Ohio Rev. Code » Chapter 4511
Ohio Revised Code

Ohio Rev. Code § 4511.181 (2026)

OVI definitions

✓ current as of May 2026
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Effective:
April 4, 2023
Latest Legislation:
Senate Bill 288 - 134th General Assembly
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As used in sections 4511.181 to 4511.198 of the Revised Code:

(A) "Equivalent offense" means any of the following:

(1) A violation of division (A) of section 4511.19 of the Revised Code;

(2) A violation of a municipal OVI ordinance;

(3) A violation of section 2903.04 of the Revised Code in a case in which the offender was subject to the sanctions described in division (D) of that section;

(4) A violation of division (A)(1) of section 2903.06 or 2903.08 of the Revised Code or a municipal ordinance that is substantially equivalent to either of those divisions;

(5) A violation of division (A)(2), (3), or (4) of section 2903.06, division (A)(2) of section 2903.08, or former section 2903.07 of the Revised Code, or a municipal ordinance that is substantially equivalent to any of those divisions or that former section, in a case in which a judge or jury as the trier of fact found that the offender was under the influence of alcohol, a drug of abuse, or a combination of them;

(6) A violation of division (A) of section 1547.11 of the Revised Code;

(7) A violation of a municipal ordinance prohibiting a person from operating or being in physical control of any vessel underway or from manipulating any water skis, aquaplane, or similar device on the waters of this state while under the influence of alcohol, a drug of abuse, or a combination of them or prohibiting a person from operating or being in physical control of any vessel underway or from manipulating any water skis, aquaplane, or similar device on the waters of this state with a prohibited concentration of alcohol, a controlled substance, or a metabolite of a controlled substance in the whole blood, blood serum or plasma, breath, or urine;

(8) A violation of an existing or former municipal ordinance, law of another state, or law of the United States that is substantially equivalent to division (A) of section 4511.19 or division (A) of section 1547.11 of the Revised Code;

(9) A violation of a former law of this state that was substantially equivalent to division (A) of section 4511.19 or division (A) of section 1547.11 of the Revised Code.

(B) "Mandatory jail term" means the mandatory term in jail of three, six, ten, twenty, thirty, or sixty days that must be imposed under division (G)(1)(a), (b), or (c) of section 4511.19 of the Revised Code upon an offender convicted of a violation of division (A) of that section and in relation to which all of the following apply:

(1) Except as specifically authorized under section 4511.19 of the Revised Code, the term must be served in a jail.

(2) Except as specifically authorized under section 4511.19 of the Revised Code, the term cannot be suspended, reduced, or otherwise modified pursuant to sections 2929.21 to 2929.28 or any other provision of the Revised Code.

(C) "Municipal OVI ordinance" and "municipal OVI offense" mean any municipal ordinance prohibiting a person from operating a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol, a drug of abuse, or a combination of them or prohibiting a person from operating a vehicle with a prohibited concentration of alcohol, a controlled substance, or a metabolite of a controlled substance in the whole blood, blood serum or plasma, breath, or urine.

(D) "Community residential sanction," "continuous alcohol monitoring," "jail," "mandatory prison term," "mandatory term of local incarceration," "sanction," and "prison term" have the same meanings as in section 2929.01 of the Revised Code.

(E) "Drug of abuse" has the same meaning as in section 4506.01 of the Revised Code.

(F) "Equivalent offense that is vehicle-related" means an equivalent offense that is any of the following:

(1) A violation described in division (A)(1), (2), (3), (4), or (5) of this section;

(2) A violation of an existing or former municipal ordinance, law of another state, or law of the United States that is substantially equivalent to division (A) of section 4511.19 of the Revised Code;

(3) A violation of a former law of this state that was substantially equivalent to division (A) of section 4511.19 of the Revised Code.

