Section 2: Sign Permit Application
Anchor: #i999877Requirements
The Form ROW-OA-4, Permit Application for Outdoor Advertising Sign , must:
- be completed in the exact name shown on the Outdoor Advertising License;
- clearly show the proposed location and description of the sign and all other items required by the application;
- provide verification of the applicant's nonprofit status, if the sign is a nonprofit sign;
- must have a notarized signature of each individual applicant or a corporate officer if the applicant is a corporation or the managing partner if the applicant is a limited partnership; and
- be accompanied by a nonrefundable permit fee of $96.00 made payable to the Texas Highway Beautification Fund. The permit fee for a sign already in existence along a road, which is added to the National Highway System, is $50.00.
If the check or money order submitted in payment of the sign permits is dishonored upon presentment by TxDOT, the permit will be canceled as of the date of receipt of payment.
Anchor: #i999926Staking and Sketch
The applicant must identify the proposed location for a new sign on the ground with paint or by a stake with at least two feet of the stake visible above the ground. The stake must be set at the proposed location of the center pole. Staking the site is considered part of the application. Stakes must not be moved or removed until the application is denied, or if approved, until the sign has been erected. The sketch submitted with the application must reflect the location of the center-pole and show the exact location of the sign faces in relation to the center pole.
Anchor: #i999936Permission from Property Owner
No permit may be approved unless the applicant has obtained written permission from the owner of the designated site. TxDOT provides a space on the permit application for the site owner's signature. Alternatively, the applicant may provide (1) a copy of the written lease for the site or (2) a consent statement in a form prescribed by TxDOT . The signature must be the signature of the property owner or the owner's duly authorized representative. The owner's permission operates as permission for the life of the permit, unless the owner provides a written statement that permission for the maintenance of the sign has been withdrawn and documentation showing that the lease allowing the sign has been terminated in accordance with the terms of the lease agreement or through a court order. If the sign owner disputes the lease termination in court with the owner, TxDOT will not cancel the permit until a court order is provided.
Anchor: #i999946Inspection
Inspecting the sign site prior to approval of a permit is the responsibility of the District. When the District representative makes the inspection, a note should be made on the permit application showing:
- the zoning, if any, or
- if the sign site is in an unzoned commercial or industrial area, it must be within 800 feet of at least two adjacent commercial or industrial activities on the same side of the highway as the sign site; and
- the sign meets Sign Standards - Spacing.
Spaces have been provided on the permit application form for District personnel to indicate whether the sign is conforming or nonconforming. Permits cannot be approved for new signs unless those signs will conform to the current authorized standards and criteria, including location, size, lighting and spacing.
Anchor: #i999981Permit Plates
When the application for a permit is approved, the Form ROW-OA-4, Permit Application for Outdoor Advertising Sign , will be executed in duplicate by the District Engineer or an authorized representative. The original will be retained on file in the District and the copy will be returned to the applicant accompanied by a Texas Sign Permit Plate. The permit plates are numbered consecutively. The plate number is to be printed in the upper right corner of page one of the Form ROW-OA-4, Permit Application for Outdoor Advertising Sign.
The permit plate is to be securely attached to the sign support or structure nearest the highway and visible from the main traveled way. The owner or owner's representative must attach the permit plate within 30 days after the erection of the sign or within 30 days after issuance of the permit for existing signs.