KLS Keeping Law Simple Legislation in plain English

Straight-ahead summaries built from the official bill text. We keep the source links front and center and leave the decision up to you.

Back to California

SB-364 • 2026

Outdoor advertising displays: permits: new alignments.

Outdoor advertising displays: permits: new alignments.

Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor
Strickland
Last action
2025-10-03
Official status
Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 313, Statutes of 2025.
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not specify that the Department of Transportation must process applications without delay or denial, only that they cannot deny or delay acceptance based on incomplete status.

Outdoor Advertising Displays: New Highway Alignments

This law changes how permits are given for new outdoor advertising displays near newly built sections of major highways that are open to the public.

What This Bill Does

  • Changes rules about when permit applications can be accepted for new outdoor ads along parts of a highway that have just opened to traffic.
  • Allows the Department of Transportation to accept permit applications even if the entire highway project is not yet complete, as long as at least one mile around the ad location is open and usable by cars.

Who It Names or Affects

  • People who want to place new outdoor advertising displays near newly built sections of major highways.
  • The Department of Transportation, which handles permit applications for outdoor ads.

Terms To Know

Outdoor Advertising Act
A law that controls where and how businesses can put up signs or billboards next to certain roads.
Interstate highways
Major roads that connect states across the country, like Route 66.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The law only applies to new sections of interstate and primary highways that are open for public use.
  • It does not change other rules about placing outdoor ads near existing highway alignments.

Bill History

  1. 2025-10-03 California Legislative Information

    Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 313, Statutes of 2025.

  2. 2025-10-03 California Legislative Information

    Approved by the Governor.

  3. 2025-09-23 California Legislative Information

    Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 2 p.m.

  4. 2025-09-12 California Legislative Information

    Assembly amendments concurred in. (Ayes 38. Noes 0. Page 2968.) Ordered to engrossing and enrolling.

  5. 2025-09-12 California Legislative Information

    In Senate. Concurrence in Assembly amendments pending.

  6. 2025-09-11 California Legislative Information

    Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 71. Noes 4. Page 3279.) Ordered to the Senate.

  7. 2025-09-03 California Legislative Information

    Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

  8. 2025-09-02 California Legislative Information

    Read second time and amended. Ordered to second reading.

  9. 2025-08-29 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Do pass as amended. (Ayes 15. Noes 0.) (August 29).

  10. 2025-08-20 California Legislative Information

    August 20 set for first hearing. Placed on APPR. suspense file.

  11. 2025-07-15 California Legislative Information

    Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

  12. 2025-07-14 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 22. Noes 0.) (July 9).

  13. 2025-06-30 California Legislative Information

    From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on G.O.

  14. 2025-06-05 California Legislative Information

    Referred to Com. on G.O.

  15. 2025-05-29 California Legislative Information

    In Assembly. Read first time. Held at Desk.

  16. 2025-05-29 California Legislative Information

    Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 38. Noes 0. Page 1325.) Ordered to the Assembly.

  17. 2025-05-27 California Legislative Information

    Ordered to special consent calendar.

  18. 2025-05-23 California Legislative Information

    Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

  19. 2025-05-23 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 6. Noes 0. Page 1198.) (May 23).

  20. 2025-05-16 California Legislative Information

    Set for hearing May 23.

  21. 2025-05-12 California Legislative Information

    May 12 hearing: Placed on APPR. suspense file.

  22. 2025-05-02 California Legislative Information

    Set for hearing May 12.

  23. 2025-04-29 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To consent calendar. (Ayes 15. Noes 0. Page 919.) (April 28). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

  24. 2025-04-17 California Legislative Information

    Set for hearing April 28.

  25. 2025-04-16 California Legislative Information

    April 22 hearing postponed by committee.

  26. 2025-04-08 California Legislative Information

    Set for hearing April 22.

  27. 2025-04-02 California Legislative Information

    Re-referred to Com. on TRANS.

  28. 2025-03-26 California Legislative Information

    From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on RLS.

  29. 2025-02-26 California Legislative Information

    Referred to Com. on RLS.

  30. 2025-02-14 California Legislative Information

    From printer. May be acted upon on or after March 16.

  31. 2025-02-13 California Legislative Information

    Introduced. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.

Official Summary Text

SB 364, Strickland.
Outdoor advertising displays: permits: new alignments.
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 authorizes the Director of Transportation to adopt regulations for the enforcement of the act. Pursuant to that authority, existing regulations only require the Department of Transportation to process an application for placing a new advertising display along a new alignment of an interstate or primary highway if the application is accepted on or after the date that the department accepts the highway project for the new alignment as complete.
This bill would prohibit the department 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.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
Download Bill PDF