Ohio Rev. Code » Chapter 2913
Ohio Revised Code

Ohio Rev. Code § 2913.21 (2026)

Misuse of credit cards

✓ current as of May 2026
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Effective:
November 2, 2018
Latest Legislation:
Senate Bill 158, House Bill 312 - 132nd General Assembly
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(A) No person shall do any of the following:

(1) Practice deception for the purpose of procuring the issuance of a credit card, when a credit card is issued in actual reliance thereon;

(2) Knowingly buy or sell a credit card from or to a person other than the issuer;

(3) As an officer, employee, or appointee of a political subdivision or as a public servant as defined under section 2921.01 of the Revised Code, knowingly misuse a credit card account held by a political subdivision.

(B) No person, with purpose to defraud, shall do any of the following:

(1) Obtain control over a credit card as security for a debt;

(2) Obtain property or services by the use of a credit card, in one or more transactions, knowing or having reasonable cause to believe that the card has expired or been revoked, or was obtained, is retained, or is being used in violation of law;

(3) Furnish property or services upon presentation of a credit card, knowing that the card is being used in violation of law;

(4) Represent or cause to be represented to the issuer of a credit card that property or services have been furnished, knowing that the representation is false.

(C) No person, with purpose to violate this section, shall receive, possess, control, or dispose of a credit card.

(D)(1) Whoever violates this section is guilty of misuse of credit cards.

(2) Except as otherwise provided in division (D)(4) of this section, a violation of division (A), (B)(1), or (C) of this section is a misdemeanor of the first degree.

(3) Except as otherwise provided in this division or division (D)(4) of this section, a violation of division (B)(2), (3), or (4) of this section is a misdemeanor of the first degree. If the cumulative retail value of the property and services involved in one or more violations of division (B)(2), (3), or (4) of this section, which violations involve one or more credit card accounts and occur within a period of ninety consecutive days commencing on the date of the first violation, is one thousand dollars or more and is less than seven thousand five hundred dollars, misuse of credit cards in violation of any of those divisions is a felony of the fifth degree. If the cumulative retail value of the property and services involved in one or more violations of division (B)(2), (3), or (4) of this section, which violations involve one or more credit card accounts and occur within a period of ninety consecutive days commencing on the date of the first violation, is seven thousand five hundred dollars or more and is less than one hundred fifty thousand dollars, misuse of credit cards in violation of any of those divisions is a felony of the fourth degree. If the cumulative retail value of the property and services involved in one or more violations of division (B)(2), (3), or (4) of this section, which violations involve one or more credit card accounts and occur within a period of ninety consecutive days commencing on the date of the first violation, is one hundred fifty thousand dollars or more, misuse of credit cards in violation of any of those divisions is a felony of the third degree.

(4) If the victim of the offense is an elderly person or disabled adult, and if the offense involves a violation of division (B)(1) or (2) of this section, division (D)(4) of this section applies. Except as otherwise provided in division (D)(4) of this section, a violation of division (B)(1) or (2) of this section is a felony of the fifth degree. If the debt for which the card is held as security or the cumulative retail value of the property or services involved in the violation is one thousand dollars or more and is less than seven thousand five hundred dollars, a violation of either of those divisions is a felony of the fourth degree. If the debt for which the card is held as security or the cumulative retail value of the property or services involved in the violation is seven thousand five hundred dollars or more and is less than thirty-seven thousand five hundred dollars, a violation of either of those divisions is a felony of the third degree. If the debt for which the card is held as security or the cumulative retail value of the property or services involved in the violation is thirty-seven thousand five hundred dollars or more, a violation of either of those divisions is a felony of the second degree. In addition to any other penalty imposed under division (D)(4) of this section, the offender shall be required to pay full restitution to the victim and to pay a fine of up to fifty thousand dollars. The clerk of court shall forward all fines collected under division (D)(4) of this section to the county department of job and family services to be used for the reporting and investigation of elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation or for the provision or arrangement of protective services under sections 5101.61 to 5101.71 of the Revised Code.

The Legislative Service Commission presents the text of this section as a composite of the section as amended by multiple acts of the General Assembly. This presentation recognizes the principle stated in R.C. 1.52(B) that amendments are to be harmonized if reasonably capable of simultaneous operation.

