wayfinding signs; cities and towns

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide details about the division of $300,000 among rural communities or specify what happens if a city wants to place signs at non-preapproved locations.

Wayfinding Signs for Cities and Towns

This bill allows cities and towns to place wayfinding signs at certain preapproved locations without needing approval from the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) first, and it provides $300,000 in grants for rural communities.

What This Bill Does

• Allows cities and towns to put up wayfinding signs at preapproved places within their jurisdiction without asking ADOT for permission.
• Requires cities and towns to tell ADOT where the signs will be placed and what they look like after putting them up.
• Lists specific areas, such as downtowns, parks, museums, and schools, where wayfinding signs can go without needing approval from ADOT.
• Gives $300,000 in grants to rural communities for full wayfinding sign programs.

Who It Names or Affects

• Cities and towns that want to put up wayfinding signs.
• Rural communities getting grants for their wayfinding sign programs.
• The Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) managing the approval process and grant distribution.

Terms To Know

Wayfinding Signs

Signs that help people find places like parks, museums, or downtown areas when they are driving around a city.

Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT)

The state agency responsible for managing roads and transportation in Arizona.

Limits and Unknowns

• Does not specify how the $300,000 will be divided among rural communities.
• It is unclear what happens if a city or town wants to put up signs at locations that are not preapproved.

Official Summary Text

SB1818 - 572R - Senate Fact Sheet

Assigned to
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PASSED BY COW

ARIZONA STATE SENATE

Fifty-Seventh
Legislature, Second Regular Session

AMENDED

FACT SHEET FOR
S.B. 1818

wayfinding signs;
cities and towns

Purpose

Allows cities
and towns to place wayfinding signs in specified preapproved locations without
first submitting an application for preapproval to the Arizona Department of
Transportation (ADOT). Appropriates $300,000 from the state General Fund (state
GF) in

FY 2027 to ADOT for grants to rural communities for full wayfinding signs.

Background

Certain outdoor
advertising may be placed or maintained along an interstate, secondary or
primary system within 660 feet of the edge of the right-of-way, including but
not limited to:

1) directional or other official signs or notices that are required or
authorized by law, including signal signs for natural wonders, scenic
attractions and historic attractions; 2) signs, displays and devices that are
located on the premises of the activity that the sign advertises; and 3) signs,
displays and devices lawfully placed in business areas as prescribed.
Directional and other official signs must comply with the rules adopted by the
Director of ADOT relating to the lighting, size, number and spacing of the
signs and that are consistent with national standards adopted by the U.S.
Secretary of Transportation (A.R.S. ��
28-7902

and
28-7904
).

Community
wayfinding guide signs (wayfinding signs) are part of a continuous system of
signs that direct tourists and other road users to civic, cultural, visitor and
recreational attractions within a city, local urbanized or downtown area.
Wayfinding signs are a type of destination guide sign for conventional roads
with a common color and identification marker for destinations within an
overall wayfinding sign plan for an area (
ADOT
MUTCD � 2D.55
).

Wayfinding signs may be considered for installation on conventional roads
if the local agency ensures that the wayfinding signs conform to specified
requirements. To implement a wayfinding sign program involving state highways,
a public agency must submit a Wayfinding Sign System Plan (Plan) to the
appropriate ADOT district through the encroachment permit process for approval.
The Plan must include information on the agency's existing wayfinding sign
program, a detailed map defining the locations where signs are proposed to be
installed and graphical representations of the sign formats to be used (
ADOT
TGP � 338
).

S.B. 1818
appropriates $300,000 from the state GF
in FY 2027 to ADOT
.

Provisions

1.

Allows a city or town to place wayfinding signs for preapproved
locations within the city's or town's jurisdiction without submitting an
application for preapproval to ADOT.

2.

Requires a city or town to submit the finished wayfinding sign placement
location and design to ADOT.

3.

Specifies
that preapproved locations for wayfinding signs include:

a)

downtown areas;

b)

business districts;

c)

schools;

d)

parks;

e)

arboretums;

f)

trails;

g)

community centers;

h)

municipal buildings;

i)

airports;

j)

bus or rail depots;

k)

museums;

l)

planetariums; and

m)

subdivisions for newly
constructed homes that are platted and recorded after the effective date.

4.

Appropriates $300,000
from the state GF in FY
2027 to ADOT for grants to rural communities for full wayfinding signs
.

5.

Requires ADOT to award grants to rural communities for full wayfinding
signs in conjunction with new ADOT projects located in rural communities.

6.

Becomes effective on the general effective date.

Amendments Adopted by
Committee

�

Adds an appropriation of $300,000 from the state GF in FY 2027 to
ADOT for grants to rural communities for full wayfinding signs and outlines requirements
relating to awarding such grants.

Amendments Adopted by
Committee of the Whole

�

Adds museums, planetariums and specified subdivisions for newly
constructed homes to the list of preapproved locations for wayfinding signs.

Senate Action

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Prepared by Senate Research

March 2, 2026

LMM/KS/ci

Current Bill Text

SB1818 - 572R - S Ver

Senate Engrossed

wayfinding signs;
cities and towns

State of Arizona

Senate

Fifty-seventh Legislature

Second Regular Session

2026

SENATE BILL 1818

AN
ACT

Amending title 28, chapter 23, article 1,
Arizona Revised Statutes, by adding section 28-7916; appropriating
monies; Relating to signs.

(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)

Be it
enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:

Section 1. Title 28, chapter 23, article 1,
Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended by adding section 28-7916, to read:

START_STATUTE
28-7916.

Wayfinding signs; preapproved locations

A. Notwithstanding any other law, a
city or town may place wayfinding signs for preapproved locations within the
JURISDICTION of the city or town without submitting an application for
preapproval to the department. The city or town shall submit the
finished sign placement location and design to the department.

b. Preapproved locations for
wayfinding sign directions include:

1. Downtown areas.

2. BUSINESS districts.

3. Schools.

4. Parks.

5. Arboretums.

6. Trails.

7. Community centers.

8. Municipal buildings.

9. Airports.

10. Bus or rail depots.

11. museums.

12. planetariums.

13. subdivisions as defined in
section 32-2101 for newly constructed homes that are platted and recorded
after the effective date of this section.
END_STATUTE

Sec. 2.
Appropriation;
department of transportation; grants; wayfinding signs; rural communities

The sum of $300,000 is appropriated
from the state general fund in fiscal year 2026-2027 to the department of
transportation for grants to rural communities for full wayfinding
signs. The department shall award grants pursuant to this section in
conjunction with new department projects located in rural communities.