# Ohio — After a car is repossessed, can you get it back by paying only what's late, or must you pay off the whole loan, by state

For Ohio, how the statute states the right is The debtor may cure the default within twenty days after the secured party retakes possession of the collateral, or within fifteen days after the secured party sends the notice required by this section, whichever is later; section is Section 1317.12, verified against its source on 2026-09-01.

- **State:** Ohio _(our reading, not quoted from the source)_
- **What the borrower can do to get the vehicle back:** A post-repossession right to cure by paying the arrears rather than the balance. The debtor has twenty days after the secured party retakes the vehicle, or fifteen days after it sends the required default notice, whichever is later, and cures by delivering all installments due or past due, any unpaid delinquency or deferred charges, the actual and reasonable repossession expenses (any portion over twenty-five dollars need not be delivered and is instead added to the time balance), and a deposit of two installments securing future payments; on curing, the debtor may take possession of the vehicle. The right may not be exercised more than once with respect to a single debt. _(our reading, not quoted from the source)_
- **How the statute states the right:** The debtor may cure the default within twenty days after the secured party retakes possession of the collateral, or within fifteen days after the secured party sends the notice required by this section, whichever is later _(verified: appears in the quote below)_
- **Section:** Section 1317.12 _(verified: appears in its own passage below)_

## What the source says

> The debtor may cure the default within twenty days after the secured party retakes possession of the collateral, or within fifteen days after the secured party sends the notice required by this section, whichever is later, by delivering to the secured party the following: (A) All installments due or past due at the time of such delivery; (B) Any unpaid delinquency or deferred charges;

## Where each value comes from

This source states these in separate places, so each value is shown with the passage that states it.

### What the borrower can do to get the vehicle back

> The debtor may cure the default within twenty days after the secured party retakes possession of the collateral, or within fifteen days after the secured party sends the notice required by this section, whichever is later, by delivering to the secured party the following: (A) All installments due or past due at the time of such delivery; (B) Any unpaid delinquency or deferred charges; (C) The actual and reasonable expenses incurred by the secured party in retaking possession of the collateral provided that any portion of such expenses which exceeds twenty-five dollars need not be delivered to the secured party pursuant to this division, but shall be added to the time balance; (D) A deposit by cash or bond in the amount of two installments, to secure the timely payment of future installments by the debtor. The secured party may apply such cash or the proceeds of such bond toward the satisfaction of the debt in the event of another default by the debtor. During the period between the time a secured party retakes possession of the collateral and the expiration or exercise of the debtor's right to cure the default, the secured party shall make the collateral available for inspection by the debtor during reasonable hours. If the debtor cures the default, the debtor may take possession of the collateral. The secured party shall assemble the collateral and make it available to the debtor at a time and place that is reasonably convenient to both parties. If the debtor requests the secured party to return the collateral to the place from which it was taken, the secured party may charge the debtor the actual and reasonable expenses incurred in returning the collateral to the place from which it was taken, which amount shall be added to the time balance. A debtor's right to cure the default pursuant to this section may not be exercised more than once with respect to a single debt.

### Section

> Section 1317.12 | Default - notice, curing.

## Source

- https://codes.ohio.gov/ohio-revised-code/section-1317.12
- https://codes.ohio.gov/ohio-revised-code/section-1309.623

Last verified: 2026-09-01. Review by: 2027-09-01.
Part of [After a car is repossessed, can you get it back by paying only what's late, or must you pay off the whole loan, by state](https://referencesource.org/vehicle-repossession-cure-rights-by-state/).