Ohio Code 4519.70 – Minor prohibited from acquiring or disposing of vehicle
(A)(1) No minor under eighteen years of age shall purchase or otherwise acquire an off-highway motorcycle or all-purpose vehicle and obtain a certificate of title for the motorcycle or vehicle unless the application for the certificate of title is accompanied by a form prescribed by the registrar of motor vehicles that is signed by a parent of the minor, the minor’s guardian, or other person having custody of the minor authorizing the purchase or acquisition of the off-highway motorcycle or all-purpose vehicle.
Terms Used In Ohio Code 4519.70
- All-purpose vehicle: means any self-propelled vehicle designed primarily for cross-country travel on land and water, or on more than one type of terrain, and steered by wheels or caterpillar treads, or any combination thereof, including vehicles that operate on a cushion of air, vehicles commonly known as all-terrain vehicles, all-season vehicles, mini-bikes, and trail bikes. See Ohio Code 4519.01
- Clerk of court: An officer appointed by the court to work with the chief judge in overseeing the court's administration, especially to assist in managing the flow of cases through the court and to maintain court records.
- Dealer: means any person or firm engaged in the business of manufacturing or selling snowmobiles, off-highway motorcycles, or all-purpose vehicles at wholesale or retail, or who rents, leases, or otherwise furnishes snowmobiles, off-highway motorcycles, or all-purpose vehicles for hire. See Ohio Code 4519.01
- Guardian: A person legally empowered and charged with the duty of taking care of and managing the property of another person who because of age, intellect, or health, is incapable of managing his (her) own affairs.
- Off-highway motorcycle: means every motorcycle, as defined in section 4511. See Ohio Code 4519.01
- Person: includes an individual, corporation, business trust, estate, trust, partnership, and association. See Ohio Code 1.59
- Property: means real and personal property. See Ohio Code 1.59
- Rule: includes regulation. See Ohio Code 1.59
- state: means the state of Ohio. See Ohio Code 1.59
(2) No minor under eighteen years of age shall sell or otherwise dispose of an off-highway motorcycle or all-purpose vehicle for which a certificate of title has been issued under this chapter unless a parent of the minor, the minor’s guardian, or other person having custody of the minor furnishes to the buyer or person acquiring the motorcycle or vehicle, at the time of the sale or disposition, a form prescribed by the registrar that is signed by the parent, guardian, or other person authorizing the sale or disposition of the off-highway motorcycle or all-purpose vehicle.
(B)(1) At the time an application for a certificate of title for an off-highway motorcycle or all-purpose vehicle described in division (A) of this section is submitted, one of the following shall occur:
(a) The adult who signed the form authorizing the sale, disposition, purchase, or acquisition of the motorcycle or vehicle by the minor shall be present and shall provide identification establishing that the adult is the individual whose signature appears on the form.
(b) A dealer or the dealer’s designee, if the transaction involves that dealer, shall submit a signed statement affirming that the dealer or the dealer’s designee used reasonable diligence in ascertaining the age of the minor and the identity of the adult who signed the form and that the adult provided the identification required by division (B) of this section establishing that the adult is the individual whose signature appears on the form.
(2) The registrar shall prescribe, by rule, the types of identification that are acceptable for the purposes of division (B) of this section. If the adult who signed the form does not provide identification at the time of application to the clerk of court or to the dealer at the time of sale, disposition, purchase, or acquisition as required by this division, the application shall be refused.
(C) No right, title, claim to, or interest in an off-highway motorcycle or all-purpose vehicle shall be acquired by or from a minor unless the application for a certificate of title for the motorcycle or vehicle is accompanied by the form required by this section.
(D) No clerk of a court of common pleas shall be held liable in any civil action that arises under the law of this state for injury or loss to persons or property caused when a person has obtained a certificate of title in violation of this section, unless the clerk failed to use reasonable diligence in ascertaining the age of the minor or the identity of the adult who signed the form authorizing the sale, disposition, purchase, or acquisition of the off-highway motorcycle or all-purpose vehicle by the minor.
Last updated February 16, 2023 at 2:35 PM