Last updated March 8, 2023 at 12:17 PM

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 30 cases (5 in the last 5 years), 1984–2026 · leading case: State v. Richardson (Slip Opinion), 2016 Ohio 8448 (Ohio 2016).
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State v. Richardson (Slip Opinion), 2016 Ohio 8448 (Ohio 2016). · cites it 2× “R.C. 4511.181(E). That term means “any controlled substance, dangerous drug as defined in section 4729.”
State v. Nelson, 2020 Ohio 4657 (Ohio Ct. App. 2020). · cites it 9× “1413 specification is defined in R.C. 4511.181. R.C. 4511.181(A); 2941.1413(B).”
State v. Husted, 2014 Ohio 4978 (Ohio Ct. App. 2014). · cites it 3× “As used in R.C. 4511.181 to 4511.198, “[d]rug of abuse” has the same meaning as in R.”
State v. Gray, 584 N.E.2d 710 (Ohio 1992). · cites it 2× “In Dickinson , this court held that an essential element of R.C. 4511.181 (vehicular homicide) is that the person whose life was taken has been born alive, id.”
Bowling v. Norman, 2024 Ohio 2658 (Ohio Ct. App. 2024). · cites it 6× “19 of the Revised Code or a municipal OVI ordinance as defined in section 4511.181 of the Revised Code; (7) Use a motor vehicle in the commission of a felony; (8) Refuse to submit to a test under section 4506.”
State v. Blatnik, 478 N.E.2d 1016 (Ohio Ct. App. 1984). “Chapter 4511, as R.C. 4511.181 and 4511.18, respectively- In light of our determination that appellant’s violation of R.”
State v. Klembus, 2014 Ohio 3227 (Ohio Ct. App. 2014). · cites it 2× “” (B) As used in division (A) of this section, “equivalent offense” has the same meaning as in section 4511.181 of the Revised Code. {¶19} Under R.”
State v. Norris, 861 N.E.2d 148 (Ohio Ct. App. 2006). · cites it 4× “1413(B) defines “equivalent offenses” as having the same meaning as in R.C. 4511.181. {¶ 23} According to R.C. 4511.”
State v. Hayes, 2016 Ohio 7241 (Ohio Ct. App. 2016). “06 is a prosecution for an “equivalent offense” as defined in R.C. 4511.181(A)(4). {¶ 45} IMPLIED-CONSENT {¶ 46} Under Ohio’s implied-consent statute, R.”
State v. Abner, 2021 Ohio 4549 (Ohio Ct. App. 2021). “WD-10-008, 2011-Ohio- 1971, ¶ 19; and R.C. 4511.181(A)(1) and (A)(4). This is nearly the exact same holding this court issued in a previous decision wherein we found a trial court did not err in denying appellant's motion to suppress his blood-alcohol test results given the test…”
State v. May, 2014 Ohio 1542 (Ohio Ct. App. 2014). “” {¶ 44} A “drug of abuse” means “any controlled substance, dangerous drug as defined in section 4729.01 of the Revised Code, or over-the-counter medication that, when taken in quantities exceeding the recommended dosage, can result in impairment of judgment or reflexes.”
State v. McClain, 2018 Ohio 538 (Ohio Ct. App. 2018). · cites it 2× “See R.C. 4511.181(E); R.C. 4506.01(M). This case, therefore, more closely resembles State v.”
Show all 30 citing cases →
— Ohio Rev. Code § 4511.181(A) — 2 cases
State v. Nelson, 2020 Ohio 4657 (Ohio Ct. App. 2020). “1413 specification is defined in R.C. 4511.181. R.C. 4511.181(A); 2941.1413(B).”
State v. Norris, 861 N.E.2d 148 (Ohio Ct. App. 2006). “1413(B) defines “equivalent offenses” as having the same meaning as in R.C. 4511.181. {¶ 23} According to R.C. 4511.”
— Ohio Rev. Code § 4511.181(A)(1) — 1 case
State v. Abner, 2021 Ohio 4549 (Ohio Ct. App. 2021). “WD-10-008, 2011-Ohio- 1971, ¶ 19; and R.C. 4511.181(A)(1) and (A)(4). This is nearly the exact same holding this court issued in a previous decision wherein we found a trial court did not err in denying appellant's motion to suppress his blood-alcohol test results given the test…”
— Ohio Rev. Code § 4511.181(A)(4) — 3 cases
State v. Hayes, 2016 Ohio 7241 (Ohio Ct. App. 2016). “06 is a prosecution for an “equivalent offense” as defined in R.C. 4511.181(A)(4). {¶ 45} IMPLIED-CONSENT {¶ 46} Under Ohio’s implied-consent statute, R.”
State v. Schuster, 2017 Ohio 4115 (Ohio Ct. App. 2017).
State v. Baker, 2026 Ohio 1628 (Ohio Ct. App. 2026).
— Ohio Rev. Code § 4511.181(C) — 1 case
State v. Nelson, 2020 Ohio 4657 (Ohio Ct. App. 2020). “1413 specification is defined in R.C. 4511.181. R.C. 4511.181(A); 2941.1413(B).”
— Ohio Rev. Code § 4511.181(E) — 7 cases
State v. Richardson (Slip Opinion), 2016 Ohio 8448 (Ohio 2016). “R.C. 4511.181(E). That term means “any controlled substance, dangerous drug as defined in section 4729.”
State v. Husted, 2014 Ohio 4978 (Ohio Ct. App. 2014). “As used in R.C. 4511.181 to 4511.198, “[d]rug of abuse” has the same meaning as in R.”
State v. May, 2014 Ohio 1542 (Ohio Ct. App. 2014). “” {¶ 44} A “drug of abuse” means “any controlled substance, dangerous drug as defined in section 4729.01 of the Revised Code, or over-the-counter medication that, when taken in quantities exceeding the recommended dosage, can result in impairment of judgment or reflexes.”
State v. McClain, 2018 Ohio 538 (Ohio Ct. App. 2018). “See R.C. 4511.181(E); R.C. 4506.01(M). This case, therefore, more closely resembles State v.”
State v. Bowden, 2020 Ohio 4556 (Ohio Ct. App. 2020).
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