{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/46.2-831.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/46.2-831.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/46.2-831.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/46.2-831.html"}],"law_id":79269,"edition_id":1,"section_id":79269,"structure_id":13934,"section_number":"46.2-831","catch_line":"Unofficial traffic control devices prohibited; penalties","history":"Code 1950, \u00a7 46-187; 1958, c. 541, \u00a7 46.1-174; 1982, c. 681; 1989, c. 727; 2013, cc. 128, 400, 585, 646.","full_text":"No unauthorized person shall erect or maintain on any highway any warning or direction sign, signal, or light in imitation of any official traffic control device erected as provided by law. No person shall erect or maintain on any highway any traffic control device bearing any commercial advertising.\n\t\tNothing in this section shall prohibit the erection or maintenance of signs or signals bearing the name of an organization authorized to erect it by the Commonwealth Transportation Board, the Department of Transportation, or local authorities of counties, cities, and towns as provided by law. Nor shall this section be construed to prohibit the erection by contractors or public utility companies of temporary signs approved by the Virginia Department of Transportation warning motorists that work is in progress on or adjacent to the highway.\n\t\tAny violation of this section shall constitute a Class 4 misdemeanor.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":283821,"text":"No unauthorized person shall erect or maintain on any highway any warning or direction sign, signal, or light in imitation of any official traffic control device erected as provided by law. No person shall erect or maintain on any highway any traffic control device bearing any commercial advertising.\n\t\tNothing in this section shall prohibit the erection or maintenance of signs or signals bearing the name of an organization authorized to erect it by the Commonwealth Transportation Board, the Department of Transportation, or local authorities of counties, cities, and towns as provided by law. Nor shall this section be construed to prohibit the erection by contractors or public utility companies of temporary signs approved by the Virginia Department of Transportation warning motorists that work is in progress on or adjacent to the highway.\n\t\tAny violation of this section shall constitute a Class 4 misdemeanor.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":13934,"edition_id":1,"name":"Traffic Signs, Lights, and Markings","identifier":"3","label":"article","depth":4,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12875,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:46:20","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:46:20","permalink":{"id":230755,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":13934,"identifier":"3","token":"46.2\/III\/8\/3","url":"\/46.2\/III\/8\/3\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12875,"edition_id":1,"name":"Regulation of Traffic","identifier":"8","label":"chapter","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12827,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:58","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:58","permalink":{"id":230189,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12875,"identifier":"8","token":"46.2\/III\/8","url":"\/46.2\/III\/8\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12827,"edition_id":1,"name":"Operation","identifier":"III","label":"subtitle","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12770,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:55","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:55","permalink":{"id":228597,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12827,"identifier":"III","token":"46.2\/III","url":"\/46.2\/III\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12770,"edition_id":1,"name":"Motor Vehicles","identifier":"46.2","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":1,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:52","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:52","permalink":{"id":225289,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12770,"identifier":"46.2","token":"46.2","url":"\/46.2\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":68998,"structure_id":13934,"section_number":"46.2-830","catch_line":"Uniform traffic control devices on highways; drivers to obey traffic control devices; enforcement of section","url":"\/46.2-830\/","token":"46.2\/III\/8\/3\/46.2-830","metadata":false},{"id":76734,"structure_id":13934,"section_number":"46.2-830.1","catch_line":"Failure to obey highway sign where driver sleeping or resting","url":"\/46.2-830.1\/","token":"46.2\/III\/8\/3\/46.2-830.1","metadata":false},{"id":66584,"structure_id":13934,"section_number":"46.2-830.2","catch_line":"Pedestrians with disabilities; traffic signs","url":"\/46.2-830.2\/","token":"46.2\/III\/8\/3\/46.2-830.2","metadata":false},{"id":79269,"structure_id":13934,"section_number":"46.2-831","catch_line":"Unofficial traffic control devices