reglab/statecodes huggingface dataset:
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE NINE - Highways and Traffic (§§ 1-8 — 5725) › Chapter 1 - Construction and Maintenance of Roads (§§ 1-8 — 42) › § 38c - Advertisements or signs not in conformity with law—Removal; collection of costs

The Secretary of Transportation and Public Works, or any government official or employee whom he may delegate, is hereby authorized to order, after the ten (10) days referred to in § 38b of this title shall have elapsed, that the advertisement or sign concerned be eliminated, erased, removed or destroyed. Any natural or juridical person who violates the provisions of §§ 38a—38e of this title shall be obliged to pay for the expenses incurred in the removal of the advertisement or the sign unlawfully kept or installed. The Secretary of Transportation and Public Works, or his delegate, shall notify the person who violates the provisions of §§ 38a—38e of this title about the affixing of the fair and necessary costs to be incurred in the removal of the advertisement or sign unlawfully maintained or installed, prior to the order for removal. If said advertisement or sign is not eliminated, erased, removed or destroyed within ten (10) days from the day following the notice of the order to eliminate, erase, remove or destroy it, the Secretary of Transportation and Public Works, or his delegate, shall finally proceed to dispose of it.
The Secretary of Transportation and Public Works, after the removal of the sign or advertisement, shall use any lawful remedy to cause the corresponding payment to be made; Providing, That the funds obtained shall be covered into the General Fund of the Commonwealth Treasury.
History —Sept. 28, 1961, No. 5, p. 395, § 3; July 27, 1974, No. 251, Part 2, p. 250, § 1; June 24, 1975, No. 80, p. 259, § 5; May 30, 1979, No. 53, p. 113.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE NINE - Highways and Traffic (§§ 1-8 — 5725) › Chapter 1 - Construction and Maintenance of Roads (§§ 1-8 — 42) › § 38d - Advertisements or signs not in conformity with law—Installed on private property

Where it becomes necessary to enter a private property in order to enforce any of the provisions of §§ 38a—38e of this title, the Secretary of Transportation and Public Works, or any official or employee whom he may delegate, is hereby authorized to do so, subject to the following procedure:
(a) The Secretary of Transportation and Public Works, or the official or employee whom he may delegate, shall appear before a magistrate, stating in writing and under oath the facts which justify the necessity of entering said private property, which property must be described with reasonable details so that it may be identified.
(b) If in his judgment the petition is in accordance with the terms of §§ 38a—38e of this title, said magistrate shall issue an order authorizing the official or employee concerned to enter the private property described in the petition.
Said order shall briefly set forth the facts adduced under oath in justification of the petition and shall contain a description of the property to be entered, in accordance with the provisions of the preceding subsection.
(c) Once the said order is issued, as above described, then the private property may be entered for the purpose authorized.
History —Sept. 28, 1961, No. 5, p. 395, § 4; June 24, 1975, No. 80, p. 259, § 6, eff. July 1, 1975.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE NINE - Highways and Traffic (§§ 1-8 — 5725) › Chapter 1 - Construction and Maintenance of Roads (§§ 1-8 — 42) › § 38e - Advertisements or signs not in conformity with law—Damages due to removal

(a) Any person who may have sustained undue damages through the acts of any public official or employee in complying with the provisions of § 38c of this title is hereby authorized to sue the Commonwealth without subjection to subsections (a) and (b) of § 3081 of Title 32. For all other purposes, the complaint shall be subject to the provisions of this act.
(b) Any person who illegally installs, constructs, erects, reconstructs, relocates, alters or exhibits any advertisement or sign which has been eliminated, erased, removed or destroyed totally or partially as provided in §§ 38a—38e of this title, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction thereof, shall be punished by a fine of not more than five hundred dollars ($500) or by imprisonment for a term of not more than six (6) months, or both penalties, in the discretion of the court. The Secretary of Transportation and Public Works, or his delegate, shall proceed, in accordance with §§ 38a—38e of this title, to eliminate, erase, remove or destroy any such illegal advertisement or sign.
History —Sept. 28, 1961, No. 5, p. 395, § 5; July 27, 1974, No. 251, Part 2, p. 250, § 1; June 24, 1975, No. 80, p. 259, § 7, eff. July 1, 1975.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE NINE - Highways and Traffic (§§ 1-8 — 5725) › Chapter 1 - Construction and Maintenance of Roads (§§ 1-8 — 42) › § 39 - Contests and prizes for road-maintenance personnel

The Secretary of Transportation and Public Works is authorized to hold competitive contests among the road-maintenance personnel and to grant cash prizes to those who keep the macadam, walks, culverts, and trees of the sections under their charge, in the best condition.
History —May 15, 1938, No. 310, p. 551, § 1, eff. 90 days after May 15, 1938.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE NINE - Highways and Traffic (§§ 1-8 — 5725) › Chapter 1 - Construction and Maintenance of Roads (§§ 1-8 — 42) › § 40 - Contests and prizes for road-maintenance personnel—Form of competition

The Secretary of Transportation and Public Works shall prepare the bases of the competitions, and shall fix, prescribe, and award the corresponding prizes.
History —May 15, 1938, No. 310, p. 551, § 2, eff. 90 days after May 15, 1938.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE NINE - Highways and Traffic (§§ 1-8 — 5725) › Chapter 1 - Construction and Maintenance of Roads (§§ 1-8 — 42) › § 41 - Contests and prizes for road-maintenance personnel—Prizes

