantities, of such nature, or in such packing, that it is impossible to procure a simultaneous or a destructive explosion of such units, to the injury of life, limb, or property by fire, by friction, by concussion, by percussion, or by a detonator, such as fixed ammunition for small arms, firecrackers, or safety fuse matches.
(U) "Flammable liquid" means any liquid that has a flash point of seventy degrees Fahrenheit, or less, as determined by a tagliabue or equivalent closed cup test device.
(V) "Gross weight" means the weight of a vehicle plus the weight of any load thereon.
(W) "Person" means every natural person, firm, co-partnership, association, or corporation.
(X) "Pedestrian" means any natural person afoot.
(Y) "Driver or operator" means every person who drives or is in actual physical control of a vehicle, trackless trolley, or streetcar.
(Z) "Police officer" means every officer authorized to direct or regulate traffic, or to make arrests for violations of traffic regulations.
(AA) "Local authorities" means every county, municipal, and other local board or body having authority to adopt police regulations under the constitution and laws of this state.
(BB) "Street" or "highway" means the entire width between the boundary lines of every way open to the use of the public as a thoroughfare for purposes of vehicular travel.
(CC) "Controlled-access highway" means every street or highway in respect to which owners or occupants of abutting lands and other persons have no legal right of access to or from the same except at such points only and in such manner as may be determined by the public authority having jurisdiction over such street or highway.
(DD) "Private road or driveway" means every way or place in private ownership used for vehicular travel by the owner and those having express or implied permission from the owner but not by other persons.
(EE) "Roadway" means that portion of a highway improved, designed, or ordinarily used for vehicular travel, except the berm or shoulder. If a highway includes two or more separate roadways the term "roadway" means any such roadway separately but not all such roadways collectively.
(FF) "Sidewalk" means that portion of a street between the curb lines, or the lateral lines of a roadway, and the adjacent property lines, intended for the use of pedestrians.
(GG) "Laned highway" means a highway the roadway of which is divided into two or more clearly marked lanes for vehicular traffic.
(HH) "Through highway" means every street or highway as provided in section 4511.65 of the Revised Code.
(II) "State highway" means a highway under the jurisdiction of the department of transportation, outside the limits of municipal corporations, provided that the authority conferred upon the director of transportation in section 5511.01 of the Revised Code to erect state highway route markers and signs directing traffic shall not be modified by sections 4511.01 to 4511.79 and 4511.99 of the Revised Code.
(JJ) "State route" means every highway that is designated with an official state route number and so marked.
(KK) "Intersection" means:
(1) The area embraced within the prolongation or connection of the lateral curb lines, or, if none, then the lateral boundary lines of the roadways of two highways which join one another at, or approximately at, right angles, or the area within which vehicles traveling upon different highways joining at any other angle may come in conflict.
(2) Where a highway includes two roadways thirty feet or more apart, then every crossing of each roadway of such divided highway by an intersecting highway shall be regarded as a separate intersection. If an intersecting highway also includes two roadways thirty feet or more apart, then every crossing of two roadways of such highways shall be regarded as a separate intersection.
(3) The junction of an alley with a street or highway, or with another alley, shall not constitute an intersection.
(LL) "Crosswalk" means:
(1) That part of a roadway at intersections ordinarily included within the real or projected prolongation of property lines and curb lines or, in the absence of curbs, the edges of the traversable roadway;
(2) Any portion of a roadway at an intersection or elsewhere, distinctly indicated for pedestrian crossing by lines or other markings on the surface;
(3) Notwithstanding divisions (LL)(1) and (2) of this section, there shall not be a crosswalk where local authorities have placed signs indicating no crossing.
(MM) "Safety zone" means the area or space officially set apart within a roadway for the exclusive use of pedestrians and protected or marked or indicated by adequate signs as to be plainly visible at all times.
(NN) "Business district" means the territory fronting upon a street or highway, including the street or highway, between successive intersections within municipal corporations where fifty per cent or more of the frontage between such successive intersections is occupied by buildings in use for business, or within or outside municipal corporations where fifty per cent or more of the frontage for a distance of three hundred feet or more is occupied by buildings in use for business, and the character of such territory is indicated by official traffic control devices.
(OO) "Residence district" means the territory, not comprising a business district, fronting on a street or highway, including the street or highway, where, for a distance of three hundred feet or more, the frontage is improved with residences or residences and buildings in use for business.
(PP) "Urban district" means the territory contiguous to and including any street or highway which is built up with structures devoted to business, industry, or dwelling houses situated at intervals of less than one hundred feet for a distance of a quarter of a mile or more, and the character of such territory is indicated by official traffic control devices.
(QQ) "Traffic control devices" means all flaggers, signs, signals, markings, and devices placed or erected by authority of a public body or official having jurisdiction, for the purpose of regulating, warning, or guiding traffic, including signs denoting names of streets and highways.
(RR) "Traffic control signal" means any device, whether manually, electrically, or mechanically operated, by which traffic is alternately directed to stop, to proceed, to change direction, or not to change direction.
