(A) (1) No person, except those expressly exempted under R.C. §§ 4507.03, 4507.04, and 4507.05, shall operate any motor vehicle upon a highway or any public or private property used by the public for purposes of vehicular travel or parking in this state unless the person has a valid driver’s license issued under this chapter or a commercial driver’s license issued under R.C. Chapter 4506.
(2) No person shall permit the operation of a motor vehicle upon any public or private property used by the public for purposes of vehicular travel or parking knowing the operator does not have a valid driver’s license issued to the operator by the registrar of motor vehicles under this chapter or a valid commercial driver’s license issued under R.C. Chapter 4506.
(3) No person, unless expressly exempted under R.C. §§ 4507.03, 4507.04, and 4507.05, shall operate any motorcycle upon a highway or any public or private property used by the public for purposes of vehicular travel or parking in this state unless the person has a valid license as a motorcycle operator, that was issued upon application by the registrar under this chapter. The license shall be in the form of an endorsement, as determined by the registrar, upon a driver’s or commercial driver’s license, if the person has a valid license to operate a motor vehicle or commercial motor vehicle, or in the form of a restricted license as provided in R.C. § 4507.14, if the person does not have a valid license to operate a motor vehicle or commercial motor vehicle.
(4) No person shall receive a driver’s license, or a motorcycle operator’s endorsement of a driver’s or commercial driver’s license, unless and until he or she surrenders to the registrar all valid licenses issued to him or her by another jurisdiction recognized by this state. All surrendered licenses shall be returned by the registrar to the issuing authority, together with information that a license is now issued in this state. No person shall be permitted to have more than one valid license at any time.
(B) (1) No person, whose driver’s or commercial driver’s license or permit or nonresident’s operating privilege has been suspended or revoked pursuant to R.C. Chapter 4509, shall operate any motor vehicle within this state, or knowingly permit any motor vehicle owned by him or her to be operated by another person in the state, during the period of the suspension or revocation, except as specifically authorized by R.C. Chapter 4509.
(2) No person shall operate any motor vehicle upon a highway or any public or private property used by the public for purposes of vehicular travel or parking in this state in violation of any restriction of the person’s driver’s or commercial driver’s license imposed under R.C. § 4506.10(D) or R.C. § 4507.14.
(C) No person, whose driver’s or commercial driver’s license or permit has been suspended pursuant to R.C. § 4511.191, R.C. § 4511.196, or R.C. § 4507.16(B), shall operate any motor vehicle within this state until he or she has paid the license reinstatement fee required pursuant to R.C. § 4511.191(F)(2) and the license or permit has been returned to the person or a new license or permit has been issued to the person.
(D) (1) No person, whose driver’s or commercial driver’s license or permit or nonresident operating privilege has been suspended or revoked under any provision of the Revised Code other than R.C. Chapter 4509 or under any applicable law in any other jurisdiction in which the person’s license or permit was issued, shall operate any motor vehicle upon the highways or streets within this state during the period of the suspension or within one year after the date of the revocation. No person who is granted occupational driving privileges by any court shall operate any motor vehicle upon the highways or streets in this state except in accordance with the terms of the privileges.
(2) No person, whose driver’s or commercial driver’s license or permit or nonresident operating privilege has been suspended under R.C. § 4507.16(B), shall operate any motor vehicle upon the highways or streets within this state during the period of suspension. No person who is granted occupational driving privileges by any court shall operate any motor vehicle upon the highways or streets in this state except in accordance with the terms of those privileges.
(E) It is an affirmative defense to any prosecution brought pursuant to division (B), (C), or (D) of this section that the alleged offender drove under suspension or in violation of a restriction because of a substantial emergency, provided that no other person was reasonably available to drive in response to the emergency.
(F) (1) If a person is convicted of a violation of division (B), (C), or (D) of this section, the trial judge of any court, in addition to or independent of, any other penalties provided by law or ordinance, shall impound the identification license plates of any motor vehicle registered in the name of the person. The court shall send the impounded license plates to the registrar who may retain the license plates until the driver’s or commercial driver’s license of the owner has been reinstated, or destroy them pursuant to R.C. § 4503.232. If the license plates of a person convicted of a violation of division (B), (C), or (D) of this section have been impounded in accordance with the provisions of this division, the court shall notify the registrar of that action. The notice shall contain the name and address of the driver, the serial number of his or her driver’s or commercial driver’s license, the serial numbers of the license plates of the motor vehicle, and the length of time for which the license plates have been impounded. The registrar shall record the data in the notice as part of the driver’s permanent record.
(2) Any motor vehicle owner who has had the license plates of a motor vehicle impounded pursuant to division (F)(1) of this section may apply to the registrar or to a deputy registrar, for special license plates which shall conform to the requirements of R.C. § 4503.231. The registrar or deputy registrar forthwith shall notify the court of the application and, upon approval of the court, shall issue special license plates to the applicant. Until the driver’s or commercial driver’s license of the owner is reinstated, any new license plates issued to him or her also shall conform to the requirements of R.C. § 4503.231. A fee of $2.50 shall be charged for every set of special license plates that are issued in accordance with this division, except upon renewal as specified in R.C. § 4503.10, when the regular fee as provided in R.C. § 4503.04 shall be charged. Whenever a set of special license plates is exchanged, by reason of the reinstatement of the driver’s or commercial driver’s license of the owner, for those ordinarily issued, no fee shall be charged.
(3) If an owner wishes to sell a motor vehicle during the time the special license plates provided under division (F)(2) of this section are in use, he or she may apply to the court that impounded the license plates of the motor vehicle for permission to transfer title to the motor vehicle. If the court is satisfied that the sale will be made in good faith and not for the purpose of circumventing the provisions of this section, it may certify its consent to the owner and to the registrar of motor vehicles who shall enter notice of the transfer of the title of the motor vehicle in the vehicle registration record. If, during the time the special license plates provided under division (F)(2) of this section are in use, the title to a motor vehicle is transferred by the foreclosure of a chattel mortgage, a sale upon execution, the cancellation of a conditional sales contract, or by order of a court, the court shall notify the registrar of the action and the registrar shall enter notice of the transfer of the title to the motor vehicle in the vehicle registration record.
(G) This section is not intended to change or modify any provision of R.C. Chapter 4503 with respect to the taxation of motor vehicles or the time within which the taxes on motor vehicles shall be paid.
(Ord. 4305, passed 2-7-1983; Am. Ord. 4748, passed 3-2-1987; Am. Ord. 5213, passed 10-15-1990; Am. Ord. 5820, passed 2-21-1995) Penalty, see § 71.99