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As Introduced
136th
General Assembly
Regular
Session
S. B. No. 91
2025-2026
Senator Cutrona
A
BILL
To
amend sections 4503.038, 4503.19, and 5502.68 and to enact sections
4503.261 and 4503.262 of the Revised Code
to
authorize a contract with a private vendor for the issuance of
specialty license plates.
BE
IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF OHIO:
Section
1.
That
sections 4503.038, 4503.19, and 5502.68 be amended and sections
4503.261 and 4503.262 of the Revised Code be enacted to read as
follows:
Sec.
4503.038.
(A)
Not
later than ninety days after July 3, 2019, the
The
registrar
of motor vehicles shall adopt rules in accordance with Chapter 119.
of the Revised Code establishing a service fee that applies for
purposes of sections 4503.03, 4503.036, 4503.042, 4503.10, 4503.102,
4503.12, 4503.182, 4503.24,
4503.261,
4503.44,
4503.65, 4505.061, 4506.08, 4507.24, 4507.50, 4507.52, 4509.05,
4519.03, 4519.05, 4519.10, 4519.56, and 4519.69 of the Revised Code.
The service fee shall be five dollars.
(B)
Not
later than ninety days after July 3, 2019, the
The
registrar
shall adopt rules in accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code
establishing prorated service fees that apply for purposes of
multi-year registrations authorized under section 4503.103 of the
Revised Code.
Sec.
4503.19.
(A)(1)
Upon the filing of an application for registration and the payment of
the tax for registration, the registrar of motor vehicles or a deputy
registrar shall determine whether the owner previously has been
issued a license plate for the motor vehicle described in the
application. If no license plate previously has been issued to the
owner for that motor vehicle, the registrar or deputy registrar shall
assign to the motor vehicle a distinctive number and issue and
deliver to the owner in the manner that the registrar may select a
certificate of registration, in the form that the registrar shall
prescribe. The registrar or deputy registrar also shall charge the
owner any fees required under division (C) of section 4503.10 of the
Revised Code
and, if applicable, any fees and contribution required in accordance
with section 4503.261 of the Revised Code
.
(2)
The registrar or deputy registrar then shall deliver a license plate
and, when required, a validation sticker, or a validation sticker
alone, to be attached to the number plate as provided in section
4503.191 of the Revised Code.
If
an owner wishes to have two license plates, the registrar or deputy
registrar shall deliver two license plates, duplicates of each other,
and, when required, a validation sticker, or a validation sticker
alone, to be attached to the number plates as provided in section
4503.191 of the Revised Code. The owner shall display the license
plate and, when required, the validation sticker on the rear of the
vehicle. However, a commercial tractor shall display the license
plate on the front of the commercial tractor and a chauffeured
limousine shall display a livery sticker along with a validation
sticker as provided in section 4503.24 of the Revised Code.
(3)
The registrar or deputy registrar shall not issue a license plate for
a school bus. A school bus shall display identifying numbers in the
manner prescribed by section 4511.764 of the Revised Code.
(4)
The certificate of registration shall be issued and delivered to the
owner in person, by mail, or by electronic delivery. The license
plate and, when required, validation sticker, or validation sticker
alone, shall be issued and delivered to the owner in person or by
mail.
(5)
In the event of the loss, mutilation, or destruction of any
certificate of registration, or of any license plate or validation
sticker, or if the owner chooses to replace a license plate
previously issued for a motor vehicle, or if the registration
certificate and license plate have been impounded as provided by
division (B)(1) of section 4507.02 and section 4507.16 of the Revised
Code, the owner of a motor vehicle, or manufacturer or dealer, may
obtain from the registrar, or from a deputy registrar if authorized
by the registrar, a duplicate thereof or a new license plate bearing
a different number, if the registrar considers it advisable, upon
filing an application prescribed by the registrar, and upon paying a
fee of one dollar for such certificate of registration. The registrar
shall deposit the one dollar fee into the state treasury to the
credit of the public safety - highway purposes fund created in
section 4501.06 of the Revised Code. The registrar or deputy
registrar shall charge a fee of seven dollars and fifty cents for
each set of two license plates or six dollars and fifty cents for
each single license plate or validation sticker issued, which the
registrar shall deposit into the state treasury to the credit of the
public safety - highway purposes fund.
(6)
Each applicant for a replacement certificate of registration, license
plate, or validation sticker also shall pay the fees provided in
divisions (C) and (D) of section 4503.10 of the Revised Code
and
,
any applicable fee under section 4503.192 of the Revised Code
,
and any applicable fee or contribution under section 4503.261 of the
Revised Code
.
Additionally,
the registrar and each deputy registrar who either issues a license
plate and a validation sticker for use on any vehicle other than a
commercial tractor, semitrailer, or apportioned vehicle, or who
issues a validation sticker alone for use on such a vehicle and the
owner has changed the owner's county of residence since the owner
last was issued a county identification sticker, also shall issue and
deliver to the owner a county identification sticker, which shall be
attached to the license plate in a manner prescribed by the director
of public safety. The county identification sticker shall identify
prominently by name or number the county in which the owner of the
vehicle resides at the time of registration.
