(A) No person shall operate or drive a motor vehicle upon the public roads and highways in this municipality if it displays a license plate or a distinctive number or identification mark that meets any of the following criteria:
(1) It is fictitious;
(2) It is a counterfeit or an unlawfully made copy of any distinctive number or identification mark;
(3) It belongs to another motor vehicle, provided that this section does not apply to a motor vehicle that is operated on the public roads and highways in this municipality when the motor vehicle displays license plates that originally were issued for a motor vehicle that previously was owned by the same person who owns the motor vehicle that is operated on the public roads and highways in this municipality during the 30-day period described in R.C. § 4503.12(A)(4).
(B) A person who fails to comply with the transfer of registration provisions of R.C. § 4503.12 and is charged with a violation of that section shall not be charged with a violation of this section.
(C) Whoever violates divisions (A)(1), (A)(2), or (A)(3) above is guilty of operating a motor vehicle bearing an invalid license plate or identification mark, a misdemeanor of the fourth degree on a first offense and a misdemeanor of the third degree on each subsequent offense.
(R.C. § 4549.08) (2000 Code, § 71.06)