Laws, Acts, and Legislation

To amend sections 4510.13 and 4510.46 of the Revised Code to require first-time OVI offenders and other OVI offenders to use a certified ignition interlock device and to wear a continuous alcohol monitor if the offender tampers with or otherwise violates an ignition interlock device and to make other changes to OVI law.

Sec. 4510.13. (A)(1) Divisions (A)(2) to (9) of this section apply to a judge or mayor regarding the suspension of, or the grant of limited driving privileges during a suspension of, an offender's driver's or commercial driver's license or permit or nonresident operating privilege imposed under division (G) or (H) of section 4511.19 of the Revised Code, under division (B) or (C) of section 4511.191 of the Revised Code, or under section 4510.07 of the Revised Code for a conviction of a violation of a municipal OVI ordinance.

(2) No judge or mayor shall suspend the following portions of the suspension of an offender's driver's or commercial driver's license or permit or nonresident operating privilege imposed under division (G) or (H) of section 4511.19 of the Revised Code or under section 4510.07 of the Revised Code for a conviction of a violation of a municipal OVI ordinance, provided that division (A)(2) of this section does not limit a court or mayor in crediting any period of suspension imposed pursuant to division (B) or (C) of section 4511.191 of the Revised Code against any time of judicial suspension imposed pursuant to section 4511.19 or 4510.07 of the Revised Code, as described in divisions (B)(2) and (C)(2) of section 4511.191 of the Revised Code:

(3) No judge or mayor shall grant limited driving privileges to an offender whose driver's or commercial driver's license or permit or nonresident operating privilege has been suspended under division (G) or (H) of section 4511.19 of the Revised Code, under division (C) of section 4511.191 of the Revised Code, or under section 4510.07 of the Revised Code for a municipal OVI conviction if the offender, within the preceding six years, has been convicted of or pleaded guilty to three or more violations of one or more of the Revised Code sections, municipal ordinances, statutes of the United States or another state, or municipal ordinances of a municipal corporation of another state that are identified in divisions (G)(2)(b) to (h) of section 2919.22 of the Revised Code.

Additionally, no judge or mayor shall grant limited driving privileges to an offender whose driver's or commercial driver's license or permit or nonresident operating privilege has been suspended under division (B) of section 4511.191 of the Revised Code if the offender, within the preceding six years, has refused three previous requests to consent to a chemical test of the person's whole blood, blood serum or plasma, breath, or urine to determine its alcohol content.

(4) No judge or mayor shall grant limited driving privileges for employment as a driver of commercial motor vehicles to an offender whose driver's or commercial driver's license or permit or nonresident operating privilege has been suspended under division (G) or (H) of section 4511.19 of the Revised Code, under division (B) or (C) of section 4511.191 of the Revised Code, or under section 4510.07 of the Revised Code for a municipal OVI conviction if the offender is disqualified from operating a commercial motor vehicle, or whose license or permit has been suspended, under section 3123.58 or 4506.16 of the Revised Code.

(5) No judge or mayor shall grant limited driving privileges to an offender whose driver's or commercial driver's license or permit or nonresident operating privilege has been suspended under division (G) or (H) of section 4511.19 of the Revised Code, under division (C) of section 4511.191 of the Revised Code, or under section 4510.07 of the Revised Code for a conviction of a violation of a municipal OVI ordinance during any of the following periods of time:

(a) The first fifteen days of a suspension imposed under division (G)(1)(a) of section 4511.19 of the Revised Code or a comparable length suspension imposed under section 4510.07 of the Revised Code, or of a suspension imposed under division (C)(1)(a) of section 4511.191 of the Revised Code. On or after the sixteenth day of the suspension, the court may grant limited driving privileges, ~~but the~~ and either of the following applies:

(i) If the underlying arrest is alcohol-related, the court ~~may require~~ shall issue an order that the offender shall not exercise the privileges unless the vehicles the offender operates are equipped with immobilizing or disabling devices that monitor the offender's alcohol consumption or any other type of immobilizing or disabling devices, except as provided in division (C) of section 4510.43 of the Revised Code, for the remainder of the period of suspension the offender shall not exercise the privileges unless the vehicles the offender operates are equipped with a certified ignition interlock device.

