(A) The owner or lessee of any passenger car, noncommercial motor vehicle, recreational vehicle, or vehicle of a class approved by the registrar of motor vehicles, who is a member of a historically black fraternity or sorority, may apply to the registrar for the registration of the vehicle and issuance of "historically black fraternity-sorority" license plates bearing the name or Greek letters of the historically black fraternity or sorority of which the applicant is a member. The request for a "historically black fraternity-sorority" license plate may be combined with a request for a special reserved license plate under section 4503.40 or 4503.42 of the Revised Code. Upon receipt of the completed application, proof of membership in a historically black fraternity or sorority as required by the registrar, and compliance with division (B) of this section, the registrar shall issue to the applicant appropriate vehicle registration and the particular "historically black fraternity-sorority" license plates indicating the fraternity or sorority of which the applicant is a member, with a validation sticker, or a validation sticker alone when required by section 4503.191 of the Revised Code.

In addition to the letters and numbers ordinarily inscribed thereon, each "historically black fraternity-sorority" license plate shall be inscribed with the name of a historically black fraternity or sorority or the Greek letters of the fraternity or sorority, or both. The registrar shall approve the design of each "historically black fraternity-sorority" license plate, and the license plates shall bear county identification stickers that identify the county of registration as required under section 4503.19 of the Revised Code.

(B) The "historically black fraternity-sorority" license plates and validation sticker shall be issued upon payment of the regular license tax as prescribed under section 4503.04 of the Revised Code, any applicable motor vehicle tax levied under Chapter 4504. of the Revised Code, any applicable additional fee prescribed by section 4503.40 or 4503.42 of the Revised Code, and an additional fee of ten dollars, and compliance with all other applicable laws relating to the registration of motor vehicles.

(C) The additional fee of ten dollars specified in division (B) of this section is to compensate the bureau of motor vehicles for additional services required in the issuing of "historically black fraternity-sorority" license plates. The registrar shall deposit this additional fee into the state treasury to the credit of the public safety - highway purposes fund created in section 4501.06 of the Revised Code.

(D) Sections 4503.77 and 4503.78 of the Revised Code do not apply to license plates issued under this section.

(E) As used in this section, "historically black fraternity or sorority" means the alpha kappa alpha sorority, inc., alpha phi alpha fraternity, inc., delta sigma theta sorority, inc., zeta phi beta sorority, inc., iota phi theta fraternity, inc., kappa alpha psi fraternity, inc., sigma gamma rho sorority, inc., phi beta sigma fraternity, inc., and omega psi phi fraternity, inc., each belonging to the national pan-hellenic council, inc.

Amended by 132nd General Assembly File No. TBD, HB 26, §101.01, eff. 6/30/2017; however, the modifications to provisions of law requiring the deposit of funds into the Public Safety - Highway Purposes Fund that are made in this section shall take effect not earlier than July 1, 2017.

Amended by 131st General Assembly File No. TBD, SB 159, §1, eff. 9/14/2016.

Effective Date: 2008 SB243 04-07-2009