(A) The bureau of motor vehicles shall establish a database of the next of kin of persons who are issued driver's licenses, commercial driver's licenses, temporary instruction permits, motorcycle operator's licenses and endorsements, and identification cards. Information in the database shall be accessible only to employees of the bureau and to criminal justice agencies and is not a public record for purposes of section 149.43 of the Revised Code.

(B) When an individual submits an application to the registrar of motor vehicles or a deputy registrar for a driver's license, commercial driver's license, temporary instruction permit, motorcycle operator's license or endorsement, or identification card, or renewal of any of them, the individual shall be furnished with a next of kin information form on which the individual may list the name, address, telephone number, and relationship to the individual of at least one contact person whom the individual wishes to be contacted if the individual is involved in a motor vehicle accident or emergency situation and the individual dies or is seriously injured or rendered unconscious and is unable to communicate with the contact person. The contact person may or may not be the next of kin of the applicant, except that if the applicant is under eighteen years of age and is not emancipated, the contact person shall include the parent, guardian, or custodian of the applicant.

The form described in this division shall inform the individual that, after completing the form, the individual may return the form to the registrar or any deputy registrar, each of whom shall accept the form from the individual without payment of any fee. The form also shall contain the mailing address of the bureau, to which the individual may mail the completed form, and also instructions whereby the individual may furnish the information described in this division to the registrar through use of the internet.

(C) The bureau, in accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code, shall adopt rules to implement this section. The rules shall address all of the following:

(1) The methods whereby a person who has submitted the name of a contact person for inclusion in the database may make changes to that entry;

(2) The contents of the next of kin information form;

(3) Any other aspect of the database or its operation that the registrar determines is necessary in order to implement this section.

(D) In the event of a motor vehicle accident or emergency situation in which a person dies or is seriously injured or rendered unconscious and is unable to communicate with the contact person specified in the database, an employee of a criminal justice agency shall make a good faith effort to notify the contact person of the situation, but neither the bureau nor the employee nor the criminal justice agency that employs that employee incurs any liability if the employee is not able to make contact with the contact person.

Amended by 129th General AssemblyFile No.7, HB 114, §101.01, eff. 6/29/2011.

Effective Date: 2008 HB392 07-31-2008