4549.42 Tampering with or disconnection of odometers. - Ohio Statutes

4549.42 Tampering with or disconnection of odometers.

(A) No person shall adjust, alter, change, tamper with, advance, set back, disconnect, or fail to connect, an odometer of a motor vehicle, or cause any of the foregoing to occur to an odometer of a motor vehicle with the intent to alter the number of miles registered on the odometer.

(B) Division (A) of this section does not apply to the disconnection of an odometer used for registering the mileage of any new motor vehicle being tested by the manufacturer prior to delivery to a franchise dealer.

(C) Nothing in this section prevents the service of an odometer, provided that after the service a completed form, captioned “notice of odometer repair,” shall be attached to the left door frame of the motor vehicle by the person performing the repairs. The notice shall contain, in bold-face type, the following information and statements:

“Notice of Odometer Repair

The odometer of this motor vehicle was repaired or replaced on ….............. (date of service).

The mileage registered on the odometer of this motor vehicle before repair was …........ (mileage).

The mileage registered on the odometer of this motor vehicle after repair is …........ (mileage).

.................Repairer’s signature”

(D) No person shall intentionally remove or alter the notice required by division (C) of this section.

(E) If after the service of an odometer, the odometer can be set at the same mileage as before the service, the odometer shall be adjusted to reflect that mileage registered on the odometer of the motor vehicle before the service. If the odometer cannot be set at the same mileage as before the service, the odometer of the motor vehicle shall be adjusted to read “zero.”

(F) Except as otherwise provided in this division, whoever violates this section is guilty of tampering with an odometer, a felony of the fifth degree. If the offender previously has been convicted of or pleaded guilty to a violation of this section or of any provision of sections 4549.43 to 4549.46 of the Revised Code, tampering with an odometer is a felony of the fourth degree.

Effective Date: 01-01-2004