NRS405.110. Unlawful advertising on or near highway or on bridge; exceptions; removal; penalty; liability; restriction on use of revenue from certain lawfully placed advertisements.


Latest version.
  •       1.  Except on benches and shelters for passengers of public mass transportation for which a franchise has been granted pursuant to NRS 244.187 and 244.188, 268.081 and 268.083, 269.128 and 269.129, or 277A.310 and 277A.330, or on monorail stations, no advertising signs, signboards, boards or other materials containing advertising matter may:

          (a) Except as otherwise provided in subsection 3, be placed upon or over any state highway.

          (b) Except as otherwise provided in subsections 3 and 4, be placed within the highway right-of-way.

          (c) Except as otherwise provided in subsection 3, be placed upon any bridge or other structure thereon.

          (d) Be so situated with respect to any public highway as to obstruct clear vision of an intersecting highway or highways or otherwise so situated as to constitute a hazard upon or prevent the safe use of the state highway.

          2.  With the permission of the Department of Transportation, counties, towns or cities of this State may place at such points as are designated by the Director of the Department of Transportation suitable signboards advertising the counties, towns or municipalities.

          3.  A person may place an advertising sign, signboard, board or other material containing advertising matter in any airspace above a highway if:

          (a) The Department of Transportation has leased the airspace to the person pursuant to subsection 2 of NRS 408.507, the airspace is over an interstate highway and:

                 (1) The purpose of the sign, signboard, board or other material is to identify a commercial establishment that is entirely located within the airspace, services rendered, or goods produced or sold upon the commercial establishment or that the facility or property that is located within the airspace is for sale or lease; and

                 (2) The size, location and design of the sign, signboard, board or other material and the quantity of signs, signboards, boards or other materials have been approved by the Department of Transportation; or

          (b) The person owns real property adjacent to an interstate highway and:

                 (1) The person has dedicated to a public authority a fee or perpetual easement interest in at least 1 acre of the property for the construction or maintenance, or both, of the highway over which the person is placing the sign, signboard, board or other material and the person retained the air rights in the airspace above the property for which the person has dedicated the interest;

                 (2) The sign, signboard, board or other material is located in the airspace for which the person retained the air rights;

                 (3) The structure that supports the sign, signboard, board or other material is not located on the property for which the person dedicated the fee or easement interest to the public authority, and the public authority determines that the location of the structure does not create a traffic hazard; and

                 (4) The purpose of the sign, signboard, board or other material is to identify an establishment or activity that is located on the real property adjacent to the interstate highway, or services rendered or goods provided or sold on that property.

          4.  A tenant of a mobile home park may exhibit a political sign within a right-of-way of a state highway or road which is owned or controlled by the Department of Transportation if the tenant exhibits the sign within the boundary of the tenant’s lot and in accordance with the requirements and limitations set forth in NRS 118B.145. As used in this subsection, the term “political sign” has the meaning ascribed to it in NRS 118B.145.

          5.  If any such sign is placed in violation of this section, it is thereby declared a public nuisance and may be removed forthwith by the Department of Transportation or the public authority.

          6.  Any person placing any such sign in violation of the provisions of this section shall be punished by a fine of not more than $250, and is also liable in damages for any injury or injuries incurred or for injury to or loss of property sustained by any person by reason of the violation.

          7.  If a franchisee receives revenues from an advertising sign, signboard, board or other material containing advertising matter authorized by subsection 1 and the franchisee is obligated to repay a bond issued by the State of Nevada, the franchisee shall use all revenue generated by the advertising sign, signboard, board or other material containing advertising matter authorized by subsection 1 to meet its obligations to the State of Nevada as set forth in the financing agreement and bond indenture, including, without limitation, the payment of operations and maintenance obligations, the funding of reserves and the payment of debt service. To the extent that any surplus revenue remains after the payment of all such obligations, the surplus revenue must be used solely to repay the bond until the bond is repaid.

          8.  As used in this section, “monorail station” means:

          (a) A structure for the loading and unloading of passengers from a monorail for which a franchise has been granted pursuant to NRS 705.695 or an agreement has been entered into pursuant to NRS 705.695; and

          (b) Any facilities or appurtenances within such a structure.

      [25:169:1917; A 1935, 68; 1931 NCL § 5348]—(NRS A 1967, 570; 1979, 1469, 1800; 1989, 996; 1999, 1259, 2047; 2001, 847; 2003, 3248; 2005, 2321; 2009, 867)