(B)
A certificate of registration issued under this section shall have a
portion that contains all the information contained in the main
portion of the certificate except for the address of the person to
whom the certificate is issued. Except as provided in this division,
whenever a reference is made in the Revised Code to a motor vehicle
certificate of registration that is issued under this section, the
reference shall be deemed to refer to either the main portion of the
certificate or the portion containing all information in the main
portion except the address of the person to whom the certificate is
issued. If a reference is made in the Revised Code to the seizure or
surrender of a motor vehicle certificate of registration that is
issued under this section, the reference shall be deemed to refer to
both the main portion of the certificate and the portion containing
all information in the main portion except the address of the person
to whom the certificate is issued.
(C)
Whoever violates this section is guilty of a minor misdemeanor.
Sec.
4503.261.
(A)(1)
The registrar of motor vehicles shall use a competitive selection
process to select a vendor for a contract to operate a specialty
license plate program.
(2)
Beginning nine months after the effective date of this section, the
vendor shall design and market specialty license plates, including
specialty license plates required to be issued by the registrar under
this chapter. Under the program, the registrar remains responsible
for the issuance of any specialty license plate and validation
sticker and the collection of taxes and fees related to a specialty
license plate. The contract shall be for a period not to exceed two
years and may be extended for additional two-year terms.
(3)
A vendor selected under division (A)(1) of this section is exempt
from section 4503.106 of the Revised Code.
(B)
Any contract entered into under this section shall include, at a
minimum, all of the following:
(1)
A requirement that the vendor utilize electronic infrastructure that
is compatible with infrastructure used by the bureau of motor
vehicles;
(2)
Provisions concerning the security of the information exchanged
through the electronic infrastructure utilized by the registrar, the
vendor, and any other third parties;
(3)
Provisions allowing an owner or lessee to select the combination of
letters and numbers appearing on a license plate in accordance with
section 4503.40 or 4503.42 of the Revised Code, subject to approval
by the registrar;
(4)
Subject to division (C) of this section, provisions allowing an owner
or lessee purchasing a specialty license plate created by the vendor
to select various design features of the license plate;
(5)
Subject to division (C) of this section, provisions allowing the
vendor to enter into an agreement with any person for the marketing
and sale of a specialty license plate that is not offered by the
registrar under this chapter. A person or entity that has sponsored a
specialty license plate offered by the registrar under this chapter
may create a new specialty license plate through the private vendor.
(6)
Provisions specifying that the vendor shall comply with all
applicable copyright and trademark laws;
(7)
A requirement that the registrar collect the following fees and
contribution, in amounts established in the contract, related to the
issuance of license plates under the program that are in addition to
any applicable motor vehicle registration taxes and fees levied under
Chapters 4503. and 4504. of the Revised Code:
(a)
A fee to compensate the registrar for costs associated with program
administration and license plate production and design. Fees
collected under division (B)(7)(a) of this section shall be deposited
in the public safety-highway purposes fund created in section 4501.06
of the Revised Code.
(b)
A fee to compensate the vendor for the performance of its duties
under the contract. Fees collected under division (B)(7)(b) of this
section shall be deposited in the public safety license plate
contract fund created in section 4503.262 of the Revised Code.
(c)
A contribution for deposit in the drug law enforcement fund created
in section 5502.68 of the Revised Code.
(8)
Provisions requiring the vendor to comply with all applicable
requirements of the Revised Code and the Ohio Administrative Code.
(C)(1)
The registrar shall submit each specialty license plate design
created under the specialty license plate program established under
this section to the controlling board. The registrar shall submit
plate designs to the board either individually or in a group as the
registrar determines. The board may vote to approve or disapprove a
group of plates or an individual plate from a group of plates as the
board determines. The board has final authority regarding the design
and content of any specialty license plate created under the program
and shall approve or disapprove of any proposed specialty license
plate.
(2)
Before the registrar submits a specialty license plate to the
controlling board for approval, the registrar may consult with the
superintendent of the state highway patrol concerning any specialty
license plate regarding readability, reflectivity, and public safety.
(3)
The registrar shall not restrict the background color, color
combinations, or color of alphanumeric license plate numbers of a
specialty license plate proposed by the private vendor except for
purposes of public safety.
(D)(1)
If a contract with a vendor is entered into under this section, the
owner or lessee of any passenger car, noncommercial motor vehicle,
recreational vehicle, or other vehicle of a class approved by the
registrar and the vendor may apply for registration of the vehicle
and issuance by the registrar of a specialty license plate pursuant
to this section.
(2)
A specialty license plate available through the program and a
validation sticker, or validation sticker alone, shall be issued by
the registrar in coordination with the vendor to the owner or lessee
upon receipt of a completed application under this section; payment
of the regular license tax as prescribed under section 4503.04 of the
Revised Code, any applicable motor vehicle tax levied under Chapter
4504. of the Revised Code, any applicable additional fee prescribed
under section 4503.40 or 4503.42 of the Revised Code, any additional
fees required by the vendor; and compliance with all other applicable
laws relating to the registration of motor vehicles.