The prizes that he shall award shall consist of honorary diplomas for the superior technical personnel and of diplomas and cash for watchmen and roadmen; Provided, That one of the prizes shall be called “Prize of the Legislature of Puerto Rico”.
History —May 15, 1938, No. 310, p. 551, § 3, eff. 90 days after May 15, 1938.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE NINE - Highways and Traffic (§§ 1-8 — 5725) › Chapter 1 - Construction and Maintenance of Roads (§§ 1-8 — 42) › § 42 - Contests and prizes for road-maintenance personnel—Appropriation

The sum of one thousand dollars ($1,000), or such part thereof as may be necessary, is hereby appropriated out of the funds set aside for the maintenance of roads for the year in which the contest is held, to meet the expenses for the printing of diplomas, to use for the cash prizes, and to pay all other expenses arising from said contests.
History —May 15, 1938, No. 310, p. 551, § 4, eff. 90 days after May 15, 1938.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE NINE - Highways and Traffic (§§ 1-8 — 5725) › Chapter 2 - Uniform Signs and Advertisment Act of Puerto Rico of 1999 (§§ 51 — 56g) › Subchapter I - General Provisions (§§ 51 — 51l) › § 51b - Registry—Generally

The Puerto Rico Registry of Sign Operators is hereby created, which shall be established by the Regulations and Permits Administration.
(a) Within a term of one hundred and twenty (120) days after the effective date of this act, any person engaged in the business of manufacturing, installing, maintaining and removing signs or advertisements in Puerto Rico, shall register in the Puerto Rico Registry of Sign Operators so established by the Regulations and Permits Administration pursuant to the provisions of this chapter.
(b) In order to qualify as a sign operator and be registered in said registry, the person filing a registration shall comply with the following requirements:
(1) A negative certification of a tax debt with the Department of the Treasury or if under a payment plan, a certificate of compliance for such plan.
(2) A certificate of payment of municipal license taxes, chauffeur’s social security, State Insurance Fund policy, and or employer social security number.
(3) A Certificate of Existence and Certificate of Good Standing issued by the Department of State in the case of corporations, or copy of the agreement in case of partnerships.
(4) A certification of public liability insurance policy to insure the payment for any damage suffered by a third party due to the negligent or liable manufacturing, installation, maintenance or removal of a sign or advertisement. This policy shall have an insurance coverage of no less than one million dollars ($1,000,000).
(5) A certification of a public liability insurance policy to insure the payment of any damage suffered by a third party due to negligent use or driving of equipment or motor vehicles used during [t]he manufacturing process, as well as the installation, maintenance and removal of any sign or advertisement. This policy shall have an insurance coverage of no less than three hundred thousand dollars ($300,000).
(6) A certified check or postal money order payable to the order of ARPE in the amount of fifty dollars ($50).
(c) ARPE shall issue to the person registered in said registry a nontransferable operator’s license to be renewed annually after payment of the corresponding rights, and which shall be exhibited by the operator at a visible place in its place of business.
(d) After the expiration of the term established for the registration in the Puerto Rico Registry of Sign Operators, no person shall engage in the manufacturing, installation, maintenance or removal of signs and advertisements without being duly registered in said registry. It shall be required that all signs and advertisements be identified with the name of its owner and its license number, where applicable.
History —Dec. 22, 1999, No. 355, § 6, eff. 60 days after Dec. 22, 1999.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE NINE - Highways and Traffic (§§ 1-8 — 5725) › Chapter 2 - Uniform Signs and Advertisment Act of Puerto Rico of 1999 (§§ 51 — 56g) › Subchapter I - General Provisions (§§ 51 — 51l) › § 51c - Permits

After the effective date of this act, any person who wishes to install a sign or advertisement shall obtain a permit from ARPE for such purposes, pursuant to the provisions of this chapter.
History —Dec. 22, 1999, No. 355, § 7, eff. 60 days after Dec. 22, 1999.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE NINE - Highways and Traffic (§§ 1-8 — 5725) › Chapter 2 - Uniform Signs and Advertisment Act of Puerto Rico of 1999 (§§ 51 — 56g) › Subchapter I - General Provisions (§§ 51 — 51l) › § 51g - Size

(a) The permitted area for a sign or advertisement to be installed on a building frontage shall be the percentage indicated hereinafter in this chapter, and corresponds to the total area within the surface of the building or lot frontage where it shall be installed.
(b) The size of the sign or advertisement installed on ground shall be determined by the total base area of the panel, including the frame, if any.
(c) The size of a sign or advertisement with individual lettering installed on facades or posts on the ground shall be calculated based on the area of the individual letters or figures.
(d) To calculate the total area of a sign or advertisement, each sign face area shall be calculated individually.
(e) The size of directional and safety signs, signs stating the price of the gasoline and diesel oil, the menu or service panel, and any other sign required by federal or local regulations in gas service stations and drive-in businesses, shall not be counted when calculating the maximum size of the signs installed on the frontage or on the ground of said establishments.
(f) ARPE may allow variations of up to ten percent (10%) as to the height and space between the signs and advertisements. Regarding the size of the sign or advertisement, ARPE may allow variations of up to twenty percent (20%).
History —Dec. 22, 1999, No. 355, § 11, eff. 60 days after Dec. 22, 1999.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE NINE - Highways and Traffic (§§ 1-8 — 5725) › Chapter 2 - Uniform Signs and Advertisment Act of Puerto Rico of 1999 (§§ 51 — 56g) › Subchapter I - General Provisions (§§ 51 — 51l) › § 51i - Designs

