Ohio Rev. Code » Chapter 4513
Ohio Revised Code

Ohio Rev. Code § 4513.63 (2026)

Photograph and record of information as to abandoned junk vehicles

✓ current as of May 2026
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Effective:
October 24, 2024
Latest Legislation:
Senate Bill 94 - 135th General Assembly
PDF:
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As used in this section, "abandoned junk motor vehicle" means any motor vehicle meeting all of the following requirements:

(1) Left on private property for forty-eight hours or longer without the permission of the person having the right to the possession of the property, on a public street or other property open to the public for purposes of vehicular travel or parking, or upon or within the right-of-way of any road or highway, for forty-eight hours or longer;

(2) Three years old, or older;

(3) Extensively damaged, such damage including but not limited to any of the following: missing wheels, tires, motor, or transmission;

(4) Apparently inoperable;

(5) Having a fair market value of one thousand five hundred dollars or less.

(B) The sheriff of a county or chief of a law enforcement agency of a municipal corporation, township, port authority, conservancy district, university campus police department, park district police force, or township or joint police district, within the sheriff's or chief's respective territorial jurisdiction, or a state highway patrol trooper, natural resources officer, or wildlife officer, upon notification to the sheriff, chief, or department of natural resources of such action, shall order any abandoned junk motor vehicle to be photographed by a law enforcement officer. The officer shall record the make of motor vehicle, the serial number when available, and shall also detail the damage or missing equipment to substantiate the value of one thousand five hundred dollars or less. The sheriff, chief, or department shall thereupon immediately dispose of the abandoned junk motor vehicle to a motor vehicle salvage dealer as defined in section 4738.01 of the Revised Code or a scrap metal processing facility as defined in section 4737.05 of the Revised Code which is under contract to the county, township, port authority, conservancy district, university campus, park district, municipal corporation, or department, or to any other facility owned by or under contract with the county, township, port authority, conservancy district, university campus, park district, municipal corporation, or department for the destruction of such motor vehicles. The records and photograph relating to the abandoned junk motor vehicle shall be retained by the law enforcement agency or department ordering the disposition of such vehicle for a period of at least two years. The law enforcement agency or department shall execute in quadruplicate an affidavit, as prescribed by the registrar of motor vehicles, describing the motor vehicle and the manner in which it was disposed of, and that all requirements of this section have been complied with, and, within thirty days of disposing of the vehicle, shall sign and file the affidavit with the clerk of courts of the county in which the motor vehicle was abandoned. The clerk of courts shall retain the original of the affidavit for the clerk's files, shall furnish one copy thereof to the registrar, one copy to the motor vehicle salvage dealer or other facility handling the disposal of the vehicle, and one copy to the law enforcement agency or department ordering the disposal, who shall file such copy with the records and photograph relating to the disposal.

(C)(1) Except as provided in division (C)(2) of this section, any money arising from the disposal of an abandoned junk motor vehicle shall be deposited in the general fund of the county, township, port authority, conservancy district, university campus, park district, or the municipal corporation, as the case may be.

(2) Any money arising from the disposal of an abandoned junk motor vehicle by the department of natural resources shall be deposited as follows:

(a) To the wildlife fund created under section 1531.17 of the Revised Code if the abandoned junk motor vehicle was removed from property under the control or jurisdiction of the division of wildlife;

(b) To the state park fund created under section 1546.21 of the Revised Code if the abandoned junk motor vehicle was removed from property under the control or jurisdiction of the department of natural resources other than property under the control or jurisdiction of the division of wildlife.

(D) Notwithstanding section 4513.61 of the Revised Code, any motor vehicle meeting the requirements of divisions (A)(3), (4), and (5) of this section which has remained unclaimed by the owner or lienholder for a period of ten days or longer following notification as provided in section 4513.61 of the Revised Code may be disposed of as provided in this section.

