Ohio Code 4511.214 – Operation of low-speed, under-speed, or utility vehicle, or a mini-truck
(A)(1) No person shall operate a low-speed vehicle upon any street or highway having an established speed limit greater than thirty-five miles per hour.
Attorney's Note
Under the Ohio Code, punishments for crimes depend on the classification. In the case of this section:| Class | Prison | Fine |
|---|---|---|
| Misdemeanor of the third degree | up to 60 days | up to $500 |
| Misdemeanor of the fourth degree | up to 30 days | up to $250 |
| Minor misdemeanor | up to $150 |
Terms Used In Ohio Code 4511.214
- highway: means the entire width between the boundary lines of every way open to the use of the public as a thoroughfare for purposes of vehicular travel. See Ohio Code 4511.01
- Intersection: means :
(1) The area embraced within the prolongation or connection of the lateral curb lines, or, if none, the lateral boundary lines of the roadways of two highways that join one another at, or approximately at, right angles, or the area within which vehicles traveling upon different highways that join at any other angle might come into conflict. See Ohio Code 4511.01
- Motor vehicle: means every vehicle propelled or drawn by power other than muscular power or power collected from overhead electric trolley wires, except motorized bicycles, electric bicycles, road rollers, traction engines, power shovels, power cranes, and other equipment used in construction work and not designed for or employed in general highway transportation, hole-digging machinery, well-drilling machinery, ditch-digging machinery, farm machinery, and trailers designed and used exclusively to transport a boat between a place of storage and a marina, or in and around a marina, when drawn or towed on a street or highway for a distance of no more than ten miles and at a speed of twenty-five miles per hour or less. See Ohio Code 4511.01
- Operate: means to cause or have caused movement of a vehicle, streetcar, or trackless trolley. See Ohio Code 4511.01
- Person: means every natural person, firm, co-partnership, association, or corporation. See Ohio Code 4511.01
- state: means the state of Ohio. See Ohio Code 1.59
- Traffic: means pedestrians, ridden or herded animals, vehicles, streetcars, trackless trolleys, and other devices, either singly or together, while using for purposes of travel any highway or private road open to public travel. See Ohio Code 4511.01
- Vehicle: means every device, including a motorized bicycle and an electric bicycle, in, upon, or by which any person or property may be transported or drawn upon a highway, except that "vehicle" does not include any motorized wheelchair, any electric personal assistive mobility device, any low-speed micromobility device, any personal delivery device as defined in section 4511. See Ohio Code 4511.01
- Whoever: includes all persons, natural and artificial; partners; principals, agents, and employees; and all officials, public or private. See Ohio Code 1.02
(2) No person shall operate an under-speed or utility vehicle or a mini-truck upon any street or highway except as follows:
(a) Upon a street or highway having an established speed limit not greater than thirty-five miles per hour and only upon such streets or highways where a local authority has granted permission for such operation in accordance with section 4511.215 of the Revised Code;
(b) A state park or political subdivision employee or volunteer operating a utility vehicle exclusively within the boundaries of state parks or political subdivision parks for the operation or maintenance of state or political subdivision park facilities.
(3) No person shall operate a motor-driven cycle or motor scooter upon any street or highway having an established speed limit greater than forty-five miles per hour.
(B) This section does not prohibit either of the following:
(1) A person operating a low-speed vehicle, under-speed, or utility vehicle or a mini-truck from proceeding across an intersection of a street or highway having a speed limit greater than thirty-five miles per hour;
(2) A person operating a motor-driven cycle or motor scooter from proceeding across an intersection of a street or highway having a speed limit greater than forty-five miles per hour.
(C) Nothing in this section shall prevent a local authority from adopting more stringent local ordinances, resolutions, or regulations governing the operation of a low-speed vehicle or a mini-truck, or a motor-driven cycle or motor scooter.
(D) Except as otherwise provided in this division, whoever violates division (A) of this section is guilty of a minor misdemeanor. If within one year of the offense, the offender previously has been convicted of or pleaded guilty to one predicate motor vehicle or traffic offense, whoever violates this section is guilty of a misdemeanor of the fourth degree. If within one year of the offense, the offender previously has been convicted of two or more predicate motor vehicle or traffic offenses, whoever violates this section is guilty of a misdemeanor of the third degree.