Ohio Adds Golf Carts, Mopeds, Scooters and ATVs to Its Vehicular Homicide Law (H.B. 533)

Published August 18, 2026 · New Laws

Golf carts in neighborhoods, mopeds on city streets, ATVs on rural roads: these vehicles are part of everyday life across the Miami Valley, especially in summer. Until now, Ohio's vehicular homicide statute did not list these vehicles by name. A new law closes that gap.

The bill

House Bill 533 of the 136th General Assembly was introduced on October 21, 2025. It passed the House 97-0 in March 2026 and the Senate 33-0 on June 10, 2026. Governor DeWine signed it on July 7, 2026. It takes effect on October 6, 2026.

The bill amends two sections of the Revised Code:

• R.C. 2903.06, which covers aggravated vehicular homicide, vehicular homicide, and vehicular manslaughter, and
• R.C. 2903.08, which covers aggravated vehicular assault and vehicular assault (causing serious physical harm).

What the law changes

Under the law before H.B. 533, these offenses applied to a person operating a motor vehicle, motorcycle, utility vehicle, mini-truck, snowmobile, locomotive, watercraft, or aircraft. H.B. 533 adds four more kinds of vehicles. According to the Legislative Service Commission's final analysis:

• Under-speed vehicles, such as a golf cart: three- or four-wheeled vehicles that cannot go faster than 20 miles per hour on a paved level surface and have a gross vehicle weight rating under 3,000 pounds.
• Motorized bicycles or mopeds: pedal-capable vehicles with a small helper motor capable of up to 20 miles per hour. The analysis notes that this category does not include an electric bicycle.
• Motor-driven cycles or motor scooters: vehicles with three wheels or fewer and a small motor that can go faster than 20 miles per hour.
• All-purpose vehicles: off-road vehicles such as all-terrain vehicles, mini-bikes, and trail bikes.

The law does not create new crimes or new penalty levels. It means that the existing offenses, including aggravated vehicular homicide when a death is caused by an impaired or reckless operator, can now be charged when the operator was driving one of these vehicles. The tiered penalties for impaired drivers with prior offenses, which we described in our post on H.B. 37, apply the same way.

The changes apply once the law takes effect on October 6, 2026.

What it means for families

The civil claim never depended on the type of vehicle. A family's right to bring a wrongful death claim does not turn on whether the criminal statute listed the vehicle involved. If a negligent golf cart driver, moped rider, or ATV operator causes a death, the personal representative of the estate can bring a wrongful death claim for the family. R.C. 2125.02(A). What H.B. 533 changes is the criminal side: whether the person responsible can be prosecuted for vehicular homicide.

A criminal charge can matter to the family. A prosecution can produce evidence such as crash reconstruction, test results, and witness statements. The family can also follow the case and ask the prosecutor about its rights as crime victims. Our guide chapter on criminal and civil cases explains how families can follow both cases.

Insurance is often the hardest question. Golf carts, mopeds, scooters, and ATVs may or may not be covered by the same kinds of policies that cover cars. Depending on the facts, coverage may come from the operator's auto policy, a homeowner's or renter's policy, a specific policy for the vehicle, a business that owned it, or the family's own uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage. Every policy has its own definitions and exclusions, and they need to be read closely. Our chapter on insurance coverage explains where to look.

Electric bicycles are a separate question. The analysis notes that electric bicycles are not part of the new motorized bicycle or moped category. Whether a particular vehicle fits one of the new categories can depend on its motor, speed, and design, so it is worth photographing and preserving the vehicle itself. Whatever the criminal classification, a family's civil claim depends on whether the operator or someone else was at fault.

The deadline does not change. A wrongful death case generally must be filed within two years after the death. R.C. 2125.02(F)(1). The criminal case, if there is one, does not stop that clock.

Who is at risk

The people most often hurt by these vehicles are those with the least protection: pedestrians, people on bicycles, children, and the riders and passengers themselves. Our pages on pedestrian and bicycle wrongful death and motorcycle crash wrongful death explain how claims involving vulnerable road users are investigated.

If your family is facing one of these losses, a few early steps help:

• Photograph the vehicle and the scene, including any speed limiter, lights, or modifications.
• Find out who owned the vehicle and whether it belonged to a business, a rental company, a campground, or a community association.
• Ask for the police report and any 911 recordings.
• Keep any letters from insurers and do not give recorded statements before getting advice.