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Ohio Administrative Code (Last Updated: January 12, 2021) |
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4501:1 Bureau of Motor Vehicles |
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Chapter4501:1-1. Driver Licenses |
4501:1-1-45. Bureau of motor vehicles fee installment plan
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(A) The registrar of motor vehicles shall establish and maintain a plan to permit persons to pay reinstatement fees in installments. The plan shall be known as the bureau of motor vehicles (BMV) fee installment plan.
(B) As used in this rule:
(1) "Suspension" includes the suspension, revocation, cancellation, or disqualification of a person's driving or vehicle registration privileges;
(2) "Mandatory period" means any period during which driving or vehicle registration privileges are not available to the person notwithstanding the payment of reinstatement fees or compliance with other reinstatement requirements;
(3) "Reinstatement fees" include all fees described in division (B) of section 4510.10 of the Revised Code, vehicle immobilization fees collected pursuant to section 4503.233 of the Revised Code, warrant block processing fees collected pursuant to sections 4503.13 and 4507.091 of the Revised Code, and any other fees payable to the registrar as a result of a suspension of driving or vehicle registration privileges.
(C) A person may apply for a BMV fee installment plan if all the following conditions are met:
(1) The person's driving privileges were previously under suspension;
(2) The mandatory periods of all the person's suspensions have ended;
(3) The person's driving privileges have not been restored because the person has not yet complied with all reinstatement requirements except for the payment of reinstatement fees;
(4) The person owes reinstatement fees of at least one hundred fifty dollars;
(5) The person is not enrolled in a court-approved fee payment plan pursuant to section 4510.10 of the Revised Code at the time of application. If the court terminates the court-approved fee payment plan, the person may then apply for a BMV fee installment plan.
(D) The registrar may do all of the following:
(1) Require the person requesting a BMV fee installment plan to complete the "Application for BMV Fee Installment Plan," form "BMV 1152," (1/18), available via the Ohio bureau of motor vehicles' website at http://bmv.ohio.gov/bmv_forms.stm or at any one of BMV's regional reinstatement centers or deputy registrar agencies that accept reinstatement fees and have agreed to the terms and conditions established by the registrar;
(2) Establish a minimum first payment amount to enter the plan. Initially, the minimum first payment shall be fifty dollars. The registrar, at the registrar's discretion, may increase or decrease this amount by publishing notice on the BMV website;
(3) Establish a minimum monthly payment amount. Initially, the minimum monthly payment shall be fifty dollars. The registrar, at the registrar's discretion, may increase or decrease this amount by publishing notice on the BMV website;
(4) Prescribe any other terms and conditions as the registrar finds reasonable.
The BMV website may be accessed at http://bmv.ohio.gov.
(E) The registrar may deny a person's "Application for BMV Fee Installment Plan," form "BMV 1152," (1/18) or may terminate the person's plan for any of the following reasons:
(1) The person's driving privileges are suspended and the mandatory period of the suspension has not ended;
(2) A court issues a court-approved fee payment plan for the person pursuant to section 4510.10 of the Revised Code;
(3) The person fails to make payments as agreed or otherwise fails to abide by the terms and conditions prescribed by the registrar;
(4) Any other just cause determined by the registrar.
(F) Payments may be made by any of the following methods:
(1) By check or money order mailed or delivered to the BMV headquarters office in Columbus, Ohio;
(2) By cash, check, or money order delivered to any of the BMV's regional reinstatement service centers;
(3) By cash, check, or money order delivered to any of the BMV's deputy registrar agencies that accept reinstatement fee payments. In addition to the installment payment, the deputy registrar shall collect the fees prescribed by statute for payment at a deputy registrar agency;
(4) By electronic check on-line to the BMV website at https://www.oplates.com. The registrar may impose a convenience fee or service fee as an additional charge;
(5) Any other method approved by the registrar.
(G) The registrar shall record as "valid" the driving status of any person who is in compliance with the terms and conditions of a BMV fee installment plan provided that the person's driver's license is not otherwise suspended or expired. The registrar may permit the renewal of an applicant's license if the license is not under suspension and the applicant is in compliance with a BMV fee installment plan.
(H) A person whose driving privileges were suspended, but who has not held an Ohio driver's license within the previous six months may apply to be examined for a driver's license if the mandatory period of suspension has passed, the person has entered into a BMV fee installment plan, and the person is otherwise eligible for a driver's license. The registrar may permit the issuance of a driver's license to the person if all conditions are met and the person successfully passes the required examinations.
(I) If a person otherwise would have valid driving privileges but for the payment of the reinstatement fees, the registrar may record the person's driving privileges as "valid" so long as the person's installment payments are current.
(J) If the person's installment payments are not current, the registrar may record the person's driving privileges status as "suspended," as "failure to reinstate," or other status, as appropriate.
(K) Nothing in this rule prevents any person from making partial reinstatement fee payments at any time without enrolling in a court-approved fee payment plan or a BMV fee installment plan.