(a) Prohibited conduct.
(1) No person shall knowingly cause or attempt to cause physical harm to a family or household member.
(2) No person shall recklessly cause serious physical harm to a family or household member.
(3) No person, by threat of force, shall knowingly cause a family or household member to believe that the offender will cause imminent physical harm to the family or household member.
(4) A. Whoever violates this section is guilty of domestic violence, and the court shall sentence the offender as provided in divisions (a)(4)B. to (a)(4)E. of this section.
B. Except as otherwise provided in division (a)(4)C., (a)(4)D. or (a)(4)E. of this section, a violation of division (a)(3) is a misdemeanor of the fourth degree and a violation of division (a)(1) or (a)(2) is a misdemeanor of the first degree.
C. Except as otherwise provided in division (a)(4)D. of this section, if the offender previously has pleaded guilty to or been convicted of domestic violence, a violation of an existing or former municipal ordinance or law of this or any other state or the United States that is substantially equivalent to domestic violence, a violation of R.C. § 2903.14, § 2909.06, § 2909.07, § 2911.12, § 2911.211 or § 2919.22 if the victim of the violation was a family or household member at the time of the violation, a violation of an existing or former municipal ordinance or law of this or any other state or the United States that is substantially equivalent to any of those sections if the victim of the violation was a family or household member at the time of the commission of the violation, or any offense of violence if the victim of the offense was a family or household member at the time of the commission of the offense, a violation of division (a)(1) or (a)(2) is a felony to be prosecuted under appropriate state law and a violation of division (a)(3) is a misdemeanor of the second degree.
D. If the offender previously has pleaded guilty to or been convicted of two or more offenses of domestic violence or two or more violations or offenses of the type described in division (a)(4)C. of this section involving a person who was a family or household member at the time of the violations or offenses, a violation of division (a)(1) or (a)(2) of this section is a felony to be prosecuted under appropriate state law, and a violation of division (a)(3) of this section is a misdemeanor of the first degree.
E. Except as otherwise provided in division (a)(4)C. or (a)(4)D. of this section, if the offender knew that the victim of the violation was pregnant at the time of the violation, a violation of division (a)(1) or (a)(2) of this section is a felony to be prosecuted under appropriate state law, and a violation of division (a)(3) of this section is a misdemeanor of the third degree.
(5) Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, no court or unit of state or local government shall charge any fee, cost, deposit, or money in connection with the filing of charges against a person alleging that the person violated this section or a municipal ordinance substantially equivalent to this section or in connection with the prosecution of any charges so filed.
(6) As used in this section:
A. FAMILY OR HOUSEHOLD MEMBER. Any of the following:
1. Any of the following who is residing or has resided with the offender:
a. A spouse, a person living as a spouse as defined below, or a former spouse of the offender;
b. A parent, a foster parent, or a child of the offender, or another person related by consanguinity or affinity to the offender;
c. A parent or a child of a spouse, person living as a spouse, or former spouse of the offender, or another person related by consanguinity or affinity to a spouse, person living as a spouse, or former spouse of the offender.
2. The natural parent of any child of whom the offender is the other natural parent or is the putative other natural parent.
B. PERSON LIVING AS A SPOUSE. A person who is living or has lived with the offender in a common law marital relationship,
who otherwise is cohabiting with the offender, or who otherwise has cohabited with the offender within five years prior to the date of the alleged commission of the act in question.
(ORC § 2919.25)
(b) Temporary protection order. Consult Ohio R.C. § 2919.26 for current provisions regarding protection orders.
(c) Violating a protection order, consent agreement, anti-stalking protection order or order issued by a court of another state.
(1) No person shall recklessly violate the terms of any of the following:
A. A protection order issued or consent agreement approved pursuant to Ohio R.C. § 2919.26 or Ohio R.C. § 3113.31;
B. A protection order issued pursuant to Ohio R.C. § 2151.34. 2903.213 or 2903.214;
C. A protection order issued by a court of another state.
(2) A. Whoever violates division (c) of this section is guilty of violating a protection order.
B. Except as otherwise provided in division (c)(2)C. or D. of this section, violating a protection order is a misdemeanor of the first degree.
C. Violating a protection order is a felony to be prosecuted under appropriate state law if the offender previously has been convicted of, pleaded guilty to, or been adjudicated a delinquent child for any of the following:
1. A violation of a protection order issued or consent agreement approved pursuant to R.C. § 2151.34, 2903.213, 2903.214, 2919.26, or 3113.31, or any substantially equivalent state law or municipal ordinance;
2. Two or more violations of R.C. § 2903.21, 2903.211, 2903.22, or 2911.211, or any substantially equivalent state law or municipal ordinance, or any combination of those offenses, that involved the same person who is the subject of the protection order or consent agreement;
3. One or more violations of this section, or any substantially equivalent state law or municipal ordinance.
D. If the offender violates a protection order or consent agreement while committing a felony offense, violating a protection order is a felony to be prosecuted under appropriate state law.
E. If the protection order violated by the offender was an order issued pursuant to Ohio R.C. § 2151.34 or 2903.214 that required electronic monitoring of the offender pursuant to that section, the court may require in addition to any other sentence imposed upon the offender that the offender be electronically monitored for a period not exceeding five years by a law enforcement agency designated by the court. If the court requires under this division that the offender be electronically monitored, unless the court determines that the offender is indigent, the court shall order that the offender pay the costs of the installation of the electronic monitoring device and the cost of monitoring the electronic monitoring device. If the court determines that the offender is indigent and subject to the maximum amount allowable and the rules promulgated by the Attorney General under Ohio R.C. § 2903.214, the costs of the installation of the electronic monitoring device and the cost of monitoring the electronic monitoring device may be paid out of funds from the reparations fund created pursuant to Ohio R.C. § 2743.191. The total amount paid from the Reparations Fund created pursuant to Ohio R.C. § 2743.191 for electronic monitoring under Ohio R.C. § 2151.34, 2903.214 and 2919.27 shall not exceed $300,000 per year.
(3) It is an affirmative defense to a charge under division (c)(1)C. of this section that the protection order issued by a court of another state does not comply with the requirements specified in 18 U.S.C. 2265(b) for a protection order that must be accorded full faith a credit by a court of this state or that it is not entitled to full faith and credit under 18 U.S.C. 2265(c).
(4) In a prosecution for a violation of this section, it is not necessary for the prosecution to prove that the protection order or consent agreement was served on the defendant if the prosecution proves that the defendant was shown the protection order or consent agreement or a copy of either or a judge, magistrate, or law enforcement officer informed the defendant that a protection order or consent agreement had been issued, and proves that the defendant recklessly violated the terms of the order or agreement.
(5) As used in this section, PROTECTION ORDER ISSUED BY A COURT OF ANOTHER STATE means an injunction or another order issued by a criminal court of another state for the purpose of preventing violent or threatening acts or harassment against, contact or communication with, or physical proximity to another person including a temporary order, and means an injunction or order of that nature issued by a civil court of another state, including a temporary order and a final order issued in an independent action or as a pendente lite order in a
proceeding for other relief, if the court issued it in response to a complaint, petition or motion filed by or on behalf of a person seeking protection. The term does not include an order for support or for custody of a child issued pursuant to the divorce and child custody laws of another state, except to the extent that the order for support or for custody of a child is entitled to full faith and credit under the laws of the United States.
(ORC § 2919.27)