(a) No person shall place, maintain or display upon or in view of any roadway any unauthorized sign, signal, marking or device which purports to be, is an imitation of or resembles a traffic control device or signal, or which attempts to direct the movement of traffic, or hides from view or interferes with the effectiveness of any traffic control device or any railroad sign or signal, and no person shall place or maintain upon any roadway any traffic sign or signal bearing thereon any commercial advertising.
Every such prohibited sign, signal, marking or device is a public nuisance, and the police officers are authorized to remove it or cause it to be removed.
(b) Except as otherwise provided in this subsection, whoever violates 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 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 this section is guilty of a misdemeanor of the third degree.
(ORC 4511.16)