OHIO LEGISLATIVE SERVICE COMMISSION
Office of Research Legislative Budget
www.lsc.ohio.gov and Drafting Office
H.B. 449 Bill Analysis
135th General Assembly
Click here for H.B. 449’s Fiscal Note
Version: As Introduced
Primary Sponsors: Reps. Weinstein and Abdullahi
Effective date:
Margaret E. Marcy, Attorney
SUMMARY
 Requires the Bureau of Motor Vehicles to translate the Digest of Motor Vehicle Laws
into additional languages.
DETAILED ANALYSIS
Digest of Motor Vehicle Laws translations
The bill requires the Director of Public Safety to ensure that the Digest of Motor Vehicle
Laws, published by the Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV), is written and publicly available in
every language in which the BMV administers driver’s license-related examinations. Those
examinations include both the knowledge test for a temporary instruction permit and the
driving skills test for a driver’s license. Additionally, the BMV must make all other related
reference documents available in those same languages.1
Ohio law specifies that the Registrar of Motor Vehicles may conduct the knowledge and
driving skills tests in formats that a person who is either illiterate or limited in his or her
knowledge of English can understand. However, the examining officer must still verify that the
applicant has a reasonable knowledge of motor vehicle laws and understands highway signs
printed in English.2 The BMV provides the knowledge test in Arabic, Chinese, English, French,
Japanese, Russian, Somali, and Spanish. However, the Digest of Motor Vehicle Laws available on
the BMV website is only available in English (print and audio), Somali, and Spanish.3
1 R.C. 4507.113.
2 R.C. 4507.11(A)(1).
3 Available by clicking on clicking on “Licenses & ID Cards” in the navigation bar, and then clicking on
“First Issuance” on the BMV website at: bmv.ohio.gov.
April 2, 2024
Office of Research and Drafting LSC Legislative Budget Office
HISTORY
Action Date
Introduced 03-14-24
ANHB0449IN-135/sb
P a g e |2 H.B. 449
As Introduced