Ohio Drops the Front License Plate: What It Means for Hit-and-Run Victims

Published July 25, 2019 · New Laws

When a driver runs a red light, clips your car, and keeps going, the first thing everyone asks is the same: did anybody get the plate? Starting next summer, there will be one fewer plate to get. Ohio's new transportation budget ends the requirement that passenger vehicles carry a front license plate, and if you are ever the victim of a hit-and-run, that change is worth understanding now.

What H.B. 62 does

Amended Substitute House Bill 62 of the 133rd General Assembly is Ohio's transportation budget for fiscal years 2020 and 2021. Governor DeWine signed it on April 3, 2019. Most of its provisions took effect July 3, 2019. Its headline item is a gas-tax increase: according to the Legislative Service Commission's final analysis, the per-gallon motor fuel tax rose from 28 cents to 38.5 cents for gasoline and to 47 cents for diesel, effective July 1, 2019. That money goes to road construction, maintenance, and highway safety.

Tucked inside the budget is a change to R.C. 4503.21 and several related sections. Effective July 1, 2020, most motor vehicles, including ordinary passenger cars, will need to display only one license plate, on the rear. Until that date, the two-plate rule still applies, so drivers should keep their front plates on for now. Commercial tractors (semi cabs) will display their single plate on the front. Anyone who wants two plates can still ask for them at the deputy registrar's office.

As a former police officer, I understand why the change is controversial: a front plate is often the first thing an officer or a witness can read on a vehicle coming toward them. The General Assembly appears to have recognized the concern. It directed the Ohio Department of Transportation to include in a required study an analysis of technology related to front-plate display, vehicle identification, and public safety. For now, though, the front plate is scheduled to disappear next July.

Why a missing front plate matters after a hit-and-run

Think about how most hit-and-run crashes look from the victim's side. A car coming toward you through an intersection. A driver pulling out of a parking lot in front of you. A vehicle that strikes a pedestrian in a crosswalk and continues forward. In many of these situations, the at-fault vehicle's front is what the victim and the witnesses see. Once the car passes, the rear plate may be visible for only a second or two, often while the person who was just hit is dazed or hurt.

Starting July 1, 2020, a witness looking at the oncoming side of most passenger vehicles will see a blank bumper. Security and traffic cameras positioned to capture approaching traffic will face the same problem. A plate number is the single fastest way to identify a fleeing driver, and in many crashes the new law will make capturing one harder.

How you get paid when the driver is never found

Here is the good news, and it is the most important point in this post: you can recover compensation after a hit-and-run even if the driver is never identified, as long as you have the right coverage and the right evidence.

Ohio's uninsured-motorist statute, R.C. 3937.18, treats a driver whose identity cannot be determined as an "uninsured motorist." Your own uninsured motorist (UM) coverage can then pay for your injuries as if the hit-and-run driver had no insurance. I explained how that works in an earlier post on hit-and-run claims under your own policy, and our page on uninsured and underinsured motorist claims covers the coverage in more depth.

There is a catch. The statute requires "independent corroborative evidence" that the unidentified driver caused your injuries, and your own testimony is not enough unless something else supports it. Insurers enforce that requirement. That is why evidence gathered in the first hours after a hit-and-run matters so much, with or without a plate number.

What to do at the scene now that plates are harder to see

From my years as a Dayton police officer and sergeant, I can tell you that good hit-and-run investigations are built in the first few minutes. If you are able, or if someone with you is able:

• Call 911 immediately and tell the dispatcher the direction the vehicle went. A fresh report gives officers a chance to find the car while the damage is still visible.
• Photograph or film the fleeing vehicle, even if it is far away. Make, model, color, damage, and the rear plate all help.
• Get witness names and phone numbers. An independent witness is exactly the kind of corroborating evidence a UM claim needs.
• Look for cameras. Gas stations, stores, homes with doorbell cameras, and dash cameras in other cars may have caught the crash. Many systems overwrite footage within days.
• Preserve your own vehicle damage and paint transfer. Photos of the damage and any paint left on your car can show what kind of vehicle hit you.
• Seek medical care right away, and tell the providers how you were hurt.

A dash camera in your own car is also worth considering. With fewer front plates on the road, a camera that records approaching traffic will be more valuable than ever.

Check your own policy this week

Uninsured motorist coverage is optional in Ohio. Under R.C. 3937.18, an auto policy "may, but is not required to," include it, and many people end up without it, or with only minimal limits, without realizing what they gave up. Pull out your declarations page and confirm that you carry UM coverage, and consider carrying limits equal to your liability limits. If you are hurt by a hit-and-run driver, UM coverage is often the only insurance available to you.

What this means for you

H.B. 62 does not change your right to compensation after a hit-and-run. It changes how hard it may be to identify the driver once the single-plate rule takes effect on July 1, 2020. The practical lessons are to carry UM coverage, gather evidence immediately, and get help early. Our hit-and-run and uninsured driver practice handles these claims across the Dayton area, and our car accident page explains how the rest of a crash claim works.