(A)

(1) The owner or the person responsible for the operation and maintenance of a cemetery shall apply to the division of real estate in the department of commerce to register the cemetery on forms prescribed by the division. With the application, the applicant shall submit the documentation required in division (A) of section 4767.04 of the Revised Code and a registration fee of twenty-five dollars for one cemetery, forty dollars for two cemeteries, and fifty dollars for three or more cemeteries, except that no fee shall be required of any political subdivision.

(2) The director of commerce, by rule adopted in accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code, may reduce the amount of the registration fee required by this section in any year if the director determines that the total amount of funds the fee is generating at the amount specified by this section exceeds the amount of funds the division of real estate and the Ohio cemetery dispute resolution commission created by section 4767.05 of the Revised Code need to carry out their powers and duties under this chapter. If the director so reduces the amount of the registration fee, the director shall reduce it for all owners or other persons required to pay the fee under division (A)(1) of this section and shall require that the reduced fee be paid according to the number of cemeteries owned, operated, or maintained as required under that division. If the director has reduced the fee under division (A)(2) of this section, the director may later raise it up to the amounts specified in division (A)(1) of this section if, in any year, the director determines that the total amount of funds the fee is generating at the reduced amount is insufficient for the division of real estate and the Ohio cemetery dispute resolution commission to carry out their powers and duties under this chapter.

(B) Upon receipt of the completed application form, documentation, and, if required, registration fee, the division of real estate shall issue a certificate of registration to the applicant. The applicant shall display the certificate in a conspicuous place on the premises of the cemetery for which the registration was obtained, except that, if the applicant is the governing body of a political subdivision or person acting on behalf of that governing body, the certificate shall be kept on file and be available for public inspection at the office of the governing body.

(C) Except as otherwise provided in this division, each registration issued pursuant to this section shall expire annually on the thirtieth day of September and shall be renewed by the owner or the person responsible for the operation and maintenance of the cemetery for the continued operation of the cemetery. The renewal fee shall be the same as the initial registration fees prescribed in division (A) of this section.

The registration of a cemetery operated and maintained by a political subdivision shall not expire unless the political subdivision ceases to operate and maintain the cemetery. A political subdivision operating and maintaining a cemetery is not required to renew or update the registration of that cemetery unless there is a change in the information required under division (A) of section 4767.04 of the Revised Code or unless additional land is acquired to increase the size of the cemetery.

(D) All registration and renewal fees collected pursuant to this section shall be paid into the state treasury to the credit of the division of real estate in the department of commerce to be used by the division to carry out its powers and duties under this chapter and by the Ohio cemetery dispute resolution commission created by section 4767.05 of the Revised Code.

Amended by 132nd General Assembly File No. TBD, HB 168, §1, eff. 10/29/2018.

Effective Date: 09-22-2000 .