To amend sections 4521.01 and 4521.08 and to enact section 4521.20 of the Revised Code to establish specified parking requirements.
Summary
HB238 would amend Ohio’s parking-infraction laws and add a new section requiring certain parking-payment and ticketing practices. The bill defines a “parking zone” and directs the director of public safety to adopt standards allowing parking fees at meters to be paid by multiple methods, including cash, coin, credit card, QR code, or other approved methods, while preserving cash, coin, and credit card as always-available options. It also prohibits requiring a person to identify the specific parking space when paying in a parking zone.
The bill further creates a new rule that a parking ticket must be rescinded if it is issued within three minutes of a person parking in a parking zone and the person pays within that same three-minute window. If a bureau fails to rescind such a ticket, that failure is treated as prima facie evidence that the person did not commit the parking infraction. In addition, the bill revises the procedures for contesting parking tickets, default judgments, payment, filing judgments in court, and appeals, including extending the time to appeal and adjusting the time period for filing judgments tied to parking tickets.
Impact
HB238 would change Chapter 4521 of the Revised Code by adding payment-access requirements for parking meters and new enforcement limits for parking zones, while also modifying the administrative and court procedures used to adjudicate parking infractions. It would affect local authorities, parking violations bureaus, traffic violations bureaus, juvenile courts, and drivers who receive parking tickets, especially in municipalities that use centralized parking-zone payment systems. The bill also appears to alter evidentiary and timing rules for parking-ticket disputes and collection of unpaid judgments.
Sentiment
Because the bill was only introduced and has no recorded committee testimony or votes in the provided materials, there is no documented public or legislative sentiment to measure from the record. The text itself suggests a consumer-protection and due-process orientation, aiming to make parking payment easier and to reduce enforcement based on short timing windows. The absence of committee discussion means support or opposition cannot be reliably inferred beyond the bill’s stated policy choices.
Contention
The most likely points of contention are the three-minute rescission rule, the requirement that cash, coin, and credit card remain available, and the prohibition on requiring a driver to identify a specific parking space when paying in a parking zone. Local governments and parking operators may view these provisions as limiting enforcement flexibility or complicating parking management, while motorists and consumer advocates may favor them as protections against unfair or overly technical ticketing. The bill’s changes to appeal deadlines, default-judgment procedures, and filing timelines could also draw scrutiny from courts and local authorities because they affect collection and enforcement processes.
To amend sections 3517.12, 3517.13, and 3517.155 of the Revised Code to modify the Campaign Finance Law regarding foreign nationals and statewide initiatives and referenda and to declare an emergency.
To amend sections 3505.01 and 3505.10 of the Revised Code to modify the deadline for a political party to certify its nominees for President and Vice-President to the Secretary of State.
To amend sections 3517.12, 3517.13, and 3517.155 of the Revised Code to modify the Campaign Finance Law regarding foreign nationals and statewide initiatives and referenda and to declare an emergency.
To delay the deadline for a major political party to certify its presidential and vice presidential candidates to the Secretary of State for the 2024 general election.