{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-json\/33.2-1232.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-text\/33.2-1232.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-xml\/33.2-1232.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-html\/33.2-1232.html"}],"law_id":359841,"edition_id":2,"section_id":359841,"structure_id":51484,"section_number":"33.2-1232","catch_line":"Prohibition of false and misleading signs","history":"Code 1950, \u00a7 33-324; 1970, c. 322, \u00a7 33.1-379; 2014, c. 805.","full_text":"It shall be unlawful for any person to erect or maintain alongside, or in plain view of, any public highway any false or misleading sign of any kind or character purporting to furnish travel information relating to place or direction. It shall be unlawful for any person to erect or maintain alongside, or in plain view of, any public highway any sign of any kind or character purporting to furnish travel information relating to merchandise or services unless the design of such sign, the information thereon, and the location thereof are approved in writing by the Commissioner of Highways, provided that the provisions of this section as to merchandise and service shall not:\n\n1\n\nApply to or restrict the right of any person to post, display, erect, or maintain on any store, dwelling house, or other building, together with so much land therewith as shall be necessary for the convenience, use, and enjoyment thereof, or on any mercantile appliances, contrivances, or machinery annexed or immediately adjacent thereto, any sign advertising goods, merchandise, real or personal property, business services, entertainment, or amusements actually and in good faith manufactured, produced, bought, sold, conducted, furnished, or dealt in on the premises;\n\n2\n\nLimit or restrict the publication of official notices by or under the direction of any public or court officer in the performance of his official or directed duties;\n\n3\n\nLimit or restrict notice of sale by a trustee under a deed of trust, deed of assignment, or other similar instrument; or\n\n4\n\nApply to or restrict the right of any property owner or his agent, lessee, or tenant to maintain any sign offering to the public farm products, including livestock of every kind, or board or lodging or similar entertainment, or the sale, rental, or lease of the property.\n\t\t\tNothing in this section shall limit the right of any person, firm, or corporation to erect signs that advertise natural scenic attractions in the Commonwealth.\n\n","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":1338829,"text":"It shall be unlawful for any person to erect or maintain alongside, or in plain view of, any public highway any false or misleading sign of any kind or character purporting to furnish travel information relating to place or direction. It shall be unlawful for any person to erect or maintain alongside, or in plain view of, any public highway any sign of any kind or character purporting to furnish travel information relating to merchandise or services unless the design of such sign, the information thereon, and the location thereof are approved in writing by the Commissioner of Highways, provided that the provisions of this section as to merchandise and service shall not:","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1,"next_prefix":"1"},"1":{"id":1338830,"text":"Apply to or restrict the right of any person to post, display, erect, or maintain on any store, dwelling house, or other building, together with so much land therewith as shall be necessary for the convenience, use, and enjoyment thereof, or on any mercantile appliances, contrivances, or machinery annexed or immediately adjacent thereto, any sign advertising goods, merchandise, real or personal property, business services, entertainment, or amusements actually and in good faith manufactured, produced, bought, sold, conducted, furnished, or dealt in on the premises;","type":"section","prefixes":["1"],"prefix":"1","entire_prefix":"1","prefix_anchor":"1","level":1,"prior_prefix":"","next_prefix":"2"},"2":{"id":1338831,"text":"Limit or