Section 3503.11 | Registering to vote with registrar of motor vehicles.
(A)(1) When any person applies for a driver's license, commercial driver's license, a state of Ohio identification card issued under section 4507.50 of the Revised Code, or motorcycle operator's license or endorsement, or the renewal or duplicate of any license or endorsement under Chapter 4506. or 4507. of the Revised Code, and the person presents proof of United States citizenship to the registrar of motor vehicles or the deputy registrar or has previously presented proof of United States citizenship to the registrar or any deputy registrar, the registrar or deputy registrar shall offer the applicant the opportunity to register to vote or to update the applicant's voter registration by electronic means in conjunction with the person's transaction with the registrar or deputy registrar, in a manner prescribed by the secretary of state.
(2) When any person submits a notice of change of address to the registrar under division (C) of section 4507.09 of the Revised Code, the registrar shall offer the applicant the opportunity to submit a notice of change of address for voter registration purposes by electronic means in conjunction with the person's transaction with the registrar, in a manner prescribed by the secretary of state.
(3) When a person registers to vote or updates the person's voter registration under division (A)(1) or (2) of this section, the registrar or deputy registrar shall electronically transmit the person's signature that is on file with the bureau of motor vehicles with the electronic record of the voter registration or update, and that signature shall be considered the person's signature on the voter registration or update and for all other election and signature-matching purposes.
(B) Within twenty-four hours after a person registers to vote or updates the person's voter registration under division (A) of this section, the registrar or deputy registrar shall transmit the electronic record of the voter registration or update to the secretary of state by electronic means in a manner prescribed by the secretary of state by rule. Rules adopted under this division shall do all of the following:
(1) Prohibit any direct electronic connection between the office of the registrar or a deputy registrar and the statewide voter registration database;
(2) Require any voter registration information to be verified by the secretary of state or a board of elections before the information is added to the statewide voter registration database;
(3) Require the registrar or deputy registrar to electronically date stamp each electronic record in a manner that does not disclose the identity of the office that receives the voter registration or update.
(C)(1) The registrar of motor vehicles and each deputy registrar also shall make available to all other customers paper voter registration applications and update forms, but are not required to offer assistance to customers in completing those forms. The bureau of motor vehicles shall supply all of its deputy registrars with a sufficient number of voter registration applications and update forms.
(2) Within five days after a person submits a completed paper voter registration application or update form to the registrar or a deputy registrar, the registrar or deputy registrar shall send the form to the board of elections of the county in which the office of the registrar or deputy registrar is located.
(D) The registrar shall collect from each deputy registrar through the reports filed under division (J) of section 4503.03 of the Revised Code and transmit to the secretary of state information on the number of voter registration applications and change of residence or change of name forms completed or declined, and any additional information required by the secretary of state to comply with the National Voter Registration Act of 1993. No information relating to an applicant's decision to decline to register or update the applicant's voter registration at the office of the registrar or deputy registrar may be used for any purpose other than voter registration record-keeping required by the secretary of state, and all such information shall be kept confidential.
Last updated April 30, 2025 at 10:32 AM
Available Versions of this Section
- March 20, 2014 – Senate Bill 200 - 130th General Assembly [ View March 20, 2014 Version ]
- April 9, 2025 – Amended by House Bill 74 - 135th General Assembly [ View April 9, 2025 Version ]
- June 30, 2025 – Amended by House Bill 54 - 136th General Assembly [ View June 30, 2025 Version ]