(ii) If the underlying arrest is drug-related, the court in its discretion may issue an order that, except as provided in division (C) of section 4510.43 of the Revised Code, for the remainder of the period of suspension the offender shall not exercise the privileges unless the vehicles the offender operates are equipped with a certified ignition interlock device.

(b) The first forty-five days of a suspension imposed under division (C)(1)(b) of section 4511.191 of the Revised Code. On or after the ~~thirty-first~~ forty-sixth day of suspension, the court may grant limited driving privileges, but the court may require that the offender shall not exercise the privileges unless the vehicles the offender operates are equipped with immobilizing or disabling devices that monitor the offender's alcohol consumption or any other type of immobilizing or disabling devices, except as provided in division (C) of section 4510.43 of the Revised Code.

(i) If the underlying arrest is alcohol-related, the court shall issue an order that, except as provided in division (C) of section 4510.43 of the Revised Code, for the remainder of the period of suspension the offender shall not exercise the privileges unless the vehicles the offender operates are equipped with a certified ignition interlock device.

(ii) If the underlying arrest is drug-related, the court in its discretion may issue an order that, except as provided in division (C) of section 4510.43 of the Revised Code, for the remainder of the period of suspension the offender shall not exercise the privileges unless the vehicles the offender operates are equipped with a certified ignition interlock device.

(e) The first forty-five days of a suspension imposed under division (G)(1)(b) of section 4511.19 of the Revised Code or a comparable length suspension imposed under section 4510.07 of the Revised Code. On or after the forty-sixth day of the suspension, the court may grant limited driving privileges, and either of the following applies:

(i) If the underlying conviction is alcohol-related, the court shall issue an order that, except as provided in division (C) of section 4510.43 of the Revised Code, for the remainder of the period of suspension the offender shall not exercise the privileges unless the vehicles the offender operates are equipped with a certified ignition interlock device.

(ii) If the underlying conviction is drug-related, the court in its discretion may issue an order that, except as provided in division (C) of section 4510.43 of the Revised Code, for the remainder of the period of suspension the offender shall not exercise the privileges unless the vehicles the offender operates are equipped with a certified ignition interlock device.

(f) The first one hundred eighty days of a suspension imposed under division (G)(1)(c) of section 4511.19 of the Revised Code or a comparable length suspension imposed under section 4510.07 of the Revised Code. On or after the one hundred eighty-first day of the suspension, the court may grant limited driving privileges, and either of the following applies:

(i) If the underlying conviction is alcohol-related, the court shall issue an order that, except as provided in division (C) of section 4510.43 of the Revised Code, for the remainder of the period of suspension the offender shall not exercise the privileges unless the vehicles the offender operates are equipped with a certified ignition interlock device.

(ii) If the underlying conviction is drug-related, the court in its discretion may issue an order that, except as provided in division (C) of section 4510.43 of the Revised Code, for the remainder of the period of suspension the offender shall not exercise the privileges unless the vehicles the offender operates are equipped with a certified ignition interlock device.

(g) The first three years of a suspension imposed under division (G)(1)(d) or (e) of section 4511.19 of the Revised Code or a comparable length suspension imposed under section 4510.07 of the Revised Code, or of a suspension imposed under division (C)(1)(d) of section 4511.191 of the Revised Code. On or after the first three years of suspension, the court may grant limited driving privileges, and either of the following applies:

(i) If the underlying conviction is alcohol-related, the court shall issue an order that, except as provided in division (C) of section 4510.43 of the Revised Code, for the remainder of the period of suspension the offender shall not exercise the privileges unless the vehicles the offender operates are equipped with a certified ignition interlock device.

