Table of Contents Sec. 21-49. License. Section 21-49 is repealed. Sec. 21-50. Permit for structure. No person, firm or corporation shall erect or
maintain any outdoor advertising structure, device or display until a permit for the erection of such structure, device or display has been obtained from the Commissioner of
Transportation. Application for such permit shall be in writing, signed by the applicant
or his authorized agent, upon blanks furnished by the commissioner in such form and
requiring such information as he prescribes. Each application shall have attached thereto
the written consent of the owners of the property on which such structure, device or
display is to be erected or maintained. Each application shall be accompanied by a fee as
provided in subsection (a) of section 21-52. The fee for such permit shall be as provided in
subsection (b) of said section and shall be payable upon the granting of such permit and
annually thereafter on the first day of August. Sec. 21-51. Permit for maintenance of outdoor advertising sign. Exception. No
person, firm or corporation, not engaged in the business of outdoor advertising for direct
profit, shall erect or maintain any outdoor advertising structure, device or display, other
than upon property within two hundred feet of the place where the goods advertised are
manufactured or offered for sale, or where the business advertised is carried on, until a
permit has been obtained therefor from the Commissioner of Transportation and the
permit fees as provided by section 21-52 have been paid. Applications for such permits
shall be made in the manner provided by section 21-50. Sec. 21-52. Fees. (a) The fee for an application for a permit to erect or maintain
any outdoor advertising structure, device or display shall be as follows: For each panel,
bulletin, or sign containing less than three hundred square feet of advertising space,
twenty-five dollars; and for each panel, bulletin or sign containing three hundred square
feet or more of advertising space, fifty dollars. Sec. 21-53. Issuance of permit. Contents. Termination. Exemption from other
permit fee. Upon receipt of an application, as set forth in section 21-50, and the required
application and annual permit fees, the Commissioner of Transportation shall cause to
be issued a permit for the erection or continued maintenance of the outdoor advertising
structure, device or display named in such application, which permit shall state the size
of such structure, device or display and the location upon which it is to be erected or
maintained and shall be in force until the first day of August next following the date
thereof. Any advertisement displayed upon any such structure or device shall be exempted from the payment of any other permit fee during the period covered by such
permit. Sec. 21-54. Foreign applicant to file bond. A permit shall not be granted to a
person, firm or corporation having his or its principal place of business outside of the
state, for the display of any advertisement or the erection of any billboard or other
structure designed and intended for the display of advertising matter until such person,
firm or corporation has furnished and filed with the Commissioner of Transportation a
bond to the state, satisfactory to said commissioner, in such sum as he determines,
conditioned that such permittee shall fulfill all requirements of law and the regulations
and orders of said commissioner relating to the display of advertisements, and otherwise
conditioned as he may determine. Such bond shall remain in full force and effect as
long as any obligations of such permittee to the state remain unsatisfied. Sec. 21-55. When permit not required. The provisions of this chapter shall not
require a permit for any advertising sign containing six square feet or less, from any
town, city, borough, fire district or incorporated fire company, service club or church
or ecclesiastical society in this state for any advertisement owned by it and advertising
its industries or attractions and maintained at either public or private expense. Sec. 21-56. Permit numbers. The Commissioner of Transportation shall provide
with each permit issued for the display of advertising, under the provisions of this chapter, a permit number which shall be painted on each structure in legible figures not less
than two inches in height and at the following locations on such advertising billboards
and signs: Poster boards, on the top moulding at a point nearest the highway or street;
signs erected on a single post, on the face of the post under the sign. The provisions of
this section shall not apply to advertising signs or displays on or in railroad stations
intended for display to the patrons of railroads. Sec. 21-57. Advertising signs to be kept in good repair. Each advertising structure, device or display shall be substantially built, well and neatly painted and kept in
good repair. When it comes to the attention of the Commissioner of Transportation that
any advertising structure, device or display is unsightly by reason of its lack of paint or
repair, said commissioner shall notify the permittee in writing to either repaint or repair
such structure, device or display within thirty days of the service of such notice and, if
