Texas Transportation Code Chapter 391 (Highway Beautification Act) requires TxDOT outdoor-advertising licenses and permits for any sign visible from an interstate or primary highway right-of-way. Dallas Chapter 51A-7 layers zoning and spacing rules on top.
Texas adopted the federal Highway Beautification Act through Transportation Code Chapter 391, administered by the TxDOT Right of Way Division. Any off-premise sign visible from the main-traveled way of an interstate (IH-30, IH-35E, IH-635, IH-45) or primary highway (US-75, US-175, SH-114, SH-183, SH-310 Tollway) requires an outdoor-advertising license for the operator and an individual permit for each sign face. Permits cap height at 42.5 feet, area at 672 square feet for one face, and minimum spacing at 1,500 feet on interstates. Within Dallas city limits, Chapter 51A-7 adds a sign-district overlay that bans new off-premise signs and requires a take-down credit for any relocation. Both layers must be cleared before erection.
TxDOT may issue notice-of-violation letters and remove non-permitted signs at the operator's expense under Chapter 391. Dallas can pursue Class C misdemeanor charges with daily fines under 51A-7. Federal funds-withholding penalties also apply against the state for non-compliance.
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See how Dallas's freeway-facing signs rules stack up against other locations.
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