(ii) If the underlying conviction is drug-related, the court in its discretion may issue an order that, except as provided in division (C) of section 4510.43 of the Revised Code, for the remainder of the period of suspension the offender shall not exercise the privileges unless the vehicles the offender operates are equipped with a certified ignition interlock device.

(7) In any case in which a judge or mayor grants limited driving privileges to an offender whose driver's or commercial driver's license or permit or nonresident operating privilege has been suspended under division (G)(1)(b), (c), (d), or (e) of section 4511.19 of the Revised Code, under division (G)(1)(a) of section 4511.19 of the Revised Code for a violation of division (A)(1)(f), (g), (h), or (i) of that section, or under section 4510.07 of the Revised Code for a municipal OVI conviction for which sentence would have been imposed under division (G)(1)(a)(ii) or (G)(1)(b), (c), (d), or (e) of section 4511.19 of the Revised Code had the offender been charged with and convicted of a violation of section 4511.19 of the Revised Code instead of a violation of the municipal OVI ordinance, the judge or mayor shall impose as a condition of the privileges that the offender must display on the vehicle that is driven subject to the privileges restricted license plates that are issued under section 4503.231 of the Revised Code, except as provided in division (B) of that section.

(8) In any case in which ~~the~~ an offender who is required to use an ignition interlock device operates a motor vehicle that is not equipped with an ignition interlock device, circumvents the device, or tampers with the device or in any case in which the court receives notice pursuant to section 4510.46 of the Revised Code that a certified ignition interlock device required by an order issued under division (A)(5)(a), (e), (f), or (g) of this section prevented an offender from starting a motor vehicle, the following applies:

(a) If the offender was sentenced under division (G)(1)(a) or (b) of section 4511.19 of the Revised Code, on a first instance the court may require the offender to wear a monitor that provides continuous alcohol monitoring that is remote. On a second instance, the court shall require the offender to wear a monitor that provides continuous alcohol monitoring that is remote for a minimum of forty days. On a third instance or more, the court shall require the offender to wear a monitor that provides continuous alcohol monitoring that is remote for a minimum of sixty days.

(b) If the offender was sentenced under division (G)(1)(c), (d), or (e) of section 4511.19 of the Revised Code, on a first instance the court shall require the offender to wear a monitor that provides continuous alcohol monitoring that is remote for a minimum of forty days. On a second instance or more, the court shall require the offender to wear a monitor that provides continuous alcohol monitoring that is remote for a minimum of sixty days.

(9) In any case in which the court issues an order under this section prohibiting an offender from exercising limited driving privileges unless the vehicles the offender operates are equipped with an immobilizing or disabling device, including a certified ignition interlock device, or requires an offender to wear a monitor that provides continuous alcohol monitoring that is remote, the court shall impose an additional court cost of two dollars and fifty cents upon the offender. The court shall not waive the payment of the two dollars and fifty cents unless the court determines that the offender is indigent and waives the payment of all court costs imposed upon the indigent offender. The clerk of court shall retain one hundred per cent of this court cost. The clerk of court shall transmit one hundred per cent of this court cost collected during a month on the first business day of the following month to the state treasury to be credited to the state highway safety fund created under section 4501.06 of the Revised Code, to be used by the department of public safety to cover costs associated with maintaining the habitual OVI/OMWI offender registry created under section 5502.10 of the Revised Code. In its discretion the court may impose an additional court cost of two dollars and fifty cents upon the offender. The clerk of court shall retain this two dollar and fifty cent court cost, if imposed, and shall deposit it in the court's special projects fund that is established under division (E)(1) of section 2303.201 or division (B)(1) of section 1901.26 of the Revised Code.

