Administrative Rules of Montana › Department 18 - TRANSPORTATION › Chapter 18.6 - RIGHT-OF-WAY BUREAU › Subchapter 18.6.2 - Outdoor Advertising Regulations › Rule 18.6.237 - ELECTRONIC BILLBOARD STANDARDS

Current through Register Vol. 13, July 5, 2024
(1) An electronic
				billboard (EBB) may be approved as an off-premise outdoor advertising sign if
				it is visible to the traveling public from a controlled route and is within an
				area zoned commercial or industrial within the city limits or urban area of an
				incorporated or unincorporated city or town as shown on the department's
				official city urban and unincorporated town maps.
(2) An EBB must meet all of the following
				conditions:
(a) EBB messages must have a
				minimum display (dwell) time of eight seconds and a maximum change (twirl)
				interval of one second;
(b) an EBB
				shall not exceed a brightness level of three tenths (0.3) footcandles over
				ambient light as measured by the distance to the EBB as follows:
EBB face area (square feet)
Distance of Measurement (feet from EBB)
300-672
250
200-299
150
150-199
135
100-149
110
(c)
				an EBB must use automatic dimming technology to adjust the brightness of the
				EBB relative to ambient light to avoid exceeding the brightness level of three
				tenths (0.3) footcandles;
(d) an
				EBB must not be placed with illumination that interferes with the effectiveness
				of or obscures an official traffic sign, device, or signal;
(e) an EBB must not cause beams or rays or
				light to be directed at the traveled way if the light is of unreasonable
				intensity or brilliance or is likely to be mistaken for a warning or danger
				signal or cause glare or impair the vision of any driver, or to interfere with
				the driver's operation of a motor vehicle;
(f) an EBB message must remain static and
				nonmoving. Paging, scrolling, or streaming messages are prohibited. The message
				must not use techniques of message display such as fading, rolling, window
				shading, exploding, dissolving, spinning, revolving, or shaking
				messages;
(g) an EBB must not
				include or be illuminated by flashing, intermittent, or moving lights, nor use
				jumping arrows or rapid chasing or flashing lamp borders, or lights which
				resemble or simulate any lights used to control traffic;
(h) an EBB must not be located within 1000
				feet of the beginning or ending of the pavement widening, for each entrance or
				exit roadway, to the main-traveled way on interchanges, and within 500 feet of
				an intersection;
(i) an EBB must
				not be placed within 2000 feet of another permitted sign measured along the
				nearest edge of the pavement between points directly opposite the signs on the
				same side of the roadway;
(j) an
				EBB must only be constructed as a single face, back-to-back, or two-faced
				V-shaped structure. Only one face may be visible in each direction of the
				main-traveled way. Side-by-side or stacked EBBs are prohibited;
(k) an EBB must not be a portable sign which
				is used as permanent illuminated signage, as only a fixed sign is
				allowed;
(l) an EBB must not use
				wording that implies traffic control or a highway emergency;
(m) an EBB must not attempt or appear to
				attempt to direct the movement of traffic and must not interfere with, imitate,
				or resemble any official traffic sign, signal, or device;
(n) an EBB must contain a default mechanism
				which will stop the sign face in one position if a malfunction which causes the
				display to be in violation of this rule occurs, or within three hours when
				notified by the department; and
(o)
				an EBB must not cause interference with radio, television, or other utility
				electronic signal.