(SS) "Railroad sign or signal" means any sign, signal, or device erected by authority of a public body or official or by a railroad and intended to give notice of the presence of railroad tracks or the approach of a railroad train.
(TT) "Traffic" means pedestrians, ridden or herded animals, vehicles, streetcars, trackless trolleys, and other devices, either singly or together, while using any highway for purposes of travel.
(UU) "Right-of-way" means either of the following, as the context requires:
(1) The right of a vehicle, streetcar, trackless trolley, or pedestrian to proceed uninterruptedly in a lawful manner in the direction in which it or the individual is moving in preference to another vehicle, streetcar, trackless trolley, or pedestrian approaching from a different direction into its or the individual's path;
(2) A general term denoting land, property, or the interest therein, usually in the configuration of a strip, acquired for or devoted to transportation purposes. When used in this context, right-of-way includes the roadway, shoulders or berm, ditch, and slopes extending to the right-of-way limits under the control of the state or local authority.
(VV) "Rural mail delivery vehicle" means every vehicle used to deliver United States mail on a rural mail delivery route.
(WW) "Funeral escort vehicle" means any motor vehicle, including a funeral hearse, while used to facilitate the movement of a funeral procession.
(XX) "Alley" means a street or highway intended to provide access to the rear or side of lots or buildings in urban districts and not intended for the purpose of through vehicular traffic, and includes any street or highway that has been declared an "alley" by the legislative authority of the municipal corporation in which such street or highway is located.
(YY) "Freeway" means a divided multi-lane highway for through traffic with all crossroads separated in grade and with full control of access.
(ZZ) "Expressway" means a divided arterial highway for through traffic with full or partial control of access with an excess of fifty per cent of all crossroads separated in grade.
(AAA) "Thruway" means a through highway whose entire roadway is reserved for through traffic and on which roadway parking is prohibited.
(BBB) "Stop intersection" means any intersection at one or more entrances of which stop signs are erected.
(CCC) "Arterial street" means any United States or state numbered route, controlled access highway, or other major radial or circumferential street or highway designated by local authorities within their respective jurisdictions as part of a major arterial system of streets or highways.
(DDD) "Ridesharing arrangement" means the transportation of persons in a motor vehicle where such transportation is incidental to another purpose of a volunteer driver and includes ridesharing arrangements known as carpools, vanpools, and buspools.
(EEE) "Motorized wheelchair" means any self-propelled vehicle designed for, and used by, a handicapped person and that is incapable of a speed in excess of eight miles per hour.
(FFF) "Child day-care center" and "type A family day-care home" have the same meanings as in section 5104.01 of the Revised Code.
(GGG) "Multi-wheel agricultural tractor" means a type of agricultural tractor that has two or more wheels or tires on each side of one axle at the rear of the tractor, is designed or used for drawing other vehicles or wheeled machinery, has no provision for carrying loads independently of the drawn vehicles or machinery, and is used principally for agricultural purposes.
(HHH) "Operate" means to cause or have caused movement of a vehicle, streetcar, or trackless trolley on any public or private property used by the public for purposes of vehicular travel or parking.
(III) "Predicate motor vehicle or traffic offense" means any of the following:
(1) A violation of section 4511.03, 4511.051, 4511.12, 4511.132, 4511.16, 4511.20, 4511.201, 4511.21, 4511.211, 4511.213, 4511.22, 4511.23, 4511.25, 4511.26, 4511.27, 4511.28, 4511.29, 4511.30, 4511.31, 4511.32, 4511.33, 4511.34, 4511.35, 4511.36, 4511.37, 4511.38, 4511.39, 4511.40, 4511.41, 4511.42, 4511.43, 4511.431, 4511.432, 4511.44, 4511.441, 4511.451, 4511.452, 4511.46, 4511.47, 4511.48, 4511.481, 4511.49, 4511.50, 4511.511, 4511.53, 4511.54, 4511.55, 4511.56, 4511.57, 4511.58, 4511.59, 4511.60, 4511.61, 4511.64, 4511.66, 4511.661, 4511.68, 4511.70, 4511.701, 4511.71, 4511.711, 4511.712, 4511.713, 4511.72, 4511.73, 4511.763, 4511.771, 4511.78, or 4511.84 of the Revised Code;
(2) A violation of division (A)(2) of section 4511.17, divisions (A) to (D) of section 4511.51, or division (A) of section 4511.74 of the Revised Code;
(3) A violation of any provision of sections 4511.01 to 4511.76 of the Revised Code for which no penalty otherwise is provided in the section that contains the provision violated;
(4) A violation of a municipal ordinance that is substantially similar to any section or provision set forth or described in division (III)(1), (2), or (3) of this section.
Sec. 4519.05.  (A) Whenever a registered snowmobile, off-highway motorcycle, or all-purpose vehicle is destroyed or similarly disposed of, the owner shall surrender the certificate of registration to the registrar of motor vehicles or a deputy registrar within fifteen days following the destruction or disposal. The registrar thereupon shall cancel the certificate and enter that fact in the registrar's records.
