(1) Official signs must be erected outside the right-of-way and maintained by a public office or agency.

(2) Official signs must be erected within the territorial jurisdiction or zoning jurisdiction of the public office or agency, such that the office or agency must exercise some form of governmental authority over the area upon which the sign is located.

(3) Official signs must be erected pursuant to direction or authorization contained in federal, state, or local law, such that the office must be directed by statute or must have the specific authority by statute to erect and maintain signs and notices.

(4) Local governments may erect, within the limits of their jurisdiction, official signs welcoming travelers and describing the services and attractions available, but official signs shall not contain any commercial advertising, nor advertise private business or brand names.

(5) Not more than one official sign welcoming visitors or providing information about a community is allowed on each highway entering the community, from each direction of travel, subject to federal and state outdoor advertising control rules.

(6) On interstate highways, official "welcome to" signs may be erected within five miles of a community. Not more than one "welcome to" sign in each direction is allowed.

(7) An official sign of a local government will not be considered in determining the spacing required between conforming outdoor advertising signs located off premises.

(8) The maximum area of an official sign shall not exceed 150 square feet.

(9) Signs must not exceed 30 feet in height as measured from a right angle from the surface of the roadway at the centerline of the controlled route, or from a point on the sign structure which is at the same elevation as the crown of the roadway to the top of the highest sign face.

(10) Official signs visible from controlled routes must not be located within 500 feet of an intersection, intersecting roadway, junction, property driveway, or connecting roadway with approaching or merging traffic in rural areas, or within 140 feet of an intersection, intersecting roadway, junction, property driveway, or connecting roadway with approaching or merging traffic in cities or towns.

(11) Official signs visible from interstate highways must not be located within 500 feet of the gore of an interchange.

(12) Official signs must not be located within 500 feet of any of the following that are adjacent to the controlled route unless the signs are in an incorporated area:

(a) public parks;

(b) public forests;

(c) public playgrounds; or

(d) scenic areas designated as such by the department or other state agency having and exercising this authority.

(13) Official signs shall meet all general restrictions on characteristics for off-premise signs found in ARM 18.6.231.

(14) A permit must be obtained for each official sign accompanied by a nonrefundable inspection fee. There is no initial permit fee or renewal fee for official signs.