Ohio Rev. Code » Chapter 4513
Ohio Revised Code

Ohio Rev. Code § 4513.60 (2026)

[Governor's veto not reflected; see H.B. 434 status report] Vehicle left on private residential or private agricultural property without the permission of person having right to possession of property

✓ current as of May 2026
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Effective:
November 25, 2025
Latest Legislation:
House Bill 434 - 136th General Assembly
PDF:
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(A)(1) The sheriff of a county or chief of a law enforcement agency of a municipal corporation, township, port authority, conservancy district, or township or joint police district, within the sheriff's or chief's respective territorial jurisdiction, upon complaint of any person adversely affected, may order into storage any motor vehicle, other than an abandoned junk motor vehicle as defined in section 4513.63 of the Revised Code, that has been left on private residential or private agricultural property for at least four hours without the permission of the person having the right to the possession of the property. The sheriff or chief, upon complaint of a repair garage or place of storage, may order into storage any motor vehicle, other than an abandoned junk motor vehicle, that has been left at the garage or place of storage for a longer period than that agreed upon. When ordering a motor vehicle into storage pursuant to this division, a sheriff or chief may arrange for the removal of the motor vehicle by a towing service and shall designate a storage facility.

(2) A towing service towing a motor vehicle under division (A)(1) of this section shall remove the motor vehicle in accordance with that division. The towing service shall deliver the motor vehicle to the location designated by the sheriff or chief not more than two hours after the time it is removed from the private property, unless the towing service is unable to deliver the motor vehicle within two hours due to an uncontrollable force, natural disaster, or other event that is not within the power of the towing service.

(3) Subject to division (B) of this section, the owner of a motor vehicle that has been removed pursuant to this division may recover the vehicle only in accordance with division (D) of this section.

(4) As used in this section, "private residential property" means private property on which is located one or more structures that are used as a home, residence, or sleeping place by one or more persons, if no more than three separate households are maintained in the structure or structures. "Private residential property" does not include any private property on which is located one or more structures that are used as a home, residence, or sleeping place by two or more persons, if more than three separate households are maintained in the structure or structures.

(B) If the owner or operator of a motor vehicle that has been ordered into storage pursuant to division (A)(1) of this section arrives after the motor vehicle has been prepared for removal, but prior to its actual removal from the property, the towing service shall give the owner or operator oral or written notification at the time of such arrival that the vehicle owner or operator may pay a fee of not more than one-half of the fee for the removal of the motor vehicle established by the public utilities commission in rules adopted under section 4921.25 of the Revised Code, in order to obtain release of the motor vehicle. However, if the vehicle is within a municipal corporation and the municipal corporation has established a vehicle removal fee, the towing service shall give the owner or operator oral or written notification that the owner or operator may pay not more than one-half of that fee to obtain release of the motor vehicle. That fee may be paid by use of a major credit card unless the towing service uses a mobile credit card processor and mobile service is not available at the time of the transaction.

Upon payment of the applicable fee, the towing service shall give the vehicle owner or operator a receipt showing both the full amount normally assessed and the actual amount received and shall release the motor vehicle to the owner or operator. Upon its release, the owner or operator immediately shall move it so that it is not on the private residential or private agricultural property without the permission of the person having the right to possession of the property, or is not at the garage or place of storage without the permission of the owner, whichever is applicable.

(C)(1) Each county sheriff and each chief of a law enforcement agency of a municipal corporation, township, port authority, conservancy district, or township or joint police district shall maintain a record of motor vehicles that the sheriff or chief orders into storage pursuant to division (A)(1) of this section. The record shall include an entry for each such motor vehicle that identifies the motor vehicle's license number, make, model, and color, the location from which it was removed, the date and time of its removal, the telephone number of the person from whom it may be recovered, and the address of the place to which it has been taken and from which it may be recovered. A sheriff or chief shall provide any information in the record that pertains to a particular motor vehicle to any person who, either in person or pursuant to a telephone call, identifies self as the owner or operator of the motor vehicle and requests information pertaining to its location.

(2) Any person who registers a complaint that is the basis of a sheriff's or chief's order for the removal and storage of a motor vehicle under division (A)(1) of this section shall provide the identity of the law enforcement agency with which the complaint was registered to any person who identifies self as the owner or operator of the motor vehicle and requests information pertaining to its location.

(D)(1) The owner or lienholder of a motor vehicle that is ordered into storage pursuant to division (A)(1) of this section may reclaim it upon both of the following:

(a) Payment of all applicable fees established by the public utilities commission in rules adopted under section 4921.25 of the Revised Code or, if the vehicle was towed within a municipal corporation that has established fees for vehicle removal and storage, payment of all applicable fees established by the municipal corporation. Section 2930.11 of the Revised Code does not apply with regard to the payment of fees for motor vehicle removal and storage under this section.

