(A)

(1) No person who is the owner or operator of a motor vehicle shall fail to display in plain view on the rear of the motor vehicle a license plate that displays the distinctive number and registration mark assigned to the motor vehicle by the director of public safety, including any county identification sticker and any validation sticker issued under sections 4503.19 and 4503.191 of the Revised Code, except that a commercial tractor shall display the license plate and validation sticker on the front of the commercial tractor.

(2) The license plate shall be securely fastened so as not to swing, and shall not be covered by any material that obstructs its visibility.

(3) No person to whom a temporary license placard or windshield sticker has been issued for the use of a motor vehicle under section 4503.182 of the Revised Code, and no operator of that motor vehicle, shall fail to display the temporary license placard in plain view from the rear of the vehicle either in the rear window or on an external rear surface of the motor vehicle, or fail to display the windshield sticker in plain view on the rear window of the motor vehicle. No temporary license placard or windshield sticker shall be covered by any material that obstructs its visibility.

(B) Whoever violates this section is guilty of a minor misdemeanor.

(C) The offense established under division (A) of this section is a strict liability offense and section 2901.20 of the Revised Code does not apply. The designation of this offense as a strict liability offense shall not be construed to imply that any other offense, for which there is no specified degree of culpability, is not a strict liability offense.

Amended by 133rd General Assembly File No. TBD, HB 62, §101.01, eff. 7/1/2020.

Amended by 132nd General Assembly File No. TBD, HB 26, §101.01, eff. 6/30/2017.

Amended by 131st General Assembly File No. TBD, HB 429, §3, eff. 1/1/2017.

Amended by 131st General Assembly File No. TBD, HB 429, §1, eff. 9/14/2016.

Amended by 129th General AssemblyFile No.168, SB 114, §1, eff. 1/1/2017.

Amended by 131st General Assembly File No. TBD, HB 53, §101.01, eff. 7/1/2015.

Effective Date: 01-01-2004 .

Related Legislative Provision: See 131st General Assembly File No. TBD, HB 53, §815.20.

Note: This section is set out twice. See also § 4503.21, effective until 7/1/2020.