Ohio Code 4507.164 – Impounding license plates upon suspension of license – immobilizing or criminal forfeiture of vehicle
(A) Except as provided in divisions (C) to (E) of this section, when the license of any person is suspended pursuant to any provision of the Revised Code other than division (G) of section 4511.19 of the Revised Code and other than section 4510.07 of the Revised Code for a violation of a municipal OVI ordinance, the trial judge may impound the identification license plates of any motor vehicle registered in the name of the person.
Terms Used In Ohio Code 4507.164
- Person: includes an individual, corporation, business trust, estate, trust, partnership, and association. See Ohio Code 1.59
- state: means the state of Ohio. See Ohio Code 1.59
- suspension: means the permanent or temporary withdrawal, by action of a court or the bureau of motor vehicles, of a driver's license, commercial driver's license, temporary instruction permit, probationary license, or nonresident operating privilege for the period of the suspension or the permanent or temporary withdrawal of the privilege to obtain a license, permit, or privilege of that type for the period of the suspension. See Ohio Code 4510.01
- Trial: A hearing that takes place when the defendant pleads "not guilty" and witnesses are required to come to court to give evidence.
(B)(1) When the license of any person is suspended pursuant to division (G)(1)(a) of section 4511.19 of the Revised Code, or pursuant to section 4510.07 of the Revised Code for a municipal OVI offense when the suspension is equivalent in length to the suspension under division (G) of section 4511.19 of the Revised Code that is specified in this division, the trial judge of the court of record or the mayor of the mayor’s court that suspended the license may impound the identification license plates of any motor vehicle registered in the name of the person.
(2) When the license of any person is suspended pursuant to division (G)(1)(b) of section 4511.19 of the Revised Code, or pursuant to section 4510.07 of the Revised Code for a municipal OVI offense when the suspension is equivalent in length to the suspension under division (G) of section 4511.19 of the Revised Code that is specified in this division, the trial judge of the court of record that suspended the license shall order the impoundment of the identification license plates of the motor vehicle the offender was operating at the time of the offense and the immobilization of that vehicle in accordance with section 4503.233 and division (G)(1)(b) of section 4511.19 or division (C)(2)(a) of section 4511.193 of the Revised Code and may impound the identification license plates of any other motor vehicle registered in the name of the person whose license is suspended.
(3) When the license of any person is suspended pursuant to division (G)(1)(c), (d), or (e) of section 4511.19 of the Revised Code, or pursuant to section 4510.07 of the Revised Code for a municipal OVI offense when the suspension is equivalent in length to the suspension under division (G) of section 4511.19 of the Revised Code that is specified in this division, the trial judge of the court of record that suspended the license shall order the criminal forfeiture to the state of the motor vehicle the offender was operating at the time of the offense in accordance with section 4503.234 and division (G)(1)(c), (d), or (e) of section 4511.19 or division (C)(2)(b) of section 4511.193 of the Revised Code and may impound the identification license plates of any other motor vehicle registered in the name of the person whose license is suspended.
(C)(1) When a person is convicted of or pleads guilty to a violation of section 4510.14 of the Revised Code or a substantially equivalent municipal ordinance and division (B)(1) or (2) of section 4510.14 or division (B)(1) or (2) of section 4510.161 of the Revised Code applies, the trial judge of the court of record or the mayor of the mayor’s court that imposes sentence shall order the immobilization of the vehicle the person was operating at the time of the offense and the impoundment of its identification license plates in accordance with section 4503.233 and division (B)(1) or (2) of section 4510.14 or division (B)(1) or (2) of section 4510.161 of the Revised Code and may impound the identification license plates of any other vehicle registered in the name of that person.
(2) When a person is convicted of or pleads guilty to a violation of section 4510.14 of the Revised Code or a substantially equivalent municipal ordinance and division (B)(3) of section 4510.14 or division (B)(3) of section 4510.161 of the Revised Code applies, the trial judge of the court of record that imposes sentence shall order the criminal forfeiture to the state of the vehicle the person was operating at the time of the offense in accordance with section 4503.234 and division (B)(3) of section 4510.14 or division (B)(3) of section 4510.161 of the Revised Code and may impound the identification license plates of any other vehicle registered in the name of that person.
(D)(1) When a person is convicted of or pleads guilty to a violation of section 4511.203 of the Revised Code and the person is sentenced pursuant to division (C)(3)(a) or (b) of section 4511.203 of the Revised Code, the trial judge of the court of record or the mayor of the mayor’s court that imposes sentence shall order the immobilization of the vehicle that was involved in the commission of the offense and the impoundment of its identification license plates in accordance with division (C)(3)(a) or (b) of section 4511.203 and section 4503.233 of the Revised Code and may impound the identification license plates of any other vehicle registered in the name of that person.
(2) When a person is convicted of or pleads guilty to a violation of section 4511.203 of the Revised Code and the person is sentenced pursuant to division (C)(3)(c) of section 4511.203 of the Revised Code, the trial judge of the court of record or the mayor of the mayor’s court that imposes sentence shall order the criminal forfeiture to the state of the vehicle that was involved in the commission of the offense in accordance with division (C)(3)(c) of section 4511.203 and section 4503.234 of the Revised Code and may impound the identification license plates of any other vehicle registered in the name of that person.
(E) Except as provided in section 4503.233 or 4503.234 of the Revised Code, when the certificate of registration, the identification license plates, or both have been impounded, division (B) of section 4507.02 of the Revised Code is applicable.
(F) As used in this section, “municipal OVI offense” has the same meaning as in section 4511.181 of the Revised Code.