House Bill 492 would make refusal to identify at certain traffic stops a fourth‑degree misdemeanor

Representatives Ray and Abrams presented sponsor testimony for House Bill 492 at a Public Safety Committee hearing, saying the measure would create a distinct offense when a driver refuses to identify themselves after an officer observes a violation of Title 45 of the Ohio Revised Code.

The bill would do two things, sponsors said: expand the statute on interfering with an arrest to explicitly cover Title 45 offenses and create a refusal‑to‑identify offense applicable when an officer has witnessed a Title 45 motor‑vehicle violation (or a municipal ordinance substantially equivalent to Title 45). Sponsors said that refusal would be a fourth‑degree misdemeanor, a classification that can carry up to 30 days in jail and allows jails to fingerprint and identify the person before release.

Sponsors and committee members discussed why the change is needed. Representative Ray said officers regularly encounter drivers who will not provide identification and that treating the refusal only as a fine‑only offense limits law enforcement’s ability to determine whether a person is wanted on serious charges. Co‑sponsor Representative Abrams said the measure is intended as a practical tool for officers so they can identify people at stops — “whether it’s a scared kid with unpaid tickets or a serious offender with an out‑of‑state warrant.”

Ranking Member Thomas questioned overlap with existing charges such as obstructing official business and noted that prosecutors sometimes do not view refusal to identify as obstructing. Sponsors responded that HB492 creates a clear, Title 45–specific offense for situations where an officer has observed a moving violation or equivalent municipal offense and requests identification on that factual basis.

Sponsors described Title 45 as covering the moving‑vehicle code and said that including Title 45 in the bill intentionally targets on‑road conduct — for example, blowing a red light or speeding, or a marine patrol stop on the water — where officers are already entitled to request a driver’s license. They said the statutory change is aimed at preventing people with outstanding felony warrants or other dangerous backgrounds from avoiding identification at traffic stops.

Committee members and sponsors acknowledged prosecutorial discretion and the courts’ role in interpreting charging decisions. The hearing included back‑and‑forth about existing police authority to take uncooperative drivers into custody and to fingerprint them, and sponsors said the legislation would make the option clearer and provide an appropriate misdemeanor offense when the facts fit. No formal vote or committee action on HB492 was recorded during the hearing.

Ending: Sponsors said the bill is an additional tool for officer and public safety; committee members asked prosecutors and law‑enforcement proponents to supply records and examples for further consideration.