(a) Every sign or advertisement shall be designed according to the best engineering practices, as provided in the Puerto Rico Building Code in full force and the Uniform Building Code (UBC) of 1997, as they may be amended from time to time. Every application for the installation of a sign or advertisement, in which the construction of a frame is proposed, shall include a certification by a licensed engineer or architect attesting that its design complies with the current regulations. It shall be a requisite for the authorization of every sign or advertisement that an electrical meter measures the energy consumption; provided that the owner of the sign or advertisement may agree with the property owner where the sign or advertisement is installed, to pay the amount corresponding to energy consumption. ARPE may authorize the installation of rotating signs or advertisements, as well as any other type of sign or advertisement not specifically covered in this chapter, or developed in the future with the latest technology, provided that their size, location, illumination and contents comply with the provisions of this chapter. The authorization for the installation of said signs or advertisements shall not be unreasonably denied. In the case of signs and advertisements mechanically moved, the transitional period of the sign faces shall not exceed two (2) minutes for the change, and the advertisement shall remain unchanged for a period not less than six (6) seconds.
(b) Every installation permit application for a sign or advertisement shall be filed along with a sign operator’s license certifying that the person complies with the provisions of this chapter, as well as a certification by a qualified electrician that the electric connection complies with all provisions of law and applicable regulations.
History —Dec. 22, 1999, No. 355, § 13, eff. 60 days after Dec. 22, 1999.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE NINE - Highways and Traffic (§§ 1-8 — 5725) › Chapter 2 - Uniform Signs and Advertisment Act of Puerto Rico of 1999 (§§ 51 — 56g) › Subchapter I - General Provisions (§§ 51 — 51l) › § 51j - Structural safety and maintenance

Every sign or advertisement, as well as its accessories, shall receive the appropriate maintenance. It shall be the owner’s responsibility to maintain the structural safety of the sign or advertisement, and give maintenance to its immediate surrounding areas regarding sanitary conditions and ornate. The indiscriminate removal of preexisting trees in immediate surrounding areas of the sign or advertisement is hereby prohibited. This shall not be interpreted as a prohibition to trim trees nor to eliminate vegetation or weeds whenever necessary, in order to guarantee the structural safety of the sign or advertisement, the smooth running of its components, and the safety of the general public.
History —Dec. 22, 1999, No. 355, § 14, eff. 60 days after Dec. 22, 1999.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE NINE - Highways and Traffic (§§ 1-8 — 5725) › Chapter 2 - Uniform Signs and Advertisment Act of Puerto Rico of 1999 (§§ 51 — 56g) › Subchapter I - General Provisions (§§ 51 — 51l) › § 51k - Historic sites or zones

Signs installed in historic sites and zones shall comply with the regulatory provisions of the Regulations for Historic Sites and Zones of the Puerto Rico Planning Board (Planning Regulation No. 5), and any other municipal regulations regarding antique and historic zones, and with this chapter.
History —Dec. 22, 1999, No. 355, § 15, eff. 60 days after Dec. 22, 1999.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE NINE - Highways and Traffic (§§ 1-8 — 5725) › Chapter 2 - Uniform Signs and Advertisment Act of Puerto Rico of 1999 (§§ 51 — 56g) › Subchapter I - General Provisions (§§ 51 — 51l) › § 51l - Nonconforming signs and advertisements; under the previous regulations

(a) Only a sign or advertisement with a permit shall be considered to be under the previous regulations when installed complying with the regulation in force at the time of installation, for which a permit has been requested or issued, and it does not comply with the provisions of this chapter.
(b) Any sign or advertisement not covered by subsection (a) of this section, but in existence at the effective date of this act, and against which there isn’t a proceeding in progress by ARPE, and does not meet the requirements established in it, shall be erased, suppressed, eliminated or conformed to the act by means of an installation permit. It is Provided, That a period of fifteen (15) months is granted, after the effective date of this act, to obtain an installation permit pursuant to this chapter, or to eliminate said signs or advertisements, except to those that are structurally unsafe or constitute a hazard to public safety due to its structural deficiencies, which shall be removed in a term not greater than twenty (20) days after notification issued by ARPE under the provisions of this chapter. The signs and advertisements with permits under the previous regulations shall be registered in the Puerto Rico Registry of Signs and Advertisements created pursuant to the provisions of § 51a of this title. Once the sign or advertisement is registered under the provisions stated hereinbefore, ARPE shall issue a permit and a provisional registration sticker with a maximum valid period of fifteen (15) months after the effective date of this act, or until the date ARPE issues the corresponding permanent permit, whichever happens first.
(c) No nonconforming sign or advertisement, nor any with a permit under the previous regulations, may be enlarged, unless it is done with the purpose of conforming it to this chapter. The preceding does not exempt from giving maintenance to the sign or advertisement as provided herein.
(d) Any nonconforming sign or advertisement, or with a permit under the previous regulations, that is partially or totally destroyed, due to fire, explosion, earthquake, hurricane or any other act of God, or due to any other circumstances, may be repaired, provided that it does not exceed its original size and complies with the Puerto Rico Building Code in effect.
(e) The absence of an installation permit and a registration sticker, or the absence of the permit and the initial registration sticker for a sign or advertisement, shall be prima facie evidence that the installation of said sign or advertisement has no legal authorization.
(f) Under the provisions of this chapter, only those signs and advertisements with permits under the previous regulations, shall be permitted subject to the provisions of this section.
History —Dec. 22, 1999, No. 355, § 16, eff. 60 days after Dec. 22, 1999.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE NINE - Highways and Traffic (§§ 1-8 — 5725) › Chapter 2 - Uniform Signs and Advertisment Act of Puerto Rico of 1999 (§§ 51 — 56g) › Subchapter II - Specific Provisions (§§ 52 — 52d) › § 52b - Industrial districts, non-zoning areas with an authorized industrial use