(E)
Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, the
registrar may execute all duties required by this section and take
all necessary actions to implement its requirements.
Sec.
4503.262.
The
public safety license plate contract fund is created in the state
treasury. The fund shall consist of fees collected by the registrar
pursuant to division (B)(7)(b) of section 4503.261 of the Revised
Code. The registrar shall use the money in the fund to compensate the
private vendor selected under section 4503.261 of the Revised Code
for the performance of its duties under the contract authorized under
that section.
Sec.
5502.68.
(A)
There is hereby created in the state treasury the drug law
enforcement fund.
The
fund consists of the following:
(1)
Ninety-seven
per cent of three dollars and fifty cents out of each ten-dollar
court cost imposed pursuant to section 2949.094 of the Revised Code
shall be credited to the fund.
;
(2)
Contributions required to be deposited in the fund under section
4503.261 of the Revised Code.
Money
in the fund shall be used only in accordance with this section to
award grants to counties, municipal corporations, townships, township
police districts, and joint police districts to defray the expenses
that a drug task force organized in the county, or in the county in
which the municipal corporation, township, or district is located,
incurs in performing its functions related to the enforcement of the
state's drug laws and other state laws related to illegal drug
activity.
The
division of criminal justice services shall administer all money
deposited into the drug law enforcement fund and, by rule adopted
under Chapter 119. of the Revised Code, shall establish procedures
for a county, municipal corporation, township, township police
district, or joint police district to apply for money from the fund
to defray the expenses that a drug task force organized in the
county, or in the county in which the municipal corporation,
township, or district is located, incurs in performing its functions
related to the enforcement of the state's drug laws and other state
laws related to illegal drug activity, procedures and criteria for
determining eligibility of applicants to be provided money from the
fund, and procedures and criteria for determining the amount of money
to be provided out of the fund to eligible applicants.
(B)
The procedures and criteria established under division (A) of this
section for applying for money from the fund shall include, but shall
not be limited to, a provision requiring a county, municipal
corporation, township, township police district, or joint police
district that applies for money from the fund to specify in its
application the amount of money desired from the fund, provided that
the cumulative amount requested in all applications submitted for any
single drug task force may not exceed more than two hundred fifty
thousand dollars in any calendar year for that task force.
(C)
The procedures and criteria established under division (A) of this
section for determining eligibility of applicants to be provided
money from the fund and for determining the amount of money to be
provided out of the fund to eligible applicants shall include, but
not be limited to, all of the following:
(1)
Provisions requiring that, in order to be eligible to be provided
money from the fund, a drug task force that applies for money from
the fund must provide evidence that the drug task force will receive
a local funding match of at least twenty-five per cent of the task
force's projected operating costs in the period of time covered by
the grant;
(2)
Provisions requiring that money from the fund be allocated and
provided to drug task forces that apply for money from the fund in
accordance with the following priorities:
(a)
Drug task forces that apply, that are in existence on the date of the
application, and that are determined to be eligible applicants, and
to which either of the following applies shall be given first
priority to be provided money from the fund:
(i)
Drug task forces that received funding through the division of
criminal justice services in calendar year 2007;
(ii)
Drug task forces in a county that has a population that exceeds seven
hundred fifty thousand.
(b)
If any moneys remain in the fund after all drug task forces that
apply, that are in existence on the date of the application, that are
determined to be eligible applicants, and that satisfy the criteria
set forth in division (C)(2)(a)(i) or (ii) of this section are
provided money from the fund as described in division (C)(2)(a) of
this section, the following categories of drug task forces that apply
and that are determined to be eligible applicants shall be given
priority to be provided money from the fund in the order in which
they apply for money from the fund:
(i)
Drug task forces that are not in existence on the date of the
application;
(ii)
Drug task forces that are in existence on the date of the application
but that do not satisfy the criteria set forth in division
(C)(2)(a)(i) or (ii) of this section.
(D)
The procedures and criteria established under division (A) of this
section for determining the amount of money to be provided out of the
fund to eligible applicants shall include, but shall not be limited
to, a provision specifying that the cumulative amount provided to any
single drug task force may not exceed more than two hundred fifty
thousand dollars in any calendar year.
(E)
Any drug task force for which a grant is awarded by the division of
criminal justice services under this section shall comply with all
grant requirements established by the division, including a
requirement that the drug task force report its activities through
the El Paso intelligence center information technology systems.
(F)
As used in this section, "drug task force" means a drug
task force organized in any county by the sheriff of the county, the
prosecuting attorney of the county, the chief of police of the
organized police department of any municipal corporation or township
in the county, and the chief of police of the police force of any
township police district or joint police district in the county to
perform functions related to the enforcement of state drug laws and
other state laws related to illegal drug activity.
Section
2.
That
existing sections 4503.038, 4503.19, and 5502.68 of the Revised Code
are hereby repealed.