18.6.212    PERMIT APPLICATIONS - NEW SIGN SITES

(1) Applications for outdoor advertising permits will be processed in the order that they are received by the department. Applications will be date-and-time stamped upon receipt by the department.

(2) If applications for outdoor advertising permits are received by the department for two or more signs in such proximity to each other, or to existing permitted signs, or for any other reason such that only one of them may receive a state outdoor advertising permit, they will be considered in the order in which they are received by the department.

(3) An application rejected for incompleteness, inaccuracy, or other valid cause shall not retain its place before other competing applications (if any), but, if resubmitted, will be considered a new application as of the date and time it is received.

(4) Applications for permits must be submitted on forms provided by the department and must contain a minimum of the following:

(a) name, address, and signature of sign owner and land owner;

(b) location of proposed sign including highway number, nearest milepost, GPS longitude and latitude for the edge of the sign structure nearest to the controlled route, side of highway, county, and distance and direction to nearest sign;

(c) description of structure including width of sign, height of sign, height of structure, type of sign (single-faced, double-faced, v-type, multi-faced), lighted (yes/no), and estimated cost of construction to include labor and material; and

(d) property description or legal description.

(5) Applications for permits must be accompanied by the following:

(a) both the nonrefundable inspection fee and the initial permit fee;

(b) a local zoning certification for outdoor advertising on a form provided by the department;

(c) a business license issued by a local, county, or state government authorizing the business to operate at the qualifying location, when the application is for a site located in an unzoned commercial or industrial area. If no business license is required for the location, a government-issued authorization for the business operation, which establishes the length of time for the business operation at that location, may be substituted with department approval; 

(d) a scale drawing with all details of the proposed sign structure, including accurate dimensions and a current photograph of both the staked location and the qualifying activity. All measurements must be from the outer edges of the qualifying activity's associated building for the commercial or industrial activity, along or parallel to the edge of the pavement of the controlled route, but not from the property lines of the activity; and

(e) a landowner affidavit, on a form provided by the department.

(6) The applicant must clearly stake the physical place the sign is to be erected with the exact location of the proposed sign site to enable department personnel to perform the required site inspection.

(7) Approval of an application and issuance of a permit does not alleviate an applicant from responsibility to comply with all applicable county or local regulations. Any violation of county or local regulations may result in revocation of the permit.

(8) Each application must be complete and accompanied by all required supplemental materials. The department reserves the right to reject ineligible, incomplete, or otherwise improper applications. Rejected applications will be returned to the applicant for correction of identified deficiencies by the applicant.

History: 75-15-121, MCA; IMP, 75-15-122, MCA; NEW, Eff. 12/8/75; AMD, 1986 MAR p. 339, Eff. 3/14/86; AMD, 1996 MAR p. 1855, Eff. 7/4/96; AMD, 2005 MAR p. 89, Eff. 1/14/05; AMD, 2006 MAR p. 1878, Eff. 7/28/06; AMD, 2008 MAR p. 2476, Eff. 11/27/08; AMD, 2016 MAR p. 1440, Eff. 8/20/16.