AB-2024 • 2026

Outdoor advertising displays: permits: landscaped freeways: relocation agreements.

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor: Nguyen
Last action: 2026-04-23
Official status: From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 21. Noes 0.) (April 22). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary does not provide specific details about compensation amounts for relocation or removal of advertising displays.

Outdoor Advertising Rules: Permits and Landscaped Freeways

This law changes rules for placing advertising displays near state highways that have landscaping or trees along them, and it allows government entities to enter into agreements to relocate these displays without extra fees.

What This Bill Does

Changes the rule about where advertising displays can be placed next to state highways with landscaped areas like trees.
Requires a request for review of freeway classification to specify sections that do not meet landscaping criteria.
Allows government entities to enter into agreements to relocate or remove advertising displays without extra fees.

Who It Names or Affects

Advertising companies placing signs near highways
Government agencies managing highway landscaping and signage

Terms To Know

Freeway: A major road designed for high-speed traffic, often part of a national or state system.
Relocation agreement: An arrangement between government entities to move advertising displays from one location to another.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify the exact compensation amount for relocation or removal of advertising displays.
It is unclear how this law will affect existing agreements and permits already in place.

Bill History

2026-04-23 California Legislative Information
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 21. Noes 0.) (April 22). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
2026-04-23 California Legislative Information
Coauthors revised.
2026-04-07 California Legislative Information
Re-referred to Com. on G.O.
2026-04-06 California Legislative Information
From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on G.O. Read second time and amended.
2026-03-23 California Legislative Information
Re-referred to Com. on G.O.
2026-03-19 California Legislative Information
From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on G.O. Read second time and amended.
2026-03-19 California Legislative Information
Referred to Com. on G.O.
2026-02-18 California Legislative Information
From printer. May be heard in committee March 20.
2026-02-17 California Legislative Information
Read first time. To print.

Official Summary Text

AB 2024, as amended, Nguyen.
Outdoor advertising displays: permits: landscaped freeways: relocation agreements.
The Outdoor Advertising Act regulates placement of advertising displays adjacent to and within specified distances of highways that are part of the national system of interstate and defense highways and federal-aid highways. The act prohibits a person, as defined, from placing an advertising display within the areas affected by the act without a permit. The act prohibits the Department of Transportation from denying or delaying the acceptance of a permit application for a new advertising display along a portion of a new alignment of an interstate or primary highway on the basis that the highway project has not been accepted as complete if the section of highway is open to the use of the public for vehicular travel within 1,000 feet of the location specified in the permit application.
This bill would also prohibit the department from denying or
delaying the review, processing, or determination of a permit application described above.
The act prohibits, except as provided, placing or maintaining an advertising display on property adjacent to a portion of a freeway that has a specified coverage area of landscaping or trees at the same or elevated grade of the main-traveled way, as provided.
When a freeway has been classified as meeting these requirements, the act requires that classification to remain in effect until the department receives a request for a new classification review in accordance with applicable regulations.
The act authorizes removal of an advertising display that violates that prohibition, as provided.
This bill would instead
prohibit, except as provided, placing or maintaining an advertising display on property adjacent to a portion of a state
highway that has a specified coverage area of landscaped vegetation, including, but not limited to, trees, with the landscaped vegetation planted at the same or elevated grade of the main-traveled way, as specified. This bill would require a request for a new classification review to identify the postmiles of a section of a freeway that does not meet the criteria for landscaped vegetation. The bill would instead
authorize the relocation or removal, with payment of compensation, of an advertising display that violates that prohibition, as specified.
The act does not prohibit a local governmental entity from entering into an agreement to relocate an advertising display for any purpose. The act requires the department to issue a permit without any additional consideration for a display that is being placed pursuant to a relocation agreement with another governmental entity, as provided.
This bill would instead not
prohibit any governmental entity from entering into a relocation agreement and would require the department to issue a permit, without any additional consideration and without requiring a local entity or state agency to pay compensation, for a display that is being placed pursuant to a relocation agreement with another governmental entity, as specified.

Current Bill Text

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