In the case of an off-highway motorcycle or all-purpose vehicle for which a certificate of title has been issued, the owner also shall surrender the certificate of title to the clerk of the court of common pleas who issued it and the clerk, with the consent of any lienholders noted thereon, shall enter a cancellation upon the clerk's records and shall notify the registrar of the cancellation. Upon the cancellation of a certificate of title in the manner prescribed by this division, the clerk and the registrar may cancel and destroy all certificates of title and memorandum certificates of title in that chain of title.
(B) Subject to division (B) of section 4519.03 of the Revised Code, whenever the ownership of a registered snowmobile, off-highway motorcycle, or all-purpose vehicle is transferred by sale or otherwise, the new owner, within fifteen days following the transfer, shall make application to the registrar or a deputy registrar for the transfer of the certificate of registration. Upon receipt of the application and a fee of one dollar, the registrar shall transfer the certificate to the new owner and shall enter the new owner's name and address in the registrar's records.
(C) Whenever the owner of a registered snowmobile, off-highway motorcycle, or all-purpose vehicle changes address, the owner shall surrender the certificate of registration to the registrar or a deputy registrar within fifteen days following the address change. Upon receipt of the certificate, the registrar shall enter the new address thereon and shall make the appropriate change in the registrar's records. In a case where the owner's change of address involves a move outside of the state, the registrar shall cancel the certificate of registration for that snowmobile, off-highway motorcycle, or all-purpose vehicle.
(D) Whenever a certificate of registration for a snowmobile, off-highway motorcycle, or all-purpose vehicle is lost, mutilated, or destroyed, the owner may obtain a duplicate certificate, which shall be identified as such, upon application and the payment of a fee of one dollar.
(E) The registrar and each deputy registrar may collect and retain an additional fee of two dollars and seventy-five cents commencing on July 1, 2001, three dollars and twenty-five cents commencing on January 1, 2003, and three dollars and fifty cents commencing on January 1, 2004, for each application for the transfer of a certificate of registration or duplicate certificate of registration received by the registrar or deputy registrar.
(F) Whoever violates division (A), (B), or (C) of this section shall be fined not more than twenty-five dollars for a first offense; for each subsequent offense, the offender shall be fined not less than twenty-five nor more than fifty dollars.
Section 6. That the existing versions of sections 4501.01, 4503.10, 4503.12, 4503.44, 4505.11, 4506.01, 4506.11, 4506.12, 4507.13, 4507.19, 4507.20, 4507.50, 4507.99, 4509.101, 4509.79, 4511.01, and 4519.05 of the Revised Code that are scheduled to take effect January 1, 2004, are hereby repealed.
Section 7. That sections 4507.1614 of the Revised Code is hereby repealed.
Section 8. Sections 5, 6, and 7 of this act take effect January 1, 2004.
Section 9. Notwithstanding the amendments to sections 4517.10 and 4738.05 of the Revised Code contained in Section 1 of this act, when the Registrar of Motor Vehicles first renews the licenses for motor vehicle dealers, motor vehicle leasing dealers, manufactured home brokers, distributors, motor vehicle auction owners, motor vehicle salespersons, motor vehicle salvage dealers, salvage motor vehicle auctions, and salvage motor vehicle pools, following the effective date of this act, the Registrar may renew some of those licenses for one year and others for two years. In the case of those licenses that the Registrar specifies be renewed for one year, the fee that was applicable to that particular license prior to the effective date of this act shall apply. In the case of those licenses that the Registrar specifies be renewed for two years, the fee that is specified in section 4517.10 of the Revised Code as amended by this act shall apply. Thereafter, all such licenses shall be issued and renewed in accordance with applicable law.
Section 10.  Section 4501.01 of the Revised Code is presented in Section 5 this act as a composite of the section as amended by both Am. Sub. S.B. 123 and Am. Sub. S.B. 231 of the 124th General Assembly. Section 4503.03 of the Revised Code is presented in this act as a composite of the section as amended by both Sub. S.B. 59 and S.B. 99 of the 124th General Assembly. Sections 4505.13 and 4519.68 of the Revised Code are presented in this act as composites of the sections as amended by both Sub. S.B. 59 and Am. Sub. S.B. 74 of the 124th General Assembly. Section 4507.51 of the Revised Code is presented in this act as a composite of the section as amended by both Sub. H.B. 354 and Am. Sub. S.B. 213 of the 122nd General Assembly. Section 4511.01 of the Revised Code is presented in Section 5 of this act as a composite of the section as amended by both Am. Sub. S.B. 123 and Am. Sub. S.B. 231 of the 124th General Assembly. The General Assembly, applying the principle stated in division (B) of section 1.52 of the Revised Code that amendments are to be harmonized if reasonably capable of simultaneous operation, finds that each composite is the resulting version of the section in effect prior to the effective date of the section as presented in this act.