Last updated August 27, 2024 at 4:01 PM

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 11 cases (2 in the last 5 years), 1983–2024 · leading case: Broadvue Motors, Inc. v. Maple Hts. Police, 734 N.E.2d 417 (Ohio Ct. App. 1999).
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Broadvue Motors, Inc. v. Maple Hts. Police, 734 N.E.2d 417 (Ohio Ct. App. 1999). · cites it 5× “The trial court committed reversible error by analyzing appellant’s forfeiture of appellee’s vehicle under R.C. § 4513.63 (junk motor vehicles) when in fact said vehicle was properly forfeited pursuant to R.”
State v. Toran, 2023 Ohio 3564 (Ohio 2023). “61(A)(1) through (2) states: The sheriff of a county * * * may order into storage any motor vehicle, including an abandoned junk motor vehicle as defined in [R.C. 4513.63], that * * * [h]as come into the possession of the sheriff * * * as a result of the performance of the…”
Peters v. City of Cincinnati, 664 N.E.2d 1329 (Ohio Ct. App. 1995). · cites it 2× “By order of the Cincinnati police, an automobile owned by Steven Peters (“appellant”) was deemed abandoned and was subsequently towed and destroyed pursuant to R.C. 4513.63. The trial court granted summary judgment in favor of appellee city of Cincinnati (“appellee”), finding…”
Abernathy v. City Of Cincinnati (S.D. Ohio 2024). · cites it 11× “To assess conflict, the Court begins by detailing the relevant provisions of Chapter 758 and the three allegedly conflicting provisions of the Ohio Revised Code that Abernathy identifies, Ohio Rev. Code §§ 4513.63–65. Each regulates “junk motor vehicles,” (JMVs), but defines…”
BancOhio Nat'l Bank v. Wilson Towing Servs., Inc., 454 N.E.2d 1374 (Ohio Ct. App. 1983). · cites it 2× “unty or chief of police of a municipal corporation, township, or township police district, within his respective territorial jurisdiction, or a state highway patrolman, upon notification to the sheriff or chief of police of such action and of the location of the place of…”
Maluke v. Lake Twp., 2012 Ohio 3661 (Ohio Ct. App. 2012). “02 (B)(5), because appellees failed to comply with R.C. 4513.63, 505.173, and 505.871 governing the removal, storage, and disposal of junk motor vehicles.”
State v. Short, 872 N.E.2d 1308 (Ohio Ct. App. 2007). “05(a), which provides as follows: {¶ 5} “No person shall leave any motor vehicle, other than an abandoned junk motor vehicle, as defined in Ohio R.C. 4513.63, on private residential or private agricultural property for more than four hours without the permission of the person…”
Kramer v. Ohio Dept. of Pub. Saf., 2011 Ohio 7070 (Ohio Ct. Cl. 2011). · cites it 2× “61, states, in relevant part, “a state highway patrol trooper, upon notification to the sheriff or chief of police of such action and of the location of the place of storage, may order into storage any motor vehicle, including an abandoned junk motor vehicle as defined in…”
Young v. Eich, 2012 Ohio 1687 (Ohio Ct. App. 2012). · cites it 2× “{¶16} In Appellant’s single assignment of error she argues that there were issues of fact concerning whether the Cadillac DeVille was an “abandoned junk motor vehicle” as defined by R.C. 4513.63, or a public nuisance as defined by Ohio law, that could not be resolved at summary…”
State v. Grigsby, 2011 Ohio 2062 (Ohio Ct. App. 2011). “{¶ 24} The sole assignment of error is overruled. 4 The state argues that an established practice provided the authority; Grigsby argues that it did not.”
State v. Thompson, 2012 Ohio 3540 (Ohio Ct. App. 2012). “{¶22} Under R.C. 4513.63 an “abandoned junk vehicle” is defined as a vehicle that is left on private property for forty-eight hours or longer without the permission of the person having the right to the possession of the property; the vehicle is three years old, or older; there…”
— Ohio Rev. Code § 4513.63(3) — 1 case
Abernathy v. City Of Cincinnati (S.D. Ohio 2024). “To assess conflict, the Court begins by detailing the relevant provisions of Chapter 758 and the three allegedly conflicting provisions of the Ohio Revised Code that Abernathy identifies, Ohio Rev. Code §§ 4513.63–65. Each regulates “junk motor vehicles,” (JMVs), but defines…”
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