July 29, 2016
Section 1425 of the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act (FAST Act) permits a State Department of Transportation (State DOT) to allow the maintenance of service club, charitable association, or religious service organization signs less than or equal to 32 square feet if they were in existence on the FAST Act enactment date of December 4, 2015, or were removed within the three years prior to that date. Section 1425 does not apply to service club, charitable association, or religious service organization signs not in existence on December 4, 2015, or those signs removed prior to December 4, 2012. The Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) Highway Beautification Act regulation at 23 CFR 750.153(p) will continue to allow service club signs and religious notices which do not exceed 8 square feet in area.
Answer: According to 23 U.S.C. 131(c), service club signs and religious notices are allowable as a type of directional and official signs and notices. Under 23 CFR 750.153(p), service club signs and religious notices relating to meetings of nonprofit service clubs, charitable associations, or religious services cannot exceed 8 square feet in area. Section 1425 of the FAST Act provides an exception to this rule by allowing these signs to be less than or equal to 32 square feet if they were in existence as of the FAST Act enactment date (i.e., December 4, 2015) or were removed within the three years prior to the FAST Act enactment date.
Answer: The State DOT must notify FHWA of this election. FAST Act §1425. To do that, the State DOT may notify its FHWA Division Office in whatever manner has been deemed acceptable for official correspondence between the Division Office and the State DOT.
Answer:
