§ 5502.10 Registry of habitual OVI/OMWI offenders

5502.10 Registry of habitual OVI/OMWI offenders

(A) The department of public safety, not later than ninety days after the effective date of this section, shall do all of the following:

(1) Establish and maintain a state registry, named “Ohio's habitual OVI/OMWI offenders,” that contains all of the information specified in divisions (A)(1)(a) and (b) of this section regarding any person who on or after the effective date of this section is convicted in this state for the fifth or subsequent time in the preceding twenty years of an OVI/OMWI violation. The state registry is a public record open for inspection under section 149.43 of the Revised Code. The department shall obtain the information to be included in the state registry from the reports provided by the court pursuant to division (B) of this section. The state registry of Ohio's habitual OVI/OMWI offenders shall include at least the following information regarding each offender who on or after the effective date of this section is convicted in this state for the fifth or subsequent time in the preceding twenty years of an OVI/OMWI violation:

(a) The offender's name, date of birth, and residence address, including, but not limited to, the street address, municipal corporation or township, county, and zip code of the person's place of residence;

(b) The number of times within the preceding twenty years that the offender has been convicted in this state for an OVI/OMWI violation and the date of each of those convictions.

(2) Establish and operate on the internet a database that contains for each person who on or after the effective date of this section is convicted in this state for the fifth or subsequent time in the preceding twenty years of an OVI/OMWI violation all of the information regarding the offender that is included in the state registry of Ohio's habitual OVI/OMWI offenders that is established and maintained under division (A)(1) of this section. The database is a public record open for inspection under section 149.43 of the Revised Code, and it shall be searchable by an offender's name, by county, and by zip code.

(B) A court that convicts a person for an OVI/OMWI violation shall send to the department of public safety, within thirty days after the conviction of the offender the information specified in divisions (A)(1)(a) and (b) of this section.

(C) The department of public safety shall update the state registry of Ohio's habitual OVI/OMWI offenders required under division (A)(1) of this section and the database required under division (A)(2) of this section every month to ensure that the information they contain is accurate and current.

(D) As used in this section:

(1) “Equivalent offense” and “municipal OVI ordinance” have the same meanings as in section 4511.181 of the Revised Code.

(2) “OVI/OMWI violation” means any of the following:

(a) A violation of division (A) or (B) of section 4511.19 of the Revised Code or a violation of a municipal OVI ordinance;

(b) A violation of section 4511.194 of the Revised Code or a substantially equivalent municipal ordinance;

(c) A violation of division (A) or (B) of section 1547.11 of the Revised Code or a violation of a municipal ordinance, law of another state, or law of the United States that is substantially equivalent to division (A) or (B) of section 1547.11 of the Revised Code;

(d) Any equivalent offense not listed in divisions (D)(2)(a) to (c) of this section.