Fairfax County Hits Sign Violators With $6K in Fines

Fairfax County says it has sent $6,000 in invoices to some of the county’s worst roadside and median sign violators.

Under a legal agreement with the state, Fairfax County removes signs from public rights of way on about 71 major roads. The law allows the county to collect a $100 civil penalty against sign owners. The penalty is assessed for each sign posted.

The county says it began charging penalties last month, and five sign owners have received invoices for these amounts:

• We Pay up to $100-200 Junk Car: $3,500
• Bruce and Tanya REMAX: $1,600
• Debbie Dogrul, Long & Foster: $600
• Mount Vernon Athletic Club: $200
• Target Marble: $100

In this fiscal year (which ends June 30), the county has picked up 27,621 signs so far under the removal program it began in 2013.

Crews remove these signs from public rights-of-way along 71 streets — or about 200 miles of roadway. Most are two-lane, divided highways Fairfax County Parkway, Route 50 and Route 28. Signs are not removed from neighborhood streets, nor are they cleaned up based on public complaints, county officials said.

The signs are removed by the Sheriff’s Community Labor Force, which collects signs every week from Tuesday to Thursday. Their crews will visit each road included in the program one time each month. Signs are stored at the I-66 Transfer Station for five days, allowing owners time to reclaim them. After this time, the signs are destroyed.

State law prohibits posting signs on public rights of way, including advertising, campaign and other signs.

If a sign on any public road presents a safety hazard, drivers should contact VDOT at 1-800-FOR-ROAD or via its online form.

The county program was created to assist the Virginia Department of Transportation. Fairfax signed a legal agreement with VDOT that authorizes it to remove signs; VDOT is still in charge of maintaining roads.

Photo courtesy Fairfax County