prohibited; penalties","url":"\/46.2-831\/","token":"46.2\/III\/8\/3\/46.2-831","metadata":false},{"id":85411,"structure_id":13934,"section_number":"46.2-832","catch_line":"Damaging or removing traffic control devices, work signs, or street address signs","url":"\/46.2-832\/","token":"46.2\/III\/8\/3\/46.2-832","metadata":false},{"id":64548,"structure_id":13934,"section_number":"46.2-833","catch_line":"Traffic lights; penalty","url":"\/46.2-833\/","token":"46.2\/III\/8\/3\/46.2-833","metadata":false},{"id":64178,"structure_id":13934,"section_number":"46.2-833.01","catch_line":"Expired","url":"\/46.2-833.01\/","token":"46.2\/III\/8\/3\/46.2-833.01","metadata":false},{"id":82198,"structure_id":13934,"section_number":"46.2-833.1","catch_line":"Evasion of traffic control devices","url":"\/46.2-833.1\/","token":"46.2\/III\/8\/3\/46.2-833.1","metadata":false},{"id":84306,"structure_id":13934,"section_number":"46.2-834","catch_line":"Signals by law-enforcement officers, crossing guards, and flaggers","url":"\/46.2-834\/","token":"46.2\/III\/8\/3\/46.2-834","metadata":false},{"id":54990,"structure_id":13934,"section_number":"46.2-835","catch_line":"Right turn on steady red light after stopping","url":"\/46.2-835\/","token":"46.2\/III\/8\/3\/46.2-835","metadata":false},{"id":81028,"structure_id":13934,"section_number":"46.2-836","catch_line":"Left turn on steady red after stopping","url":"\/46.2-836\/","token":"46.2\/III\/8\/3\/46.2-836","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":66584,"structure_id":13934,"section_number":"46.2-830.2","catch_line":"Pedestrians with disabilities; traffic signs","url":"\/46.2-830.2\/","token":"46.2\/III\/8\/3\/46.2-830.2","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":85411,"structure_id":13934,"section_number":"46.2-832","catch_line":"Damaging or removing traffic control devices, work signs, or street address signs","url":"\/46.2-832\/","token":"46.2\/III\/8\/3\/46.2-832","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/46.2-831\/","history_text":"

The record of this law\u2019s original creation isn\u2019t available online. It has been modified 4 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 1958, chapter 541; in 1982, chapter 681; in 1989, chapter 727; in 2013, chapters 128<\/a>, 400<\/a>, 585<\/a>, and 646<\/a>.<\/p>","references":false,"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":230769,"object_type":"law","relational_id":79269,"identifier":"46.2-831","token":"46.2\/III\/8\/3\/46.2-831","url":"\/46.2-831\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/46.2-831\/","token":"46.2\/III\/8\/3\/46.2-831","dublin_core":{"Title":"Unofficial traffic control devices prohibited; penalties","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 46.2-831","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

No unauthorized person shall erect or maintain on any highway<\/span> any warning or direction sign, signal, or light<\/span> in imitation of any official traffic control device<\/span> erected as provided by law<\/span>. No person shall erect or maintain on any highway<\/span> any traffic control device<\/span> bearing any commercial advertising.\n\t\tNothing in this section shall prohibit the erection or maintenance of signs or signals bearing the name of an organization authorized to erect it by the Commonwealth Transportation Board, the Department<\/span> of Transportation, or local authorities of counties, cities, and towns as provided by law<\/span>. Nor shall this section be construed to prohibit the erection by contractors or public utility companies of temporary signs approved by the Virginia Department<\/span> of Transportation warning motorists that work is in progress on or adjacent to the highway<\/span>.\n\t\tAny violation of this section shall constitute a Class 4 misdemeanor<\/span>.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nUNOFFICIAL TRAFFIC CONTROL DEVICES PROHIBITED; PENALTIES (\u00a7 46.2-831)\n\nNo unauthorized person shall erect or maintain on any highway any warning or\ndirection sign, signal, or light in imitation of any official traffic control\ndevice erected as provided by law. No person shall erect or maintain on any\nhighway any traffic control device bearing any commercial advertising.\n\t\tNothing in this section shall prohibit the erection or maintenance of signs or\nsignals bearing the name of an organization authorized to erect it by the\nCommonwealth Transportation Board, the Department of Transportation, or local\nauthorities of counties, cities, and towns as provided by law. Nor shall this\nsection be construed to prohibit the erection by contractors or public utility\ncompanies of temporary signs approved by the Virginia Department of\nTransportation warning motorists that work is in progress on or adjacent to the\nhighway.\n\t\tAny violation of this section shall constitute a Class 4 misdemeanor.\n\nHISTORY: Code 1950, \u00a7 46-187; 1958, c. 541, \u00a7 46.1-174; 1982, c. 681; 1989, c.\n727; 2013, cc. 128, 400, 585, 646.","edition":{"id":1,"name":"2025","slug":"2025","date_created":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","date_modified":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","current":1,"order_by":1,"last_import":null}}