Ohio Rev. Code Ann. § 5531.148 – Agreements for the collection of owner and registration information

(A) A toll project operator may enter into an agreement with the bureau of motor vehicles and the department, division, bureau, office, or other unit of government of any other state or jurisdiction that is functionally equivalent to the bureau of motor vehicles to obtain motor vehicle owner and registration information that is necessary to conduct electronic toll collection and electronic monitoring.
(B)
1. (1) A toll project operator shall ensure that information collected by an electronic toll collection device, an electronic-monitoring system in conjunction with an electronic toll collection system, or under division (A) of this section is limited solely to that information that is necessary for the collection of unpaid user fees and administrative fees; necessary to establish liability of the registered owner of a motor vehicle for payment of a user fee as provided in division (A) of section 5531.144 of the Revised Code; or necessary in any proceeding to establish or confirm such liability.
2. (2) A toll project operator shall ensure that all images or other data collected by an electronic toll collection device, an electronic-monitoring system, or under division (A) of this section are:
  1. (a) Maintained in a protected database with security that is at least comparable to the security used for databases operated by the department of transportation;
  2. (b) Used solely for the collection of unpaid user fees and administrative fees.
3. (3) All of the following apply to the images and other data described in division (B)(2) of this section:
  1. (a) The images and other data are not public records under section 149.43 of the Revised Code.
  2. (b) A toll project operator or any other person shall not sell or use the images and data for sales, solicitation, or marketing purposes. Division (B)(3)(b) of this section does not prohibit the department of transportation or the toll project operator from using the images and data to facilitate collection or payment of user fees and administrative fees.
  3. (c) A toll project operator or any other person shall not disclose the images and data to any other entity except to a registered owner who contests liability for and challenges the imposition of a user fee or administrative fee; or except as may be necessary for the collection of unpaid user fees or administrative fees.
  4. (d) The images and data shall not be used in any court in a pending action or proceeding except upon an order from a court of competent jurisdiction or unless the action or proceeding relates to the liability of the registered owner of a motor vehicle for payment of a user fee as provided in division (A) of section 5531.144 of the Revised Code.
4. (4)
  1. (a) Except as otherwise provided in this section, a toll project operator shall not retain any images or other data collected by an electronic toll collection device, an electronic-monitoring system, or under division (A) of this section and shall purge, write over, or otherwise eliminate, from existence the images or other data not later than one hundred eighty days after the collection of any unpaid user fees or administrative fees. Upon request from the director of transportation, any entity operating an electronic toll collection system or electronic-monitoring system in conjunction with an electronic toll collection system shall certify compliance with this section and, upon request, shall make all records pertaining to such system available for inspection and audit by the director or the director's designee.
  2. (b) No entity operating an electronic toll collection system or electronic-monitoring system in conjunction with an electronic toll collection system shall fail to certify compliance with this section or fail, upon request, to make all records pertaining to such system available for inspection and audit by the director or the director's designee.
5. (5) Whoever violates division (B)(4)(b) of this section is guilty of a minor misdemeanor on a first offense and a misdemeanor of the fourth degree on each subsequent offense.