(a) In industrial districts or non-zoning areas with an authorized industrial use, the installation of the following signs shall be permitted, provided that they comply with the provisions established in §§ 51—51 l of this title and those in this section.
(b) The installation of one (1) or more signs shall be permitted, in the desired proportion and amount, provided that they do not exceed the maximum size permitted in the district.
(c) The installation of signs, as provided hereinbefore, shall be permitted on each lot, building or premise with a main use, and may be installed parallel or perpendicular to a public road.
(d) Signs installed on a building frontage, pursuant to the following: —
(1) Size. — The size of the sign to be installed shall comply with the provisions of § 52a of this title.
(2) Illumination. — The signs may have fixed illumination.
(3) Situation and location. — The signs shall be placed flat against the structure of any of the building frontages. Signs may be placed flat against the general body of a marquee, parallel to a public road, and shall not extend beyond the general body of the marquee or beyond the upper level of their roof.
(e) Signs installed on the ground pursuant to the following: —
(1) Any sign installed on the ground in lots where there is a vacant structure, or on vacant lots in industrial districts or non-zoning areas with an authorized industrial use, shall comply with the requisites established in § 52a of this title and those in this section.
History —Dec. 22, 1999, No. 355, § 19; Sept. 2, 2000, No. 336, § 5.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE NINE - Highways and Traffic (§§ 1-8 — 5725) › Chapter 2 - Uniform Signs and Advertisment Act of Puerto Rico of 1999 (§§ 51 — 56g) › Subchapter II - Specific Provisions (§§ 52 — 52d) › § 52c - Public property, non-zoning areas with an authorized public use, properties owned by the Government

(a) Any sign permitted pursuant to this section, [shall] comply with the provisions established in §§ 51—51 l this title and those in this section.
(b) Signs installed on the front wall of a building, pursuant to the following: —
(1) Size. — The sum of the sizes of the signs to identify the building institution, service, recreation, profession or any of the permitted uses, shall not exceed thirty-five percent (35%) of the area of the building primary frontage, and fifty percent (50%) of the other frontages, pursuant to the provisions of § 52a of this title.
(2) Illumination. — The sign may have non-intermittent illumination.
(3) Situation and location. — The signs shall be affixed to any of the building frontages.
(c) Signs installed on the ground, pursuant to the following: —
(1) Size. — The size of the sign to be installed shall comply with the provisions of § 52a of this title.
(2) Illumination. — The sign may have non-intermittent illumination.
(3) Situation and location. — The signs shall not project over any public road. Their height, measured from the ground level to the highest part of the sign shall not exceed thirty (30) feet. Only a sign shall be installed on the ground, except on corner lots where a sign may be installed facing each of the roads.
History —Dec. 22, 1999, No. 355, § 20, eff. 60 days after Dec. 22, 1999.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE NINE - Highways and Traffic (§§ 1-8 — 5725) › Chapter 2 - Uniform Signs and Advertisment Act of Puerto Rico of 1999 (§§ 51 — 56g) › Subchapter II - Specific Provisions (§§ 52 — 52d) › § 52d - Specific provisions

(a) Signs permitted in districts established by the Zoning Regulation for the Puerto Rico Coastal Zone and Beach Accesses, Zoning Regulation for Urban Non-Zoning Areas of Municipalities Surrounding the Caribbean National Forest (El Yunque), and the Regulation of the Hydrographic Basin of Tortuguero Lagoon, shall comply with the norms and regulations established in §§ 51—51 l of this title, and those in this section.
(b) Any sign with an aesthetic design that harmonizes with the area’s character may be installed.
(c) Only one (1) sign per building or premise may be installed, and one (1) sign on the ground where permitted.
(d) Signs to be permitted. —
(1) Signs to identify the area, premise or the activity that is taking place there; notify any warning and measures taken in relation to the conservation of the area or resource; and to identify any flora or fauna, specie, a particular natural resource and others.
(e) Size. — The size of a sign placed on the frontage shall not exceed thirty-five percent (35%) of the total frontage area where installed, as so determined by the provisions of § 52a of this title.
(f) The maximum size of a sign installed on the ground shall be determined by the provisions of § 52a of this title.
(g) Illumination. — The signs may have non-intermittent illumination, provided it does not imperil the conservation, preservation, and investigation of the type or class of natural resource being protected.
(h) Situation and location. —
(1) The signs shall be installed on the ground or affixed to any of the building frontages.
(2) The sign shall not project beyond the property limits.
(3) The height of the sign installed on the ground, measured from the ground level to the highest part of the sign shall not exceed thirty-five (35) feet.
(4) Only one (1) sign shall be installed on the ground, except on corner lots where a sign may be installed facing each of the roads.
History —Dec. 22, 1999, No. 355, § 21, eff. 60 days after Dec. 22, 1999.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE NINE - Highways and Traffic (§§ 1-8 — 5725) › Chapter 2 - Uniform Signs and Advertisment Act of Puerto Rico of 1999 (§§ 51 — 56g) › Subchapter IV - Permits for Signs and Advertisements (§§ 54 — 54b) › § 54a - Proceeding

