Okla. Stat. tit. 69, § 69-1275

After April 15, 1968, signs which are to be erected in a

business area shall comply with the following standards:

1. General. Signs shall not be erected or maintained which:

a. imitate or resemble any official traffic sign, signal

or device, or

b. are erected or maintained upon trees or painted or

drawn upon rocks or other natural features;

2. Size.

a. Signs shall not be erected which exceed one thousand

two hundred (1,200) square feet in area, per facing,

including border and trim, nor shall signs be erected

which exceed twenty-five (25) feet in height nor sixty

(60) feet in length, excluding apron, supports and

other structural members.

b. The maximum size limitations shall apply to each sign

facing. Two signs not exceeding six hundred (600)

Oklahoma Statutes - Title 69. Roads, Bridges, and Ferries Page 136

square feet each may be erected in a facing, side by

side or "doubledecked". Back-to-back and/or V-type

signs will be permitted, and shall be treated as one

structure with one thousand two hundred (1,200) square

feet permitted for each, if the sign structures or

facings are physically contiguous, or connected by the

same structure or cross bracing, or located not more

than fifteen (15) feet apart at their nearest point

nor more than thirty (30) feet apart at their widest

point in the case of back-to-back or V-type signs.

However, nothing in this section shall be construed to

allow tri-faced signs;

3. Spacing.

a. Signs shall conform to all applicable building codes

and ordinances of the municipality, county or state,

whichever has jurisdiction as set forth in Section

1272 of this title, except as provided for in

subparagraph d of this paragraph.

b. Signs shall not be erected or maintained in such a

manner as to obscure or otherwise physically interfere

with an official traffic sign, signal or device or to

obstruct or physically interfere with the driver's

view of approaching, merging or intersecting traffic.

c. Signs visible from a nonfreeway primary highway shall

not be erected within the limits of an incorporated

municipality less than one hundred (100) feet on the

opposite side of the highway and three hundred (300)

feet on the same side of the highway, and outside the

limits of an incorporated municipality less than three

hundred (300) feet, from another such sign, other than

signs described in subsections (a), (b) and (c) of

Section 1274 of this title, unless separated by a

building or other obstruction in such a manner that

only one display located within the minimum spacing

distances set forth herein is visible from the highway

at any one time; provided, however, that this shall

not prevent the erection of double-faced, back-to-

back, or V-type signs with a maximum of two signs per

facing, as permitted by paragraph 2 of this section.

Signs visible and intended to be read from interstate

and freeway primary facilities shall not be erected

less than one thousand (1,000) feet from another such

sign on the same side of such facilities, other than

signs described in subsections (a), (b) and (c) of

Section 1274 of this title. Outside incorporated

municipalities, signs visible and intended to be read

from interstate and freeway primary facilities shall

Oklahoma Statutes - Title 69. Roads, Bridges, and Ferries Page 137

not be erected adjacent to or within five hundred
rom another such

sign on the same side of such facilities, other than

signs described in subsections (a), (b) and (c) of

Section 1274 of this title. Outside incorporated

municipalities, signs visible and intended to be read

from interstate and freeway primary facilities shall

Oklahoma Statutes - Title 69. Roads, Bridges, and Ferries Page 137

not be erected adjacent to or within five hundred

(500) feet of an interchange, intersection at grade,

or rest area, on the same side of such facilities such

distance to be measured along the interstate highway

or freeway from the sign to the nearest point of the

beginning or ending of pavement widening at the exit

from or entrance to the main-traveled way. Signs may

not be located within five hundred (500) feet of any

of the following which are adjacent to any interstate

or federal-aid primary highway: public parks; public

forests; playgrounds; or cemeteries. Provided,

however, the Transportation Commission shall

promulgate rules pursuant to the Administrative

Procedures Act governing the measurement methodology

to be prospectively utilized by the Department when

determining spacing between outdoor advertising signs,

displays and devices and public parks, public forests,

playgrounds and cemeteries. Provided further, any

measurement methodology heretofore utilized by the

Department, including but not limited to the straight-

line method, shall be accepted by the Department

without prejudice. Provided further, the Department

shall be prohibited from altering a permit

classification or revoking any outdoor advertising

license, which was properly obtained at the time of

issuance, based upon a change of internal agency

policy, agency interpretation of law or promulgation

of rules. Provided further, a sign location that was

permitted in compliance with the spacing requirements

of this section in effect prior to the effective date

of this act, but which does not comply with the

spacing requirements of this section as amended after

the effective date of this act, shall maintain its

current legal status; provided it complies with all

other permitting requirements as set forth by the

Transportation Commission.

d. For the purpose of providing a method and opportunity

to minimize the cost of acquiring legally erected

outdoor advertising signs, the Director of the

Department of Transportation shall have the option to

approve the issuance of permits for outdoor

advertising signs visible from a roadway subject to

the regulatory control of the Department of

Transportation which may be erected less than current

state spacing distances from another such sign.

