(A)(1) The clerk of a court of common pleas shall charge and retain fees as follows:
(a) Five dollars for each certificate of title that is not applied for within thirty days after the later of the assignment or delivery of the motor vehicle described in it. The entire fee shall be retained by the clerk.
(b) Eighteen dollars, or twenty-three dollars if a board of county commissioners adopts a resolution authorizing the increased fee for that county, for each certificate of title or duplicate certificate of title including the issuance of a memorandum certificate of title, or authorization to print a non-negotiable evidence of ownership described in division (G) of section4505.08of the Revised Code, non-negotiable evidence of ownership printed by the clerk under division (H) of that section, and notation of any lien on a certificate of title that is applied for at the same time as the certificate of title. The clerk shall retain eleven dollars and fifty cents of that fee for each certificate of title when there is a notation of a lien or security interest on the certificate of title, twelve dollars and twenty-five cents when there is no lien or security interest noted on the certificate of title, and eleven dollars and fifty cents for each duplicate certificate of title. If a board of county commissioners adopts a resolution authorizing a twenty-three-dollar fee, the clerk shall retain the additional five dollars of that fee.
(c) Four dollars and fifty cents for each certificate of title with no security interest noted that is issued to a licensed motor vehicle dealer for resale purposes and, in addition, a separate fee of fifty cents. The clerk shall retain two dollars and twenty-five cents of that fee.
(d) Five dollars for each memorandum certificate of title or non-negotiable evidence of ownership that is applied for separately. The clerk shall retain that entire fee.
(2) The fees that are not retained by the clerk shall be paid to the registrar of motor vehicles by monthly returns, which shall be forwarded to the registrar not later than the fifth day of the month next succeeding that in which the certificate is issued or that in which the registrar is notified of a lien or cancellation of a lien.
(B)(1) The registrar shall pay twenty-five cents of the amount received for each certificate of title issued to a motor vehicle dealer for resale, one dollar for certificates of title issued with a lien or security interest noted on the certificate of title, and twenty-five cents for each certificate of title with no lien or security interest noted on the certificate of title into the public safety - highway purposes fund established in section4501.06of the Revised Code.
(2) Fifty cents of the amount received for each certificate of title shall be paid by the registrar as follows:
(a) Four cents shall be paid into the state treasury to the credit of the motor vehicle dealers board fund, which is hereby created. All investment earnings of the fund shall be credited to the fund. The moneys in the motor vehicle dealers board fund shall be used by the motor vehicle dealers board created under section4517.30of the Revised Code, together with other moneys appropriated to it, in the exercise of its powers and the performance of its duties under Chapter 4517. of the Revised Code, except that the director of budget and management may transfer excess money from the motor vehicle dealers board fund to the public safety - highway purposes fund if the registrar determines that the amount of money in the motor vehicle dealers board fund, together with other moneys appropriated to the board, exceeds the amount required for the exercise of its powers and the performance of its duties under Chapter 4517. of the Revised Code and requests the director to make the transfer.
(b) Thirty-one cents shall be paid into the highway operating fund created by section5735.051of the Revised Code.
(c) Fifteen cents shall be paid into the state treasury to the credit of the motor vehicle sales audit fund, which is hereby created. The moneys in the fund shall be used by the tax commissioner together with other funds available to the commissioner to conduct a continuing investigation of sales and use tax returns filed for motor vehicles in order to determine if sales and use tax liability has been satisfied. The commissioner shall refer cases of apparent violations of section2921.13of the Revised Code made in connection with the titling or sale of a motor vehicle and cases of any other apparent violations of the sales or use tax law to the appropriate county prosecutor whenever the commissioner considers it advisable.
(3) Two dollars of the amount received by the registrar under divisions (A)(1)(a), (b), and (d) of this section and one dollar and fifty cents of the amount received by the registrar under division (A)(1)(c) of this section for each certificate of title shall be paid into the state treasury to the credit of the automated title processing fund, which is hereby created and which shall consist of moneys collected under division (B)(3) of this section and under sections1548.10and4519.59of the Revised Code. All investment earnings of the fund shall be credited to the fund. The moneys in the fund shall be used as follows:
(a) Except for moneys collected under section1548.10of the Revised Code, moneys collected under division (B)(3) of this section shall be used to implement and maintain an automated title processing system for the issuance of motor vehicle, off-highway motorcycle, and all-purpose vehicle certificates of title in the offices of the clerks of the courts of common pleas. Those moneys also shall be used to pay expenses that arise as a result of enabling electronic motor vehicle dealers to directly transfer applications for certificates of title under division (A)(3) of section4505.06of the Revised Code.
(b) Moneys collected under section1548.10of the Revised Code shall be used to issue marine certificates of title in the offices of the clerks of the courts of common pleas as provided in Chapter 1548. of the Revised Code.
(4) The registrar shall pay the fifty-cent separate fee collected from a licensed motor vehicle dealer under division (A)(1)(c) of this section into the title defect recision fund created by section1345.52of the Revised Code.
(5) Three dollars of the amount received by the registrar under division (A)(1)(b) of this section shall be paid into the state treasury to the credit of the security, investigations, and policing fund created by section4501.11of the Revised Code to be used for the purposes specified in division (B)(1) of that section.
(C)(1) The automated title processing board is hereby created consisting of the registrar or the registrar's representative, a person selected by the registrar, the president of the Ohio clerks of court association or the president's representative, the president of the Ohio automobile dealers association or the president's representative, and three clerks of courts of common pleas appointed by the governor. The chief of the division of parks and watercraft in the department of natural resources or the chief's designee, and the tax commissioner or the commissioner's designee shall be nonvoting members of the board. The purpose of the board is to facilitate the operation and maintenance of an automated title processing system and approve the procurement of automated title processing system equipment and ribbons, cartridges, or other devices necessary for the operation of that equipment. Voting members of the board, excluding the registrar or the registrar's representative, shall serve without compensation, but shall be reimbursed for travel and other necessary expenses incurred in the conduct of their official duties. The registrar or the registrar's representative shall receive neither compensation nor reimbursement as a board member.
(2) The automated title processing board shall determine each of the following:
(a) The automated title processing equipment and certificates of title requirements for each county;
(b) The payment of expenses that may be incurred by the counties in implementing an automated title processing system;
(c) The repayment to the counties for existing title processing equipment;
(d) With the approval of the director of public safety, the award of grants from the automated title processing fund to the clerk of courts of any county who employs a person who assists with the design of, updates to, tests of, installation of, or any other activity related to, an automated title processing system. Any grant awarded under division (C)(2)(d) of this section shall be deposited into the appropriate county certificate of title administration fund created under section325.33of the Revised Code and shall not be used to supplant any other funds.
(3) The registrar shall purchase, lease, or otherwise acquire any automated title processing equipment and certificates of title that the board determines are necessary from moneys in the automated title processing fund established by division (B)(3) of this section.
(D) All counties shall conform to the requirements of the registrar regarding the operation of their automated title processing system for motor vehicle titles, certificates of title for off-highway motorcycles and all-purpose vehicles, and certificates of title for watercraft and outboard motors.
Last updated July 21, 2025 at 11:03 AM