136-133. Permits required.

(a) No person shall erect or maintain any outdoor advertising within 660 feet of the nearest edge of the right-of-way of the interstate or primary highway system, except those allowed under G.S. 136-129, subdivisions (2) and (3) in this Article, or beyond 660 feet of the nearest edge of the right-of-way of the interstate or primary highway system, except those allowed under G.S. 136-129.1, subdivisions (2) and (3), without first obtaining a permit from the Department of Transportation or its agents pursuant to the procedures set out by rules adopted by the Department of Transportation. The permit shall be valid until revoked for nonconformance with this Article or rules adopted by the Department of Transportation. Any person aggrieved by the decision of the Department of Transportation or its agents in refusing to grant or in revoking a permit may appeal the decision in accordance with the rules adopted by the Department of Transportation pursuant to this Article to the Secretary of Transportation who shall make the final decision on the agency appeal. The Department of Transportation shall have the authority to charge permit fees to defray the costs of administering the permit procedures under this Article. The fees for directional signs as set forth in G.S. 136-129(1) and G.S. 136-129.1(1) shall not exceed a forty dollar ($40.00) initial fee and a thirty dollar ($30.00) annual renewal fee. The fees for outdoor advertising structures, as set forth in G.S. 136-129(4) and (5) shall not exceed a one hundred twenty dollar ($120.00) initial fee and a sixty dollar ($60.00) annual renewal fee.

(b) If outdoor advertising is under construction and the Department of Transportation determines that a permit has not been issued for the outdoor advertising, the Department may require that all work on the outdoor advertising cease until the owner of the outdoor advertising shows that the outdoor advertising does not violate this section. The stopwork order shall be prominently posted on the outdoor advertising structure, and no further notice of the stopwork order is required. The failure of an owner of outdoor advertising to comply immediately with the stopwork order shall subject the outdoor advertising to removal by the Department of Transportation or its agents. Outdoor advertising is under construction when it is in any phase of construction prior to the attachment and display of the advertising message in final position for viewing by the traveling public. The cost of removing outdoor advertising by the Department of Transportation or its agents pursuant to this section shall be assessed against the owner of the unpermitted outdoor advertising by the Department of Transportation. No stopwork order may be issued when the Department of Transportation process agent has been served with a court order allowing the sign to be constructed.

(c) No electrical permit shall be denied to an outdoor advertising sign described in G.S. 136-129(4) and G.S. 136-129(5) for which the Department has issued a permit which has not been revoked, and the electrical permit is otherwise compliant with technical utility standards.