HB640 Alabama 2013 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Elaine Beech

Democrat

Session

Regular Session 2013

Title

Highways, outdoor advertising, Highway Beautification Act amended, definitions, spacing, conformance with federal law, Secs. 23-1-271, 23-1-274 am'd.

Summary

HB640 updates Alabama's outdoor advertising rules near federal-aid highways to align with federal definitions and agreements, including changes to area definitions, the definition of primary highways, and sign spacing and size limits.

What This Bill Does

The bill redefines key terms used to regulate outdoor advertising, adopts the federal definition of primary highways, and tightens or refines spacing and size limits for signs to be in line with federal-state agreements. It also broadens the criteria for what land counts as unzoned commercial areas by requiring all of the land to be regularly used for its business purpose. Overall, it brings Alabama’s outdoor advertising controls closer to federal standards and updates enforcement rules.

Who It Affects

• Outdoor advertising businesses and sign owners, who would face new size and spacing limits and updated definitions when placing or maintaining signs near highways.
• Property owners in areas near federal-aid highways, whose land classifications (business area or unzoned area) may change under the revised definitions.
• The Alabama Department of Transportation and local zoning authorities, which would administer and enforce the updated definitions and spacing rules.

Key Provisions

• Redefines 'business area' to use the term 'adjoining' instead of 'adjacent' and to remove the phrase 'at any time', affecting which land is regulated for outdoor advertising.
• Adopts the federal definition of 'primary highway' to include the federal-aid primary system as of June 1, 1991 and roads on the National Highway System.
• Amends the definition of 'unzoned commercial, business, or industrial area' to require all property within the area to be regularly used for its business purpose.
• Revises spacing and size requirements to align with federal/state agreements: signs erected after July 15, 1995 generally limited to 672 square feet (max height 14 feet, max length 48 feet); older signs have different limits (up to 1,200 square feet, height up to 30 feet, length up to 60 feet).
• Sets minimum spacing between signs on interstates/freeways and primary highways with distinctions based on whether the area is outside or inside city zoning and whether signs were installed before or after July 15, 1995 (generally 500 feet between signs; pre-1995 rules allow closer spacing in some areas; specific restrictions near interchanges and rest areas apply).
• Imposes general sign standards: no signs that imitate official traffic signs, no signs on trees, ongoing maintenance requirements, and removal of obsolete signs.
• Effective date: the act becomes law immediately after passage and approval by the Governor.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 24, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Highways, Roads, and Bridges