(A) The registrar of motor vehicles shall record within ten days of receipt and keep at the main office of the bureau of motor vehicles all information provided to the registrar by the superintendent of a school district in accordance with division (B) of section 3321.13 of the Revised Code.

(B) Whenever the registrar receives a notice under division (B) of section 3321.13 of the Revised Code, the registrar shall impose a class F suspension of the temporary instruction permit or driver's license of the person who is the subject of the notice for the period of time specified in division (B)(6) of section 4510.02 of the Revised Code, or, if the person has not been issued a temporary instruction permit or driver's license, the registrar shall deny to the person the issuance of a permit or license. The requirements of the second paragraph of section 119.06 of the Revised Code do not apply to a suspension of a person's temporary instruction permit or driver's license or a denial of a person's opportunity to obtain a temporary instruction permit or driver's license by the registrar under this division.

(C) Upon suspending the temporary instruction permit or driver's license of any person or denying any person the opportunity to be issued such a license or permit as provided in division (B) of this section, the registrar immediately shall notify the person in writing of the suspension or denial and inform the person that the person may petition for a hearing as provided in division (E) of this section.

(D) Any person whose permit or license is suspended under this section shall mail or deliver the person's permit or license to the registrar of motor vehicles within twenty days of notification of the suspension; however, the person's permit or license and the person's driving privileges shall be suspended immediately upon receipt of the notification. The registrar may retain the permit or license during the period of the suspension or the registrar may destroy it under section 4510.52 of the Revised Code.

(E) Any person whose temporary instruction permit or driver's license has been suspended, or whose opportunity to obtain such a permit or license has been denied pursuant to this section, may file a petition in the juvenile court in whose jurisdiction the person resides alleging error in the action taken by the registrar under division (B) of this section or alleging one or more of the matters within the scope of the hearing, as described in this division, or both. The petitioner shall notify the registrar and the superintendent of the school district who gave the notice to the registrar and juvenile judge under division (B) of section 3321.13 of the Revised Code of the filing of the petition and send them copies of the petition. The scope of the hearing is limited to the issues of whether the notice given by the superintendent to the registrar was in error and whether the suspension or denial of driving privileges will result in substantial hardship to the petitioner.

The registrar shall furnish the court a copy of the record created in accordance with division (A) of this section. The registrar and the superintendent shall furnish the court with any other relevant information required by the court.

In hearing the matter and determining whether the petitioner has shown that the petitioner's temporary instruction permit or driver's license should not be suspended or that the petitioner's opportunity to obtain such a permit or license should not be denied, the court shall decide the issue upon the information furnished by the registrar and the superintendent and any such additional evidence that the registrar, the superintendent, or the petitioner submits.

If the court finds from the evidence submitted that the petitioner has failed to show error in the action taken by the registrar under division (B) of this section and has failed to prove any of the matters within the scope of the hearing, then the court may assess the cost of the proceeding against the petitioner and shall uphold the suspension of the petitioner's permit or license or the denial of the petitioner's opportunity to obtain a permit or license. If the court finds that the petitioner has shown error in the action taken by the registrar under division (B) of this section or has proved one or more of the matters within the scope of the hearing, or both, the cost of the proceeding shall be paid out of the county treasury of the county in which the proceedings were held, and the suspension of the petitioner's permit or license or the denial of the person's opportunity to obtain a permit or license shall be terminated.

(F) The registrar shall cancel the record created under this section of any person who is the subject of a notice given under division (B) of section 3321.13 of the Revised Code and shall terminate the suspension of the person's permit or license or the denial of the person's opportunity to obtain a permit or license, if any of the following applies:

(1) The person is at least eighteen years of age.

(2) The person provides evidence, as the registrar shall require by rule, of receipt of a high school diploma or a certificate of high school equivalence.

(3) The superintendent of a school district informs the registrar that the notification of withdrawal, habitual absence without legitimate excuse, suspension, or expulsion concerning the person was in error.

(4) The suspension or denial was imposed subsequent to a notification given under division (B) (3) or (4) of section 3321.13 of the Revised Code, and the superintendent of a school district informs the registrar that the person in question has satisfied any terms or conditions established by the school as necessary to terminate the suspension or denial of driving privileges.

(5) The suspension or denial was imposed subsequent to a notification given under division (B)(1) of section 3321.13 of the Revised Code, and the superintendent of a school district informs the registrar that the person in question is now attending school or enrolled in and attending an approved program to obtain a diploma or its equivalent to the satisfaction of the school superintendent.

(6) The suspension or denial was imposed subsequent to a notification given under division (B)(2) of section 3321.13 of the Revised Code, the person has completed at least one semester or term of school after the one in which the notification was given, the person requests the superintendent of the school district to notify the registrar that the person no longer is habitually absent without legitimate excuse, the superintendent determines that the person has not been absent from school without legitimate excuse in the current semester or term, as determined under that division, for more than sixty consecutive hours or for more than ninety total hours, and the superintendent informs the registrar of that fact. If a person described in division (F)(6) of this section requests the superintendent of the school district to notify the registrar that the person no longer is habitually absent without legitimate excuse and the superintendent makes the determination described in this division, the superintendent shall provide the information described in division (F)(6) of this section to the registrar within five days after receiving the request.

(7) The suspension or denial was imposed subsequent to a notification given under division (B)(2) of section 3321.13 of the Revised Code, and the superintendent of a school district informs the registrar that the person in question has received an age and schooling certificate in accordance with section 3331.01 of the Revised Code.

(8) The person filed a petition in court under division (E) of this section and the court found that the person showed error in the action taken by the registrar under division (B) of this section or proved one or more of the matters within the scope of the hearing on the petition, as set forth in division (E) of this section, or both.

At the end of the suspension period under this section and upon the request of the person whose temporary instruction permit or driver's license was suspended, the registrar shall return the driver's license or permit to the person or reissue the person's license or permit under section 4510.52 of the Revised Code, if the registrar destroyed the suspended license or permit under that section.

Amended by 131st General Assembly File No. TBD, HB 410, §1, eff. 4/6/2017.

Amended by 131st General Assembly File No. TBD, HB 113, §1, eff. 9/14/2016.

Effective Date: 01-01-2004 .