(a) No person shall operate, on any highway or other public or private property open to the public for vehicular travel or parking, lease, or rent any motor vehicle that is registered in this state unless the motor vehicle conforms to the requirements concerning tinted glass and reflectorized material of Ohio R.C. 4513.241 and of any applicable rule adopted under that section.
(b) No person shall install in or on any motor vehicle any glass or other material that fails to conform to the requirements of Ohio R.C. 4513.241 or of any rule adopted under that section.
(c) (1) No used motor vehicle dealer or new motor vehicle dealer, as defined in Ohio R.C. 4517.01, shall sell any motor vehicle that fails to conform to the requirements of Ohio R.C. 4513.241 or of any rule adopted under that section.
(2) No manufacturer, remanufacturer, or distributor, as defined in Ohio R.C. 4517.01, shall provide to a motor vehicle dealer licensed under Ohio R.C. Chapter 4517 or to any other person, a motor vehicle that fails to conform to the requirements of Ohio R.C. 4513.241 or of any rule adopted under that section.
(d) No reflectorized materials shall be permitted upon or in any front windshield, side windows, sidewings, or rear window.
(e) This section does not apply to the manufacturer’s tinting or glazing of motor vehicle windows or windshields that is otherwise in compliance with or permitted by Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard #205.
(f) With regard to any side window behind a driver’s seat or any rear window other than any window on an emergency door, this division (b) does not apply to any school bus used to transport a child with disabilities pursuant to Ohio R.C. Chapter 3323, whom it is impossible or impractical to transport by regular school bus in the course of regular route transportation provided by a school district. As used in this division, “child with disabilities” has the same meaning as in Ohio R.C. 3323.01.
(g) This section does not apply to any school bus that is to be sold and operated outside the municipality.
(h) (1) This section does not apply to a motor vehicle used by a law enforcement agency under either of the following circumstances:
A. The vehicle does not have distinctive markings of a law enforcement vehicle but is operated by or on behalf of the law enforcement agency in an authorized investigation or other activity requiring that the presence and identity of the vehicle occupants be undisclosed.
B. The vehicle primarily is used by the law enforcement canine unit for transporting a police dog.
(2) As used in this division, “law enforcement agency” means a police department, the office of a sheriff, the State Highway Patrol, a county prosecuting attorney, or a federal, state, or local governmental body that enforces criminal laws and that has employees who have a statutory power of arrest.
(ORC 4513.241(C) - (J))
(i) (1) Whoever violates division (a), (c)(2) or (d) of this section is guilty of a minor misdemeanor.
(2) Whoever violates division (c)(1) of this section is guilty of a minor misdemeanor if the dealer or the dealer’s agent knew of the nonconformity at the time of sale.
(3) A. Whoever violates division (b) of this section is guilty of a misdemeanor of the fourth degree, except that an organization may not be convicted unless the act of installation was authorized by the board of directors, trustees, partners, or by a high managerial officer acting on behalf of the organization, and installation was performed by an employee of the organization acting within the scope of the person’s employment.
(4) A. Whoever violates division (b) of this section is guilty of a misdemeanor of the fourth degree, except that an organization may not be convicted unless the act of installation was authorized by the board of directors, trustees, partners, or by a high managerial officer acting on behalf of the organization, and installation was performed by an employee of the organization acting within the scope of the person’s employment.
B. In addition to any other penalty imposed under this section, whoever violates division (b) of this section is liable in a civil action to the owner of a motor vehicle on which was installed the nonconforming glass or material for any damages incurred by that person as a result of the installation of the nonconforming glass or material, costs of maintaining the civil action, and attorney fees.
C. In addition to any other penalty imposed under this section, if the offender previously has been convicted of or pleaded guilty to a violation of division (b) of this section and the offender is a motor vehicle repair operator registered under Ohio R.C. Chapter 4775 or a motor vehicle dealer licensed under Ohio R.C. Chapter 4517, whoever violates division (b) of this section is subject to a registration or license suspension, as applicable, for a period of not more than 180 days.
(ORC 4513.241(K))
Statutory reference:
Administrative regulations, see OAC Chapter 4501-41
Recording and reporting violations, certain court requirements, see Ohio R.C. 4513.241(L)