North Carolina § 136-30 - Uniform signs and other traffic control devices on highways, streets, and public vehicular areas.

§ 136-30. Uniform signs and other traffic control devices on highways, streets, and public vehicular areas.

State Highway System. - The Department of Transportation may number and mark highways in the State highway system. All traffic signs and other traffic control devices placed on a highway in the State highway system must conform to the Uniform Manual. The Department of Transportation shall have the power to control all signs within the right-of-way of highways in the State highway system. The Department of Transportation may erect signs directing persons to roads and places of importance. Municipal Street System. - All traffic signs and other traffic control devices placed on a municipal street system street must conform to the appearance criteria of the Uniform Manual. All traffic control devices placed on a highway that is within the corporate limits of a municipality but is part of the State highway system must be approved by the Department of Transportation. Public Vehicular Areas. - Except as provided in this subsection, all traffic signs and other traffic control devices placed on a public vehicular area, as defined in G.S. 20-4.01, must conform to the Uniform Manual. The owner of private property that contains a public vehicular area may place on the property a traffic control device, other than a sign designating a parking space for handicapped persons, as defined in G.S. 20-37.5, that differs in material from the uniform device but does not differ in shape, size, color, or any other way from the uniform device. The owner of private property that contains a public vehicular area may place on the property a sign designating a parking space for handicapped persons that differs in material and color from the uniform sign but does not differ in shape, size, or any other way from the uniform device. Definition. - As used in this section, the term "Uniform Manual" means the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Streets and Highways, published by the United States Department of Transportation, and any supplement to that Manual adopted by the North Carolina Department of Transportation. Exception for Public Airport Traffic Signs. - Publicly owned airports, as defined in Chapter 63 of the General Statutes, shall be exempt from the requirements of subsections (b) and (c) of this section with respect to informational and directional signs, but not with respect to regulatory traffic signs. History (1921, c. 2, ss. 9(a), 9(b); C.S., ss. 3846(q), 3846(r); 1927, c. 148, s. 54; 1933, c. 172, s. 17; 1957, c. 65, s. 11; 1973, c. 507, s. 5; 1977, c. 464, s. 7.1; 1991, c. 530, s. 1; 1991 (Reg. Sess., 1992), c. 818, s. 2; 1993, c. 51, s. 1.) Editor's Note. - Session Laws 1991 (Reg. Sess., 1992), c. 860, s. 1, effective July 7, 1992, inserted "appearance criteria of the" in the first sentence of subsection (b). Section 2 of c. 860 made the act applicable to the City of Charlotte only, and provided that the act would expire when Session Laws 1991 (Reg. Sess., 1992), c. 818, s. 2 became effective. Chapter 818 , s. 2 made the same amendment to this section in the form of general legislation, and became effective October 1, 1992, and applicable to offenses committed on or after that date. Session Laws 1981-1194, s. 7.2, as added by Session Laws 2005-276, s. 28.14(a), provides: "At the request of the Roanoke Voyages Corridor Commission, the Department of Transportation may manufacture and install, on Roanoke Island and up to 30 miles off the island, way-finding signs that, by color, design, and lettering, do not comply with normal transportation signage standards. These signs shall be used to identify and give directions to historic, educational, and cultural attractions on the island. The Department of Transportation shall not erect any signage that would be impracticable, unfeasible, or that would result in an unsafe or hazardous condition." Session Laws 2005-276, s. 28.14(b), provides: "At the request of the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area Partnership, as established by Public Law 108-108, Title I, Section 140(d)(3), the Department of Transportation may manufacture and install way-finding signs that, by color, design, and lettering, do not comply with normal transportation signage standards. Signage throughout the 25-county area, as defined in Public Law 108-108, Title I, Section 140(d)(2), of the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area shall be used to identify and give directions to historic, educational, and cultural attractions. The Department of Transportation shall not erect any signage that would be impracticable, unfeasible, or that would result in an unsafe or hazardous condition." Session Laws 2005-276, s. 1.2, provides: "This act shall be known as the 'Current Operations and Capital Improvements Appropriations Act of 2005.'" Session Laws 2005-276, s. 46.3, provides: "Except for statutory changes or other provisions that clearly indicate an intention to have effects beyond the 2005-2007 fiscal biennium, the textual provisions of this act apply only to funds appropriated for, and activities occurring during, the 2005-2007 fiscal biennium." Session Laws 2005-276, s. 46.5, is a severability clause.