SB 350 Summary

• Establishes digital billboard permits as a renewable annual permit distinct from standard billboard permits, with a $200 first-year fee and $200 annual renewal fee.

• Prohibits new standard billboard permits after January 1, 2007, but allows interim permits for sign owners who remove existing permitted signs and comply with specific spacing and visibility requirements (1,000 feet on interstates/freeways, 500 feet on primary highways).

• Creates a vegetation management permit system allowing sign owners to trim or remove trees/shrubs obstructing billboards, with a $500 permit fee and requirement to pay for tree/vegetation value based on appraisal methods; permit valid for 5 years.

• Establishes penalties for unauthorized vegetation removal (up to 5 times the value of removed vegetation) and restricts sign owners who trim vegetation without permits from obtaining vegetation permits for 3 years.

• Adds provisions prohibiting signs from crossing limited access highway rights-of-way and clarifies that nonconforming signs may continue to exist if properly maintained, with digital billboards subject to specific spacing (1,500 feet apart) and luminescence requirements.