The procedures to apply for the approval of a draft (in case there is a variation in the permit application), for a construction permit and an installation permit for a sign or advertisement, shall be carried out in one unified and uniform proceeding, provided that the rights for each procedure are paid on the filing date.
The petitioner of a permit for a sign or advertisement shall submit one (1) set of supporting documents for his/her application, even though the issuance of the permit involves the approval of a draft, a construction permit and an installation permit.
Each permit application for a sign or advertisement shall have an identification number, and shall be kept as an independent file, even though the approval of the permit includes numerous stages and the payment of several rights.
History —Dec. 22, 1999, No. 355, § 24, eff. 60 days after Dec. 22, 1999.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE NINE - Highways and Traffic (§§ 1-8 — 5725) › Chapter 2 - Uniform Signs and Advertisment Act of Puerto Rico of 1999 (§§ 51 — 56g) › Subchapter V - Advisory Committee for the Sign and Advertisement Industry (§ 55) › § 55 - Creation

The Advisory Committee on the Signs and Advertisements Industry is hereby created, attached to the Regulations and Permits Administration (ARPE), which shall be composed of seven (7) members. Three (3) members shall be appointed respectively, by the President of the Puerto Rico Retailers Association, the President of the Chamber of Commerce of Puerto Rico, and the President of the Signs and Advertisements, Manufacturers, Advertisers and Installers Association, for a term of three (3) years. Three (3) members shall be appointed by the Administrator of ARPE for a term of four (4) years, one of which shall be a member of the industry. Upon the expiration of the term of any member of the Committee he/she may continue in office until his/her successor has been appointed. The seventh member of this Committee shall be the Secretary of the Department of Transportation and Public Works, or his authorized representative. In the event that any of the private entities mentioned above ceases to exist, the person appointed to represent the entity shall continue to perform his/her duties until the end of his/her term. If no amendment has been made to the law, the Governor shall appoint a person from the same sector represented by the entity that ceased to exist, who shall begin its post when the vacancy occurs.
The duties of the Committee shall be:
(a) Study the implementation process of this chapter in order to submit recommendations to the Legislature as to any change deemed necessary.
(b) Evaluate the rules that standardize the industry, as well as the manufacturing or installation technology for signs and advertisements that may arise during the advancement of the industry.
(c) Submit recommendations to the Regulations and Permits Administration regarding the necessary changes in the regulations in order to conform it to the technological advancement that may arise and that may be used in Puerto Rico.
(d) During its first meeting, this Committee shall define the norms and procedures for its internal operations.
History —Dec. 22, 1999, No. 355, § 26; Sept. 2, 2000, No. 336, § 6.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE NINE - Highways and Traffic (§§ 1-8 — 5725) › Chapter 2 - Uniform Signs and Advertisment Act of Puerto Rico of 1999 (§§ 51 — 56g) › Subchapter VI - Supplementary Provisions (§§ 56 — 56g) › § 56 - Public service

Any person engaged in the advertisement installation business shall set aside a free space on the advertisement to be used for any public service announcement. Any person who has from one (1) to thirty (30) spaces to install advertisements shall leave one (1) space available for a public service announcement. Any person who has from thirty-one (31) to one hundred (100) spaces to install advertisements shall leave two (2) spaces available for a public service announcement. Any person who has from one hundred and one (101) to one hundred and fifty (150) spaces to install advertisements shall leave three (3) spaces available for a public service announcement. Any person who has from one hundred and fifty-one (151) to two hundred (200) spaces to install advertisements shall leave four (4) spaces available for a public service announcement. Any person who has two hundred (200) spaces or more to install advertisements shall leave five (5) spaces available for a public service announcement.
Any person engaged in the advertisement installation business shall certify, on a yearly basis, to ARPE the amount of spaces available for advertisements, and the number of spaces set aside for public service announcements.
History —Dec. 22, 1999, No. 355, § 27, eff. 60 days after Dec. 22, 1999.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE NINE - Highways and Traffic (§§ 1-8 — 5725) › Chapter 2 - Uniform Signs and Advertisment Act of Puerto Rico of 1999 (§§ 51 — 56g) › Subchapter VI - Supplementary Provisions (§§ 56 — 56g) › § 56a - Transfer of permits

It is hereby provided that the transfer of ownership of a sign or advertisement, to which ARPE has issued a permit, shall not [invalidate] the sign or advertisement’s permit. It is Provided, That it shall be the responsibility of the person who buys a sign or advertisement to notify ARPE of any change of owner and provide all the corresponding information.
History —Dec. 22, 1999, No. 355, § 28, eff. 60 days after Dec. 22, 1999.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE NINE - Highways and Traffic (§§ 1-8 — 5725) › Chapter 2 - Uniform Signs and Advertisment Act of Puerto Rico of 1999 (§§ 51 — 56g) › Subchapter VI - Supplementary Provisions (§§ 56 — 56g) › § 56b - Penalties and legal actions

