Virginia Code 33.2-1208: Permits required.
Except as otherwise provided in this article, no person, whether engaged in the business of outdoor advertising or not, shall erect, use, maintain, post, or display any advertisement or advertising structure outside municipalities in the Commonwealth without first obtaining a permit therefor from the Commissioner of Highways and paying the annual fee therefor, as provided in this article. A permit is required for an off-premises sign, advertisement, or advertising structure authorized by § 33.2-1217 if it is located within a municipality and is visible from the main traveled way of any Interstate System, federal-aid primary, or National Highway System highway.
Terms Used In Virginia Code 33.2-1208
- Advertisement: includes any part of an advertisement recognizable as such. See Virginia Code 33.2-1200
- Advertising structure: means any rigid or semirigid material, with or without any advertisement displayed thereon, situated upon or attached to real property outdoors, primarily or principally for the purpose of furnishing a background or base or support upon which an advertisement may be posted or displayed. See Virginia Code 33.2-1200
- Business of outdoor advertising: means the erection, use, or maintenance of advertising structures or the posting or display of outdoor advertisements by any person who receives profit gained from rentals or any other compensation from any other person for the use or maintenance of such advertising structures or the posting or display of such advertisements, except reasonable compensation for materials and labor used or furnished in the actual erection of advertising structures or the actual posting of advertisements. See Virginia Code 33.2-1200
- Commissioner of Highways: means the individual who serves as the chief executive officer of the Department of Transportation. See Virginia Code 33.2-100
- Highway: means every way or place of whatever nature open to the use of the public for purposes of vehicular travel in the Commonwealth. See Virginia Code 33.2-1200
- Interstate System: means the same as that term is defined in Virginia Code 33.2-100
- Main traveled way: means the traveled way of a highway on which through traffic is carried. See Virginia Code 33.2-1200
- Maintain: means to allow to exist. See Virginia Code 33.2-1200
- Municipality: has the meaning assigned to it in § 1-224. See Virginia Code 33.2-100
- Person: includes an individual, partnership, association, or corporation. See Virginia Code 33.2-1200
- Post: means post, display, print, paint, burn, nail, paste, or otherwise attach. See Virginia Code 33.2-1200
- Sign: means any outdoor sign, display, device, figure, painting, drawing, message, placard, poster, billboard, or other thing that is designed, intended, or used to advertise or inform, any part of the advertising or informative contents of which is visible from any highway. See Virginia Code 33.2-1200
- Visible: means capable of being seen (whether or not legible) without visual aid by a person of normal visual acuity. See Virginia Code 33.2-1200
No bond or permit is required for the posting or display of any advertisement posted or displayed on any advertising structure or space for which a permit has been issued or renewed for the then-current calendar year under the provisions of this article unless such permit has been revoked.
Code 1950, § 33-307; 1970, c. 322, § 33.1-360; 1993, c. 538; 2012, c. 145; 2014, c. 805.