Ohio House Bill HB846

Ohio 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Filed/Introduced: 8/6/26
• Introduced: 5/6/26

Caption

To enact section 2919.252 of the Revised Code to create the repeat domestic violence offender registry.

Summary

HB846 would create a new “repeat domestic violence offender registry” in Ohio law by enacting section 2919.252 of the Revised Code. The bill defines a repeat domestic violence offender as a person who is currently convicted of, or pleads guilty or no contest to, a domestic violence offense under section 2919.25 and who has at least one prior conviction or plea for the same offense. The Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation (BCI) would be responsible for maintaining the registry. Under the bill, when a court determines that a defendant is a repeat domestic violence offender, it must order the person to register with BCI within seven days. The offender must provide identifying information including name, date of birth, conviction information, court name, a current photograph, and a copy of a driver’s license or state ID. BCI must then enter the person into the registry and make most of the information publicly available on its website, while withholding personal identifiers such as address, Social Security number, and license numbers. The registry would be removed after a set period depending on the number of prior domestic violence convictions: two years for one prior offense, five years for two priors, and ten years for three or more priors.

Impact

The bill would add a new chapter-like registry requirement to Ohio’s domestic violence enforcement framework and impose new duties on courts, clerks, and BCI. It would create a public-facing database of repeat domestic violence offenders, expand post-conviction reporting obligations, and establish timelines for registration and public disclosure. The measure would also affect defendants convicted under section 2919.25, court administration, and state criminal records management by requiring collection, transmission, and publication of offender information.

Sentiment

Because the bill was only introduced and had no recorded committee testimony or votes in the provided materials, there is no documented public sentiment from the legislative record here. Based on the bill’s structure, it appears to be framed as a public-safety and accountability measure aimed at repeat domestic violence offenders. The absence of recorded debate means support or opposition cannot be reliably assessed from the available context.

Contention

The main likely points of contention are privacy, due process, and the scope of public disclosure. Supporters would likely argue that a registry helps protect victims and the public by identifying repeat domestic violence offenders and increasing accountability. Opponents may question whether public posting of offender information is necessary or effective, whether it creates collateral consequences beyond the criminal sentence, and whether the registry’s duration and reporting requirements are too broad for offenses that can vary in severity. The bill also raises administrative concerns for courts and BCI because it requires prompt determinations, reporting, and ongoing registry maintenance.