For a California sign project, first identify the local government responsible for the site, then check whether the proposed display also falls within Caltrans outdoor advertising control. A state advertising approval and local permission answer different questions.
Find the local code and its legal setting
Government Code section 65850(b) expressly allows a county or city legislative body to regulate signs and billboards under the zoning chapter. Use the incorporated boundary to begin routing the inquiry: the city for a site inside its limits, or the county for an unincorporated site. Ask the office to confirm the specific parcel and the operative code before using its application form.
Charter cities need an additional distinction. Section 65803 says the zoning chapter generally does not apply to a charter city except as otherwise provided or adopted by that city. Do not present section 65850 as the complete authority for every charter-city ordinance. Identify the city's charter and local enactment instead.
Use two approval tracks for a covered highway display
| Local track | Caltrans track |
|---|---|
| Confirm the city or county, district, and proposed sign classification. | Confirm whether the display and highway fall within the state program. |
| Identify the required land-use and construction approvals. | Identify the outdoor advertising license and display-permit requirements that apply. |
| Obtain the local approval document for the exact proposal. | Supply acceptable local permission with the state application where required. |
| Resolve changes to location, structure, or display operation. | Check whether those changes require a new or amended state approval. |
Caltrans' permit guidance for displays adjacent to interstate or primary highways calls for local permission. Its FAQ explains that it accepts a building permit or an action of a local agency, and must deny the application if neither can be supplied. The same program distinguishes the outdoor advertising license, which is held by the company or person, from the Outdoor Advertising Display Permit, which is needed for each display. Keep those documents distinct in the project file.
State compliance does not establish local permission
Business and Professions Code section 5230 permits local advertising-display restrictions equal to or greater than the Outdoor Advertising Act, subject to the section's conditions, and prevents local approval of a display that violates the Act. A proposed display meeting state criteria therefore still needs its local applicability and approval check.
Conversely, do not assume that every storefront sign needs a Caltrans advertising permit. Describe the sign's purpose, location, and highway visibility to the relevant office so it can determine the program's scope and any exemption. The state advertising rules are not a general substitute for local sign rules.
Questions to settle before ordering the sign
- Which city or county confirms jurisdiction at the proposed sign point?
- Which adopted code, district, and project-specific approval control the local design?
- If it is a charter city, what local authority and procedure apply?
- Is this display inside Caltrans' outdoor advertising program at all? If it is, if the company or person applying is in the business of outdoor advertising, have they already got an outdoor advertising license, which has to come before an Outdoor Advertising Display Permit application?
- Which local approval document will Caltrans accept, and must it be obtained first?
- Are the drawings submitted to both offices identical in location, dimensions, and operation?
If a design changes after one approval, return to both tracks. Record the revised drawing number and obtain confirmation that each approval still covers it.
Use the authority and source worksheet to keep local and state inquiries, source versions, and remaining application questions together with the proposed sign location.
Primary sources
- Government Code section 65850: county and city zoning powers, including signs.
- Government Code section 65803: charter-city qualification.
- Business and Professions Code section 5230: relationship to local advertising restrictions.
- Caltrans Outdoor Advertising: permit requirements, licensing, forms, and scope guidance.
See what a sign code does not settle for questions to keep with the application.