An Act To Allow a Waiver for On-premise Signs
Maine Legislature, Session 125, LD 0520
Committee: Transportation
Sponsors: BEAULIEU, THOMAS, BICKFORD, BOLDUC, CROCKETT, HOGAN, LAJOIE, ROSEN, WAGNER, WEAVER
Amends: 23 MRSA §1914

Legislative Document 
No. 520 
H.P. 403 
House of Representatives, February 15, 2011 
An Act To Allow a Waiver for On-premise Signs 
Reference to the Committee on Transportation suggested and ordered printed. 
HEATHER J.R. PRIEST 
Clerk 
Presented by Representative BEAULIEU of Auburn. 
Cosponsored by Senator THOMAS of Somerset and 
Representatives: BICKFORD of Auburn, BOLDUC of Auburn, CROCKETT of Bethel, 
HOGAN of Old Orchard Beach, LAJOIE of Lewiston, ROSEN of Bucksport, WAGNER of 
Lewiston, WEAVER of York. 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1.  23 MRSA §1914, sub-§4, as repealed and replaced by PL 1981, c. 318, 
§4, is amended to read: 
4.  Location, relation to public way.  No on-premise On-premise signs may be 
permitted are prohibited:  
A.  Within 33 feet of the center line of any public way if the highway is less than 66 
feet in width; 
B.  Within Except as provided in subsection 4-A, within 20 feet from the outside edge 
of the paved portion of any public way with more than 2 travel lanes and a total 
paved portion in excess of 24 feet in width; or and 
C.  Within the full width of the right-of-way of any public way. 
Paragraphs A and B shall do not apply to signs erected before September 1, 1957. 
Sec. 2.  23 MRSA §1914, sub-§4-A is enacted to read: 
4-A.  Waiver.  The commissioner may grant a person a written waiver of the 
prohibition under subsection 4, paragraph B for an on-premise sign when the owner of 
property on which the on-premise sign is to be located assumes all costs for removal and 
installation of the on-premise sign and provides a written statement of this fact to the 
registry of deeds for the county where the on-premise sign is to be located if: 
A.  The majority of on-premise signs on either edge of the public way within 1,000 
feet of the location of the proposed on-premise sign are located within 20 feet from 
the outside edge of the paved portion of the public way; or 
B.  The proposed on-premise sign replaces an existing on-premise sign at the same 
location within 20 feet from the outside edge of the paved portion of the public way. 
SUMMARY 
Current law prohibits on-premise signs within 20 feet from the outside edge of the 
paved portion of any state or state aid highway with more than 2 travel lanes and a total 
paved portion in excess of 24 feet in width.  This bill gives the Commissioner of 
Transportation the authority to grant a person a waiver of this requirement if the majority 
of on-premise signs on either edge of the public way within 1,000 feet of the location of 
the proposed on-premise sign are located within 20 feet from the outside edge of the 
paved portion of the public way or the proposed on-premise sign replaces an on-premise 
sign at the same location within 20 feet from the outside edge of the paved portion of the 
public way. 
The bill also requires that the property owner assume all costs for removal and 
installation of the on-premise sign and record this fact with the registry of deeds.