2026 Utah Legislative General Session: January 20 – March 6, 2026
Scenic Utah Opposes S.B. 219 — Highway Signage Amendments
Sponsored by Senator Calvin Musselman, S.B. 219 Highway Signage Amendments represents a 2026 legislative proposal that goes too far. This bill cannot be “fixed” with minor amendments—it is fundamentally flawed as a matter of sound land use policy and taxpayer protection.
Scenic Utah strongly opposes this bill because it would dramatically expand billboard industry privileges at the expense of local control, taxpayer interests, and Utah’s scenic beauty.
S.B. 219 provides the following benefits to billboard owners:
1. Allows billboards relocated or remodeled due to a highway widening, construction, or reconstruction to be erected to any height necessary to make the entire advertising content clearly visible from the highway.
2. Allows relocated or remodeled billboards to violate the height restrictions established elsewhere in state law.
3. Allows billboards relocated due to a highway widening, construction, or reconstruction to be relocated from one city or county into any other city or county in the state, unless the city or county where the billboard is to be relocated purchases the sign through eminent domain, using the codified “just compensation” formula.
4. Allows, without further city or county approval, the relocation of a billboard due to a highway widening, construction, or reconstruction after giving the city or county 30 days’ notice.
5. Allows a billboard affected by the placement of a sound wall to be erected to any height to make the entire advertising content of the sign clearly visible from the highway.