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SB 229OHIOSession 136State Billpassed chamber

Passed

Ohio Senate passes bill creating Law Enforcement Purple Heart license plate with fee waivers

Original title: Create the Law Enforcement Purple Heart license plate

Last action · November 12, 2025: Referred to TransportationSponsors: Mark Romanchuk and 20 others

Bill progressHistory & official text ↓

Introduced

Committee

Floor Vote

Passed

Law

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What This Bill Would Do

Ohio creates a specialized 'Law Enforcement Purple Heart' vehicle license plate available without standard registration and local motor vehicle taxes for qualifying officers. Applicants must submit documentary evidence of the award to the . Falsely claiming eligibility is classified as a fourth-degree misdemeanor.

Why it matters

Eligible law enforcement officers save on registration fees, service fees, and local motor vehicle taxes for passenger cars, motorcycles, and recreational vehicles, while non-recipients face misdemeanor charges for unauthorized use.

Background

State Senator Mark Romanchuk introduced Senate Bill 229 during the 136th General Assembly regular session in Ohio. context

Who It Would Affect

Groups the bill's text would affect if enacted, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.

Directly affected

law enforcement purple heart recipients

Recipients are eligible to apply for specialized license plates for their vehicles without paying standard registration fees, service fees, or local motor vehicle license taxes.

Directly affected

registrar of motor vehicles

The registrar must process applications, review documentary evidence, issue the specialized plates and validation stickers, and replace plates upon a vehicle owner's death.

Key Facts

You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is eligible to receive the Law Enforcement Purple Heart license plate?

Any person who has been awarded the law enforcement purple heart may apply for the registration of an eligible vehicle they own or lease by providing required documentary evidence.

Do recipients have to pay standard vehicle registration and local taxes for these plates?

No, the plates and validation stickers are issued without the payment of standard registration fees, service fees, and local motor vehicle license taxes.

What happens if someone falsely claims to be a recipient of the award to get the plate?

Willfully and falsely representing oneself as a recipient for the purpose of obtaining these plates is classified as a .

What else do you want to know?

News Coverage

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Where This Stands

Currently passed chamber. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Law.

Procedural history

6 actions

Nov 12, 2025HouseCommittee
Referred to Transportation
Nov 10, 2025HouseIntroduced
Introduced
Nov 5, 2025SenateFloor
Passed
Oct 29, 2025SenateCommittee
Reported (Transportation)
Oct 1, 2025SenateCommittee
Referred to Transportation
Jul 7, 2025SenateIntroduced
Introduced

Version history & redline

3 versions on file

Comparing As Reported by the Senate Transportation Committee → As Passed by the Senate

removed addedOfficial text

sb229_01_RS sb229_02_PS As Reported Passed by the Senate Transportation Committee 136th General Assembly Regular Session S. B. No. 229 2025-2026 Senator Romanchuk Cosponsor: Senator Schaffer Cosponsors: Senators Schaffer, Antonio, Blessing, Brenner, Cirino, Craig, DeMora, Gavarone, Hicks-Hudson, Ingram, Johnson, Lang, Liston, O'Brien, Patton, Reineke, Roegner, Smith, Timken, Weinstein To enact section 4503.472 of the Revised Code to create the "Law Enforcement Purple Heart" license plate. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY […]

Redline computed from the official version text (record lane).View this version →