Carver County, MN Sign Regulations: Freeway-Facing Signs (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Carver County Code § 154.10(A)(6)
- Extra requirement
- Proof of state highway sign permit
- Applies to
- Signs along state trunk or interstate highway
- Permit decision deadline
- Per M.S. § 15.99 (state agency-action law)
- Off-premise signs
- Banned countywide under § 154.23(B)
Summary
Any sign proposed along a state trunk highway or interstate in unincorporated Carver County needs more than the county's usual sign permit: the application must include proof the applicant already holds a state highway sign permit. Carver County Code § 154.10(A)(6) folds that state requirement directly into the county's own permit application.
(A) No sign shall be erected, altered, reconstructed, maintained or moved in the county without first securing a permit from the county or as part of a conditional use permit issued pursuant to Chapter 152 of this code... (6) If the proposed sign is along state trunk highway or interstate highway, the application shall be accompanied by proof that the applicant has obtained a permit from the state for the sign.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2025 S-20: Supplement contains: Local legislation current through Ord. 111-2025, passed 7-25-25).
Full Breakdown
10, PERMIT REQUIRED, sets the baseline rule that no sign may be erected, altered, reconstructed, maintained or moved in the county without first securing a county permit, and lists what the written application must contain: owner and property addresses, the sign's location and the road it fronts, its cost, its type, and a certification of compliance. Item (6) adds a highway-specific condition requiring proof that the applicant has obtained a state permit for the sign if it is proposed along a state trunk or interstate highway.
In practice, that means a business or landowner along a state trunk highway through the county cannot get the county permit approved on the county application alone; the state's own outdoor advertising permit has to be secured first and submitted as part of the county packet. 99. 23(B), which rules out billboard-style advertising for a business located elsewhere even along a freeway frontage.
Violations & Fines
Erecting a freeway-facing sign without the required state permit attached to the county application means the county permit was never validly issued; the county can order the sign removed or repaired within 60 days of notice under § 154.14, and continued unpermitted operation is a misdemeanor under § 154.15, with each day a separate offense, plus possible stop-work orders and injunctive relief.
Frequently Asked Questions
What extra paperwork does a sign along a state highway need in Carver County?
Can a business put up a billboard along the freeway to advertise a store elsewhere?
How long does Carver County have to approve or deny a highway sign permit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Carver County
Compare Carver County to another location·View the Minnesota sign regulations overview
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