Note that the following describes significant amendments to Administrative Code 522. These changes became effective October 1, 2006.

Summary and Purpose of Amendments to the Rules: The Department has amended the Rules to add language to strengthen conforming sign site control criteria. Accordingly, at Section 522.20, a “sham” building will not be considered a commercial or industrial activity when determining unzoned commercial or industrial areas. Moreover, actual commercial or industrial activities will need to be in place at a site, or the site will need to be documented as a site for which future commercial or industrial use is pending, before a site will be considered in conformance. Zoning alone will no longer be acceptable. Additionally, Section 522.50 now provides that zoning certifications must be submitted on the local governing agency’s letterhead and attached, along with the additional documentation, to the permit application. These certifications will attest to a property’s zoning status and, in the case of interstate areas, will attest to a site’s conformance with the September 21, 1959 criteria.

At Section 522.20, a new definition of “Multiple Message Signs” has been added and provides that a fixed message will be displayed for at least ten seconds in length with a transition time between message changes of three seconds or less.

In addition to the changes previously noted to Section 522.50, under the new amendments, supporting documentation required for permit applications will be consistent statewide. Documentation requirements for all signs, whether in the Chicago-area or elsewhere, will be the same.

Illinois State Plane Coordinates will need to be provided, and a certificate of good corporate standing from the Illinois Secretary of State’s Office will be required. Permit fees will be non-refundable. Finally, a certification will need to be provided stating that the applicant does not own an illegal or abandoned sign.

At Section 522.80, any applicant of an illegal or abandoned sign will not be able to secure permits until such time that a corrective remedy has been performed.

At Section 522.90, the permit application renewal period will be increased from 180 days to 3 years, and applicants will be required to wait 60 days before applying again for the same site.

At Section 522.130, the review procedures for sign applicants whose permits have been revoked have been rewritten to provide greater clarity with respect to the review sequence or review timeline.

At Section 522.150, a definition and additional control criterion for abandoned signs has been added as follows: a sign will be considered abandoned when no message or display appears for one year, unless the display advertises the availability of the sign.

At Section 522.160, the control requirements for official notices have been clarified.

A new Section, Section 522.175, has been added to better define the requirements for official signs.

At Illustrations H and M, the Department is repealing the District Highway Map and adding an updated listing of District Offices and Counties to replace it.
 

Outdoor advertising signs aka "billboards" are controlled (permitted) by the department adjacent to specified highways by both federal and state statutes.  The Administrative Rule that applies to outdoor advertising in Illinois is Title 92 Illinois Administrative Code Part 522 - Control of Outdoor Advertising Adjacent to Primary and Interstate Highways. Administrative Code Part 522 is also available for download here.

The department has created maps for each of the nine highway districts depicting the "controlled" routes with a black line.

These are special use maps and are not intended for navigation or legal purposes. 

Application forms for Outdoor Advertising Permits are now available here. (Forms my be printed and then mailed to the appropriate district.)

Click on the appropriate district to be re-directed to the "Getting Around Illinois" web site where the selected district and controlled routes will be displayed. 

District 1 201 West Center Court Schaumburg, IL 60196 (847) 705-4000 District 2 819 Depot Ave. Dixon, IL (815) 284-2271 District 3 700 East Norris Dr. Ottawa, IL 61350 (815) 434-6131 District 4 401 Main Peoria, IL 61602 (309) 671-3333

District 5 13473 IL Hwy 133 P.O. Box 610 Paris, IL 61944 (217) 465-4181 District 6 126 East Ash Springfield, IL 62704 (217) 782-7301 District 7 400 West Wabash Effingham, IL 62401 (217) 342-3951 District 8 1102 Eastport Plaza Collinsville, IL 62234 (618) 346-3100 District 9 State Trans. Building P.O. Box 100 Carbondale, IL 62903 (618) 549-2171