Permits issued pursuant to this option shall be only

for the purpose of providing a relocation site for a

Oklahoma Statutes - Title 69. Roads, Bridges, and Ferries Page 138

sign being taken by the state and shall not violate

spacing regulations as stipulated in the Federal State

Agreement. The Department shall also issue a

relocation permit if a roadway for which a legally

erected permitted sign adjacent thereto is realigned;

provided, however, the applicant for such relocation

permit shall surrender four legally issued permits on

a road realigned and the applicant shall waive any

claim for compensation against the Department upon

issuance of a relocation permit based on highway

realignment. Provided, when the Department issues a

permit pursuant to this subsection to accommodate the

relocation of a structure:

(1) if the structure to be removed is visible from a

roadway subject to the regulatory control of the

Department inside an incorporated area, the

relocation site shall be inside the same

incorporated area and shall be visible from a

roadway subject to the regulatory control of the

Department,
artment issues a

permit pursuant to this subsection to accommodate the

relocation of a structure:

(1) if the structure to be removed is visible from a

roadway subject to the regulatory control of the

Department inside an incorporated area, the

relocation site shall be inside the same

incorporated area and shall be visible from a

roadway subject to the regulatory control of the

Department,

(2) if there are not suitable relocation sites

meeting the provisions of division 1 of this

subparagraph and the structure to be removed is

visible from a roadway subject to the regulatory

control of the Department, notwithstanding the

provisions of division 1 of this subparagraph,

the Department may issue a permit for a

relocation site outside of the incorporated area,

provided the relocation site is in the same

county, a contiguous county thereto or other

municipality in which the improved roadway

travels through granting mutual benefit from

improvements, which shall be visible from a

roadway subject to the regulatory control of the

Department, and

(3) all potential relocation sites must be in

compliance with provisions set forth in the

applicable Right-of-Way, Public Utility and

Encroachment Agreement or Agreements.

Provided further, the square footage of display face

on the relocated sign shall not exceed the square

footage of display face of the acquired sign. The

relocated sign shall maintain the same legal status

and ability to upgrade as existed prior to relocation;

provided it complies with all other permitting

requirements set forth by the Transportation

Commission and no other permits shall be required and

Oklahoma Statutes - Title 69. Roads, Bridges, and Ferries Page 139

any county or municipal authority in which a

relocation permit has been issued shall promptly

provide the required 9-1-1 address or other

information necessary for the delivery of utility

service to a relocated sign. The Transportation

Commission shall have the authority to promulgate

rules necessary to implement the use of the permit

option provided for in this subsection.

e. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the

Department of Transportation shall, after determining

the need to acquire property upon which outdoor

advertising structures are located, have the authority

to negotiate directly with the owner of the outdoor

advertising structure the terms for maintaining such

structures in their current position or for the

relocation of such structures. Such negotiations may

begin prior to the Department's initiation of formal

condemnation proceedings and shall be completed prior

to a jury award in a condemnation proceeding. The

Department of Transportation retains its right to

require the removal of the sign structure improvement

effective as of the payment by the Department in the

amount awarded by the court-appointed commissioners

pursuant to applicable law. Nothing in this section

shall be construed to prevent the owner of the land

from pursuing a claim of interest in any lease

existing between the landowner and the outdoor

advertising structure owner, or to prevent the outdoor

advertising structure owner from pursuing a claim for

fair market value of the owner's interest if

negotiations with the Department for a lease or

structure relocation arrangement are not successful;

4. Lighting.

a. Signs shall not be erected which contain, include, or

are illuminated by any flashing, intermittent,

revolving or moving light, except on-premise signs and

those giving public service information such as, but

not limited to, time, date, temperature, weather or

news. Steadily burning lights in configuration of

letters or pictures are not prohibited.

b. Signs shall not be erected or maintained which are not

effectively shielded to prevent beams or rays of light

from being directed at any portion of the traveled way

of any interstate or primary highway and are of such
rvice information such as, but

not limited to, time, date, temperature, weather or

news. Steadily burning lights in configuration of

letters or pictures are not prohibited.

b. Signs shall not be erected or maintained which are not

effectively shielded to prevent beams or rays of light

from being directed at any portion of the traveled way

of any interstate or primary highway and are of such

intensity or brilliance as to cause glare or to impair

the vision of the driver of any motor vehicle.

Oklahoma Statutes - Title 69. Roads, Bridges, and Ferries Page 140

c. Signs shall not be erected or maintained which shall

be so illuminated that they obscure any official

traffic sign, device, or signal, or imitate or may be

confused with any such official traffic sign, device

or signal.

d. Provided, however, nothing in this section shall be

construed to prohibit the erection or maintenance of

signs which include the steady illumination of sign

faces, panels or slats that rotate to different

messages in a fixed position, commonly known as tri-

vision faces or multiple message signs; provided, the

rotation of one sign face to another is no more

frequent than every eight (8) seconds and the actual

rotation process is accomplished in four (4) seconds

or less; and

5. Vegetation Management.

a. For the purpose of minimizing costs to the Department

for the removal, cutting, or trimming of trees or

vegetation on a public right-of-way to make visible or

ensure future visibility of the facing of a permitted

outdoor advertising sign, the Department is authorized

to establish a process for an outdoor advertising

permit holder to conduct vegetation management

activities within a specific area surrounding the

permit holders' outdoor advertising device.

b. The Department shall promulgate rules prescribing the

scope of such vegetation management activities and any

requirements it deems necessary to monitor such

activities.