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(a) No person, without lawful authority, shall do any of the following:
(1) Knowingly move, deface, damage, destroy or otherwise improperly tamper with any traffic- control device, any railroad sign or signal, or any inscription, shield or insignia on the device, sign or signal, or any part of the device, sign or signal;
(2) Knowingly drive upon or over any freshly applied pavement marking material on the surface of a roadway while the marking material is in an undried condition, and is marked by flags, markers, signs or other devices intended to protect it;
(3) Knowingly move, damage, destroy or otherwise improperly tamper with a manhole cover.
(b) (1) Except as otherwise provided in this division, whoever violates division (a)(1) or (a)(3) of this section is guilty of a misdemeanor of the third degree. If a violation of division (a)(1) or (a)(3) of this section creates a risk of physical harm to any person, the offender is guilty of a misdemeanor of the first degree. If a violation of division (a)(1) or (a)(3) of this section causes serious physical harm to property that is owned, leased, or controlled by a state or local authority, the offender is guilty of a felony to be prosecuted under appropriate state law.
(2) Except as otherwise provided in this division, whoever violates division (a)(2) of this section is guilty of a minor misdemeanor. If, within one year of the offense, the offender previously has been convicted of or pleaded guilty to one predicate motor vehicle or traffic offense, whoever violates division (a)(2) of this section is guilty of a misdemeanor of the fourth degree. If, within one year of the offense, the offender previously has been convicted of two or more predicate motor vehicle or traffic offenses, whoever violates division (a)(2) of this section is guilty of a misdemeanor of the third degree.
(R.C. § 4511.17) (Prior Code, § 414.08)
(a) As used in this section, “traffic-control device” means any sign, traffic-control signal or other device conforming to and placed or erected in accordance with the manual adopted under R.C. § 4511.09 by authority of a public body or official having jurisdiction, for the purpose of regulating, warning or guiding traffic, including signs denoting the names of streets and highways, but does not mean any pavement marking.
(b) No individual shall buy or otherwise possess, or sell, a traffic-control device, except when one of the following applies:
(1) In the course of the individual’s employment by the state or a local authority for the express or implied purpose of manufacturing, providing, erecting, moving or removing such a traffic- control device;
(2) In the course of the individual’s employment by any manufacturer of traffic-control devices other than a state or local authority;
(3) For the purpose of demonstrating the design and function of a traffic-control device to state or local officials;
(4) When the traffic-control device has been purchased from the state or a local authority at a sale of property that is no longer needed or is unfit for use; or
(5) When the traffic-control device has been properly purchased from a manufacturer for use on private property and the person possessing the device has a sales receipt for the device or other acknowledgment of sale issued by the manufacturer.
(c) This section does not preclude, and shall not be construed as precluding, prosecution for theft in violation of R.C. § 2913.02, or a substantially equivalent municipal ordinance, or for receiving stolen property in violation of R.C. § 2913.51, or a substantially equivalent municipal ordinance.
(d) Whoever violates this section is guilty of a misdemeanor of the third degree.
(R.C. § 4511.18) (Prior Code, § 414.09)
(a) (1) No person shall possess a portable signal preemption device.
(2) No person shall use a portable signal preemption device to affect the operation of a traffic- control device.
(b) Division (a)(1) of this section does not apply to any of the following persons and division (a)(2) of this section does not apply to any of the following persons when responding to an emergency call:
(1) A peace officer, as defined in R.C. § 109.71(A)(1), (A)(12), (A)(14) or (A)(19);
(2) A State Highway Patrol officer;
(3) A person while occupying a public safety vehicle as defined in R.C. § 4511.01(E)(1), (E)(3) or (E)(4).
(c) Whoever violates division (a)(1) of this section is guilty of a misdemeanor of the fourth degree. Whoever violates division (a)(2) of this section is guilty of a misdemeanor of the first degree.
(d) As used in this section, “portable signal preemption device” means a device that, if activated by a person, is capable of changing a traffic-control signal to green out of sequence.
(R.C. § 4511.031) (Prior Code, § 414.10)