(a) No person shall issue or aid in issuing any bill of lading, or other document of like nature in lieu thereof, which bill or document is to accompany a shipment of goods or property by truck, trailer, semi-trailer, commercial tractor or any other commercial vehicle used for the transportation of property the gross weight of which, with load, exceeds three tons, with intent to defraud by misrepresenting thereon the weight of such goods or property to be so transported.
Any driver or operator of a commercial car, trailer or semi-trailer may obtain from any person, firm, partnership, corporation or association, including the owner, lessee or operator of such commercial car, trailer or semi-trailer, owning and operating sealed scales in this State, a written statement of gross vehicle weight showing the gross weight of the vehicle including the cargo on the vehicle, the name and address of the person issuing the statement, and the date and place where the vehicle and its cargo were weighed. The driver or operator of the commercial car, trailer or semi-trailer shall retain such statement of gross vehicle weight on his person and any law enforcement officer of this City may request that such driver or operator exhibit it to him.
If, upon examining the statement of gross vehicle weight, the law enforcement officer has reason to believe that the information contained therein is correct in every respect, he shall endorse it with his name and the date and place where it was exhibited to him. The law enforcement officer may then permit such driver or operator to proceed without weighing by a law officer of this City. No person shall willfully issue a written statement of gross vehicle weight and knowingly give any false information in such statement.
(ORC 5577.10)
(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.