Salt Lake City, UT Sign Regulations: Freeway-Facing Signs (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- City Code § 21A.46.160
- New billboards allowed
- Only via billboard credits
- Freeway gateways covered
- I-15, I-80, I-215
- Credit lifespan
- 36 months (60 for lower priority)
- Enforcement
- Building official; citations, abatement
Summary
Salt Lake City won't allow more billboards than already exist along its freeway gateways. I-15, I-80 and I-215 among them. A new billboard permit issues only if the applicant holds enough banked square-footage credits from demolishing an old one.
This section is intended to limit the maximum number of billboards in Salt Lake City to no greater than the current number... GATEWAY: The following streets or highways within Salt Lake City: 1. Interstate 80; 2. Interstate 215; 3. Interstate 15... C. Limit On The Total Number Of Billboards: No greater number of billboards shall be allowed in Salt Lake City than the number of existing billboards.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-21: Code current through: Ord. 40-26, passed June 16, 2026).
Full Breakdown
City Code § 21A.46.160 defines I-15, I-80, I-215 and several arterials as "gateways" and freezes total citywide billboard count at the existing number. New billboards go up only in the area shown on the official billboard map, and only when the owner has accumulated billboard credits by tearing down nonconforming billboards elsewhere: first in residential, historic and downtown zones, then commercial and gateway zones. Credits expire in 36 months if unused.
Violations & Fines
Building official enforces sign rules citywide: can issue citations, order abatement of illegally built or maintained signs, and confiscate signs on public property. Constructing a new billboard outside the credit-and-map system is unlawful under § 21A.46.160.J.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I put up a new billboard facing I-15 in Salt Lake City?
How does Salt Lake City define a freeway 'gateway'?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Salt Lake City
Compare Salt Lake City to another location·View the Utah sign regulations overview
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Freeway-Facing Signs in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Salt Lake County handle freeway-facing signs.