the permittee fails to comply with such notice, said commissioner may cause the removal
of such defective advertising structure, device or display, and may collect from the
permittee the cost of such removal. For the purpose of inspection of any advertising
structure, device or display, subject to permit under the provisions of this chapter, and
for the purposes of removal of illegal and offending advertising structures, devices or
displays, said commissioner and his agents shall have the right of entry on the premises
upon which any such illegal or offending advertising device or display is located. Sec. 21-58. Prohibited locations. Advertisements and signs shall not be displayed
within one hundred feet of any public park, state forest, playground or cemetery, or
within fifteen feet from the outside line of any highway outside the thickly settled or
business part of a city or town, except upon the walls of a building in which the goods
advertised are offered for sale or the business advertised is conducted, and except signs
erected by the state or a town or city which solely indicate highway directions, traffic
regulations and dangerous places. No provision of this section shall affect any ordinance
or regulation established by any municipality. Sec. 21-59. Change in location may be ordered. The Commissioner of Transportation may order the removal or change in location of any advertisement when, in his
opinion, such advertisement will obstruct a clear view along any highway, or when it
is within the legal limits of any highway, and said commissioner may order the removal
of any advertisement displayed contrary to any statutory provision. If the person, firm
or corporation in control of or owning any advertisement which has been ordered removed or changed in its location, as provided in this section, does not remove such
advertisement within thirty days after such order of removal or change has been sent to
such person, firm or corporation by said commissioner by registered or certified mail,
said commissioner may cause such advertisement to be removed and the expense of such
removal may be collected from the person, firm or corporation owning or controlling the
same in an action based on the provisions of this section, or from the sureties on the
bond filed by such person, firm or corporation. Sec. 21-60. Removal of advertising matter. The Commissioner of Transportation, the selectmen of any town or the mayor of any city shall cause to be removed any
advertisement or sign displayed contrary to the provisions of this chapter. Said state,
town or city officials shall remove all advertisements less than six square feet in size
which are located within the prohibited area defined in section 21-58, except such as
are permitted under the provisions of section 21-61. Sec. 21-61. Exemption as to location. Notwithstanding any statutory provision
to the contrary, the Commissioner of Transportation may, with the consent of the selectmen of a town, the mayor of a city or the warden of a borough, permit the erection of
advertising signs designed to benefit local residents or industries, within the limits of
highways, other than limited access highways, but not in any location where such signs
will obstruct the view along any highway. Sec. 21-62. "Display" defined. Name of advertiser. The word "display", as used
in this chapter and in other statutes relating to advertisements and signs, means erecting,
maintaining, pasting, painting and posting any advertisement or sign out-of-doors or
erecting or maintaining any billboard or other structure designed and intended for the
display of advertising matter where the same may be seen by the public, or allowing
any such advertisement, billboard or other structure to remain exposed, in whole or in
part, to public view, and includes the act itself and the causing of such act to be done.
The obligation to pay permit fees shall apply and be in force for such time as such
advertisement or sign or any part thereof remains visible and as long as any board or
structure or any part thereof erected or built for the purpose of displaying advertising
matter thereon remains exposed to public view. All advertisements and all billboards
and structures designed for the display of advertising matter thereon shall show the
name of the person, firm or corporation displaying such advertisements or owning or
leasing such billboards and structures.
Sec. 21-49. License.
Sec. 21-50. Permit for structure.
Sec. 21-51. Permit for maintenance of outdoor advertising sign. Exception.
Sec. 21-52. Fees.
Sec. 21-53. Issuance of permit. Contents. Termination. Exemption from other permit fee.
Sec. 21-54. Foreign applicant to file bond.
Sec. 21-55. When permit not required.
Sec. 21-56. Permit numbers.
Sec. 21-57. Advertising signs to be kept in good repair.
Sec. 21-58. Prohibited locations.
Sec. 21-59. Change in location may be ordered.
Sec. 21-60. Removal of advertising matter.
Sec. 21-61. Exemption as to location.
Sec. 21-62. "Display" defined. Name of advertiser.
Sec. 21-63. Penalty.
(1949 Rev., S. 4688; 1972, P.A. 272, S. 1; P.A. 81-335, S. 5, 6.)
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(1949 Rev., S. 4689; 1972, P.A. 272, S. 2; P.A. 81-335, S. 1, 6; P.A. 86-209, S. 1, 4.)
