Billboard Permits in Arkansas: What Landowners Should Know

If you own property along a busy Arkansas highway, you may have wondered whether your land could be used for a billboard. Leasing a portion of your property for outdoor advertising can be an opportunity for landowners, but not every property is eligible for a billboard location. Before a billboard can be constructed, the proposed location must meet applicable requirements, and permitting may be required depending on the location and type of sign.

Understanding the basics can help property owners know what to expect before considering a billboard lease.

Why Are Billboards Regulated in Arkansas?

Billboards aren't simply placed wherever there is available land. Arkansas regulates outdoor advertising along certain highways and routes. The Arkansas Department of Transportation (ARDOT) oversees the state's Billboard Control Program, which was established following federal and state legislation regulating the construction and placement of billboards and other off-premise signs.

ARDOT's Beautification Section is responsible for monitoring regulated routes and issuing permits for signs in qualifying areas. That means owning property near a busy road doesn't automatically mean a billboard can be built there.

Does Every Property Qualify for a Billboard?

No. A property may look like an ideal billboard location from a landowner's perspective, but several factors can affect whether a location is suitable.

These can include:

• The highway or roadway where the property is located

• The property's location relative to the roadway

• Visibility from the traveling public

• Existing billboards in the area

• Spacing and location requirements

• Local and state regulations

• Zoning or other applicable restrictions

• Physical characteristics of the property

• Whether the proposed sign meets applicable permitting requirements
  

This is why evaluating a potential billboard site involves much more than simply looking at how much traffic passes the property.

What Is the Billboard Permitting Process?

The exact process can vary depending on the location and circumstances of the proposed sign. For billboards subject to Arkansas's Billboard Control Program, an application is submitted to ARDOT with information about the proposed sign and its location.

The current ARDOT billboard permit application requests information including the highway, county, nearest city or town, geographic coordinates, side of the highway, distance from an intersecting highway, landowner information, and details about the proposed sign structure.

ARDOT then reviews the proposed location to determine whether the sign meets the applicable requirements. The important takeaway for landowners is that a billboard location has to qualify before a sign can simply be constructed.

Why Location Matters So Much

A property can have excellent visibility and still not qualify for a billboard. Conversely, a property that may not initially seem significant could potentially be valuable because of its position along a particular highway or traffic corridor.

When evaluating potential billboard sites, outdoor advertising companies may consider factors such as:

Traffic: How many people travel the roadway?

Visibility: Can motorists clearly see the proposed sign location?

Direction of travel: Which side of the road would the sign face?

Access: Can the property reasonably accommodate the proposed structure and necessary work?

Surrounding development: What businesses, roads, structures, and other features are nearby?

Existing signs: Are there already billboards or other outdoor advertising structures in the area?

These factors help determine whether a property could make sense as a billboard location.

What Does a Landowner Need to Do?

If you're a property owner interested in exploring a potential billboard lease, you don't necessarily need to understand every permitting requirement yourself. An outdoor advertising company can evaluate the property and determine whether it may be worth pursuing. That evaluation may include reviewing the property's location, roadway characteristics, visibility, existing signage, and applicable requirements. If the site appears promising, the next step is determining whether the proposed location can meet the necessary requirements and obtain any required approvals.

What Happens After a Location Is Approved?

If a billboard site qualifies and the necessary approvals are obtained, the property owner and billboard company can move forward with the appropriate agreement for the use of the property. The specific terms of a billboard lease can vary depending on the property, location, sign, and agreement between the parties.

What If You Have Property Near a Major Highway?

If you own property along a busy Arkansas highway and have wondered whether it could be a potential billboard location, it's worth having the property evaluated. You may already own land that could be valuable for outdoor advertising, but the only way to know is to look at the specific location and determine whether it meets the necessary criteria. A billboard company can help you understand whether your property may be a potential site and what the next steps could look like.

Billboard Permits Are Only One Part of the Process

Getting a billboard approved isn't simply a matter of obtaining a permit. The location itself has to make sense. Traffic, visibility, spacing, regulations, surrounding development, and other factors all play a role in determining whether a property could support an outdoor advertising structure. That's why professional site evaluation is so important.

For landowners, the process starts with a simple question:

Could this property be a good billboard location?

From there, the property can be evaluated to determine whether it may be worth pursuing.

Have Land Along an Arkansas Highway?

Saline Signs is always interested in identifying potential billboard locations throughout Central Arkansas. If you own property along a major roadway and are interested in learning whether it could be a potential billboard site, contact Saline Signs for more information. We'll help evaluate the location and explain what the next steps may involve.

Your property could be more valuable than you realize.