All the Ohio Traffic Laws You Should Know
From move over laws to insurance requirements, here are the most important traffic laws in Ohio.
Written by Jacqulyn Graber
Reviewed by Hillary Kobayashi
Table of Contents
- Ohio general traffic laws
- Ohio speeding laws
- Ohio car accident laws
- Ohio DUI laws
- Ohio distracted driving laws
- Ohio seatbelt laws
- How to save on auto insurance in Ohio
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Certain U.S. traffic laws are universal—such as stopping at all stop signs and never driving without a valid license—but the nitty gritty details, like licensure requirements, insurance requirements, and even top speed limits, are going to be different in Ohio.
If you don’t want to spend hours digging through the Traffic Laws section of the Ohio Laws and Administrative Rules, don’t worry—
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You can find all of Ohio’s traffic laws in the
Digest of Ohio Motor Vehicle Laws
(which is published by the Ohio Department of Public Safety) and Chapter 4511: Traffic Laws—Operation of Motor Vehicles
of the Ohio Laws and Administrative Rules handbook. However, these documents are long and can be quite daunting to read. To help make things a bit simpler, we’ve gathered all of the essential information in this handy guide.
Driver’s license laws
To legally operate a motor vehicle in the state of Ohio, you must hold a valid driver’s license. Being caught driving without a license could result in steep fines, so it’s important to keep your license on you whenever you’re operating a vehicle.
Here’s what could happen if you’re caught behind the wheel without a license:
Offense | Penalty |
|---|---|
Driving without a license without ever having been licensed, first offense | Mandated to serve up to 500 community service hours and fined up to $1,000 |
Driving without a license, subsequent offense | Up to six months in jail and up to $1,000 in fines |
Driving with an expired license | Up to $150 in fines |
Three or more driving without a valid driver’s license offenses in three years | Up to six months in jail and up to $1,000 in fines |
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Insurance laws
In addition to carrying your driver’s license with you, Ohio also requires all drivers to carry proof of insurance.
Here are the absolute minimum requirements for liability insurance in the Buckeye State:
- $50,000 of bodily injury liability insurance per accident
Driving without insurance is also a serious offense. Here are the possible penalties:
Offense | Fines | License | Registration | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|
First offense | Additional fines or penalties may be imposed by a court of law. | Driver's license suspended until insurance requirements are met. | Vehicle impounded and license plates confiscated for 30 days. | $160 restoration fee for vehicle registration and license plates. |
Second offense | Additional fines or penalties may be imposed by a court of law. | Driver's license suspended for a full year. Limited driving privileges may be granted after 15 days. | Vehicle impounded and license plates confiscated for 60 days. | $360 restoration fee for vehicle registration and license plates. |
Third and subsequent offenses | Additional fines or penalties may be imposed by a court of law. | Driver's license is suspended for two years. Limited driving privileges may be granted after 30 days. | Vehicle impounded and sold; five-year suspension on registering other vehicles. | $660 restoration fee for vehicle registration and license plates. |
In order to get your vehicle out of court-ordered impound, you’ll need to present proof of insurance that meets Ohio minimums.
Right of way
Ohio requires drivers to yield right of way to other drivers, bicyclists, and pedestrians in specific circumstances. For example:
- When turning left, you must yield right of way to oncoming automobiles, bicyclists, and pedestrians.
- When turning right, you must yield right of way to through vehicles, bicyclists, and pedestrians.
- When two vehicles, including trackless trolleys or streetcars, approach or enter an intersection from different streets or highways at approximately the same time, the driver of the vehicle on the left shall yield the right of way to the vehicle on the right.
Perhaps, most importantly, pedestrians and motorists alike must always yield right of way to public safety vehicles, such as police cars, fire trucks, or ambulances, if said vehicle is approaching with lights flashing and sirens sounding.
In Ohio, if you fail to yield, you will have two demerit points added to your driver’s license. Fines are not uniform; instead, they are at the discretion of individual jurisdictions. Generally speaking, though, they will range from $100 upward, and court costs may also apply.
MORE: How do I know who has the right of way?
Passing and turning
The Ohio Department of Transportation says drivers must keep right unless passing on one of Ohio's multi-lane highways.
Under Ohio Revised Code Section 4511.27, a driver may overtake a slow-moving vehicle, but must first signal to the vehicle to be overtaken, must pass to the left at a safe distance, and must not return to the right side of the roadway until safely clear of the overtaken vehicle.
If you are being passed by another vehicle, you must give way to the faster vehicle and you must not increase your vehicle’s speed until you have been completely passed by the overtaking vehicle.
U-turns are perfectly legal in many circumstances, but they are not allowed on hills, curves, or if your vehicle cannot be seen within 500 feet by the driver of any other vehicle approaching from either direction.
Passing on the right is only legal in Ohio if the vehicle being overtaken is actively making or is about to make a left turn.
