(a) State Highway System. – The Department of Transportation may number and mark highways in the State highway system.  All traffic signs and other traffic control devices placed on a highway in the State highway system must conform to the Uniform Manual. The Department of Transportation shall have the power to control all signs within the right-of-way of highways in the State highway system. The Department of Transportation may erect signs directing persons to roads and places of importance.

(b) Municipal Street System. – All traffic signs and other traffic control devices placed on a municipal street system street must conform to the appearance criteria of the Uniform Manual. All traffic control devices placed on a highway that is within the corporate limits of a municipality but is part of the State highway system must be approved by the Department of Transportation.

(c) Public Vehicular Areas. – Except as provided in this subsection, all traffic signs and other traffic control devices placed on a public vehicular area, as defined in N.C. Gen. Stat. § 20-4.01, must conform to the Uniform Manual.  The owner of private property that contains a public vehicular area may place on the property a traffic control device, other than a sign designating a parking space for handicapped persons, as defined in N.C. Gen. Stat. § 20-37.5, that differs in material from the uniform device but does not differ in shape, size, color, or any other way from the uniform device.  The owner of private property that contains a public vehicular area may place on the property a sign designating a parking space for handicapped persons that differs in material and color from the uniform sign but does not differ in shape, size, or any other way from the uniform device.

(d) Definition. – As used in this section, the term “Uniform Manual” means the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Streets and Highways, published by the United States Department of Transportation, and any supplement to that Manual adopted by the North Carolina Department of Transportation.

(e) Exception for Public Airport Traffic Signs. – Publicly owned airports, as defined in Chapter 63 of the N.C. Gen. Stat., shall be exempt from the requirements of subsections (b) and (c) of this section with respect to informational and directional signs, but not with respect to regulatory traffic signs. (1921, c. 2, ss. 9(a), 9(b); C.S., ss. 3846(q), 3846(r); 1927, c. 148, s. 54; 1933, c. 172, s. 17; 1957, c. 65, s. 11; 1973, c. 507, s. 5; 1977, c. 464, s. 7.1; 1991, c. 530, s. 1; 1991 (Reg. Sess., 1992), c. 818, s. 2; 1993, c. 51.)