ARPE may impose fines to any person who violates the provisions of this chapter, pursuant to ARPE Regulations for Administrative Fines. It may also initiate the adequate legal action to implement and oversee the provisions of this chapter.
ARPE shall notify the owner of the illegal sign or advertisement, as well as the owner or occupant of the property where located, of its intention to impose fines for violating the provisions of this chapter; and shall grant a term of ten (10) days to correct the violation, before imposing the said fines.
For the purpose of this section, conforming a sign or advertisement to the requirements established by ARPE; or presenting the corresponding draft when requesting a variation; or presenting an application for the installation of a sign or advertisement affected by the notification, shall be enough cause to halt the process of imposing fines or the proceedings of any legal action filed.
History —Dec. 22, 1999, No. 355, § 29, eff. 60 days after Dec. 22, 1999.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE NINE - Highways and Traffic (§§ 1-8 — 5725) › Chapter 2 - Uniform Signs and Advertisment Act of Puerto Rico of 1999 (§§ 51 — 56g) › Subchapter VI - Supplementary Provisions (§§ 56 — 56g) › § 56d - Implementation of this chapter

The Regulations and Permits Administration shall be responsible of enforcing the provisions of this chapter, and of supervising the compliance of its provisions. To that effect, the Administrator of ARPE shall have all the powers and duties, including without limitation, those powers and duties conferred by Act No. 76 of June 24, 1975, as amended, known as the “Regulations and Permits Administration Organic Act”. In addition, the Administrator may request all the necessary help from other governmental entities to fulfill all the responsibilities under this chapter.
The procedures to impose fines and to file a legal action established in § 56b of this title; and the confiscating procedure established in § 56c of this title, shall be immediately effective on signs or advertisements installed after the effective date of this act, for which no permit was duly requested. Nevertheless, in the case of signs or advertisements installed before the approval of this act, the provisions of § 51a of this title regarding the Signs and Advertisements Registry, and the term of fifteen (15) months granted to register and conform them to the law, shall apply. Upon the expiration of said period of fifteen (15) months or failing to register a sign or advertisement pursuant to the provisions of § 51a of this title, ARPE may proceed to impose fines, to file the appropriate legal actions or confiscate the sign or advertisement.
History —Dec. 22, 1999, No. 355, § 31, eff. 60 days after Dec. 22, 1999.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE NINE - Highways and Traffic (§§ 1-8 — 5725) › Chapter 2 - Uniform Signs and Advertisment Act of Puerto Rico of 1999 (§§ 51 — 56g) › Subchapter VI - Supplementary Provisions (§§ 56 — 56g) › § 56e - Permit applications filed prior to the effective date of this act

Permit applications for the installation of signs and advertisements, duly filed before ARPE prior to the effective date of this act, shall be considered to be filed pursuant to the applicable provisions of law at the time said applications were filed. Nevertheless, in case a permit so applied for may be granted under the provisions of this chapter, but could not have been granted under the provisions of prior laws, ARPE shall then grant it pursuant to this chapter.
History —Dec. 22, 1999, No. 355, § 32, eff. 60 days after Dec. 22, 1999.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE NINE - Highways and Traffic (§§ 1-8 — 5725) › Chapter 2 - Uniform Signs and Advertisment Act of Puerto Rico of 1999 (§§ 51 — 56g) › Subchapter VI - Supplementary Provisions (§§ 56 — 56g) › § 56f - Use of the revenues generated

The funds obtained through the collection of fees and the imposition of fines, pursuant to the provisions of this chapter, shall be covered into the Regulations and Permits Administration Special Fund created pursuant to Section 13 of Act No. 76 of June 24, 1975, as amended, for the benefit of ARPE, except as provided in this section. ARPE shall use said funds for the implementation and supervision of this chapter, as well as to execute all the powers and authority conferred by said section. One percent (1%) of the sums collected through the payment of fees and the imposition of fines, pursuant to the provisions of this chapter, may be used by the Committee to defray those expenses related to the performance of their duties and responsibilities imposed in this chapter. However, ARPE shall withhold thirty-five (35%) of the fees collected pursuant to the provisions of this chapter, which shall be remitted to the autonomous municipalities that have an established permits office, in which the signs and advertisements that generate the collection of said rights are located. The Regulations and Permits Administration shall remit the corresponding amounts annually to said municipalities, according to the certification that this agency shall issue annually, on the fees received for the issuing of permits, and the renewal of registration stickers, for signs and advertisements located in each municipality.
History —Dec. 22, 1999, No. 355, § 33; Sept. 2, 2000, No. 336, § 7.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE NINE - Highways and Traffic (§§ 1-8 — 5725) › Chapter 2 - Uniform Signs and Advertisment Act of Puerto Rico of 1999 (§§ 51 — 56g) › Subchapter VI - Supplementary Provisions (§§ 56 — 56g) › § 56g - Orientation campaign

Immediately after the approval of this act, ARPE shall implement a thirty (30) -day orientation campaign to the general public, regarding their obligation to register the signs and advertisements, the obligation to obtain a permit prior to the installation of a sign or advertisement, and the obligation to be registered in the Registry of Sign Operators.
History —Dec. 22, 1999, No. 355, § 34, eff. 60 days after Dec. 22, 1999.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE NINE - Highways and Traffic (§§ 1-8 — 5725) › Chapter 3 - Acceptance of Benefits Under Federal Highway Acts (§§ 71 — 75) › § 71 - Acceptance of benefits

