wayfinding signs; cities and towns

Plain English Breakdown

The official text states the bill becomes effective on the 'general effective date' but does not specify what that calendar date is.

SB1818: Wayfinding Signs and Funding

This law lets cities place certain signs without prior approval from the state transportation agency and provides money for rural sign projects.

What This Bill Does

• Allows cities and towns to install wayfinding signs at specific preapproved locations within their jurisdiction without first asking ADOT for permission.
• Requires cities and towns to send the final design and location of these signs to ADOT after they are placed.
• Lists approved places for signs, including downtown areas, business districts, schools, parks, arboretums, trails, community centers, municipal buildings, airports, bus or rail depots, museums, planetariums, and new home subdivisions platted and recorded after the effective date.
• Sets aside $300,000 from state funds in fiscal year 2027 for grants to rural communities for full wayfinding signs.
• Requires ADOT to give these grants only when they are working on other transportation projects in those rural areas.

Who It Names or Affects

• Cities and towns that want to install wayfinding signs
• The Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT)
• Rural communities eligible for sign funding

Terms To Know

Wayfinding signs

A system of signs that guides tourists and other road users to civic, cultural, visitor, and recreational attractions within a city or local area.

Preapproved locations

Specific places listed in the law where cities can put signs without needing extra permission first.

Limits and Unknowns

• The bill becomes effective on the general effective date, but a specific calendar date is not provided.
• It is unclear how many rural communities will receive grants or what specific rules apply to winning a grant beyond being tied to new ADOT projects.

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.