Permit Requirements

In order for an Outdoor Advertising Display Permit application to be considered for a display adjacent to an Interstate or primary highway the following criterion must be met. This information is to be used as a general guideline and does not guarantee approval.

Display Location

• Must be outside the right of way of any highway.
• Must be outside of any stream or drainage channel.
• There must be an existing business activity within 1000 feet of proposed display location on either side of the highway.
• Location of property where display is to be placed must be zoned industrial or commercial.
• Must have written, current property owner consent to place the display at desired location.
• Must have written permission (building permit) from the local government having jurisdiction where the display is to be located.
• Location may not be adjacent to a landscaped freeway.*
• Location may not be adjacent to a scenic highway.**
• If adjacent to a bonus segment*** of an interstate freeway, copy, size, and spacing is more restrictive.

Display

• Display must be 500 feet from any other permitted display on the same side of any highway that is a freeway.
• Display must be 300 feet from any other permitted display on the same side of any primary highway that is not a freeway in an unincorporated area.
• Display must be 100 feet from any other permitted display on the same side of any primary highway that is not a freeway and is within the limits of an incorporated city.
• Display must be 500 feet from an interchange; intersection at grade or safety roadside rest if the highway is a freeway and the location is outside the limits of an incorporated city and outside the limits of an urban area.
• An electronic changeable message center display must meet the above spacing requirements and be 1000 feet from another electronic message center display.
• Maximum height for the advertising display area is 25 feet in height and 60 feet in length, not to exceed an overall maximum of 1200 square feet.

 

*Freeway Requirements: Landscaped freeway is a section of a freeway which is now, or hereafter may be, improved by the planting at least on one side of the freeway right-of-way of lawns, trees, shrubs, flowers, or other ornamental vegetation which shall require reasonable maintenance.

**Highway Requirements: Scenic highway is a section of a highway that has been officially designated and maintained scenic pursuant to Section 260, 161, 262, and 262.5 of the Streets and Highways Code or as referred to in Section 131 of Title 23 of United States Code.

***Bonus Segment: Bonus segment is any portion of an interstate freeway which is constructed upon any part of right-of-way, the entire width of which was acquired for right-of-way subsequent to July 1, 1956, except those segments of the interstate system that traverse commercial or industrial zones within the boundaries of incorporated municipalities, as such boundaries existed on September 21, 1959, or other areas where the land use, as of September 21, 1959, was clearly established by state law as industrial or commercial.