And, no matter what, don’t forget to use your blinkers! Ohio drivers must signal whenever they:
- Change lanes
- Turn
- Pull out of a parking spot parallel to the road
- Slow down or stop
- Enter or leave a highway
- Pull over to the side of the road
Parking laws
You don’t just have to worry about where you’re driving in Ohio—you also have to worry about where you can park, stop, and stand.
Generally, vehicles cannot stop, stand, or park:
- In front of private driveways
- Within intersections
- On or within twenty feet of sidewalks and crosswalks
- On expressways and freeways
- Within fifty feet of railroad crossings
- Within ten feet of fire hydrants
- Within thirty feet of flashing beacons, traffic control devices, and stop signs
- Within twenty feet of the driveway entrance of any fire station
- Alongside or opposite any street excavation or obstruction
- Alongside any vehicle stopped or parked at the edge or curb of a street
- On a bridge or elevated highway structure, with the exception of West Market Street
- Within one foot of another parked vehicle
- At any place on public or private property where signs prohibit stopping, standing, or parking
Ohio speeding laws
Maintaining a safe driving speed is, perhaps, one of the most important driving laws in Ohio. In general, you’re safe if you follow the posted speed limit signs. However, what qualifies as a safe speed depends on a variety of factors, such as how light or dark it is outside and weather conditions.
Speed limits
Keep your eye out for a posted speed limit sign and never drive any faster than what’s posted.
Unless otherwise posted, Ohio outlines absolute speed limits for certain roadways in the state, such as:
- 70 miles per hour on rural freeways
- 65 miles per hour on rural expressways and urban freeways
- 55 miles per hour on most other major roadways
- 20 miles per hour in school zones
- 15 miles per hour in alleyways within cities
- 25 miles per hour in residential and urban areas
Keep in mind that violations for speeding will be more severe in certain zones, such as school zones and construction zones. The state will typically double the amount of your ticket.
MORE: Ohio reckless driving
Move over laws
Ohio's move over law requires all drivers to move over one lane (or slow down if changing lanes isn’t possible) when passing by any vehicle with flashing or rotating lights parked on the roadside.
Not moving over can be very dangerous and therefore fines are doubled. Violators are fined $300 for the first violation (a minor misdemeanor), $500 for the same violation within a year of the first, and $1,000 for any subsequent violations in the same year.
MORE: Comparative negligence law in Ohio
Ohio car accident laws
Minor fender benders might be no big deal, but Ohio car accidents must be reported to the authorities if the accident has caused one or more of the following:
- An injury that needs medical attention
- Death
- More than $1,000 in property damage
No matter how severe the accident, it is illegal to leave the crash scene without exchanging information with the other driver(s) and/or reporting the accident.
If you break the law in Ohio and leave the scene of an accident on a public road or highway, it’s called a hit skip. Penalties for this misdemeanor of the first degree include up to six months in jail, $500 in fines, and a minimum six-month suspension of your driver’s license.
More severe accidents come with more severe punishments. For drivers who leave the scene of an accident in Ohio and know that there was some serious injury involved, the charge increases to a felony of the fourth degree.
If you knew someone died, it’s considered a hit and run and upgraded to a felony of the second degree.
MORE: Does insurance cover a hit and run?
Ohio DUI laws
Like the rest of the United States, Ohio takes driving while intoxicated (DWI) or
driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs (DUI)
very seriously. But what does intoxication mean, exactly, and what are the specific punishments?Ohio uses the term OVI or operating a vehicle under the influence instead of DUI. An Ohio driver can be convicted of an OVI if they are driving with a blood alcohol content (BAC) of .08% or greater or a urine alcohol concentration of .11% or more.
Ohio drivers may also be charged for and convicted of a controlled substance OVI offense if caught operating under the influence of:
- 100 nanograms per ml of blood of amphetamines
- 50 nanograms per ml of blood of cocaine
- 2,000 nanograms per ml of blood of heroin
- 25 nanograms per ml of blood of LSD
- 20 nanograms per ml of urine of marijuana
If convicted of an OVI, the severity of your punishment will depend largely on the number of OVI convictions you’ve had within the past ten years.
First offense | Second offense | Third offense | |
|---|---|---|---|
Jail | Three days to six months | 10 days to six months | 30 days to one year |
Fines | $375 to $1,075 | $525 to $1,625 | $850 to $2,750 |
License suspension | One to three years | One to seven years | Two to twelve years |
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4.7/5 rating on the App Store | Trusted by 5+ million customers and 7 million cars4.7/5 app rating | Trusted by 5M+ driversJudges may choose to reduce the amount of jail time you’ll face by offering the Community Control Sanction option. Under this law, you can complete treatment programs instead of going to jail. You’ll also have to complete:
- A minimum of three days of a driver's intervention program (for your first offense)
- Five days of jail and 18 days of house arrest with alcohol electronic monitoring (for your second offense)
- 15 days of jail and 55 days of house arrest with alcohol electronic monitoring (for your third offense)
Higher BACs can qualify you for an aggravate or super OVI. For this increased sentencing, you’ll need to be operating a motor vehicle with a BAC of at least .17%. Here’s what you’ll face:
- First aggravated offense: Three days in jail plus three days of a driver's intervention program.