The acceptance of the benefits of federal aid, and specifically those of the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1944 (Public Law 521-78th Congress), is hereby confirmed.
To this end the Secretary of Transportation and Public Works is hereby authorized to enter into and sign all necessary agreements with the Federal Works Agency and the Public Roads Administration.
History —May 15, 1948, No. 370, p. 1240, § 1, eff. July 1, 1949.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE NINE - Highways and Traffic (§§ 1-8 — 5725) › Chapter 3 - Acceptance of Benefits Under Federal Highway Acts (§§ 71 — 75) › § 72 - Program of works

The Secretary of Transportation and Public Works is hereby further authorized to prepare, and he is hereby directed to prepare, the program of works to be carried out with combined federal and Commonwealth funds, and he is further authorized and empowered to negotiate and execute the necessary agreements with the proper federal authorities to carry out the works program with the combined funds of both governments.
History —May 14, 1949, No. 370, p. 1124, § 3, eff. July 1, 1949.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE NINE - Highways and Traffic (§§ 1-8 — 5725) › Chapter 3 - Acceptance of Benefits Under Federal Highway Acts (§§ 71 — 75) › § 73 - Compensation to third parties sustaining damages

Third parties sustaining damages caused by the negligence of employees in the works and services paid for with the appropriations made in § 74 of this title and which may be carried out by force account shall be compensated.
History —May 14, 1949, No. 370, p. 1124, § 4, eff. July 1, 1949.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE NINE - Highways and Traffic (§§ 1-8 — 5725) › Chapter 3 - Acceptance of Benefits Under Federal Highway Acts (§§ 71 — 75) › § 74 - Condemnation of property

The Secretary of Transportation and Public Works is hereby authorized to file and prosecute in the name and in behalf of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, all proceedings relative to the condemnation of lands and the accessories thereof, quarries, properties, and any other rights, for the construction, reconstruction and widening of roads, highways, bridges, side-roads, junctions, variants, and routes in urban and rural districts, as well as parks and recreation places in the surroundings of said roads.
When it may be necessary, in order to carry out any of the aforesaid works, to purchase or condemn part of a parcel and building, the Secretary of Transportation and Public Works may purchase or condemn the whole of the parcel and the whole of the building; the Secretary of Transportation and Public Works may, likewise, substitute the works by others, or when necessary, construct the works in such way, that the affected party may continue to enjoy the facilities previously had or the equivalent thereof, as the case may be, if in his judgment the best interests of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico would thereby be better served.
History —May 14, 1949, No. 370, p. 1124, § 5, eff. July 1, 1949.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE NINE - Highways and Traffic (§§ 1-8 — 5725) › Chapter 6 - Complete Streets (§§ 146 — 151) › § 146 - Definitions

For purposes of this chapter, the following terms or phrases shall have the meaning stated hereinbelow, except where clearly stated otherwise, and terms in the singular form shall include the plural form and vice versa:
(a) Complete Streets.— Road design characteristics that facilitate the safety and mobility of public thoroughfare users. It also expands and complements the design requirements established by this chapter and by state and federal regulations to include the mobility needs of pedestrians, cyclists, users of public transportation, drivers of motor vehicles, and persons of all ages and abilities. Such characteristics include, but are not limited to: walkable sidewalks, exclusive lanes labeled for cyclists, construction of signs and structures such as traffic islands, rotundas, and crossroads that allow for sharing public roads, corner cut-offs, raised sidewalks with access ramps, and the adoption of public security measures to control traffic.
(b) Commission.— Shall mean the Evaluation Commission for the Adoption of the Complete Streets Concept, created pursuant to this chapter.
(c) Public thoroughfare.— Highways, roads, streets, routes, lanes, sidewalks, and the crossroads and intersections that interconnect them.
History —Dec. 16, 2010, No. 201, § 2.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE NINE - Highways and Traffic (§§ 1-8 — 5725) › Chapter 6 - Complete Streets (§§ 146 — 151) › § 147 - Declaration of public policy

(1) The adoption of the concept of Complete Streets is hereby established as the public policy of the Government of Puerto Rico.
(a) The Department of Transportation and Public Works, the Highway and Transportation Authority, and the municipal transportation and highway departments or divisions shall adopt, as part of their regulations, a policy to create Complete Streets with the purpose of facilitating convenient access and mobility to all users of public thoroughfares, including pedestrians, cyclists, persons who use public transportation systems, drivers of motor vehicles and, in general, persons of all ages and abilities.
(b) This public policy shall apply to the planning, design, new construction, remodeling, and maintenance of public thoroughfares located in urban areas, as well as in suburban and rural areas undergoing improvements and/or new construction which allow for the application of the Complete Streets concept.
History —Dec. 16, 2010, No. 201, § 3; Sept. 15, 2012, No. 259, § 1.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE NINE - Highways and Traffic (§§ 1-8 — 5725) › Chapter 6 - Complete Streets (§§ 146 — 151) › § 148 - Evaluation Commission for the Adoption of the Complete Streets Concept

