Ohio Traf.R. 13

(A) Establishment and operation of traffic violations bureau

Each court shall establish a traffic violations bureau. The juvenile division of the court of

common pleas may establish a violations bureau pursuant to Traffic Rule 13.1. The court

shall appoint its clerk as violations clerk. If there is no clerk, the court shall appoint any

appropriate person of the municipality or county in which the court sits. The violations

bureau and violations clerk shall be under the direction and control of the court. Fines and

costs shall be paid to, receipted by, and accounted for by the violations clerk.

The violations bureau shall accept appearance, waiver of trial, plea of guilty, and payment

of fine and costs for offenses within its authority.

(B) Authority of violations bureau

All traffic offenses except those listed in this division may be disposed of by a traffic

violations bureau. The following traffic offenses shall not be processed by a traffic

violations bureau:

(1) Indictable offenses;

(2) Operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol or any drug

of abuse;

(3) Having physical control of a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol or

any drug of abuse;

(4) Operating a vehicle on roadway covered by water;

(5) Leaving the scene of an accident;

(6) Driving while under suspension or revocation of a driver's or commercial

driver’s license when jail is a possible penalty;

(7) Driving without being licensed to drive when jail is a possible penalty;

(8) A third moving traffic offense within a twelve-month period when jail is a

possible penalty;

(9) Failure to stop and remain standing upon meeting or overtaking a school

bus stopped on the highway for the purpose of receiving or discharging a

school child;

(10) Willfully eluding or fleeing a police officer;

(11) Drag racing.

(C) Schedule of fines

The court shall establish and publish a schedule of fines and costs for all offenses. The

schedule shall be distributed to all law enforcement agencies operating within the

jurisdiction of the court and shall be prominently displayed at the place in the violations

bureau where fines are paid.

(D) Defendant's plea, waiver of trial, and payment

(1) At any time prior to arraignment or thereafter with leave of court, a defendant

charged with an offense that can be processed by a traffic violations bureau may do

either of the following:

(a) Appear in person at the traffic violations bureau, sign a plea of guilty

and waiver of trial provision of the ticket, and either pay the total

amount of the fine and costs or enter into an installment payment

plan with the clerk of court or violations clerk stated in the ticket;

(b) Sign the guilty plea and waiver of trial provision of the ticket and

mail the ticket and a check or money order for the total amount of

the fine and costs to the clerk of court or violations clerk stated in

the ticket.

(2) A court may establish a procedure for accepting, through its traffic violations

bureau, guilty pleas, waivers of trial, and payments of fines and costs by telephone

or other electronic means. The form of payment accepted by telephone or other

electronic means shall be approved by the bureau.

(3) Remittance of the fine and costs to the traffic violations bureau by any means other

than personal appearance by the defendant at the bureau constitutes a guilty plea

and waiver of trial whether or not the guilty plea and waiver of trial provision of

the ticket are signed by the defendant.

(E) Records

All cases processed in the violations bureau shall be numbered and recorded for

identification and statistical purposes. In any statistical reports required by law, the number

of cases disposed of by the violations bureau shall be listed separately from those disposed

of in open court.

(F) Hours of operation; personnel

The court shall appoint a law enforcement officer as a deputy violations bureau clerk to act

as violations clerk when the violations clerk is not on duty.

Traffic Rules Review Commission