(A) On the rendition of judgment in any cause in any court, the costs of the party recovering, together with the party's debt or damages, shall be carried into the party's judgment, and the costs of the party against whom that judgment is rendered shall be separately stated in the record or docket entry. No party in whose favor judgment for costs is rendered in a cause may release, satisfy, or discharge, in whole or in part, any of those costs, unless that party previously has paid those costs to the clerk of the court or unless those costs have been paid to the person entitled to those costs or have been legally assigned or transferred to that party by the persons in whose names those costs stand taxed upon the record or docket.

(B) An entry of judgment that includes a grant of judgment for costs is an order that authorizes the clerk of the court, in accordance with division (C) of this section, to issue a certificate of judgment for all costs including any interest due on the judgment for costs, any cost incurred by the clerk in collecting the judgment for costs, and any fee a public agency or private vendor charges the clerk pursuant to a contract entered into under division (B)(1) of section 2335.24 of the Revised Code for collecting the judgment for costs against the person who is liable for the payment of those costs.

(C) The clerk of a court who wishes to issue a certificate of judgment for costs pursuant to a judgment for costs shall provide an itemized bill of fees and costs to the person who is liable for costs under the judgment, either upon the request of the person as specified in section 2335.32 of the Revised Code or without a request. If the person does not pay the fees and costs within thirty days after the clerk provides the itemized bill, the clerk shall send the person a first notice requesting payment of the fees and costs as stated in the itemized bill. If the person does not respond to the first notice with the full payment of the fees and costs within thirty days, the clerk shall send the person a second notice requesting payment of the fees and costs. If ninety days elapse from the date that the clerk provides the itemized bill and if the person has not paid the full amount of the fees and costs pursuant to the itemized bill and the notices, the clerk may issue a certificate of judgment for costs against the person for the fees and costs. After issuing a certificate of judgment for costs, the clerk may assess the interest accrued from the date the clerk sends the first notice requesting payment of the fees and costs as stated in the itemized bill to the date of collection of the judgment at the rate established in section 1343.03 of the Revised Code.

Effective Date: 08-28-2002 .