(a) No person who is the owner or operator of a motor vehicle shall fail to properly display in plain view on the front and rear of the motor vehicle the distinctive number and registration mark, including any county identification sticker and any validation sticker issued under Ohio R.C. 4503.19 and 4503.191, furnished by the Ohio Director of Public Safety, except that a manufacturer of motor vehicles or dealer therein, the holder of an intransit permit, and the owner or operator of a motorcycle, cab-enclosed motorcycle, motorized bicycle, manufactured home, mobile home, trailer or semitrailer shall display on the rear only. A motor vehicle that is issued two license plates shall display the validation sticker on the rear license plate. A commercial tractor that does not receive an apportioned license plate under the international registration plan shall be issued one license plate and one validation sticker, which license plate and validation sticker shall be displayed on the front of the commercial tractor. An apportioned vehicle receiving an apportioned license plate under the international registration plan shall display the license plate only on the front of a commercial tractor and on the rear of all other vehicles. All license plates shall be securely fastened so as not to swing, and shall not be covered by any material that obstructs their visibility.
No person to whom a temporary license placard or windshield sticker has been issued for the use of a motor vehicle under Ohio R.C. 4503.182, and no operator of that motor vehicle, shall fail to display the temporary license placard in plain view from the rear of the vehicle either in the rear window or on an external rear surface of the motor vehicle, or fail to display the windshield sticker in plain view on the rear window of the motor vehicle. No temporary license placard or windshield sticker shall be covered by any material that obstructs its visibility.
(b) Whoever violates this section is guilty of a minor misdemeanor.
(ORC 4503.21)