(A) Upon receipt of any driver's or commercial driver's license or permit that has been suspended under section 4511.19 or 4511.191 of the Revised Code, the registrar of motor vehicles, notwithstanding any other provision of law that purports to require the registrar to retain the license or permit, may destroy the license or permit.

(B)

(1) Subject to division (B)(2) of this section, if a driver's or commercial driver's license or permit that has been suspended under section 4511.19 or 4511.191 of the Revised Code is delivered to the registrar and if the registrar destroys the license or permit under authority of division (A) of this section, the registrar shall reissue or authorize the reissuance of a driver's or commercial driver's license to the person, free of payment of any type of fee or charge, if either of the following applies:

(a) The person appeals the suspension of the license or permit at or within thirty days of the person's initial appearance, pursuant to section 4511.197 of the Revised Code, the judge of the court of record or the mayor of the mayor's court who conducts the initial appearance terminates the suspension, and the judge or mayor does not suspend the license or permit under section 4511.196 of the Revised Code;

(b) The person appeals the suspension of the license or permit at or within thirty days of the person's initial appearance, pursuant to section 4511.197 of the Revised Code, the judge of the court of record or the mayor of the mayor's court who conducts the initial appearance does not terminate the suspension, the person appeals the judge's or mayor's decision not to terminate the suspension that is made at the initial appearance, and upon appeal of the decision, the suspension is terminated.

(2) Division (B)(1) of this section applies only if the driver's or commercial driver's license that was destroyed would have been valid at the time in question, if it had not been destroyed as permitted by division (A) of this section.

(C) A driver's or commercial driver's license or permit issued to a person pursuant to division (B)(1) of this section shall bear the same expiration date as the expiration date that appeared on the license it replaces.

Effective Date: 01-01-2004.