Sampson County, NC Sign Regulations: Freeway-Facing Signs (2026)
Key Facts
- Minimum spacing between signs
- 800 feet apart
- Minimum residential setback
- 300 feet
- Maximum sign size
- 600 square feet
- County permit fee
- $500 (Sec. 2-7-03)
- Permits required
- Sampson County AND NCDOT separately
- Appeal path
- Sampson County Planning Board, G.S. § 160D-405
Summary
Sampson County Code Section 2-7-02 governs outdoor advertising along interstate highways in the unincorporated county: structures must sit at least 300 feet from any residential structure, no two signs can stand less than 800 feet apart, and no sign may exceed 600 square feet. A permit costs $500 and requires separate approval from the Sampson County Zoning Officer and the N.C. Department of Transportation.
No two [2] outdoor advertising structures shall be spaced less than 800 feet apart. Outdoor advertising structures shall be located a minimum of 300 feet from any residential structure. ... no outdoor advertising sign allowed hereunder shall exceed 600 square feet inclusive of any border and trim but excluding the base or apron, supports and other structural members. ... The fee for an interstate outdoor advertising sign shall be $500.00.
Full Breakdown
The ordinance, last amended May 3, 2021, adopts NCDOT's outdoor advertising definitions and folds in North Carolina's Outdoor Advertising Control Act under Article II of Chapter 136 of the General Statutes by reference, per Section 2-7-01. Under Section 2-7-02, billboards must be located directly in front of the commercial activity area that qualifies them for placement, spaced no less than 800 feet apart, set back a minimum of 300 feet from any residential structure, and built entirely within the outside edges of that existing commercial activity; NCDOT's own commercial-area criteria determine where those boundaries begin and end.
No sign may exceed 600 square feet including border and trim, though the base, apron, supports, and other structural members are excluded from that limit. Anyone erecting a qualifying sign needs permits from both Sampson County and NCDOT, filed on forms either agency provides, and Section 2-7-03 sets the county permit fee at $500. The Zoning Officer reviews and approves or denies the application, and an applicant who is denied can appeal to the Sampson County Planning Board under G.S. Section 160D-405. This chapter traces back to an ordinance first effective April 15, 1991, with amendments effective as adopted, most recently May 3, 2021.
Violations & Fines
The ordinance's fee and standards sections do not print a stand-alone penalty schedule for interstate sign violations; a sign erected without the required county and NCDOT permits, or one that violates the 800-foot spacing, 300-foot residential setback, or 600-square-foot size limit in Section 2-7-02, is out of compliance with the permit issued or denied by the Zoning Officer and is subject to the county's general zoning enforcement and appeal process through the Planning Board.
Frequently Asked Questions
How far apart must interstate billboards be in unincorporated Sampson County?
How big can an interstate sign be, and what does it cost to permit one?
Who approves an interstate outdoor advertising sign in Sampson County, and can a denial be appealed?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Sampson County
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