A temporary Commission shall be established, to be chaired by the Secretary of the Department of Transportation and Public Works or his/her representative, which shall have the following name: “Evaluation Commission for the Adoption of the Complete Streets Concept”. The Commission shall have the following purposes:
(a) To establish a series of standards, uniform guidelines, and measures to enforce and track success, which apply at the local and municipal level.
(b) To propose amendments to laws and regulations, and changes to road design guidelines and standards.
(c) Submit its recommendations not later than September 30, 2012.
(d) Create and empower subcommittees to establish regulations to implement the public policy of this chapter.
History —Dec. 16, 2010, No. 201, § 4; Sept. 15, 2012, No. 259, § 2.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE NINE - Highways and Traffic (§§ 1-8 — 5725) › Chapter 6 - Complete Streets (§§ 146 — 151) › § 149 - Evaluation Commission for the Adoption of the Complete Streets Concept—Composition

The Governor shall designate the Commission not later than thirty (30) days after the approval of this act, and the same shall be composed of members representing the following agencies and organizations:
(a) The Department of Transportation and Public Works.
(b) The Planning Board.
(c) The Permit Management Office.
(d) The Department of Health.
(e) One member from each organization that represents municipalities.
(f) The College of Engineers and Surveyors of Puerto Rico.
(g) The College of Architects and Landscape Architects of Puerto Rico.
(h) The Puerto Rican Planning Society.
(i) The AARP-Puerto Rico.
(j) The Federal Highway Administration.
(k) The Puerto Rico Home Builders Association.
(l) The Highway Safety Commission.
(m) The Office of the Advocate for Persons with Disabilities.
(n) The Associated General Contractors of America, Puerto Rico Chapter.
History —Dec. 16, 2010, No. 201, § 5.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE NINE - Highways and Traffic (§§ 1-8 — 5725) › Chapter 6 - Complete Streets (§§ 146 — 151) › § 150 - Evaluation Commission for the Adoption of the Complete Streets Concept—Duties and dissolution

Once the members of the Commission are designated, the Secretary of the Department of Transportation and Public Works, or his/her representative, shall call and hold the first meeting:
(a) Once convened and gathered, the Commission or any person designated by it shall establish the rules of operation.
(b) The Commission or any person designated by it shall submit a brief progress report to the Legislative Assembly. A copy of said report shall be sent to the pertinent agencies and to all the municipalities of the Island.
(c) The Commission shall draft model regulations to be used by the agencies and municipalities in the implementation of this public policy.
(d) A final report including findings, recommendations, and proposals shall be submitted to the Legislative Assembly, as well as to the agencies and municipalities not later than September 30, 2012.
(e) The Commission shall be dissolved once it renders its final report.
History —Dec. 16, 2010, No. 201, § 6; Sept. 15, 2012, No. 259, § 3.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE NINE - Highways and Traffic (§§ 1-8 — 5725) › Chapter 6 - Complete Streets (§§ 146 — 151) › § 151 - Exceptions

For purposes of practicality, usage, reasonability, and proportion between the investment and use of such public thoroughfare by the people, if necessary, the public policy established by this chapter shall be subject to the following conditions:
(a) That the use of a particular public thoroughfare by cyclists or pedestrians is prohibited by law or is contrary to the established laws and regulations.
(b) That the cost of building a particular public thoroughfare is proportional to the need or potential use given thereto, and that the cost of implementing Complete Streets features in the project does not exceed thirty percent (30%) of the total thereof.
History —Dec. 16, 2010, No. 201, added as § 7 on Sept. 15, 2012, No. 259, § 4.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE NINE - Highways and Traffic (§§ 1-8 — 5725) › Chapter 7 - Regulation of Motor Vehicles and Traffic (§§ 171-178 — 200) › § 180 - Public service automobile insurance

(a) [Repealed. Act June 26, 1968, No. 138, p. 335, § 16, eff. Jan. 1, 1970.]
(b) [Repealed. Act June 26, 1968, No. 138, p. 335, § 16, eff. Jan. 1, 1970.]
(c) [Repealed. Act June 21, 1977, No. 89, p. 200, § 6, eff. June 21, 1977.]
(d) [Repealed. Act June 21, 1977, No. 89, p. 200, § 6, eff. June 21, 1977.]
(e) [Repealed. Act June 21, 1977, No. 89, p. 200, § 6, eff. June 21, 1977.]
History —Apr. 5, 1946, No. 279; June 30, 1947, No. 7, p. 32, § 2; Aug. 21, 1948, No. 18, p. 226, § 1; Apr. 20, 1951, No. 107, p. 236, § 1; June 26, 1968, No. 138, p. 335, § 16; June 21, 1977, No. 89, p. 200, § 6.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE NINE - Highways and Traffic (§§ 1-8 — 5725) › Chapter 7 - Regulation of Motor Vehicles and Traffic (§§ 171-178 — 200) › § 194 - Use of sirens

It is hereby prohibited to use sirens on any motor vehicle, whether public or private, of the Commonwealth or Municipal Government or of the Government of the Capital, and on pedal bicycles, excepting those vehicles which are used as ambulances or fire-engines, and those belonging to the Police of Puerto Rico.
History —Apr. 24, 1945, No. 33, p. 114, § 1, eff. 90 days after Apr. 24, 1945.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE NINE - Highways and Traffic (§§ 1-8 — 5725) › Chapter 7 - Regulation of Motor Vehicles and Traffic (§§ 171-178 — 200) › § 195 - Use of sirens—Penalties

Every chauffeur, motor-vehicle driver, or cyclist, who violates the provisions of § 194 of this title, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.
History —Apr. 24, 1945, No. 33, p. 114, § 2, eff. 90 days after Apr. 24, 1945.