Minn. Stat. § 173.02
For the purposes of Laws 1971, chapter 883, the terms defined in this section shall have the meanings herein given them.
[Renumbered subd 16]
[Repealed, 1971 c 883s 2]
[Renumbered subd 23]
[Repealed, 1971 c 883s 2]
Directional and other official signs and notices shall mean:
[Renumbered subd 20]
"Abandoned and discontinued" means an outdoor advertising device that ceases to display advertising copy for a minimum of one year and is not otherwise being actively marketed to display advertising copy.
"Adjacent area" means any area adjacent to the right-of-way of an interstate or trunk highway.
[Renumbered subd 17]
[Renumbered subd 22]
[Renumbered subd 19]
"Advertising area" means that portion of the advertising face of an advertising device which includes the border and trim thereof, but excludes the base and apron supports and other structural members.
[Renumbered subd 21]
[Renumbered subd 24]
[Renumbered subd 18]
"Advertising device" means any billboard, sign, notice, poster, display, or other device visible to and primarily intended to advertise and inform or to attract or which does attract the attention of operators and occupants of motor vehicles and shall include any structure erected primarily for use in connection with the display of any such device and all lighting or other attachments used in connection therewith.
"Business area" means any part of an adjacent area which is (a) zoned for business, industrial or commercial activities under the authority of any law of this state or any political subdivision thereof; or (b) not so zoned, but which constitutes an unzoned commercial or industrial area as herein defined.
"Conforming" means an outdoor advertising device that complies with the requirements of this chapter.
"Erect" means to construct, build, raise, assemble, place, affix, attach, create, paint, draw or in any other way to bring into being or establish but it shall not include any of the foregoing activities when performed as an incident to the change of advertising message or customary maintenance of an outdoor advertising structure or device.
"Expressway" has the meaning given it in section 160.02, subdivision 18b.
"Freeway" has the meaning given it in section 160.02, subdivision 19.
"Interstate highway" means any highway at any time officially designated as a part of the national system of interstate and defense highways by the commissioner of transportation and approved by the appropriate authority of the federal government.
"Maintain" means to allow to exist.
"Nonconforming" means an outdoor advertising device that was lawfully erected and has been maintained lawfully but does not comply with the requirements of this chapter. A nonconforming sign is one that remains in substantially the same condition it was on July 1, 2017.
"Off-premise" means an outdoor advertising device that advertises or pertains to any business, product, person, activity, event, or service that is not primarily conducted, sold, manufactured, offered, or located on the property where the sign is located.
"Primary highway" means any highway, other than an interstate highway, at any time officially designated as a part of the federal aid primary system by the commissioner of transportation and approved by the appropriate authority of the federal government, and which shall include state trunk highways designated as such by Minnesota Statutes.
"Scenic area" means an area within which control and regulation of the erection and maintenance of advertising devices may be exercised to the extent herein provided and such areas shall include only those established as such by the commissioner of transportation. Scenic area includes a scenic byway under United States Code, title 23, section 162.
"Scenic byways" means roads that recognize outstanding scenic, cultural, historic, natural, recreational, and archaeological qualities and landscapes pursuant to United States Code, title 23, section 162.
"Unzoned commercial or industrial areas" means those areas which are not zoned by state or local law, regulation, or ordinance, and on which there is located one or more permanent structures devoted to a commercial or industrial activity or on which a commercial or industrial activity is actually conducted whether or not a permanent structure is located thereon, and the area along the highway extending outward 800 feet from and beyond the edge of such activity. Each side of the highway will be considered separately in applying this definition. All measurements shall be from the outer edges of the regularly used buildings, parking lots, storage or processing, and landscaped areas of the commercial or industrial activity, not from the property lines of the activity, and shall be along or parallel to the edge of the pavement of the highway.
Minn. Stat. § 173.02
1965 c 828 s 2; 1967 c 299 s 9; Ex1967 c 9 s 1,2; 1969 c 1129 art 3 s 1; 1971 c 883 s 2; 1975 c 61 s 5; 1976 c 166 s 7; 1982 c 617 s 16; 1984 c 417 s 17; 1985 c 25 s 1, 2; 1996 c 455 art 3 s 26; 1999 c 238 art 2 s 29; 2009 c 168s 8, 9; 2014 c 227 art 2 s 8, 9; 2015 c 75 art 2 s 30