Virginia Administrative Code › Title 24 - TRANSPORTATION AND MOTOR VEHICLES › Agency 30 - DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION › Chapter 120 - RULES AND REGULATIONS CONTROLLING OUTDOOR ADVERTISING AND DIRECTIONAL AND OTHER SIGNS AND NOTICES › Part II - Directional and Other Official Signs and Notices (Located Off Highway Right of Way) › Section 24VAC30-120-80 - Definitions

Current through Register Vol. 40, No. 24, July 15, 2024
The following definitions apply to directional and other
					 official signs and notices which are erected and maintained within 660 feet of
					 the nearest edge of the right of way of interstate, federal-aid primary and
					 national highway systems, which are not erected on the highway right of way and
					 which are visible from the main-traveled way of the system.
"Directional and other official signs and notices" means
					 only official signs and notices, public utility signs, service club and
					 religious notices, public service signs, and directional signs.
"Directional signs" means signs containing directional
					 information about public places owned or operated by federal, state, or local
					 governments or their agencies; publicly or privately owned natural phenomena,
					 historic, cultural, scientific, educational, and religious sites; and areas of
					 natural scenic beauty or naturally suited for outdoor recreation, deemed to be
					 in the interest of the traveling public.
"Erect" means to construct, build, raise, assemble, place,
					 affix, attach, create, paint, draw, or in any other way bring into being or
					 establish.
"Federal or state law" means a federal or state
					 constitutional provision or statute, or an ordinance, rule or regulation
					 enacted or adopted by a state or federal agency or a political subdivision of a
					 state pursuant to a federal or state constitution or statute.
"Freeway" means a divided arterial highway for through
					 traffic with full control of access.
"Interstate system" means the national system of
					 interstate and defense highways, described in § 103(e) of Title 23, United
					 States Code.
"Maintain" means to allow to exist.
"Main-traveled way" means the through traffic lanes of the
					 highway, exclusive of frontage roads, auxiliary lanes and ramps.
"National highway system" means the federal-aid highway
					 system described in subsection (b) of § 103 of Title 23, United States
					 Code, and regulations adopted pursuant to that law, or as defined in §
					 33.2-1200 of the Code of Virginia.
"Official signs and notices" means signs and notices
					 erected and maintained by public officers or public agencies within their
					 territorial or zoning jurisdiction and pursuant to and in accordance with
					 direction or authorization contained in federal, state or local law for the
					 purposes of carrying out an official duty or responsibility. Historical markers
					 authorized by state law and erected by state or local government agencies or
					 nonprofit historical societies may be considered official signs.
"Parkland" means any publicly owned land which is
					 designated or used as a public park, recreation area, wildlife or waterfowl
					 refuge or historic site.
"Primary system" means the federal-aid highway system
					 described in § 103(b) of Title 23, United States Code.
"Public service signs" means signs located on school bus
					 stop shelters, which:
1. Identify the
				  donor, sponsor, or contributor of said shelter;
2. Contain safety slogans or messages, which
				  shall occupy not less than 60% of the area of the sign;
3. Contain no other message;
4. Are located on school bus shelters which
				  are authorized or approved by city, county, or state law, regulation or
				  ordinance, and at places approved by the city, county, or state agency
				  controlling the highway involved; and
5. May not exceed 32 square feet in area. Not
				  more than one sign on each shelter shall face in any one direction.
"Public utility signs" means warning signs, informational
					 signs, notices, or markers which are customarily erected and maintained by
					 publicly or privately owned public utilities, as essential to their
					 operations.
"Rest area" means an area or site established and
					 maintained within or adjacent to the highway right of way by or under public
					 supervision or control for the convenience of the traveling public.
"Scenic area" means any area of particular scenic beauty
					 or historical significance as determined by the federal, state, or local
					 officials having jurisdiction thereof, and includes interests in land which has
					 been acquired for the restoration, preservation, and enhancement of scenic
					 beauty.
"Service club and religious notices" means signs and
					 notices whose erection is authorized by law, relating to meetings of nonprofit
					 service clubs or charitable associations, or religious services, which signs do
					 not exceed eight square feet in area.
"Sign" means an outdoor sign, light, display device,
					 figure, painting, drawing, message, placard, poster, billboard, or other thing
					 which is designed, intended, or used to advertise or inform any part of the
					 advertising or informative contents of which is visible from any place on the
					 main-traveled way of the interstate or federal-aid primary highway.
"Single route" means one numbered highway or a combination
					 of numbered highways affording a means of reaching an advertised activity from
					 any one point.
"State" means any one of the 50 states, the District of
					 Columbia, or Puerto Rico.
"Visible" means capable of being seen (whether or not
					 legible) without visual aid by a person of normal visual
					 acuity.
Statutory Authority: § 33.2-210 of the Code of
						Virginia.