As Passed by the House

125th General Assembly
Regular Session
2003-2004
Am. H. B. No. 30


REPRESENTATIVES Williams, Kearns, Calvert, Flowers, S. Patton, Perry, Price, Reinhard, Schlichter, Widowfield, Carano, Distel, Driehaus, C. Evans, D. Evans, T. Patton, Peterson, Redfern, Setzer, Sferra, Taylor



A BILL
To amend sections 4521.01, 4521.02, and 4521.10 of 1
the Revised Code to permit a local authority to2
consider for purposes of the Local Noncriminal3
Parking Law a fine of $250 to $500 for a violation 4
of an ordinance, resolution, or regulation that5
regulates the standing or parking of a vehicle in 6
a disability parking space, and to provide that if 7
a person fails to pay a fine for such a violation 8
that person may not be permitted to register a 9
motor vehicle in that person's name.10


BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF OHIO:

       Section 1. That sections 4521.01, 4521.02, and 4521.10 be11
amended to read as follows:12

       Sec. 4521.01.  As used in this chapter:13

       (A) "Parking infraction" means a violation of any ordinance,14
resolution, or regulation enacted by a local authority that15
regulates the standing or parking of vehicles and that is16
authorized pursuant to section 505.17 or 4511.07 of the Revised17
Code, or a violation of any ordinance, resolution, or regulation18
enacted by a local authority as authorized by this chapter, if the19
local authority in either of these cases also has enacted an20
ordinance, resolution, or regulation of the type described in21
division (A) of section 4521.02 of the Revised Code in relation to22
the particular regulatory ordinance, resolution, or regulation.23

       (B) "Vehicle" has the same meaning as in section 4511.01 of24
the Revised Code.25

       (C) "Court" means a municipal court, county court, juvenile26
court, or mayor's court, unless specifically identified as one of27
these courts, in which case it means the specifically identified28
court.29

       (D) "Local authority" means every county, municipal30
corporation, township, or other local board or body having31
authority to adopt police regulations pursuant to the constitution32
and laws of this state.33

       (E) "Disability parking space" means a motor vehicle parking34
location that is reserved for the exclusive standing or parking of35
a vehicle that is operated by or on behalf of a person with a36
disability that limits or impairs the ability to walk and displays37
a placard or license plates issued under section 4503.44 of the38
Revised Code.39

        (F) "Person with a disability that limits or impairs the40
ability to walk" has the same meaning as in section 4503.44 of the41
Revised Code.42

       Sec. 4521.02.  (A) A local authority that enacts any43
ordinance, resolution, or regulation that regulates the standing44
or parking of vehicles and that is authorized pursuant to section45
505.17 or 4511.07 of the Revised Code also by ordinance,46
resolution, or regulation may specify that a violation of the47
regulatory ordinance, resolution, or regulation shall not be48
considered a criminal offense for any purpose, that a person who49
commits the violation shall not be arrested as a result of the50
commission of the violation, and that the violation shall be51
handled pursuant to this chapter. If such a specification is made, 52
the local authority also by ordinance, resolution, or regulation 53
shall adopt a fine for a violation of the regulatory ordinance, 54
resolution, or regulation and prescribe an additional penalty or 55
penalties for failure to answer any charges of the violation in a 56
timely manner. In no case shall any fine adopted or additional 57
penalty prescribed pursuant to this division exceed the fine 58
established by the municipal or county court having territorial 59
jurisdiction over the entire or a majority of the political 60
subdivision of the local authority, in its schedule of fines 61
established pursuant to Traffic Rule 13(C), for a substantively 62
comparable violation. InExcept as provided in this division, in63
no case shall any fine adopted or additional penalty prescribed 64
pursuant to this division exceed one hundred dollars, plus costs 65
and other administrative charges, per violation.66

       If a local authority chooses to adopt a specific fine for a67
violation of an ordinance, resolution, or regulation that68
regulates the standing or parking of a vehicle in a disability69
parking space, the fine the local authority establishes for such 70
offense shall be an amount not less than two hundred fifty dollars 71
but not more than five hundred dollars.72

       (B) A local authority that enacts an ordinance, resolution,73
or regulation pursuant to division (A) of this section also may74
enact an ordinance, resolution, or regulation that provides for75
the impoundment or immobilization of vehicles found standing or76
parked in violation of the regulatory ordinance, resolution, or77
regulation and the release of the vehicles to their owners. In no78
case shall an ordinance, resolution, or regulation require the79
owner of the vehicle to post bond or deposit cash in excess of one80
thousand dollars in order to obtain release of the vehicle.81

       (C) A local authority that enacts any ordinance, resolution,82
or regulation pursuant to division (A) of this section also shall83
enact an ordinance, resolution, or regulation that specifies the84
time within which a person who is issued a parking ticket must85
answer in relation to the parking infraction charged in the86
ticket.87

       Sec. 4521.10. (A)(1) If a judgment or default judgment is 88
entered against a person pursuant to section 4521.08 of the 89
Revised Code for a violation of an ordinance, resolution, or 90
regulation that regulates the standing or parking of a vehicle in 91
a disability parking space and the person has not paid the 92
judgment or default judgment within ten days of the date of entry 93
of the judgment, the parking violations bureau, joint parking 94
violations bureau, or traffic violations bureau in which the 95
judgment was entered may give notice of that fact to the registrar 96
of motor vehicles. The notice, if given, shall be given not 97
earlier than sixteen days nor later than three years after the 98
date of entry of the judgment, and shall be in a form and manner, 99
and contain such information, as the registrar prescribes.100

