NMDOT issues sign reminder

Staff report

The New Mexico Department of Trans-portation is reminding citizens that it is illegal to have unauthorized signs, signals, and markings on state maintained rights-of-way.

State maintained right-of-way is defined as “the driving lanes, inside and outside shoulders from fencing on rural routes and to the back of the sidewalk on urban routes,” according to a press release from the department.

If an illegally placed sign is found to be restricting a driver’s visibility or diverting the driver’s attention and is linked to causing a motor vehicle accident, the person responsible for the sign may face legal liability, according to the press release.

Any sign found to be encroaching the right-of-way, including political, for sale, real estate, and garage sale signs, will be taken down and stored at the nearest maintenance patrol yard for two weeks, the release said.

If no one has claimed the sign, it will be discarded after the two week period, according to the release.