As Introduced

130th General Assembly
Regular Session
2013-2014
H. B. No. 617


Representative DeVitis 

Cosponsors: Representatives Butler, Becker, Duffey, Bishoff, Retherford, Grossman, Perales, Reece 

A BILL
To amend section 4503.102 of the Revised Code to 1
require the Registrar of Motor Vehicles and all 2
deputy registrars to accept credit and debit cards 3
for all transactions.4


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

       Section 1. That section 4503.102 of the Revised Code be 5
amended to read as follows:6

       Sec. 4503.102.  (A) The registrar of motor vehicles shall 7
adopt rules to establish a centralized system of motor vehicle 8
registration renewal by mail or by electronic means. Any person 9
owning a motor vehicle that was registered in the person's name 10
during the preceding registration year shall renew the 11
registration of the motor vehicle not more than ninety days prior 12
to the expiration date of the registration either by mail or by 13
electronic means through the centralized system of registration 14
established under this section, or in person at any office of the 15
registrar or at a deputy registrar's office.16

       (B)(1) No less than forty-five days prior to the expiration 17
date of any motor vehicle registration, the registrar shall mail a 18
renewal notice to the person in whose name the motor vehicle is 19
registered. The renewal notice shall clearly state that the 20
registration of the motor vehicle may be renewed by mail or 21
electronic means through the centralized system of registration or 22
in person at any office of the registrar or at a deputy 23
registrar's office and shall be preprinted with information 24
including, but not limited to, the owner's name and residence 25
address as shown in the records of the bureau of motor vehicles, a 26
brief description of the motor vehicle to be registered, notice of 27
the license taxes and fees due on the motor vehicle, the toll-free 28
telephone number of the registrar as required under division 29
(D)(1) of section 4503.031 of the Revised Code, and any additional 30
information the registrar may require by rule. The renewal notice 31
shall not include the social security number of either the owner 32
of the motor vehicle or the person in whose name the motor vehicle 33
is registered. The renewal notice shall be sent by regular mail to 34
the owner's last known address as shown in the records of the 35
bureau of motor vehicles.36

       (2) If the application for renewal of the registration of a 37
motor vehicle is prohibited from being accepted by the registrar 38
or a deputy registrar by division (D) of section 2935.27, division 39
(A) of section 2937.221, division (A) of section 4503.13, division 40
(B) of section 4510.22, or division (B)(1) of section 4521.10 of 41
the Revised Code, the registrar is not required to send a renewal 42
notice to the vehicle owner or vehicle lessee.43

       (C) The owner of the motor vehicle shall verify the 44
information contained in the notice, sign it either manually or by 45
electronic means, and return it, either by mail or electronic 46
means, or the owner may take it in person to any office of the 47
registrar or of a deputy registrar, together with a financial 48
transaction device number, when permitted by rule of the 49
registrar, check, or money order in the amount of the registration 50
taxes and fees payable on the motor vehicle and a mail fee of two 51
dollars and seventy-five cents commencing on July 1, 2001, three 52
dollars and twenty-five cents commencing on January 1, 2003, and53
three dollars and fifty cents commencing on January 1, 2004, plus 54
postage as indicated on the notice, if the registration is renewed 55
by mail, and an inspection certificate for the motor vehicle as 56
provided in section 3704.14 of the Revised Code. If the motor 57
vehicle owner chooses to renew the motor vehicle registration by 58
electronic means, the owner shall proceed in accordance with the 59
rules the registrar adopts.60

       (D) If all registration and transfer fees for the motor 61
vehicle for the preceding year or the preceding period of the 62
current registration year have not been paid, if division (D) of 63
section 2935.27, division (A) of section 2937.221, division (A) of 64
section 4503.13, division (B) of section 4510.22, or division 65
(B)(1) of section 4521.10 of the Revised Code prohibits acceptance 66
of the renewal notice, or if the owner or lessee does not have an 67
inspection certificate for the motor vehicle as provided in 68
section 3704.14 of the Revised Code, if that section is 69
applicable, the license shall be refused, and the registrar or 70
deputy registrar shall so notify the owner. This section does not 71
require the payment of license or registration taxes on a motor 72
vehicle for any preceding year, or for any preceding period of a 73
year, if the motor vehicle was not taxable for that preceding year 74
or period under section 4503.02, 4503.04, 4503.11, 4503.12, or 75
4503.16 or Chapter 4504. of the Revised Code.76

       (E)(1) Failure to receive a renewal notice does not relieve a 77
motor vehicle owner from the responsibility to renew the 78
registration for the motor vehicle. Any person who has a motor 79
vehicle registered in this state and who does not receive a 80
renewal notice as provided in division (B) of this section prior 81
to the expiration date of the registration shall request an 82
application for registration from the registrar or a deputy 83
registrar and sign the application manually or by electronic means 84
and submit the application and pay any applicable license taxes 85
and fees to the registrar or deputy registrar.86