        (2) If three or more judgments or default judgments have been 101
entered against a person pursuant to section 4521.08 of the102
Revised Code and the person has not paid the judgments or default103
judgments within ten days of the date of entry of the third104
judgment, the parking violations bureau, joint parking violations105
bureau, or traffic violations bureau in which the judgments were106
entered may give notice of that fact to the registrar of motor107
vehicles. The notice, if given, shall be given not earlier than108
sixteen days nor later than three years after the date of entry of109
the third judgment, and shall be in a form and manner, and contain110
such information, as the registrar prescribes.111

       (B)(1) Upon receipt of a notice as provided in division (A)112
of this section, neither the registrar nor any deputy registrar113
shall accept any application for the registration or transfer of114
registration of any motor vehicle owned or leased by the person115
named in the notice unless the person presents a release as116
provided in division (C) of this section or unless the registrar117
is properly notified by the parking violations bureau, joint118
parking violations bureau, or traffic violations bureau that the119
judgment or default judgment described in division (A)(1) of this120
section or the judgments or default judgments described in121
division (A)(2) of this section have been paid, dismissed, or122
reversed on appeal, or that the initial notice was given in error123
and is therefore canceled.124

       (2) The registrar shall not be required to give effect to any 125
notice provided by a parking violations bureau, joint parking126
violations bureau, or traffic violations bureau under division (A)127
of this section unless the information contained in the "Ohio128
uniform traffic tickets" described in Traffic Rule 3 (A) and (B)129
that the bureau processes is transmitted to the registrar by means130
of an electronic transfer system.131

       (C) When a notice as provided in division (A) of this section 132
is given to the registrar and the judgments or default judgments 133
are subsequently paid, dismissed, or reversed on appeal, or it is 134
discovered that the notice was given in error and is therefore 135
canceled, the parking violations bureau, joint parking violations 136
bureau, or traffic violations bureau giving the initial notice 137
shall immediately notify the registrar of such payment, dismissal, 138
reversal, or cancellation. The notification shall be in a form and 139
manner, and contain such information, as the registrar prescribes. 140
If the initial notice was not given in error, the parking 141
violations bureau, joint parking violations bureau, or traffic 142
violations bureau shall charge the person a five dollar processing 143
fee for each judgment or default judgment to cover the costs of 144
the bureau of motor vehicles in administering this section. Upon 145
payment of the fee, the parking violations bureau, joint parking 146
violations bureau, or traffic violations bureau shall give to the 147
person a release to be presented at the time of registering or 148
transferring the registration of a motor vehicle owned or leased 149
by himthe person. All fees collected under this division shall be 150
transmitted monthly to the registrar for deposit in the state 151
bureau of motor vehicles fund established by section 4501.25 of 152
the Revised Code.153

       (D) The registrar shall cause the information contained in154
each notice received pursuant to division (A) of this section to155
be removed from the records of the bureau of motor vehicles and of156
the deputy registrars thirteen months after the date the157
information was entered into the records, unless the registrar158
receives a further notice from the parking violations bureau,159
joint parking violations bureau, or traffic violations bureau160
submitting the initial notice that the judgments or default161
judgments are still outstanding.162

       (E) When any application for the registration or transfer of163
registration of a motor vehicle is refused as provided in division164
(B) of this section, the registrar or deputy registrar to whom165
application is made shall inform the person that no such166
application may be accepted unless the person presents a release167
as provided in division (C) of this section or the records of the168
bureau of motor vehicles and of the deputy registrar indicate that169
each judgment and default judgment against the person is paid,170
dismissed, reversed on appeal, or canceled.171

       (F) When any person named in a notice as provided in division 172
(A) of this section applies for the registration or transfer of 173
registration of any motor vehicle owned or leased by himthe 174
person and presents a release as provided in division (C) of this175
section or the records of the bureau of motor vehicles and of any176
deputy registrar to whom the application is made indicate that177
each judgment and default judgment against the person has been178
paid, dismissed, or reversed on appeal, the registrar or deputy179
registrar shall accept the application for registration or180
transfer of registration and may issue a certificate of181
registration or amended certificate of registration for the motor182
vehicle.183

       (G) In determining whether the judgments or default judgments184
that have been entered against a person as provided in division185
(A)(2) of this section total three or more, the parking violations186
bureau, joint parking violations bureau, or traffic violations187
bureau may apply to that total any violation the person committed188
during the relevant time period by illegally standing or parking a189
vehicle in a disability parking space, irrespective of the amount190
of the fine imposed for such violation.191

        (H) The registrar shall adopt such rules as hethe registrar192
considers necessary to ensure the orderly operation of sections 193
4521.09 and 4521.10 of the Revised Code, and any parking194
violations bureau, joint parking violations bureau, or traffic195
violations bureau shall conform to those rules.196

       Section 2. That existing sections 4521.01, 4521.02, and197
4521.10 the Revised Code are hereby repealed.198