Ohio Revised Code
Chapter 4519 | Special Vehicles
Section 4519.55 | Application for Certificate of Title.

Effective: June 30, 2021
Latest Legislation: House Bill 74 - 134th General Assembly
Application for a certificate of title for an off-highway motorcycle or all-purpose vehicle shall be made upon a form prescribed by the registrar of motor vehicles and shall be sworn to before a notary public or other officer empowered to administer oaths. The application shall be filed with the clerk of any court of common pleas. An application for a certificate of title may be filed electronically by any electronic means approved by the registrar in any county with the clerk of the court of common pleas of that county.
If an application for a certificate of title is filed electronically by an electronic dealer on behalf of the purchaser of an off-highway motorcycle or all-purpose vehicle, the clerk shall retain the completed electronic record to which the dealer converted the certificate of title application and other required documents. The registrar, after consultation with the attorney general, shall adopt rules that govern the location at which, and the manner in which, are stored the actual application and all other documents relating to the sale of an off-highway motorcycle or all-purpose vehicle when an electronic dealer files the application for a certificate of title electronically on behalf of the purchaser.
The application shall be accompanied by the fee prescribed in section 4519.59 of the Revised Code. The fee shall be retained by the clerk who issues the certificate of title and shall be distributed in accordance with that section. If a clerk of a court of common pleas, other than the clerk of the court of common pleas of an applicant's county of residence, issues a certificate of title to the applicant, the clerk shall transmit data related to the transaction to the automated title processing system.
If a certificate of title previously has been issued for an off-highway motorcycle or all-purpose vehicle, the application also shall be accompanied by the certificate of title duly assigned, unless otherwise provided in this chapter. If a certificate of title previously has not been issued for the off-highway motorcycle or all-purpose vehicle, the application, unless otherwise provided in this chapter, shall be accompanied by a manufacturer's or importer's certificate; by a sworn statement of ownership; or by a certificate of title, bill of sale, or other evidence of ownership required by law of another state from which the off-highway motorcycle or all-purpose vehicle was brought into this state. The registrar, in accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code, shall prescribe the types of additional documentation sufficient to establish proof of ownership, including, but not limited to, receipts from the purchase of parts or components, photographs, and affidavits of other persons.
If the application is made by two persons regarding an off-highway motorcycle or an all-purpose vehicle in which they wish to establish joint ownership with right of survivorship, they may do so as provided in section 2131.12 of the Revised Code. If the applicant requests a designation of the off-highway motorcycle or all-purpose vehicle in beneficiary form so that upon the death of the owner of the off-highway motorcycle or all-purpose vehicle, ownership of the off-highway motorcycle or all-purpose vehicle will pass to a designated transfer-on-death beneficiary or beneficiaries, the applicant may do so as provided in section 2131.13 of the Revised Code. A person who establishes ownership of an off-highway motorcycle or an all-purpose vehicle that is transferable on death in accordance with section 2131.13 of the Revised Code may terminate that type of ownership or change the designation of the transfer-on-death beneficiary or beneficiaries by applying for a certificate of title pursuant to this section.
For purposes of the transfer of a certificate of title, if the clerk is satisfied that a secured party has duly discharged a lien notation but has not canceled the lien notation with a clerk, the clerk may cancel the lien notation on the automated title processing system and notify the clerk of the county of origin.
In the case of the sale of an off-highway motorcycle or all-purpose vehicle by a dealer to a general purchaser or user, the certificate of title shall be obtained in the name of the purchaser by the dealer upon application signed by the purchaser. In all other cases, the certificate shall be obtained by the purchaser. In all cases of transfer of an off-highway motorcycle or all-purpose vehicle, the application for certificate of title shall be filed within thirty days after the later of the date of purchase or assignment of ownership of the off-highway motorcycle or all-purpose vehicle. If the application for certificate of title is not filed within thirty days after the later of the date of purchase or assignment of ownership of the off-highway motorcycle or all-purpose vehicle, the clerk shall charge a late filing fee of five dollars in addition to the fee prescribed by section 4519.59 of the Revised Code. The clerk shall retain the entire amount of each late filing fee.
Except in the case of an off-highway motorcycle or all-purpose vehicle purchased prior to July 1, 1999, the clerk shall refuse to accept an application for certificate of title unless the applicant either tenders with the application payment of all taxes levied by or pursuant to Chapter 5739. or 5741. of the Revised Code based on the purchaser's county of residence, or submits either of the following:
(A) A receipt issued by the tax commissioner or a clerk of courts showing payment of the tax;
(B) An exemption certificate, in any form prescribed by the tax commissioner, that specifies why the purchase is not subject to the tax imposed by Chapter 5739. or 5741. of the Revised Code.
Payment of the tax shall be made in accordance with division (E) of section 4505.06 of the Revised Code and any rules issued by the tax commissioner. When a dealer submits payment of the tax to the clerk, the dealer shall retain any discount to which the dealer is entitled under section 5739.12 of the Revised Code. The clerk shall issue a receipt in the form prescribed by the tax commissioner to any applicant who tenders payment of the tax with the application for a certificate of title. If the application for a certificate of title is for an off-highway motorcycle or all-purpose vehicle purchased prior to July 1, 1999, the clerk shall accept the application without payment of the taxes levied by or pursuant to Chapter 5739. or 5741. of the Revised Code or presentation of either of the items listed in division (A) or (B) of this section.
For receiving and disbursing such taxes paid to the clerk by a resident of the clerk's county, the clerk may retain a poundage fee of one and one-hundredth per cent of the taxes collected, which shall be paid into the certificate of title administration fund created by section 325.33 of the Revised Code. The clerk shall not retain a poundage fee from payments of taxes by persons who do not reside in the clerk's county.
A clerk, however, may retain from the taxes paid to the clerk an amount equal to the poundage fees associated with certificates of title issued by other clerks of courts of common pleas to applicants who reside in the first clerk's county. The registrar, in consultation with the tax commissioner and the clerks of the courts of common pleas, shall develop a report from the automated title processing system that informs each clerk of the amount of the poundage fees that the clerk is permitted to retain from those taxes because of certificates of title issued by the clerks of other counties to applicants who reside in the first clerk's county.
In the case of casual sales of off-highway motorcycles or all-purpose vehicles that are subject to the tax imposed by Chapter 5739. or 5741. of the Revised Code, the purchase price for the purpose of determining the tax shall be the purchase price on an affidavit executed and filed with the clerk by the seller on a form to be prescribed by the registrar, which shall be prima-facie evidence of the price for the determination of the tax.
In addition to the information required by section 4519.57 of the Revised Code, each certificate of title shall contain in bold lettering the following notification and statements: "WARNING TO TRANSFEROR AND TRANSFEREE (SELLER AND BUYER): You are required by law to state the true selling price. A false statement is in violation of section 2921.13 of the Revised Code and is punishable by six months imprisonment or a fine of up to one thousand dollars, or both. All transfers are audited by the department of taxation. The seller and buyer must provide any information requested by the department of taxation. The buyer may be assessed any additional tax found to be due."
The clerk shall forward all payments of taxes, less poundage fees, to the treasurer of state in a manner to be prescribed by the tax commissioner and shall furnish information to the commissioner as the commissioner may require.
Every clerk shall have the capability to transact by electronic means all procedures and transactions relating to the issuance of certificates of title for off-highway motorcycles and all-purpose vehicles that are described in the Revised Code as being accomplished by electronic means.
Last updated April 14, 2021 at 7:30 AM

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