(10) In any case in which the court issues an order under this section prohibiting an offender from exercising limited driving privileges unless the vehicles the offender operates are equipped with an immobilizing or disabling device, including a certified ignition interlock device, the court shall notify the offender at the time the offender is granted limited driving privileges that, in accordance with section 4510.46 of the Revised Code, if the court receives notice that the device prevented the offender from starting the motor vehicle because the device was tampered with or circumvented or because the analysis of the deep-lung breath sample or other method employed by the device to measure the concentration by weight of alcohol in the offender's breath indicated the presence of alcohol in the offender's breath in a concentration sufficient to prevent the device from permitting the motor vehicle to be started, the court may increase the period of suspension of the offender's driver's or commercial driver's license or permit or nonresident operating privilege from that originally imposed by the court by a factor of two and may increase the period of time during which the offender will be prohibited from exercising any limited driving privileges granted to the offender unless the vehicles the offender operates are equipped with a certified ignition interlock device by a factor of two.

(B) Any person whose driver's or commercial driver's license or permit or nonresident operating privilege has been suspended pursuant to section 4511.19 or 4511.191 of the Revised Code or under section 4510.07 of the Revised Code for a violation of a municipal OVI ordinance may file a petition for limited driving privileges during the suspension. The person shall file the petition in the court that has jurisdiction over the place of arrest. Subject to division (A) of this section, the court may grant the person limited driving privileges during the period during which the suspension otherwise would be imposed. However, the court shall not grant the privileges for employment as a driver of a commercial motor vehicle to any person who is disqualified from operating a commercial motor vehicle under section 4506.16 of the Revised Code or during any of the periods prescribed by division (A) of this section.

(C)(1) After a driver's or commercial driver's license or permit or nonresident operating privilege has been suspended pursuant to section 2903.06, 2903.08, 2903.11, 2907.24, 2921.331, 2923.02, 2929.02, 4511.19, 4511.251, 4549.02, 4549.021, or 5743.99 of the Revised Code, any provision of Chapter 2925. of the Revised Code, or section 4510.07 of the Revised Code for a violation of a municipal OVI ordinance, the judge of the court or mayor of the mayor's court that suspended the license, permit, or privilege shall cause the offender to deliver to the court the license or permit. The judge, mayor, or clerk of the court or mayor's court shall forward to the registrar the license or permit together with notice of the action of the court.

(2) A suspension of a commercial driver's license under any section or chapter identified in division (C)(1) of this section shall be concurrent with any period of suspension or disqualification under section 3123.58 or 4506.16 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 any section or chapter identified in division (C)(1) of this section shall be issued a driver's license under Chapter 4507. of the Revised Code during the period of the suspension.

(3) No judge or mayor shall suspend any class one suspension, or any portion of any class one suspension, imposed under section 2903.04, 2903.06, 2903.08, or 2921.331 of the Revised Code. No judge or mayor shall suspend the first thirty days of any class two, class three, class four, class five, or class six suspension imposed under section 2903.06, 2903.08, 2903.11, 2923.02, or 2929.02 of the Revised Code.

(D) The judge of the court or mayor of the mayor's court shall credit any time during which an offender was subject to an administrative suspension of the offender's driver's or commercial driver's license or permit or nonresident operating privilege imposed pursuant to section 4511.191 or 4511.192 of the Revised Code or a suspension imposed by a judge, referee, or mayor pursuant to division (B)(1) or (2) of section 4511.196 of the Revised Code against the time to be served under a related suspension imposed pursuant to any section or chapter identified in division (C)(1) of this section.

(F)(1) If a court issues an immobilizing or disabling device order under section 4510.43 of the Revised Code, the order shall authorize the offender during the specified period to operate a motor vehicle only if it is equipped with an immobilizing or disabling device, except as provided in division (C) of that section. The court shall provide the offender with a copy of an immobilizing or disabling device order issued under section 4510.43 of the Revised Code, and the offender shall use the copy of the order in lieu of an Ohio driver's or commercial driver's license or permit until the registrar or a deputy registrar issues the offender a restricted license.

