New Illinois Law Exempts On-Premise Signs from IDOT Registration
Through the efforts of ISA and the Illinois Sign Association, on May 31 the Illinois General Assembly passed industry-supported legislation that exempts on-premise signs from registration requirements that applied to all signs located near interstate and primary highways. HB2764 (Amending the Highway Advertising Control Act of 1971) exempts owners of existing and future on-premise and real estate signs located within 660 feet of interstate and primary highways and “visible” from the highway from the requirement to fill out and submit Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) Form 9003, which deals with Illinois’ outdoor advertising regulations. Compliance with these forms required: disclosure of ownership, GPS location of sign (licensed surveyor mandatory for all signs 100+ ft2), the applicable zoning designation as of 9/21/1959, proximity to nearby airports, description of sign lighting, and payment of a one-time fee of $50. Any alteration to a sign, change in ownership of a business, or change in ownership of the land would require filing an amended registration form. Key support for HB2764 came from the legislative and government affairs staffs at the Illinois Association of Realtors, and Illinois Retail Merchants Association, with significant on-the-ground assistance by ISA member Dennis Bringuet of Ace Sign Co. in Springfield, Ill., and the Springfield legislative office of ISA Board Member Walgreens Co. Earlier in May, ISA’s Kenny Peskin (@signcodeguy) traveled to Springfield, Ill., to testify before the Senate State Government and Veterans Affairs Committee. For more information on IDOT regulations and on-premise signs, please contact Illinois Sign Association Executive Director Brian Swingle or Kenneth Peskin.
