Illegal outdoor boards will receive fines in California

Let’s face it…the current generation is all about mobility. We want what we want when we want it, and media is no different. Media is working hard to stay relevant to advertisers and more importantly, the consumer. Sometimes, however, that can backfire. Take for instance outdoor and California. MediaPost reports that the state is working to shut down illegal outdoor ads and limit legal boards.

California Governor Jerry Brown recently approved a law that will make it increasingly harder to advertise with illegal outdoor boards. Typically, these illegal boards are trailers pulled by cars, trucks, bicycles, etc. to various locations. What makes this illegal is neither licenses were obtained nor rent paid to the city government or property owners. In Los Angeles alone, it is estimated that nearly 4,000 signs around the city do not have the proper paperwork or are in violation in some way.

Once caught, this new law allows for steeper penalties to be given to the violators. Los Angeles and San Francisco are two cities that have already established ordinances. Some people are working to increase Los Angeles penalty fees from $2,500 per day to $48,000 per day.

Advertisers should be aware of laws in any market in which they are advertising. One great outdoor blitz may end up costing the client a lot more than originally planned. The lesson one should take away is make sure that your outdoor vendor, whether it be mobile or static, has a permit.