restrict the publication of official notices by or under the direction of any public or court officer in the performance of his official or directed duties;","type":"section","prefixes":["2"],"prefix":"2","entire_prefix":"2","prefix_anchor":"2","level":1,"prior_prefix":"1","next_prefix":"3"},"3":{"id":1338832,"text":"Limit or restrict notice of sale by a trustee under a deed of trust, deed of assignment, or other similar instrument; or","type":"section","prefixes":["3"],"prefix":"3","entire_prefix":"3","prefix_anchor":"3","level":1,"prior_prefix":"2","next_prefix":"4"},"4":{"id":1338833,"text":"Apply to or restrict the right of any property owner or his agent, lessee, or tenant to maintain any sign offering to the public farm products, including livestock of every kind, or board or lodging or similar entertainment, or the sale, rental, or lease of the property.\n\t\t\tNothing in this section shall limit the right of any person, firm, or corporation to erect signs that advertise natural scenic attractions in the Commonwealth.","type":"section","prefixes":["4"],"prefix":"4","entire_prefix":"4","prefix_anchor":"4","level":1,"prior_prefix":"3"}},"ancestry":[{"id":51484,"edition_id":2,"name":"False and Misleading Signs","identifier":"2","label":"article","depth":4,"order_by":2,"parent_id":51482,"metadata":{"child_laws":3,"child_structures":0},"date_created":"2026-08-02 02:42:51","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:32:33","permalink":{"id":1432717,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":51484,"identifier":"2","token":"33.2\/II\/12\/2","url":"\/33.2\/II\/12\/2\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":51482,"edition_id":2,"name":"Outdoor Advertising in Sight of Public Highways","identifier":"12","label":"chapter","depth":3,"order_by":10,"parent_id":51475,"metadata":{"child_laws":35,"child_structures":2},"date_created":"2026-08-02 02:42:48","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:32:33","permalink":{"id":1432585,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":51482,"identifier":"12","token":"33.2\/II\/12","url":"\/33.2\/II\/12\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":51475,"edition_id":2,"name":"Modes of Transportation: Highways, Bridges, Ferries, Rail, and Public Transportation","identifier":"II","label":"subtitle","depth":2,"order_by":2,"parent_id":51472,"metadata":{"child_laws":263,"child_structures":30},"date_created":"2026-08-02 02:42:40","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:32:30","permalink":{"id":1432371,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":51475,"identifier":"II","token":"33.2\/II","url":"\/33.2\/II\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":51472,"edition_id":2,"name":"Highways and Other Surface Transportation Systems","identifier":"33.2","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":77,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{"child_laws":749,"child_structures":88},"date_created":"2026-08-02 02:42:40","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:32:28","permalink":{"id":1431787,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":51472,"identifier":"33.2","token":"33.2","url":"\/33.2\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":359841,"structure_id":51484,"section_number":"33.2-1232","catch_line":"Prohibition of false and misleading signs","url":"\/33.2-1232\/","token":"33.2\/II\/12\/2\/33.2-1232","metadata":false},{"id":359842,"structure_id":51484,"section_number":"33.2-1233","catch_line":"Penalty for violation of \u00a7 33.2-1232","url":"\/33.2-1233\/","token":"33.2\/II\/12\/2\/33.2-1233","metadata":false},{"id":359843,"structure_id":51484,"section_number":"33.2-1234","catch_line":"Removal of false or misleading signs by Commissioner of Highways","url":"\/33.2-1234\/","token":"33.2\/II\/12\/2\/33.2-1234","metadata":false}],"next_section":{"id":359842,"structure_id":51484,"section_number":"33.2-1233","catch_line":"Penalty for violation of \u00a7 33.2-1232","url":"\/33.2-1233\/","token":"33.2\/II\/12\/2\/33.2-1233","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/33.2-1232\/","history_text":"

