(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, motorized bicycle, or moped, motor-driven cycle or motor scooter, autocycle, cab-enclosed motorcycle, 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) No person who is the owner of a motor vehicle which is parked or operated upon the public streets or highways shall fail to annually file the application for registration or to pay the tax therefor, as required by Ohio R.C. Chapter 4503. (ORC 4503.11)
(c) No person shall operate, drive or park upon the public streets or highways a motor vehicle acquired from a former owner who has registered the motor vehicle, while the motor vehicle displays the distinctive number or identification mark assigned to it upon its original registration. (ORC 4549.11)
(d) No person who is the owner of a motor vehicle and a resident of Ohio shall operate, drive or park the motor vehicle upon the public streets or highways, while it displays a distinctive number or identification mark issued by or under the authority of another state, without complying with the laws of Ohio relating to the registration and identification of motor vehicles.
(ORC 4549.12)
(e) No person shall park or operate any vehicle upon any public street or highway upon which is displayed an expired license plate or an expired validation sticker.
(f) No person shall park or operate any vehicle upon any public street or highway upon which are displayed any license plates not legally registered and issued for such vehicle, or upon which are displayed any license plates that were issued on an application for registration that contains any false statement by the applicant.
(g) No person shall operate a motor vehicle, upon which license plates are required by law to be displayed, unless the license plates legally registered and issued for such vehicle are fastened in such a manner, and not covered, obscured or concealed by any part or accessory of such vehicle, to be readable in their entirety from left to right.
(h) (1) Whoever violates subsection (a) hereof is guilty of a minor misdemeanor.
(2) Whoever violates division (b) of this section is guilty of a misdemeanor of the fourth degree.
(ORC 4503.11(D))
(3) Whoever violates division (c) of this section is guilty of operation of a motor vehicle bearing license plates or an identification mark issued to another, a minor misdemeanor on a first offense and a misdemeanor of the fourth degree on each subsequent offense.
(ORC 4549.11(B))
(4) Whoever violates division (d) of this section is guilty of illegal operation by a resident of this State of a motor vehicle bearing the distinctive number or identification mark issued by a foreign jurisdiction, a minor misdemeanor on a first offense and a misdemeanor of the fourth degree on each subsequent offense.
(ORC 4549.12(B))