AB 2024: Outdoor advertising displays: permits: landscaped freeways: relocation agreements.
What AB 2024 does, verified September 17, 2026
The bill amends existing outdoor advertising regulations in California. It prohibits the department of transportation from denying or delaying permit applications for new advertising displays along newly aligned highways, even if the highway project is not yet complete. Additionally, the bill relaxes restrictions on placing advertising displays near landscaped freeways, instead allowing relocation or removal with payment of compensation. The bill also removes requirements for local entities to pay compensation for relocating advertising displays, and allows any governmental entity to enter into relocation agreements without additional considerations.
Bill journey
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6ChapteredCurrent
Last action: Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 208, Statutes of 2026. (2026-09-15)Alert me
Quick answers about AB 2024
- What is the current status of AB 2024?
- As of September 17, 2026, AB 2024 is recorded as "Chaptered/Signed": it has been signed by the Governor and chaptered into law. The last recorded action, on September 15, 2026, was "Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 208, Statutes of 2026".
- Did AB 2024 pass?
- Yes. AB 2024 passed both houses and was signed into law (last action September 15, 2026). Most California bills signed in a given year take effect on January 1 of the following year, unless the bill carries an urgency clause or sets its own operative date.
- Who wrote AB 2024, and where is it now?
- AB 2024 was authored by Asm. Stephanie Nguyen with 2 coauthors. It is filed under Business and Professions, alongside 362 other California Business and Professions bills this session.
Author and sponsors
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| Sep. 15, 2026 | Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 208, Statutes of 2026. |
| Sep. 15, 2026 | Approved by the Governor. |
| Aug. 31, 2026 | Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 4 p.m. |
| Aug. 25, 2026 | Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 74. Noes 0. Page 6446.). |
| Aug. 19, 2026 | In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending. |
Latest bill textChaptered version, September 14, 2026 · 999 words
Assembly Bill No. 2024
CHAPTER 208
An act to amend Sections 5367, 5441, and 5443 of the Business and Professions Code, relating to outdoor advertising.
[ Approved by Governor September 14, 2026. Filed with Secretary of State September 14, 2026. ]
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 2024, Nguyen. Outdoor advertising displays: permits: landscaped freeways: relocation agreements.
The Outdoor Advertising Act regulates placement of advertising displays adjacent to and within specified distances of highways that are part of the national system of interstate and defense highways and federal-aid highways. The act prohibits a person, as defined, from placing an advertising display within the areas affected by the act without a permit. The act prohibits the Department of Transportation from denying or delaying the acceptance of a permit application for a new advertising display along a portion of a new alignment of an interstate or primary highway on the basis that the highway project has not been accepted as complete if the section of highway is open to the use of the public for vehicular travel within 1,000 feet of the location specified in the permit application.
This bill would also prohibit the department from denying or delaying the review, processing, or determination of a permit application described above.
The act prohibits, except as provided, placing or maintaining an advertising display on property adjacent to a portion of a freeway that has a specified coverage area of landscaping or trees at the same or elevated grade of the main-traveled way, as provided. The act authorizes removal of an advertising display that violates that prohibition, as provided.
This bill would instead authorize the removal with payment of compensation, or relocation without payment of compensation, of an advertising display that violates that prohibition, as specified.
The act does not prohibit a local governmental entity from entering into an agreement to relocate an advertising display for any purpose. The act requires the department to issue a permit without any additional consideration for a display that is being placed pursuant to a relocation agreement with another governmental entity, as provided.
This bill would instead not prohibit any governmental entity from entering into a relocation agreement and would require the department to issue a permit, without any additional consideration and without requiring a local entity or state agency to pay compensation, for a display that is being placed pursuant to a relocation agreement with another governmental entity, as specified.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1.
Section 5367 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:5367.
The department shall not deny or delay the acceptance, review, processing, or determination of a permit application for a new advertising display along a portion of a new alignment of an interstate or primary highway on the basis that the highway project has not been accepted by the department as complete if the section of highway is open to the use of the public for vehicular travel within 1,000 feet of the location specified in the permit application.SEC. 2.
Section 5441 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:5441.
An advertising display that is in violation of Section 5440 shall be subject to removal with payment of compensation as described in Sections 5412, or relocation without payment of compensation as described in Section 5443, three years from the date the freeway has been declared a landscaped freeway by the director or the director’s designee and the character of the freeway has been changed from a freeway to a landscaped freeway.SEC. 3.
Section 5443 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:5443.
Nothing in this article prohibits any of the following:(a) A city, county, or city and county from designating the districts or zones in which advertising displays may be placed or prohibited as part of a city, county, or city and county land use or zoning ordinance.
(b) (1) A governmental entity from entering into a relocation agreement for any purpose, including, but not limited to, those purposes provided in Section 5412, or the department from allowing a lawfully erected display to be increased in height at its permitted location or to be relocated provided the height increase or relocation would not cause a reduction in federal aid highway funds as provided in Section 131 of Title 23 of the United States Code or an increase in the number of displays within the state that does not conform to this article. An increase in height permitted under this subdivision shall not be more than that necessary to restore the visibility of the display to the main-traveled way. Relocated displays may be placed in the same or a different city, county, or city and county, and relocation agreements shall be entered into between the sign and permit owner and the local governmental entity. An advertising display relocated pursuant to this paragraph shall be deemed a placement requiring a new permit and shall comply with all of the provisions of Article 6 (commencing with Section 5350) and Article 7 (commencing with Section 5400). A relocated display shall not result in a net increase of the number of displays adjacent to landscaped freeway segments statewide.
(2) A relocated advertising display may be converted to or replaced with a message center pursuant to a relocation agreement for any purpose, including, but not limited to, the purposes provided pursuant to Section 5412. The department shall issue a permit, without any additional consideration and without requiring a local entity or state agency to pay compensation pursuant to Section 5412 or 5441, for a display that is being placed pursuant to a relocation agreement with another governmental entity if the relocated display conforms with this section. An advertising display converted or replaced with a message center pursuant to this paragraph shall be deemed a placement requiring a new permit and shall comply with all the provisions of Article 6 (commencing with Section 5350) and Article 7 (commencing with Section 5400).
Text of AB 2024 as chaptered, from the official record. Connect Plus keeps every version and highlights what changed.Compare versions