Ohio Code § 2927.021

Ohio Code § 2927.021. Reproduced from the official Ohio Revised Code, with a citation summary, verification link, and related provisions.

§ 2927.021.

(A) As used in this section and section 2927.022 of the Revised Code : (1) “ Card holder ” means any person who presents a driver's or commercial driver's license or an identification

card to a seller, or an agent or employee of a seller, to purchase or receive cigarettes,

other tobacco products, or alternative nicotine products from the seller, agent, or

employee. (2) “ Identification card ” means an identification card issued under sections 4507.50 to 4507.52 of the Revised Code . (3) “ Seller ” means a seller of cigarettes, other tobacco products, or alternative nicotine products

and includes any person whose gift of or other distribution of cigarettes, other tobacco

products, or alternative nicotine products is subject to the prohibitions of section 2927.02 of the Revised Code . (4) “ Transaction scan ” means the process by which a seller or an agent or employee of a seller checks,

by means of a transaction scan device, the validity of a driver's or commercial driver's

license or an identification card that is presented as a condition for purchasing

or receiving cigarettes, other tobacco products, or alternative nicotine products. (5) “ Transaction scan device ” means any commercial device or combination of devices used at a point of sale that

is capable of deciphering in an electronically readable format the information encoded

on the magnetic strip or bar code of a driver's or commercial driver's license or

an identification card. (B)(1) A seller or an agent or employee of a seller may perform a transaction scan by means

of a transaction scan device to check the validity of a driver's or commercial driver's

license or identification card presented by a card holder as a condition for selling,

giving away, or otherwise distributing to the card holder cigarettes, other tobacco

products, or alternative nicotine products. (2) If the information deciphered by the transaction scan performed under division (B)(1)

of this section fails to match the information printed on the driver's or commercial

driver's license or identification card presented by the card holder, or if the transaction

scan indicates that the information so printed is false or fraudulent, neither the

seller nor any agent or employee of the seller shall sell, give away, or otherwise

distribute any cigarettes, other tobacco products, or alternative nicotine products

to the card holder. (3) Division (B)(1) of this section does not preclude a seller or an agent or employee

of a seller from using a transaction scan device to check the validity of a document

other than a driver's or commercial driver's license or an identification card, if

the document includes a bar code or magnetic strip that may be scanned by the device,

as a condition for selling, giving away, or otherwise distributing cigarettes, other

tobacco products, or alternative nicotine products to the person presenting the document. (C) Rules adopted by the registrar of motor vehicles under division (C) of section 4301.61 of the Revised Code apply to the use of transaction scan devices for purposes of this section and section 2927.022 of the Revised Code . (D)(1) No seller or agent or employee of a seller shall electronically or mechanically record

or maintain any information derived from a transaction scan, except the following: (a) The name and date of birth of the person listed on the driver's or commercial driver's

license or identification card presented by a card holder; (b) The expiration date and identification number of the driver's or commercial driver's

license or identification card presented by a card holder. (2) No seller or agent or employee of a seller shall use the information that is derived

from a transaction scan or that is permitted to be recorded and maintained under division

(D)(1) of this section, except for purposes of section 2927.022 of the Revised Code . (3) No seller or agent or employee of a seller shall use a transaction scan device for

a purpose other than the purpose specified in division (B)(1) of this section. (4) No seller or agent or employee of a seller shall sell or otherwise disseminate the

information derived from a transaction scan to any third party, including, but not

limited to, selling or otherwise disseminating that information for any marketing,

advertising, or promotional activities, but a seller or agent or employee of a seller

may release that information pursuant to a court order or as specifically authorized

by section 2927.022 or another section of the Revised Code. (E) Nothing in this section or section 2927.022 of the Revised Code relieves a seller or an agent or employee of a seller of any responsibility to comply

with any other applicable state or federal laws or rules governing the sale, giving

away, or other distribution of cigarettes, other tobacco products, or alternative

nicotine products. (F) Whoever violates division (B)(2) or (D) of this section is guilty of engaging in

an illegal tobacco product or alternative nicotine product transaction scan, and the

court may impose upon the offender a civil penalty of up to one thousand dollars for

each violation.  The clerk of the court shall pay each collected civil penalty to the county treasurer

for deposit into the county treasury.

Source: official Ohio text · Last verified 2026-08-27

At a glance

  • Citation: Ohio Revised Code § 2927.021
  • Jurisdiction: Ohio
  • Code: Ohio Revised Code
  • Text: transcribed from the official source (verify below)

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Not legal advice. Verify against the official source and consult a licensed Ohio attorney.

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