Ohio § 4549.45 Written notice of tampering or nonfunction

Ohio Statutes

§ 4549.45 — Written notice of tampering or nonfunction

Ohio § 4549.45

Title 45Motor Vehicles-Aeronautics-Watercraft

Ch. 4549Motor Vehicle Crimes

This text of Ohio § 4549.45 (Written notice of tampering or nonfunction) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Ohio primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook

Ohio Rev. Code Ann. § 4549.45 (2026).

Text

(A)No person shall transfer a motor vehicle if the person knows or recklessly disregards facts indicating that the odometer of the motor vehicle has been changed, tampered with, or disconnected, or has been in any other manner nonfunctional, to reflect a lesser mileage or use, unless that person gives clear and unequivocal notice of the tampering or nonfunction or of the person's reasonable belief of tampering or nonfunction, to the transferee in writing prior to the transfer. In a prosecution for violation of this section, evidence that a transferor or the transferor's agent has changed, tampered with, disconnected, or failed to connect the odometer of the motor vehicle constitutes prima-facie evidence of knowledge of the odometer's altered condition.

(B)Except as otherwise provided

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

(A) No person shall transfer a motor vehicle if the person knows or recklessly disregards facts indicating that the odometer of the motor vehicle has been changed, tampered with, or disconnected, or has been in any other manner nonfunctional, to reflect a lesser mileage or use, unless that person gives clear and unequivocal notice of the tampering or nonfunction or of the person's reasonable belief of tampering or nonfunction, to the transferee in writing prior to the transfer. In a prosecution for violation of this section, evidence that a transferor or the transferor's agent has changed, tampered with, disconnected, or failed to connect the odometer of the motor vehicle constitutes prima-facie evidence of knowledge of the odometer's altered condition.

(B) Except as otherwise provided in this division, whoever violates this section is guilty of transferring a motor vehicle that has a tampered or nonfunctional odometer, a felony of the fourth degree. If the offender previously has been convicted of or pleaded guilty to a violation of this section, any provision of sections4549.42to4549.44, or any provision of section4549.451or4549.46of the Revised Code, transferring a motor vehicle that has a tampered or nonfunctional odometer is a felony of the third degree.