Iowa Code § 306C.13 — IA Code / Title VIII / Chapter 306C / Section 306C.13
Control by department of transportation.
Status: in_force

The department shall control the erection and maintenance of advertising devices authorized by section 306C.11, subsection 1, in accord with the following criteria, except that in the case of bonus interstate highways the department shall maintain the controls required under chapter 306B or the controls required by this subchapter, whichever controls are stricter:

(1) Advertising devices located within the adjacent area of interstate highways and freeway primary highways shall not be erected or maintained closer to another advertising device facing in the same direction than five hundred feet outside of cities, and within two hundred fifty feet if inside of cities. An advertising device may not be located within two hundred fifty feet of an interchange, or rest area. The measurement shall be from the nearest widening constructed for the purpose of acceleration or deceleration of traffic movement to or from the main-traveled way to the advertising device.

(2) Advertising devices located within the adjacent area of nonfreeway primary highways shall not be erected or maintained closer than one hundred feet to another advertising device facing in the same direction if inside the corporate limits of a municipality. An advertising device shall not be located within the triangular area formed by the line connecting two points each fifty feet back from the point where the street right-of-way lines of the main-traveled way and the intersecting street meet, or would meet, if extended.

(3) Advertising devices located within the adjacent area of nonfreeway primary highways shall not be erected or maintained closer than three hundred feet to another advertising device facing in the same direction if outside the corporate limits of a municipality. An advertising device shall not be located within the triangular area formed by a line connecting two points each one hundred feet back from the point where the street right-of-way lines of the main-traveled way and the intersecting street meet, or would meet, if extended.

(4) The distance spacing measurements fixed by subsections 2 and 3 shall not apply to advertising devices which are separated by a building in such a manner that only one advertising device located within the minimum spacing distance is visible from a highway at any one time.

(5) Within a triangular area, as defined by subsections 2 and 3, occupied by a building or structure, no advertising device shall be erected or maintained closer to the intersection than the building or structure itself, except that a wall advertising device may be attached to said building or structure not to protrude more than twelve inches.

(6) The minimum distance between two advertising devices facing the same direction shall apply without regard to the side of the highway on which the advertising devices may be located and shall be measured along the center line of the highway between points directly opposite the advertising devices.

(7) Advertising devices shall not be erected, maintained, or illuminated:

(7) (a) In a manner to obscure or otherwise physically interfere with an official traffic sign, signal, or device, or to obstruct or physically interfere with any driver’s view of approaching, merging, or intersecting traffic.

(7) (b) Unless effectively shielded to prevent light from being directed at any portion of the traveled highway with such intensity or brilliance as to cause glare or to impair the vision of the driver of any motor vehicle.

(7) (c) Which contain, include, or are illuminated by any flashing, intermittent, or moving light.

(7) (d) Which imitate or resemble an official sign or signal or device or which are erected or maintained within or closer than three hundred feet from scenic areas, as defined and determined by the department, or which are located or maintained upon trees, or painted or drawn upon rocks or natural features, or which are structurally unsafe or in substantial disrepair.

(7) (e) Which exceed one thousand two hundred square feet in area or in the case of a back-to-back or V-type advertising device, with a maximum of two facings per advertising device, seven hundred fifty square feet in area, including border and trim but excluding base or apron, support, and other structural members.

(7) (f) Which do not comply with all applicable state or local laws, regulations and ordinances, including but not limited to zoning, building, and sign codes as locally interpreted and applied and enforced, or which violate chapter 318; however, nothing in this subchapter shall prevent or restrict county or local zoning authorities from making a determination of customary use concerning size, lighting, and spacing of advertising devices in zoned commercial or industrial adjacent areas, and such determinations will be accepted in lieu of the standards of this subchapter. The provisions of this subchapter shall not prevent or restrict county or local zoning authorities within their respective jurisdictions from establishing standards imposing controls stricter than those required by this subchapter.

(7) (g) The standards contained in this section pertaining to size, lighting, and spacing shall not apply to advertising devices erected or maintained within six hundred sixty feet of the right-of-way of those portions of the interstate highway system exempted from control under chapter 306B by authority of section 306B.2, nor to advertising devices erected and maintained within adjacent areas along noninterstate primary highways within zoned and unzoned commercial and industrial areas, unless said advertising devices were erected subsequent to July 1, 1972.

[C73, 75, 77, 79, 81, §306C.13]2006 Acts, ch 1097, §15; 2014 Acts, ch 1123, §9, 10; 2016 Acts, ch 1011, §121; 2021 Acts, ch 39, §11 – 13