The record of this law\u2019s original creation isn\u2019t available online. It has been modified 2 times. Those modifications are cataloged by \u201cThe Acts of Assembly,\u201d a state publication, by year and chapter. Those modifications that can be read on the General Assembly\u2019s website will be linked accordingly. Those modifications are as follows: in 1970, chapter 322; in 2014, chapter 805<\/a>.<\/p>","references":[{"id":359842,"section_number":"33.2-1233","catch_line":"Penalty for violation of \u00a7 33.2-1232","order_by":null,"url":"\/33.2-1233\/"}],"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":1432719,"object_type":"law","relational_id":359841,"identifier":"33.2-1232","token":"33.2\/II\/12\/2\/33.2-1232","url":"\/33.2-1232\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/33.2-1232\/","token":"33.2\/II\/12\/2\/33.2-1232","dublin_core":{"Title":"Prohibition of false and misleading signs","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 33.2-1232","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

It shall be unlawful for any person to erect or maintain alongside, or in plain view of, any public highway<\/span> any false or misleading sign of any kind or character purporting to furnish travel information relating to place or direction. It shall be unlawful for any person to erect or maintain alongside, or in plain view of, any public highway<\/span> any sign of any kind or character purporting to furnish travel information relating to merchandise or services unless the design of such sign, the information thereon, and the location thereof are approved in writing by the Commissioner of Highways<\/span>, provided that the provisions of this section as to merchandise and service shall not:<\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

1.<\/span> Apply to or restrict the right of any person to post, display, erect, or maintain on any store, dwelling house, or other building, together with so much land therewith as shall be necessary for the convenience, use, and enjoyment thereof, or on any mercantile appliances, contrivances, or machinery annexed or immediately adjacent thereto, any sign advertising goods, merchandise, real or personal property, business services, entertainment, or amusements actually and in good faith manufactured, produced, bought, sold, conducted, furnished, or dealt in on the premises; <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

2.<\/span> Limit or restrict the publication of official notices by or under the direction of any public or court<\/span> officer in the performance of his official or directed duties; <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

3.<\/span> Limit or restrict notice of sale by a trustee under a deed of trust, deed of assignment, or other similar instrument; or <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

4.<\/span> Apply to or restrict the right of any property owner or his agent, lessee, or tenant to maintain any sign offering to the public farm products, including livestock of every kind, or board<\/span> or lodging or similar entertainment, or the sale, rental, or lease of the property.\n\t\t\tNothing in this section shall limit the right of any person, firm, or corporation to erect signs that advertise natural scenic attractions in the Commonwealth. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nPROHIBITION OF FALSE AND MISLEADING SIGNS (\u00a7 33.2-1232)\n\nIt shall be unlawful for any person to erect or maintain alongside, or in plain\nview of, any public highway any false or misleading sign of any kind or\ncharacter purporting to furnish travel information relating to place or\ndirection. It shall be unlawful for any person to erect or maintain alongside,\nor in plain view of, any public highway any sign of any kind or character\npurporting to furnish travel information relating to merchandise or services\nunless the design of such sign, the information thereon, and the location\nthereof are approved in writing by the Commissioner of Highways, provided that\nthe provisions of this section as to merchandise and service shall not:\n\n1. Apply to or restrict the right of any person to post, display, erect, or\nmaintain on any store, dwelling house, or other building, together with so much\nland therewith as shall be necessary for the convenience, use, and enjoyment\nthereof, or on any mercantile appliances, contrivances, or machinery annexed or\nimmediately adjacent thereto, any sign advertising goods, merchandise, real or\npersonal property, business services, entertainment, or amusements actually and\nin good faith manufactured, produced, bought, sold, conducted, furnished, or\ndealt in on the premises;\n\n2. Limit or restrict the publication of official notices by or under the\ndirection of any public or court officer in the performance of his official or\ndirected duties;\n\n3. Limit or restrict notice of sale by a trustee under a deed of trust, deed of\nassignment, or other similar instrument; or\n\n4. Apply to or restrict the right of any property owner or his agent, lessee, or\ntenant to maintain any sign offering to the public farm products, including\nlivestock of every kind, or board or lodging or similar entertainment, or the\nsale, rental, or lease of the property.\n\t\t\tNothing in this section shall limit the right of any person, firm, or\ncorporation to erect signs that advertise natural scenic attractions in the\nCommonwealth.\n\nHISTORY: Code 1950, \u00a7 33-324; 1970, c. 322, \u00a7 33.1-379; 2014, c. 805.","edition":{"id":2,"name":"2026","slug":"2026","date_created":"2026-07-16 18:40:23","date_modified":"2026-08-02 15:14:36","current":1,"order_by":2,"last_import":"2026-08-02 12:37:30"}}