(A)(1) The identification license plate shall be issued for a multi-year period as determined by the director of public safety, and, except as provided in division (A)(3) of this section, shall be accompanied by a validation sticker, to be attached to the license plate. Except as provided in divisions (A)(2) and (3) of this section, the validation sticker shall indicate the expiration of the registration period to which the motor vehicle for which the license plate is issued is assigned, in accordance with rules adopted by the registrar of motor vehicles. During each succeeding year of the multi-year period following the issuance of the plate and validation sticker, upon the filing of an application for registration and the payment of the tax therefor, a validation sticker alone shall be issued. The validation stickers required under this section shall be of different colors or shades each year, the new colors or shades to be selected by the director.

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(2)(a) The director shall develop a universal validation sticker that may be issued to any owner of five hundred or more passenger vehicles, so that a sticker issued to the owner may be placed on any passenger vehicle in that owner’s fleet. Beginning January 1, 2019, the universal validation sticker shall not have an expiration date on it and shall not need replaced at the time of registration, except in the event of the loss, mutilation, or destruction of the validation sticker. The director may establish and charge an additional fee of not more than one dollar per registration to compensate for necessary costs of the universal validation sticker program. The additional fee shall be credited to the public safety – highway purposes fund created in section 4501.06 of the Revised Code. The director shall select the color or shade of the universal validation sticker.

(b) A validation sticker issued for an all-purpose vehicle that is registered under Chapter 4519 of the Revised Code, for a noncommercial trailer that is permanently registered under section 4503.107 of the Revised Code, or for a trailer or semitrailer that is permanently registered under division (A)(2) of section 4503.103 of the Revised Code or is registered for any number of succeeding registration years may indicate the expiration of the registration period, if any, by any manner determined by the registrar by rule.

(3) No validation sticker shall be issued, and a validation sticker is not required for display, on the license plate of a nonapportioned commercial tractor or any apportioned motor vehicle.

(B) Identification license plates shall be produced by Ohio penal industries. Validation stickers and county identification stickers shall be produced by Ohio penal industries unless the registrar adopts rules expressly permitting the registrar or deputy registrars to provide for the printing or production of the stickers.