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 63 cases (14 in the last 5 years), 1984–2026 · leading case: State v. Haddox, 2016 Ohio 3368 (Ohio Ct. App. 2016).
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State v. Haddox, 2016 Ohio 3368 (Ohio Ct. App. 2016). · cites it 4× “04, division (B)(1) or (2) of section 2913.21, or section 2913.31 or 2913.”
State v. Luton, 2018 Ohio 4708 (Ohio Ct. App. 2018). · cites it 5× “) {¶48} The indictment charged appellant with fourth-degree felony misuse of credit cards, alleging that appellant’s violation of R.C. 2913.21 occurred within a period of 90 consecutive days.”
State v. Pettus, 2019 Ohio 2023 (Ohio Ct. App. 2019). · cites it 2× “04, division (B)(1) or (2) of section 2913.21, or section 2913.31 or 2913.”
State v. Pettus (Slip Opinion), 2020 Ohio 4836 (Ohio 2020). · cites it 2× “04, division (B)(1) or (2) of section 2913.21, or section 5 SUPREME COURT OF OHIO 2913.”
State v. Babb, 2024 Ohio 2018 (Ohio Ct. App. 2024). · cites it 6× “04, division (B)(1) or (2) of section 2913.21, or section 2913.31 or 2913.”
State v. Gray, 2020 Ohio 1402 (Ohio Ct. App. 2020). · cites it 3× “Count two charged of misuse of credit cards under R.C. 2913.21(B)(2)/(D)(4), a fifth-degree felony.”
State v. Green, 2020 Ohio 1552 (Ohio Ct. App. 2020). · cites it 3× “02(A)(1) and with two counts of misuse of a credit card in violation of R.C. 2913.21(B)(2), all felonies of the fifth degree.”
State v. Abrams, 2017 Ohio 8536 (Ohio Ct. App. 2017). “02(A)(2), a felony of the second degree, one count of misuse of a credit card in violation of R.C. 2913.21(B)(2), a misdemeanor of the first degree, two counts of receiving stolen property in violation of R.”
State v. Collier, 2020 Ohio 3033 (Ohio Ct. App. 2020). “02(A)(3), as charged in Count 1 of the indictment; seven counts of forgery in violation of R.C. 2913.21(A)(1), as charged in Counts 6-12 of the indictment; and two counts of money laundering in violation of R.”
State v. Glavic, 758 N.E.2d 728 (Ohio Ct. App. 2001). “51; (3) three counts of misuse of a credit card in violation of R.C. 2913.21; and (4) ten counts of forgery in violation of R.”
State v. Pangburn, 2016 Ohio 3286 (Ohio Ct. App. 2016). “Appellant was also indicted on one count of misuse of a credit card in violation of R.C. 2913.21(B)(2), a felony of the fifth degree as the victim of the offense was elderly.”
State v. Patton, 2014 Ohio 2099 (Ohio Ct. App. 2014). · cites it 7× “The relevant 1 We note that Patton used a debit card whereas the statute under which he was convicted, R.C. 2913.21(B)(2), prohibits the misuse of a credit card.”
Show all 63 citing cases →
— Ohio Rev. Code § 2913.21(A) — 1 case
State v. Krueger, 890 N.E.2d 332 (Ohio Ct. App. 2008).
— Ohio Rev. Code § 2913.21(A)(1) — 3 cases
State v. Collier, 2020 Ohio 3033 (Ohio Ct. App. 2020). “02(A)(3), as charged in Count 1 of the indictment; seven counts of forgery in violation of R.C. 2913.21(A)(1), as charged in Counts 6-12 of the indictment; and two counts of money laundering in violation of R.”
State v. Collier, 2021 Ohio 3203 (Ohio Ct. App. 2021).
State v. Perry, 2017 Ohio 944 (Ohio Ct. App. 2017).
— Ohio Rev. Code § 2913.21(A)(3) — 3 cases
State v. Brown, 2013 Ohio 2756 (Ohio Ct. App. 2013).
State v. Hess, 2012 Ohio 4516 (Ohio Ct. App. 2012).
State v. Smith, 2026 Ohio 2405 (Ohio Ct. App. 2026).
— Ohio Rev. Code § 2913.21(B)(2) — 36 cases
State v. Abrams, 2017 Ohio 8536 (Ohio Ct. App. 2017). “02(A)(2), a felony of the second degree, one count of misuse of a credit card in violation of R.C. 2913.21(B)(2), a misdemeanor of the first degree, two counts of receiving stolen property in violation of R.”
State v. Babb, 2024 Ohio 2018 (Ohio Ct. App. 2024). “04, division (B)(1) or (2) of section 2913.21, or section 2913.31 or 2913.”
State v. Luton, 2018 Ohio 4708 (Ohio Ct. App. 2018). “) {¶48} The indictment charged appellant with fourth-degree felony misuse of credit cards, alleging that appellant’s violation of R.C. 2913.21 occurred within a period of 90 consecutive days.”
State v. Gray, 2020 Ohio 1402 (Ohio Ct. App. 2020). “Count two charged of misuse of credit cards under R.C. 2913.21(B)(2)/(D)(4), a fifth-degree felony.”
State v. Green, 2020 Ohio 1552 (Ohio Ct. App. 2020). “02(A)(1) and with two counts of misuse of a credit card in violation of R.C. 2913.21(B)(2), all felonies of the fifth degree.”
— Ohio Rev. Code § 2913.21(B)(2)(D)(3) — 2 cases
State v. Anderson, 2016 Ohio 4651 (Ohio Ct. App. 2016).
State v. Shurtleff, 2025 Ohio 574 (Ohio Ct. App. 2025).
— Ohio Rev. Code § 2913.21(B)(2)(D)(4) — 2 cases
State v. Buckner, 2018 Ohio 233 (Ohio Ct. App. 2018).
State v. Renz, 2018 Ohio 2869 (Ohio Ct. App. 2018).
— Ohio Rev. Code § 2913.21(D)(3) — 1 case
State v. Luton, 2018 Ohio 4708 (Ohio Ct. App. 2018). “) {¶48} The indictment charged appellant with fourth-degree felony misuse of credit cards, alleging that appellant’s violation of R.C. 2913.21 occurred within a period of 90 consecutive days.”
— Ohio Rev. Code § 2913.21(D)(4) — 3 cases
State v. Gray, 2020 Ohio 1402 (Ohio Ct. App. 2020). “Count two charged of misuse of credit cards under R.C. 2913.21(B)(2)/(D)(4), a fifth-degree felony.”
State v. Green, 2020 Ohio 1552 (Ohio Ct. App. 2020). “02(A)(1) and with two counts of misuse of a credit card in violation of R.C. 2913.21(B)(2), all felonies of the fifth degree.”
State v. Calhoun, 2014 Ohio 3662 (Ohio Ct. App. 2014).
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