(b) Presentation of proof of ownership, which may be evidenced by a certificate of title to the motor vehicle, a certificate of registration for the motor vehicle, or a lease agreement.

When the owner of a vehicle towed under this section retrieves the vehicle, the towing service or storage facility in possession of the vehicle shall give the owner written notice that if the owner disputes that the motor vehicle was lawfully towed, the owner may be able to file a civil action under section 4513.611 of the Revised Code.

(2) Upon presentation of proof of ownership as required under division (D)(1)(b) of this section, the owner of a motor vehicle that is ordered into storage under division (A)(1) of this section may retrieve any personal items from the motor vehicle without retrieving the vehicle and without paying any fee. However, a towing service or storage facility may charge an after-hours retrieval fee established by the public utilities commission in rules adopted under section 4921.25 of the Revised Code if the owner retrieves the personal items after hours, unless the towing service or storage facility fails to provide the notice required under division (B)(3) of section 4513.69 of the Revised Code, if applicable. The owner of a motor vehicle shall not do either of the following:

(a) Retrieve any personal item that has been determined by the sheriff or chief, as applicable, to be necessary to a criminal investigation;

(b) Retrieve any personal item from a vehicle if it would endanger the safety of the owner, unless the owner agrees to sign a waiver of liability.

For purposes of division (D)(2) of this section, "personal items" do not include any items that are attached to the motor vehicle.

(3) If a motor vehicle that is ordered into storage pursuant to division (A)(1) of this section remains unclaimed by the owner for thirty days, the procedures established by sections 4513.61 and 4513.62 of the Revised Code apply.

(E)(1) No person shall remove, or cause the removal of, any motor vehicle from any private residential or private agricultural property other than in accordance with division (A)(1) of this section or sections 4513.61 to 4513.65 of the Revised Code.

(2) No towing service or storage facility shall fail to comply with the requirements of this section.

(F) This section does not apply to any private residential or private agricultural property that is established as a private tow-away zone in accordance with section 4513.601 of the Revised Code.

(G) Whoever violates division (E) of this section is guilty of a minor misdemeanor.