(2) An offender may present an immobilizing or disabling device order to the registrar or to a deputy registrar. Upon presentation of the order to the registrar or a deputy registrar, the registrar or deputy registrar shall issue the offender a restricted license. A restricted license issued under this division shall be identical to an Ohio driver's license, except that it shall have printed on its face a statement that the offender is prohibited during the period specified in the court order from operating any motor vehicle that is not equipped with an immobilizing or disabling device. The date of commencement and the date of termination of the period of suspension shall be indicated conspicuously upon the face of the license.

Sec. 4510.46. (A) A governmental agency, bureau, department, or office, or a private corporation, or any other entity that monitors certified ignition interlock devices for or on behalf of a court shall inform the court whenever such a device that has been installed in a motor vehicle indicates that it has prevented an offender whose driver's or commercial driver's license or permit or nonresident operating privilege has been suspended by a court under division (G)(1)(a), (b), (c), (d), or (e) of section 4511.19 of the Revised Code and who has been granted limited driving privileges under section 4510.13 of the Revised Code from starting the motor vehicle because the device was tampered with or circumvented or because the analysis of the deep-lung breath sample or other method employed by the ignition interlock device to measure the concentration by weight of alcohol in the offender's breath indicated the presence of alcohol in the offender's breath in a concentration sufficient to prevent the ignition interlock device from permitting the motor vehicle to be started.

(B) Upon receipt of such information pertaining to an offender whose driver's or commercial driver's license or permit or nonresident operating privilege has been suspended by a court under division (G)(1)(a), (b), (c), (d), or (e) of section 4511.19 of the Revised Code and who has been granted limited driving privileges under section 4510.13 of the Revised Code, the court shall send a notice to the offender stating that it has received evidence of an instance described in division (A) of this section. If a court pursuant to division (A)(8) of section 4510.13 of the Revised Code requires the offender to wear an alcohol monitor, the notice shall state that because of this instance the offender is required to wear a monitor that provides for continuous alcohol monitoring in accordance with division (A)(8) of section 4510.13 of the Revised Code. The notice shall further state that because of this instance the court may increase the period of suspension of the offender's driver's or commercial driver's license or permit or nonresident operating privilege from that originally imposed by the court by a factor of two and may increase the period of time during which the offender will be prohibited from exercising any limited driving privileges granted to the offender unless the vehicles the offender operates are equipped with a certified ignition interlock device by a factor of two.

The notice shall state whether the court will impose these increases and, if so, that these increases will take effect fourteen days from the date of the notice unless the offender files a timely motion with the court, appealing the increases in the time described in this division and requesting a hearing on the matter. Any such motion that is filed within that fourteen-day period shall be considered to be filed in a timely manner, and any such motion that is filed after that fourteen-day period shall be considered not to be filed in a timely manner. If the offender files a timely motion, the court may hold a hearing on the matter. The scope of the hearing is limited to determining whether the offender in fact was prevented from starting a motor vehicle that is equipped with a certified ignition interlock device because the device was tampered with or circumvented or because the analysis of the deep-lung breath sample or other method employed by the ignition interlock device to measure the concentration by weight of alcohol in the offender's breath indicated the presence of alcohol in the offender's breath in a concentration sufficient to prevent the ignition interlock device from permitting the motor vehicle to be started.

If the court finds by a preponderance of the evidence that this instance as indicated by the ignition interlock device in fact did occur, it may deny the offender's appeal and issue the order increasing the relevant periods of time described in this division. If the court finds by a preponderance of the evidence that this instance as indicated by the ignition interlock device in fact did not occur, it shall grant the offender's appeal and no such order shall be issued.

(C) In no case shall any period of suspension of an offender's driver's or commercial driver's license or permit or nonresident operating privilege that is increased by a factor of two or any period of time during which the offender is prohibited from exercising any limited driving privileges granted to the offender unless the vehicles the offender operates are equipped with a certified ignition interlock device that is increased by a factor of two exceed the maximum period of time for which the court originally was authorized to suspend the offender's driver's or commercial driver's license or permit or nonresident operating privilege under division (G)(1)(a), (b), (c), (d), or (e) of section 4511.19 of the Revised Code.