No person shall operate and maintain a junk yard outside of a municipality, except in zoned or unzoned industrial areas adjacent to the interstate or primary systems, without first obtaining a license to do so from the county auditor of the county in which such junk yard is located or in which such junk yard is to be established. A person who was operating or maintaining a junk yard prior to January 1, 1964 is entitled to be issued a license or renewal thereof upon payment of the fee provided for in this section. Any person operating or maintaining a junk yard within one thousand feet of the nearest edge of the right of way of a state or county road or within three hundred feet of the nearest edge of the right of way of a township road, prior to January 1, 1964, shall within one year thereafter erect the required fence or make suitable plantings if such junk yard is not obscured by natural objects or a fence. If, after January 1, 1964, a junk yard is established within one thousand feet of the nearest edge of the right of way of a state or county highway or within three hundred feet of the nearest edge of the right of way of a township road, it shall be so located that the view thereof from such road is obscured by natural objects or a fence. If the yard is so obscured, the person operating or maintaining it shall be issued a license. If it is not practical or economically feasible by reason of topography, as determined by the sheriff or, if the sheriff so designates, a policeman or constable of the township where the junk yard is located, to obscure the view of a junk yard established on or before January 1, 1970, from any state or county highway or township road which is not part of the interstate or primary system, the sheriff or township policeman or constable shall require suitable plantings, or a practical and appropriate barrier not less than six feet nor more than ten feet in height, to partially obscure the view of such junk yard from such state or county highway or township road. No person shall operate and maintain a junk yard adjacent to the interstate or primary systems within a municipality, except in zoned or unzoned industrial areas without first obtaining a license to do so from the chief executive officer of the municipality in which such junk yard is located or in which such junk yard is to be established. Any person operating or maintaining a junk yard within one thousand feet of the nearest edge of the right of way of an interstate or primary highway within a municipality, except in a zoned or unzoned industrial area, prior to November 18, 1969, shall within one year thereafter erect the required fence or make suitable plantings if such junk yard is not screened by natural objects or a fence. This exception does not prohibit the regulation or prohibition of junk yards in zoned or unzoned industrial areas by municipal corporations. If a junk yard is established after November 18, 1969, within one thousand feet of the nearest edge of the right of way of an interstate or primary highway, it shall be so located that the view thereof from such highway is obscured by natural objects or a fence. If the yard is so obscured, the person operating or maintaining it shall be issued a license under this section. Nothing contained in this section shall be construed to relieve any person of his duty to comply with the provisions of ordinances enacted by municipal corporations regulating or prohibiting junk yards, including requirements to obtain a license under municipal ordinances. The requirement to obtain a license from the municipality under this section shall be in addition to regulations imposed and licenses required under municipal ordinances. No license shall be issued unless such yard accords with the provisions of this section. The fee for a license issued under this section is twenty-five dollars, except that the fee for municipal licenses issued under this section shall be reduced by the amount paid by the licensee for any similar licenses issued pursuant to ordinances of such municipality. All licenses issued under this section shall expire on the first day of January following the date of issue. A license may be renewed from year to year upon paying the chief executive officer of the municipality or the auditor of the county in which the junk yard is located the sum of ten dollars for each such renewal. All fees paid under this section shall be for the use of the county or municipality which issues the license or renewal thereof. Any license or renewal thereof issued under this section may be revoked by the chief executive officer of the municipality or the county auditor of the county in which the licensee's junk yard is located, after reasonable notice and opportunity to be heard, for any violation of sections 4737.01 to 4737.12 of the Revised Code, by the licensee or by any of his officers, agents, or employees. Whenever a license has been revoked under this section, the chief executive officer of the municipality or the county auditor shall not issue another license to such licensee, to the husband or wife of such licensee, or to any partnership or corporation of which he is an officer or member, until such licensee complies with sections 4737.05 to 4737.12 of the Revised Code.

Effective Date: 11-26-1975 .