HB 389: Eliminate additional registration fee for hybrid motor vehicles
The bill aims to amend sections of the Ohio Revised Code to clarify the definition of a vehicle and motor vehicle. A vehicle is defined as everything on wheels or runners, excluding electric personal assistive mobility devices, low-speed micromobility devices, and vehicles operated on rails or tracks. A motor vehicle is defined as any vehicle propelled or drawn by power other than muscular power or power from overhead electric trolley wires. The bill also clarifies the requirements for registering certain vehicles, such as snowmobiles, off-highway motorcycles, and all-purpose vehicles. These vehicles must be registered annually, and owners must provide proof of ownership. Additionally, the bill introduces a new type of license plate called a specialty license plate, which can display unique combinations of words, markings, logos, or other graphic artwork.
| Sep. 15, 2025 | Referred to committee: Transportation |
| Jul. 01, 2025 | Introduced |
As Introduced
136th General Assembly
Regular Session
H. B. No. 389
2025-2026
Representatives Miller, J., Thomas, D.
Cosponsors: Representatives McNally, Brownlee, Rader, Brennan, Williams, Synenberg, Somani, Lawson-Rowe, Baker, Sims, Upchurch, Brent, Grim, Hall, D., White, E., Brewer, Mohamed, Jarrells, Tims
A BILL
To amend sections 4501.01 and 4503.10 of the 1
Revised Code to eliminate the additional 2
registration fee applicable to hybrid motor 3
vehicles.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF OHIO:
Section 1. That sections 4501.01 and 4503.10 of the 5
Revised Code be amended to read as follows:
Sec. 4501.01.
As used in this chapter and Chapters 4503., 7
4505., 4507., 4509., 4510., 4511., 4513., 4515., and 4517. of 8
the Revised Code, and in the penal laws, except as otherwise 9
provided:
including motorized bicycles, but does not mean electric 12
personal assistive mobility devices, low-speed micromobility 13
devices, vehicles that are operated exclusively on rails or 14
tracks or from overhead electric trolley wires, and vehicles 15
that belong to any police department, municipal fire department, 16
or volunteer fire department, or that are used by such a ..... 17
department in the discharge of its functions.
homes and recreational vehicles, that is propelled or drawn by ..... 20
power other than muscular power or power collected from overhead ..... 21
electric trolley wires. "Motor vehicle" does not include utility ..... 22
vehicles as defined in division (VV) of this section, under- ..... 23
speed vehicles as defined in division (XX) of this section, ..... 24
mini-trucks as defined in division (BBB) of this section, ..... 25
motorized bicycles, electric bicycles, road rollers, traction ..... 26
engines, power shovels, power cranes, and other equipment used ..... 27
in construction work and not designed for or employed in general ..... 28
highway transportation, well-drilling machinery, ditch-digging ..... 29
machinery, farm machinery, and trailers that are designed and ..... 30
used exclusively to transport a boat between a place of storage ..... 31
and a marina, or in and around a marina, when drawn or towed on ..... 32
a public road or highway for a distance of no more than ten ..... 33
miles and at a speed of twenty-five miles per hour or less.
plate, authorized by the general assembly, that displays a 423
combination of words, markings, logos, or other graphic artwork 424
that is in addition to the words, images, and distinctive 425
numbers and letters required by section 4503.22 of the Revised 426
Code.
Sec. 4503.10.
(A) The owner of every snowmobile, off- ..... 445
highway motorcycle, and all-purpose vehicle required to be ..... 446
registered under section 4519.02 of the Revised Code shall file ..... 447
an application for registration under section 4519.03 of the ..... 448
Revised Code. The owner of a motor vehicle, other than a ..... 449
snowmobile, off-highway motorcycle, or all-purpose vehicle, that ..... 450
is not designed and constructed by the manufacturer for ..... 451
operation on a street or highway may not register it under this ..... 452
chapter except upon certification of inspection pursuant to ..... 453
section 4513.02 of the Revised Code by the sheriff, or the chief ..... 454
of police of the municipal corporation or township, with ..... 455
jurisdiction over the political subdivision in which the owner ..... 456
of the motor vehicle resides. Except as provided in sections ..... 457
4503.103 and 4503.107 of the Revised Code, every owner of every ..... 458
other motor vehicle not previously described in this section and ..... 459
every person mentioned as owner in the last certificate of title ..... 460
of a motor vehicle that is operated or driven upon the public ..... 461
roads or highways shall cause to be filed each year, by mail or ..... 462
otherwise, in the office of the registrar of motor vehicles or a ..... 463
deputy registrar, a written or electronic application or a ..... 464
preprinted registration renewal notice issued under section ..... 465
4503.102 of the Revised Code, the form of which shall be ..... 466
prescribed by the registrar, for registration for the following ..... 467
registration year, which shall begin on the first day of January ..... 468
of every calendar year and end on the thirty-first day of ..... 469
December in the same year. Applications for registration and ..... 470
registration renewal notices shall be filed at the times ..... 471
established by the registrar pursuant to section 4503.101 of the ..... 472
Revised Code. A motor vehicle owner also may elect to apply for ..... 473
or renew a motor vehicle registration by electronic means using ..... 474
electronic signature in accordance with rules adopted by the ..... 475
registrar. Except as provided in division (J) of this section, ..... 476
applications for registration shall be made on blanks furnished ..... 477
by the registrar for that purpose, containing the following ..... 478
information:
registered, including the year, make, model, and vehicle ..... 481
identification number, and, in the case of commercial cars, the ..... 482
gross weight of the vehicle fully equipped computed in the ..... 483
manner prescribed in section 4503.08 of the Revised Code;
make an anatomical gift if an applicant has not so certified ..... 522
under section 2108.05 of the Revised Code. The applicant's ..... 523
response shall not be considered in the decision of whether to ..... 524
approve the application for registration.
(B) (1) When an applicant first registers a motor vehicle ..... 526
in the applicant's name, the applicant shall provide proof of ..... 527
ownership of that motor vehicle. Proof of ownership may include ..... 528
any of the following:
certificate of title or memorandum certificate showing title to ..... 531
the motor vehicle to be registered in the name of the applicant.
confirm the applicant's ownership of the motor vehicle. ..... 537
An applicant is not required to present a certificate of ..... 538
title to an electronic motor vehicle dealer acting as a limited ..... 539
authority deputy registrar in accordance with rules adopted by ..... 540
the registrar.
(J) Subject to division (K) of this section, application ..... 743
for registration under the international registration plan, as ..... 744
set forth in sections 4503.60 to 4503.66 of the Revised Code, ..... 745
shall be made to the registrar on forms furnished by the ..... 746
registrar. In accordance with international registration plan ..... 747
guidelines and pursuant to rules adopted by the registrar, the ..... 748
forms shall include the following:
Section 2. That existing sections 4501.01 and 4503.10 of ..... 769
the Revised Code are hereby repealed.