Federal guidelines currently require that nonconforming signs be substantially the same as when they become nonconforming. The legal problem is that Section 226.530 requires MHTC to adopt rules of minimal necessity for outdoor advertising to ensure receipt of full federal highway funds. It is possible that at some point, FHWA could dictate that cutouts are not allowed on nonconforming signs. However, the new bill would then completely do away with the status of nonconforming signs and allow all signs to be regular conforming signs. Officials with the City of Saint Louis assumed the proposal will have no fiscal impact on the city.
Oversight assumes no impact to municipalities.
This act makes various changes regarding Missouri's billboard laws and regulations. This act allows the use of temporary cutouts or extensions on conforming or nonconforming billboard signs. This act allows existing stacked structures to be considered legal nonconforming and allows them to be maintained. Signs existing before the effective date of this act will not have to meet these spacing requirements, and shall be deemed legal nonconforming, provided MoDOT and the FHWA allows the use of temporary cutouts and extensions on nonconforming signs. If cutouts and extensions are not allowed, signs erected before the effective date of this act will be considered conforming.