Last updated April 10, 2026 at 3:53 PM

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 11 cases (2 in the last 5 years), 1987–2024 · leading case: Doughman v. Long, 536 N.E.2d 394 (Ohio Ct. App. 1987).
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Doughman v. Long, 536 N.E.2d 394 (Ohio Ct. App. 1987). · cites it 7× “The trial court held, inter alia, appellant’s pickup was an abandoned vehicle and Long had no duty to inform appellant of his possession of it because R.C. 4513.60 et seq., which relate to abandoned vehicles, impose this duty on a local law enforcement agency.”
State Farm Mut. Auto. Ins. v. Advanced Impounding & Recovery Servs., 848 N.E.2d 534 (Ohio Ct. App. 2006). · cites it 6× “That same day, AIRS towed a car (which turned out to be Biermacher’s) from a portion of the same parking lot that was marked as a private tow-away zone in accordance with R.C. 4513.60. Because neither State Farm nor Biermacher were aware that the car had been towed, State Farm…”
Egbert v. Shamrock Towing, Inc., 2022 Ohio 474 (Ohio Ct. App. 2022). · cites it 5× “In Stanley, the appellant filed a complaint against Auto Tow & Bradley Motors ("Auto Tow") alleging conversion of his vehicle and Auto Tow raised, as an affirmative defense pursuant to R.C. 4513.60, the former version of the private tow-away zone statute.”
Pond v. E & E Towing & Recovery, L.L.C., 2024 Ohio 800 (Ohio Ct. App. 2024). · cites it 2× “{¶ 3} According to the Ponds, E and E Towing did not receive an order from any law enforcement agency before towing their property, which they alleged violated R.C. 4513.60. Id. at ¶ 20-23. The Ponds also alleged that E and E Towing had demanded $75,000 from them to return their…”
Walbridge v. Carroll, 920 N.E.2d 1046 (Ohio Ct. App. 2009). · cites it 2× “R.C. 4513.60(B)(1) and (2). There is no evidence in the record upon which to conclude that towing of such vehicles, under authority of R.”
Safi v. Cent. Parking Sys. of Ohio, Inc., 2015 Ohio 5274 (Ohio Ct. App. 2015). · cites it 7× “He asked the trial court to certify the following class: All owners of a motor vehicle having a gross vehicle weight rating equal to or less than 10,000 pounds that were removed from a private tow-away zone located in Ohio, (as set forth in ORC 4513.60) under authority of…”
State v. Gates, 2011 Ohio 5631 (Ohio Ct. App. 2011). “6 {¶15} Gates argues that the State presented insufficient evidence to establish that the officer was authorized to order the towing of the vehicle because it was not “abandoned” as that term is used in R.C. 4513.60. That statute authorizes the impounding of motor vehicles which…”
Chrapliwy v. Sawyer Towing, 901 N.E.2d 280 (Ohio Ct. App. 2008). · cites it 2× “Thus, we sustain the assignment of error. Accordingly, we reverse that part of the trial court’s decision and enter judgment in favor of Chrapliwy on the counterclaim.”
State v. Johnson, 2014 Ohio 2856 (Ohio Ct. App. 2014). “This information could be essential to an analysis because if the vehicle is parked on private, residential property, the officer’s authority to impound it may be restricted by R.C. 4513.60. Further, Officer Burnette does not testify regarding his rationale for impounding the…”
State ex rel. Pingue v. Schneider, 2013 Ohio 4211 (Ohio Ct. App. 2013). · cites it 8× “, claims by Alexander Square that relator violated R.C. 4513.60 and tortiously interfered with business relationships by unlawfully towing cars from its property are separate from claims by relator that Alexander Square violated a written easement by allowing its lessees,…”
State v. Grigsby, 2011 Ohio 2062 (Ohio Ct. App. 2011). “Whether or not the police could also confiscate the car’s license plates under R.C. 4509.101 is immaterial.”
Ohio Rev. Code § 4513.60(B): 1 case
Egbert v. Shamrock Towing, Inc., 2022 Ohio 474 (Ohio Ct. App. 2022). “In Stanley, the appellant filed a complaint against Auto Tow & Bradley Motors ("Auto Tow") alleging conversion of his vehicle and Auto Tow raised, as an affirmative defense pursuant to R.C. 4513.60, the former version of the private tow-away zone statute.”
Ohio Rev. Code § 4513.60(B)(1): 1 case
Walbridge v. Carroll, 920 N.E.2d 1046 (Ohio Ct. App. 2009). “R.C. 4513.60(B)(1) and (2). There is no evidence in the record upon which to conclude that towing of such vehicles, under authority of R.”
Ohio Rev. Code § 4513.60(B)(1)(a): 1 case
Safi v. Cent. Parking Sys. of Ohio, Inc., 2015 Ohio 5274 (Ohio Ct. App. 2015). “He asked the trial court to certify the following class: All owners of a motor vehicle having a gross vehicle weight rating equal to or less than 10,000 pounds that were removed from a private tow-away zone located in Ohio, (as set forth in ORC 4513.60) under authority of…”
Ohio Rev. Code § 4513.60(B)(2): 2 cases
State Farm Mut. Auto. Ins. v. Advanced Impounding & Recovery Servs., 848 N.E.2d 534 (Ohio Ct. App. 2006). “That same day, AIRS towed a car (which turned out to be Biermacher’s) from a portion of the same parking lot that was marked as a private tow-away zone in accordance with R.C. 4513.60. Because neither State Farm nor Biermacher were aware that the car had been towed, State Farm…”
Chrapliwy v. Sawyer Towing, 901 N.E.2d 280 (Ohio Ct. App. 2008). “Thus, we sustain the assignment of error. Accordingly, we reverse that part of the trial court’s decision and enter judgment in favor of Chrapliwy on the counterclaim.”
Ohio Rev. Code § 4513.60(E): 2 cases
State Farm Mut. Auto. Ins. v. Advanced Impounding & Recovery Servs., 848 N.E.2d 534 (Ohio Ct. App. 2006). “That same day, AIRS towed a car (which turned out to be Biermacher’s) from a portion of the same parking lot that was marked as a private tow-away zone in accordance with R.C. 4513.60. Because neither State Farm nor Biermacher were aware that the car had been towed, State Farm…”
Safi v. Cent. Parking Sys. of Ohio, Inc., 2015 Ohio 5274 (Ohio Ct. App. 2015). “He asked the trial court to certify the following class: All owners of a motor vehicle having a gross vehicle weight rating equal to or less than 10,000 pounds that were removed from a private tow-away zone located in Ohio, (as set forth in ORC 4513.60) under authority of…”
Ohio Rev. Code § 4513.60(G): 1 case
State ex rel. Pingue v. Schneider, 2013 Ohio 4211 (Ohio Ct. App. 2013). “, claims by Alexander Square that relator violated R.C. 4513.60 and tortiously interfered with business relationships by unlawfully towing cars from its property are separate from claims by relator that Alexander Square violated a written easement by allowing its lessees,…”
Ohio Rev. Code § 4513.60(G)(2): 1 case
Chrapliwy v. Sawyer Towing, 901 N.E.2d 280 (Ohio Ct. App. 2008). “Thus, we sustain the assignment of error. Accordingly, we reverse that part of the trial court’s decision and enter judgment in favor of Chrapliwy on the counterclaim.”
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