§ 414.06 FLASHING TRAFFIC SIGNALS.

Editor’s note:

   Section 414.06 was repealed as part of the 2012 recodification of these Codified Ordinances because substantially equivalent state law (Ohio R.C.4511.15) was repealed by the Ohio General Assembly.

§ 414.07 UNAUTHORIZED SIGNS AND SIGNALS, HIDING FROM VIEW, ADVERTISING.

   (a)   (1)   No person shall place, maintain or display upon or in view of any highway any unauthorized sign, signal, marking or device which purports to be, is an imitation of or resembles a traffic-control device or railroad sign or signal, or which attempts to direct the movement of traffic, or hides from view or interferes with the effectiveness of any traffic-control device or any railroad sign or signal; and no person shall place or maintain, nor shall any public authority permit, upon any highway, any traffic sign or signal bearing thereon any commercial advertising. This section does not prohibit either the erection upon private property adjacent to highways of signs giving useful directional information and of a type that cannot be mistaken for traffic-control devices, or the erection upon private property of traffic-control devices by the owner of real property in accordance with R.C. §§ 4511.211 and 4511.432.

      (2)   Every prohibited sign, signal, marking or device is a public nuisance, and the authority having jurisdiction over the highway may remove the same or cause it to be removed.

   (b)   Except as otherwise provided in this division (b), 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.

(R.C. § 4511.16)

§ 414.08 ALTERATION, INJURY, REMOVAL OF TRAFFIC-CONTROL DEVICES.

   (a)   No person, without lawful authority, shall do any of the following:

      (1)   Knowingly move, deface, damage, destroy or otherwise improperly tamper with any traffic- control device, any railroad sign or signal, or any inscription, shield or insignia on the device, sign or signal, or any part of the device, sign or signal;

      (2)   Knowingly drive upon or over any freshly applied pavement marking material on the surface of a roadway while the marking material is in an undried condition, and is marked by flags, markers, signs or other devices intended to protect it; or

      (3)   Knowingly move, damage, destroy or otherwise improperly tamper with a manhole cover.

   (b)   (1)   Except as otherwise provided in this division (b), whoever violates division (a)(1) or (a)(3) of this section is guilty of a misdemeanor of the third degree. If a violation of division (a)(1) or (a)(3) of this section creates a risk of physical harm to any person, the offender is guilty of a misdemeanor of the first degree. If a violation of division (a)(1) or (a)(3) of this section causes serious physical harm to property that is owned, leased or controlled by a state or local authority, the offender is guilty of a felony to be prosecuted under appropriate state law.

      (2)   Except as otherwise provided in this division (b), whoever violates division (a)(2) of 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 division (a)(2) of 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 division (a)(2) of this section is guilty of a misdemeanor of the third degree.

(R.C. § 4511.17)