       (2) If the owner of a motor vehicle submits an application 87
for registration and the registrar is prohibited by division (D) 88
of section 2935.27, division (A) of section 2937.221, division (A) 89
of section 4503.13, division (B) of section 4510.22, or division 90
(B)(1) of section 4521.10 of the Revised Code from accepting the 91
application, the registrar shall return the application and the 92
payment to the owner. If the owner of a motor vehicle submits a 93
registration renewal application to the registrar by electronic 94
means and the registrar is prohibited from accepting the 95
application as provided in this division, the registrar shall 96
notify the owner of this fact and deny the application and return 97
the payment or give a credit on the financial transaction device 98
account of the owner in the manner the registrar prescribes by 99
rule adopted pursuant to division (A) of this section.100

       (F) Every deputy registrar shall post in a prominent place at 101
the deputy's office a notice informing the public of the mail 102
registration system required by this section and also shall post a 103
notice that every owner of a motor vehicle and every chauffeur 104
holding a certificate of registration is required to notify the 105
registrar in writing of any change of residence within ten days 106
after the change occurs. The notice shall be in such form as the 107
registrar prescribes by rule.108

       (G) The two dollars and seventy-five cents fee collected from 109
July 1, 2001, through December 31, 2002, the three dollars and 110
twenty-five cents fee collected from January 1, 2003, through 111
December 31, 2003, and the three dollars and fifty cents fee112
collected after January 1, 2004, plus postage and any financial 113
transaction device surcharge collected by the registrar for 114
registration by mail, shall be paid to the credit of the state 115
bureau of motor vehicles fund established by section 4501.25 of 116
the Revised Code.117

       (H)(1) Pursuant to section 113.40 of the Revised Code, the 118
registrar mayshall implement a program permitting payment of 119
motor vehicle registration taxes and fees, driver's license and 120
commercial driver's license fees, and any other taxes, fees, 121
penalties, or charges imposed or levied by the state by means of a 122
financial transaction device. The registrar mayshall adopt rules 123
as necessary for this purpose.124

       Prior to implementing the payment program described in 125
division (H)(1) of this section, the registrar shall negotiate 126
with appropriate parties regarding the amount of any merchant or 127
other fee that will be paid under the payment program to issuers 128
of financial transaction devices or to financial institutions as 129
the result of the use of financial transaction devices.130

       The rules the registrar adopts under division (H)(1) of this 131
section shall permit, to the extent permitted by the issuer of a 132
financial transaction device and subject to any applicable court 133
decision, legal settlement, or federal statute or regulation, the 134
imposition and collection of an appropriate surcharge for each 135
transaction for which a person makes payment by utilizing a 136
financial transaction device under the payment program.137

       (2) Commencing with deputy registrar contract awards that 138
have a start date of July 1, 20082015, and for all contract 139
awards thereafter, the registrar shall incorporate in the review 140
process a score for whether or not a proposer statesrequire that 141
the proposer will accept payment by means of a financial 142
transaction device, including credit cards and debit cards, for 143
all department of public safety transactions conducted at that 144
deputy registrar location.145

       A deputy registrar shall not be required to accept payment by 146
means of a financial transaction device unless the deputy 147
registrar agreed to do so in the deputy registrar's contract. The 148
bureau shallis not be required to pay any costs incurred by a 149
deputy registrar who accepts payment by means of a financial 150
transaction device that result from the deputy registrar accepting 151
payment by means of a financial transaction device.152

       (3) AIn accordance with division (H)(1) of this section and 153
rules adopted by the registrar, a county auditor or clerk of a 154
court of common pleas that is designated a deputy registrar may 155
choose toshall accept payment by means of a financial transaction 156
device, including credit cards and debit cards, for all department 157
of public safety transactions conducted at the office of the 158
county auditor or clerk in the county auditor's or clerk's159
capacity as deputy registrar. The bureau shall not be required to 160
pay any costs incurred by a county auditor who accepts payment by 161
means of a financial transaction device that result from the 162
county auditor accepting payment by means of a financial 163
transaction device for any such department of public safety 164
transaction.165

       (I) For persons who reside in counties where tailpipe 166
emissions inspections are required under the motor vehicle 167
inspection and maintenance program, the notice required by 168
division (B) of this section shall also include the toll-free 169
telephone number maintained by the Ohio environmental protection 170
agency to provide information concerning the locations of 171
emissions testing centers.172

       Section 2.  That existing section 4503.102 of the Revised 173
Code is hereby repealed.174

       Section 3.  Section 4503.102 of the Revised Code is presented 175
in this act as a composite of the section as amended by both H.B. 176
13 and Am. Sub. H.B. 119 of the 127th General Assembly. The 177
General Assembly, applying the principle stated in division (B) of 178
section 1.52 of the Revised Code that amendments are to be 179
harmonized if reasonably capable of simultaneous operation, finds 180
that the composite is the resulting version of the section in 181
effect prior to the effective date of the section as presented in 182
this act.183