(A) Definitions. As used in this section:
BUS.
(a) BUS means any vehicle used for the transportation of passengers that meets at least one of the following:
1. Was originally designed by the manufacturer to transport more than 15 passengers, including the driver;
2. Either the gross vehicle weight rating or the gross vehicle weight exceeds 10,000 pounds.
(b) BUS does not include a church bus as defined in R.C. § 4503.07 or a school bus unless the church bus or school bus is used in the transportation of passengers for hire by a motor transportation company or a common carrier by motor vehicle or by a private motor carrier or contract carrier by motor vehicle.
(c) BUS also does not include any of the following:
1. Any vehicle operated exclusively on a rail or rails;
2. A trolley bus operated by electric power derived from a fixed overhead wire furnishing local passenger transportation similar to street-railway service;
3. Vehicles owned or leased by government agencies or political subdivisions.
MOTOR TRANSPORTATION COMPANY and COMMON CARRIER BY MOTOR VEHICLE have the same meanings as in R.C. § 4921.02.
PRIVATE MOTOR CARRIER and CONTRACT CARRIER BY MOTOR VEHICLE have the same meanings as in R.C. § 4923.02.
(R.C. § 4513.50)
(B) Safety inspection decals.
(1) Except as provided in division (B)(2) of this section, on and after July 1, 2001, no person shall operate a bus, nor shall any person being the owner of a bus or having supervisory responsibility for a bus, permit the operation of any bus unless the bus displays a valid, current safety inspection decal issued by the State Highway Patrol under R.C. § 4513.52.
(2) For the purpose of complying with the requirements of this section and R.C. § 4513.52, the owner or other operator of a bus may drive the bus directly to an inspection site conducted by the State Highway Patrol and directly back to the person’s place of business without a valid registration and without displaying a safety inspection decal, provided that no passengers may occupy the bus during such operation.
(R.C. § 4513.51(A), (B))
(C) Whoever violates division (B)(1) of this section is guilty of a misdemeanor of the first degree.
(R.C. § 4513.51(D)) Penalty, see § 70.99