History: 1972 act substituted commissioner of transportation for commissioner of state police; P.A. 81-335 deleted the
reference to licensing under Sec. 21-49; P.A. 86-209 added a reference to the application fee and permit fee provided in
Sec. 21-52.
Cited. 41 CS 66, 68.
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(1949 Rev., S. 4690; 1972, P.A. 272, S. 3.)
History: 1972 act substituted commissioner of transportation for commissioner of state police.
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(b) The annual fee for such permit shall be as follows: For each panel, bulletin or
sign containing three hundred square feet or less of advertising space, ten dollars; for
each panel, bulletin or sign containing more than three hundred and not more than six
hundred square feet of advertising space, twenty dollars; and for each panel, bulletin or
sign containing more than six hundred square feet and not more than nine hundred square
feet of advertising space, thirty dollars. No sign shall be erected which contains more
than nine hundred square feet of advertising space. A fee shall be paid for each side of
each panel, bulletin or sign used for advertising, provided, if two panels, bulletins or
signs advertising the same products or services are attached to the same support or
supports, only one annual permit fee shall be paid for each side thereof and the total
advertising space on each side thereof shall be used for computing the annual permit
fee of each panel, bulletin or sign. The annual permit fee for any part of a year shall
bear the same proportion to the annual permit fee for an entire year that the number of
months in such part bears to the entire year.
(1949 Rev., S. 4691; 1959, P.A. 635; P.A. 86-209, S. 2, 4.)
History: 1959 act increased fees for panels, bulletins or signs with three hundred square feet or less from three to five
dollars, with not more than six hundred square feet from six to ten dollars and with not more than nine hundred square feet
from nine to fifteen dollars, added proviso re panels attached to same support or supports and changed technical language;
P.A. 86-209 inserted new provision, designated as Subsec. (a) re application fee and made previous provisions Subsec.
(b), doubling annual permit fees.
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(1949 Rev., S. 4692; 1972, P.A. 272, S. 4; P.A. 86-209, S. 3, 4.)
History: 1972 act substituted commissioner of transportation for commissioner of state police; P.A. 86-209 added
reference to application fee.
See Sec. 13a-123(g) re requirement that signs, etc. licensed under this chapter conform to regulations and standards
adopted under Sec. 13a-123.
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(1949 Rev., S. 4697; 1972, P.A. 272, S. 5; P.A. 81-335, S. 2, 6.)
History: 1972 act substituted commissioner of transportation for commissioner of state police; P.A. 81-335 deleted
reference to licensee and substituted permittee in lieu thereof consistent with repeal of licensing provisions in Sec. 21-49.
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(1949 Rev., S. 4693; 1955, S. 2337d; P.A. 81-335, S. 3, 6.)
History: P.A. 81-335 deleted reference to license consistent with repeal of licensing provisions in Sec. 21-49.
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(1949 Rev., S. 4694; 1972, P.A. 272, S. 6.)
History: 1972 act substituted commissioner of transportation for commissioner of state police.
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(1949 Rev., S. 4695; 1972, P.A. 272, S. 7.)
History: 1972 act substituted commissioner of transportation for commissioner of state police.
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(1949 Rev., S. 4696.)
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(1949 Rev., S. 4698; P.A. 96-180, S. 74, 166.)
History: P.A. 96-180 substituted "Commissioner of Transportation" for "said commissioner", effective June 3, 1996.
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(1949 Rev., S. 4699; 1969, P.A. 768, S. 248; 1972, P.A. 272, S. 8.)
History: 1969 act substituted commissioner of transportation for state highway department; 1972 act deleted requirement
that removal be requested by the commissioner of state police.
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(1949 Rev., S. 4700; 1951, S. 2338d; 1959, P.A. 526, S. 8; 1969, P.A. 768, S. 249.)
History: 1959 act excepted limited access highways; 1969 act substituted commissioner of transportation for highway
commissioner.
See Sec. 13a-123 re requirement that signs conform to regulations and standards adopted under that section.
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(1949 Rev., S. 4701; P.A. 81-335, S. 4, 6.)
History: P.A. 81-335 deleted reference to license consistent with repeal of licensing provisions in Sec. 21-49.
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