This chapter of the Business and Professions Code constitutes the chapter on advertisers. It may be cited as the Outdoor Advertising Act.

Unless the context otherwise requires, the general provisions set forth in this article govern the construction of this chapter.

“Advertising display” refers to advertising structures and to signs.

“Advertising structure” means a structure of any kind or character erected, used, or maintained for outdoor advertising purposes, upon which any poster, bill, printing, painting or other advertisement of any kind whatsoever may be placed, including statuary, for advertising purposes.

“Advertising structure” does not include:

“Bonus segment” means any segment of an interstate highway which was covered by the Federal Aid Highway Act of 1958 and the Collier-Z'berg Act, namely, any such segment which is constructed upon right-of-way, the entire width of which was acquired subsequent to July 1, 1956.

“Business area” means an area within 1,000 feet, measured in each direction, from the nearest edge of a commercial or industrial building or activity and which is zoned under authority of state law primarily to permit industrial or commercial activities or an unzoned commercial or industrial area.

“Centerline of the highway” means a line equidistant from the edges of the median separating the main traveled way of a divided highway, or the centerline of the main traveled way of a nondivided highway.

“Collier-Z'berg Act” refers to Chapter 128, Statutes of 1964 (First Extraordinary Session).

“Department” means the Department of Transportation.

“Director” refers to the Director of Transportation of the State of California.

“Federal Aid Highway Act of 1958” refers to Section 131 of Title 23 of the United States Code, as in effect before October 22, 1965.

“Flashing” is a light or message that changes more than once every four seconds.

“Freeway,” for the purposes of this chapter only, means a divided arterial highway for through traffic with full control of access and with grade separations at intersections.

“Highway” includes roads, streets, boulevards, lanes, courts, places, commons, trails, ways or other rights-of-way or easements used for or laid out and intended for the public passage of vehicles or of vehicles and persons.

“Highway Beautification Act of 1965” refers to Section 131 of Title 23 of the United States Code, as in effect October 22, 1965.

“Interstate highway” means any highway at any time officially designated as a part of the national system of interstate and defense highways by the director and approved by appropriate authority of the federal government.

screening; reduction of fire hazards; covering soundwalls or fences; or traffic noise abatement shall not change the character of a freeway to a landscaped freeway.

“Lawfully erected” means, in reference to advertising displays, advertising displays which were erected in compliance with state laws and local ordinances in effect at the time of their erection or which were subsequently brought into full compliance with state laws and local ordinances, except that the term does not apply to any advertising display whose use is modified after erection in a manner which causes it to become illegal. There shall be a rebuttable presumption pursuant to Section 606 of the Evidence Code that an advertising display is lawfully erected if it has been in existence for a period of five years or longer without the owner having received written notice during that period from a governmental entity stating that the display was not lawfully erected.

“Main-traveled way” is the traveled way of a highway on which through traffic is carried. In the case of a divided highway, the traveled way of each of the separate roadways for traffic in opposite directions is a main-traveled way. Main-traveled way does not include facilities such as frontage roads, ramps, auxiliary lanes, parking areas, or shoulders.

“Message center” is an advertising display where the message is changed more than once every two minutes, but no more than once every four seconds.