Ohio is changing how its criminal-tools statute addresses certain electronic devices associated with motor-vehicle theft. The changes to R.C. 2923.24, enacted through House Bill 519, take effect December 30, 2026.

The amended law defines an “electronic device or tool” as a device or tool designed or adapted to unlock or turn on a motor vehicle. It excludes previously issued or activated electronic cards, keys, and other electronic devices assigned to the vehicle's lawful owner.

Possession alone is not the whole offense.

The statute continues to prohibit possessing or controlling an item with the purpose of using it criminally. A device's capabilities do not, by themselves, resolve whether someone committed that offense.

The amendment adds a specific evidentiary provision: possession or control of a qualifying electronic device under circumstances indicating an intent to commit a theft offense involving a motor vehicle constitutes “prima-facie evidence” of criminal purpose. That provision is not an automatic conviction; the prosecution still must prove the offense beyond a reasonable doubt.

The penalty also matters. Under the amended statute, possessing criminal tools is a fourth-degree felony when the circumstances indicate that a qualifying electronic device or tool was involved in the offense. The law does not make every criminal-tools charge a fourth-degree felony.

Nor does this offense necessarily require a completed vehicle theft. Its focus is possession or control combined with criminal purpose.

For anyone facing an investigation or charge, important questions include what the device actually does, whether it meets the statutory definition, and what evidence allegedly establishes criminal purpose.

For questions about an Ohio criminal charge, contact Attorney Fogt at (937) 254-2600.

General information, not legal advice.