2012 Ohio Revised Code
Title [29] XXIX CRIMES - PROCEDURE
Chapter 2947 - JUDGMENT; SENTENCE
Section 2947.09 - Failure to pay costs; notice of balance due.

(A) If a person is charged with an offense in a court of common pleas and either fails to appear in court at the required time and place to answer the charge or pleads guilty to or is found guilty of the offense and fails within the time allowed by the court to pay any fine or costs imposed by the court, unless the court previously has given written notice to the person, the court shall send the person a notice by ordinary mail at the person's last known address stating that there is a balance due, specifying the amount of the balance due, and directing the person to contact the court clerk's office within ten days of the date of the notice. The notice shall include the sentence: "WARNING: Failure to timely respond to this notice may result in the blocking of your motor vehicle registration or transfer of registration!" To avoid a block on the person's motor vehicle registration or transfer of registration, the person may enter into a written agreement with the court to pay the balance due in installments or to perform community service in lieu of payment. The agreement shall include the sentence: "WARNING: Failure to comply with the payment schedule or to complete your community service requirement may result in the blocking of your motor vehicle registration or transfer of registration!"

If a person does not enter into an agreement under this division or if a person fails to comply with an agreement entered into under this division, the court may enter information relative to the person's failure to pay any outstanding amount of the fine or costs on a form prescribed or approved by the registrar pursuant to division (B) of this section and send the form to the registrar. Upon receipt of the form, the registrar shall take any measures necessary to ensure that neither the registrar nor any deputy registrar accepts any application for the registration or transfer of registration of any motor vehicle owned or leased by the person. However, for a motor vehicle leased by the person, the registrar shall not implement this requirement until the registrar adopts procedures for that implementation under section 4503.39 of the Revised Code.

The period of denial relating to the issuance or transfer of a certificate of registration for a motor vehicle imposed under this section remains in effect until the person pays any fine or costs imposed by the court relative to the offense. When the fine or costs have been paid in full, the court shall inform the registrar of the payment by entering information relative to the payment on a notice of payment form prescribed or approved by the registrar pursuant to division (B) of this section and sending the form to the registrar.

(B) The registrar shall prescribe and make available to courts of common pleas forms to be used for a notice to the registrar of failure to pay fines or costs and a notice to the registrar of payment of fines or costs under division (A) of this section. The registrar may approve the use of other forms for these purposes.

The registrar may require that any of the forms prescribed or approved pursuant to this section be transmitted to the registrar electronically. If the registrar requires electronic transmission, the registrar shall not be required to give effect to any form that is not transmitted electronically.

Added by 129th General AssemblyFile No.176,HB 197, §1, eff. 3/22/2013.