- Second aggravated offense: A minimum of 20 days in jail or 10 days in jail plus 36 days of house arrest with alcohol monitoring.
- Third aggravated offense: 60 days in jail or 30 days in jail plus 110 days of house arrest with alcohol monitoring.
Finally, Ohio drivers that are under the legal drinking age of 21 are treated slightly differently. Minors can be convicted of an underage OVI for operating a vehicle with a BAC of at least .02% (but less than .08%). This qualifies as a fourth-degree misdemeanor and is punishable with up to 30 days in jail, as much as $250 in fines, and up to a two-year license suspension.
Ohio distracted driving laws
While drunk driving is known to be unsafe, distracted driving is equally as problematic. In fact, in 2021, Ohio identified distracted driving as one of the most common causes of vehicular accidents.
Even worse, distracted driving increased by about 11% from 2022 to 2021, according to the
Ohio State Highway Patrol
. Ohio defines distracted driving as any of the following:
- Visual: Anything that averts your eyes away from the road.
- Manual: Taking your hand off the steering wheel to complete a task, like eating, drinking, or using electronics.
- Cognitive: Zoning out while driving. Typically, it can be recognized if you don’t remember driving the last few miles or how you reached a destination.
- Auditory: Shifting your focus from driving to paying attention to music, what a passenger is saying, etc.
Ohio’s laws surrounding distracted driving focus specifically on texting while driving. Drivers under 18 who are caught texting while driving can face a 60-day license suspension and a $150 fine for a first offense. For a second offense, you’ll lose your license for a year and face a fine of $300.
For drivers over 18, however, the rules are a bit more relaxed. Texting or emailing while driving is illegal, but talking on the phone is permitted. Plus, texting is considered a secondary offense, meaning a police officer can’t pull you over for it. You have to commit a traffic violation first and the texting violation will be added to it.
The texting and driving portion of the offense will land you a fine of about $150.
MORE: How much a distracted driving ticket costs you in the long run
Ohio seatbelt laws
Seatbelts are one of the most effective ways to prevent injury or death in a motor vehicle crash. For this reason,
Ohio has set some clear seatbelt laws
. Every driver or passenger seated in the front seat must wear a seatbelt, regardless of their age. Passengers 16 years of age and older are not required to wear seatbelts when seated in the rear seat, while passengers aged 8 to 15 must always wear a seatbelt, regardless of where they’re seated in the vehicle.
Finally, every child under the age of eight must ride in a booster seat or other appropriate child safety seat for their height and weight.
Breaking the Ohio seatbelt law will result in a $30 fine for the driver, plus $20 for the passenger. However, drivers are not responsible for ensuring their passengers are belted.
Finally, breaking the seatbelt law is considered a nonmoving violation. This means that you won’t get any points on your driving record like you would for a speeding ticket.
MORE:
Ohio car seat law
How to save on auto insurance in Ohio
Your car insurance provider will carefully consider your driving history when pricing out your policy, and violating Ohio’s traffic laws can potentially raise your rates.
But
Jerry
recognizes how difficult it is to maintain a perfect driving record throughout your entire adult life, and we want to help you find car insurance
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To ensure you always have the lowest rate, Jerry will send you new quotes every time your policy comes up for renewal, so you’re always getting the coverage you want at the best price. This level of service is why Jerry earned a 4.7/5 rating on the App Store and made it the top insurance app in the country.
“Jerryhandles everything from finding quotes to signing on new policies right in the app. No more filling out hundreds of forms! Thank you, Jerry, for helping my move to a new state feel hassle-free.” —Dolores T.
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Can you speed while passing in Ohio?
No—driving over the speed limit is still illegal, even if you are attempting to pass a vehicle on the left. You may only pass a slow-moving vehicle on the left if they are driving below the speed limit.
Is Ohio strict on DUI?
Ohio calls DUIs “OVIs,” and the rules are pretty strict. Jail is almost always mandatory.
How long does a DUI stay on your insurance record in Ohio?
A DUI in Ohio typically affects insurance for at least three years, depending on the insurance company. Most insurers look back at the past three to five years of a driver's vehicle record when calculating premiums, but some look even further for major violations, like DUIs.
Is it illegal to eat and drive in Ohio?
If you're clearly in control of your vehicle, there is no law that specifically makes eating while driving illegal. Plus, the general distracted driving law requires secondary enforcement—meaning you’ll have to be pulled over for something else, like speeding, first.
Is it illegal to drive with no shirt on in Ohio?
Technically, there are no Ohio state laws that specifically prohibit topless driving for any gender.
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