As Introduced

130th General Assembly
Regular Session
2013-2014
S. B. No. 53


Senator Kearney 

Cosponsors: Senators Smith, Tavares, Schiavoni, Turner, Seitz 

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 transactions of more than ten dollars.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
charges in excess of ten dollars for motor vehicle registration 120
taxes and fees, driver's license and commercial driver's license 121
fees, and any other taxes, fees, penalties, or charges imposed or 122
levied by the state by means of a financial transaction device. 123
The registrar mayshall adopt rules as necessary for this purpose.124

       (2) Commencing with deputy registrar contract awards that 125
have a start date of July 1, 20082014, and for all contract 126
awards thereafter, the registrar shall incorporate in the review 127
process a score for whether or not a proposer statesrequire that 128
the proposer will accept payment by means of a financial 129
transaction device, including credit cards and debit cards, for 130
all department of public safety transactions conducted at that 131
deputy registrar location that are in excess of ten dollars.132

       A deputy registrar shall not be required to accept payment by 133
means of a financial transaction device unless the deputy 134
registrar agreed to do so in the deputy registrar's contract. The 135
bureau shall not be required to pay any costs incurred by a deputy 136
registrar who accepts payment by means of a financial transaction 137
device that result from the deputy registrar accepting payment by 138
means of a financial transaction device.139

       (3) AIn accordance with division (H)(1) of this section and 140
rules adopted by the registrar, a county auditor or clerk of a 141
court of common pleas that is designated a deputy registrar may 142
choose toshall accept payment by means of a financial transaction 143
device, including credit cards and debit cards, for all department 144
of public safety transactions that are in excess of ten dollars 145
and are conducted at the office of the county auditor or clerk in 146
the county auditor's or clerk's capacity as deputy registrar. The 147
bureau shall not be required to pay any costs incurred by a county 148
auditor who accepts payment by means of a financial transaction 149
device that result from the county auditor accepting payment by 150
means of a financial transaction device for any such department of 151
public safety transaction.152

       (I) For persons who reside in counties where tailpipe 153
emissions inspections are required under the motor vehicle 154
inspection and maintenance program, the notice required by 155
division (B) of this section shall also include the toll-free 156
telephone number maintained by the Ohio environmental protection 157
agency to provide information concerning the locations of 158
emissions testing centers.159

       Section 2. That existing section 4503.102 of the Revised Code 160
is hereby repealed.161

       Section 3.  Section 4503.102 of the Revised Code is presented 162
in this act as a composite of the section as amended by both H.B. 163
13 and Am. Sub. H.B. 119 of the 127th General Assembly. The 164
General Assembly, applying the principle stated in division (B) of 165
section 1.52 of the Revised Code that amendments are to be 166
harmonized if reasonably capable of simultaneous operation, finds 167
that the composite is the resulting version of the section in 168
effect prior to the effective date of the section as presented in 169
this act.170