(A) In all areas of unincorporated Dare County, the erection, construction, location or the use of any sign is prohibited as follows.
(B) The signs, if deemed to create a public safety hazard by the Building Inspector, may be removed immediately by the county; otherwise, prohibited signs shall be removed within 10 business days following written notification from Dare County.
(1) No sign shall be permitted on or protrude into a public or private right-of-way, street or passageway.
(2) No sign shall be posted on any telegraph, telephone, electric or other utility pole or structure or any tree.
(3) No sign shall be permitted whereby its location, nature or type constitutes a hazard to the safe and efficient operation of vehicles upon any public or private right-of-way, street or passageway. No sign shall be permitted that obstructs the line of sight of motorists or pedestrians at intersections, driveways or along any public or private right-of-way, street or passageway. No sign shall be permitted that obstructs or resemble traffic signs or signals, or would tend to be confused with a flashing light of an emergency vehicle.
(4) No sign shall contain statements, words or pictures which describe or display specified anatomical areas or specified sexual activities, as defined in the Dare County Code of Ordinances or which contain words which are classified as vulgar, vulgar slang, offensive slang, or obscene in The New College Edition of the American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language.
(5) No sign shall be permitted that contains or consists of banners, posters, pennants, ribbons, balloons, streamers, spinning parts or other similarly moving devices or ornamentation, except as specifically provided herein.
(6) No sign shall be permitted which contains or utilizes revolving or rotating beams of light. No sign shall be erected which flashes, except for time and temperature signs as defined in this chapter.
(7) No sign shall be placed on a vehicle or trailer that is parked or located for the primary purpose of displaying the sign (this does not apply to signs or lettering on buses, taxis or vehicles operating during the normal course of business).
(8) No business sign shall be located in any public or private waterbody, canal, ditch or other waterway, including the Atlantic Ocean and the surrounding waters of Dare County. This prohibition does not apply to official federal state or local navigational signs.
(9) Off-premise directional real estate signs.
(10) Temporary, portable signs including sandwich board, A-frame, or wind driven signs such as tethered balloons or other inflatable objects. This prohibition does not apply to signs under § 158.05(B)(12).
(11) Outdoor advertising structures, as defined in § 158.02.
(12) Roof signs including painting on roof or displays that extend beyond the highest point of the roof structure.
(Res. passed 5- -2004; Am. Ord. passed 6-21-2021)