§ 136-30. Uniform signs and other traffic control devices on highways, streets, and public vehicular areas.
§136‑30. Uniform signs and other traffic control devices on highways,streets, and public vehicular areas.
(a) State HighwaySystem. The Department of Transportation may number and mark highways in theState highway system. All traffic signs and other traffic control devicesplaced on a highway in the State highway system must conform to the UniformManual. The Department of Transportation shall have the power to control allsigns within the right‑of‑way of highways in the State highwaysystem. The Department of Transportation may erect signs directing persons toroads and places of importance.
(b) Municipal StreetSystem. All traffic signs and other traffic control devices placed on amunicipal street system street must conform to the appearance criteria of theUniform Manual. All traffic control devices placed on a highway that is withinthe corporate limits of a municipality but is part of the State highway systemmust be approved by the Department of Transportation.
(c) Public VehicularAreas. Except as provided in this subsection, all traffic signs and othertraffic control devices placed on a public vehicular area, as defined in G.S.20‑4.01, must conform to the Uniform Manual. The owner of privateproperty that contains a public vehicular area may place on the property atraffic control device, other than a sign designating a parking space forhandicapped persons, as defined in G.S. 20‑37.5, that differs in materialfrom the uniform device but does not differ in shape, size, color, or any otherway from the uniform device. The owner of private property that contains apublic vehicular area may place on the property a sign designating a parkingspace for handicapped persons that differs in material and color from theuniform sign but does not differ in shape, size, or any other way from theuniform device.
(d) Definition. Asused in this section, the term "Uniform Manual" means the Manual onUniform Traffic Control Devices for Streets and Highways, published by theUnited States Department of Transportation, and any supplement to that Manualadopted by the North Carolina Department of Transportation.
(e) Exception forPublic Airport Traffic Signs. Publicly owned airports, as defined in Chapter63 of the General Statutes, shall be exempt from the requirements ofsubsections (b) and (c) of this section with respect to informational anddirectional signs, but not with respect to regulatory traffic signs. (1921,c. 2, ss. 9(a), 9(b); C.S., ss. 3846(q), 3846(r); 1927, c. 148, s. 54; 1933, c.172, s. 17; 1957, c. 65, s. 11; 1973, c. 507, s. 5; 1977, c. 464, s. 7.1; 1991,c. 530, s. 1; 1991 (Reg. Sess., 1992), c. 818, s. 2; 1993, c. 51.)