Upon the transfer of ownership of a motor vehicle, the registration of the motor vehicle shall expire, and the original owner shall immediately remove the number plates from the motor vehicle, except as follows.
(A) Should a statutory merger or consolidation result in the transfer of ownership of a motor vehicle from a constituent corporation to the surviving corporation, or should the incorporation of a proprietorship or partnership result in the transfer of ownership of a motor vehicle from the proprietorship or partnership to the corporation, the registration shall be continued upon the filing by the surviving or new corporation, within 30 days of the transfer, of an application for an amended certificate of registration, unless such registration is prohibited by R.C. § 4521.10(B). The application shall be accompanied by a service fee of $1.40, a transfer fee of $1.10, and the original certificate of registration. Upon a proper filing, the Registrar of Motor Vehicles shall issue an amended certificate of registration in the name of the new owner.
(B) Should the death of the owner result in the transfer of ownership of a motor vehicle to his surviving spouse, the registration shall be continued upon the filing by the surviving spouse of an application for an amended certificate of registration, unless such registration is prohibited by R.C. § 4521.10(B). The application shall be accompanied by a service fee of $1.50, and the original certificate of registration. Upon a proper filing, the Registrar shall issue an amended certificate of registration in the name of the surviving spouse.
(C) Should the original owner make application for the registration of another motor vehicle at any time during the remainder of the registration period for which the transferred motor vehicle was registered, he may, unless such registration is prohibited by R.C. § 4521.10(B), file an application for transfer of registration accompanied by a service fee of $1.40, a transfer fee of $1.10 and the original certificate of registration. The transfer of the number plates from the motor vehicle for which originally issued to a motor vehicle purchased by the same person in whose name the original number plates were issued shall be done within a period not to exceed 30 days. At the time of application for transfer the Registrar shall compute and collect an additional fee, based upon the amount which would be due on a new registration as of the date on which the license plates were first displayed on the motor vehicle to which the registration is to be transferred, less a credit for the unused portion of the original registration beginning on the date the plates are displayed on the motor vehicle to which registration is to be transferred. In computing the amount due and credits to be allowed, the provisions of R.C. § 4503.11(B) shall apply. As to passenger cars, trucks, trailers, and motorcycles, transfers within the same class only shall be allowed.
(D) Whoever violates this section is guilty of a misdemeanor of the fourth degree.
(R.C. § 4503.05) (1982 Code, § 71.36)