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Pennsylvania Code



CHAPTER 155. USE AND DISPLAY OF ILLUMINATED SIGNS

Sec.


155.1.    Purpose.
155.2.    Additional vehicles.
155.3.    Design.
155.4.    Brightness.
155.5.    Installation.

Authority

   The provisions of this Chapter 155 issued under the Vehicle Code, 75 Pa.C.S. § §  4307(d) and 6103, unless otherwise noted.

Source

   The provisions of this Chapter 155 adopted August 26, 1977, effective August 27, 1977, 7 Pa.B. 2428; renumbered May 15, 1981, effective May 16, 1981, 11 Pa.B. 1678; readopted January 8, 1988, effective January 9, 1988, 18 Pa.B. 190, unless otherwise noted. Immediately preceding text appears at serial pages (80035) to (80037).

§ 155.1. Purpose.

 This chapter governs the use, manner of lighting and display of illuminated signs on vehicles under 75 Pa.C.S. §  4307 (relating to use and display of illuminated signs).

Source

   The provisions of this §  155.1 adopted August 26, 1977, effective August 27, 1977, 7 Pa.B. 2428; renumbered May 15, 1981, effective May 16, 1981, 11 Pa.B. 1678; amended February 18, 1983, effective February 19, 1983, 13 Pa.B. 783; readopted January 8, 1988, effective January 9, 1988, 18 Pa.B. 190. Immediately preceding text appears at serial page (80035).

§ 155.2. Additional vehicles.

 The following vehicles, in addition to those permitted by 75 Pa.C.S. §  4307 (relating to use and display of illuminated signs), may use and display illuminated signs: ambulances.

Source

   The provisions of this §  155.2 adopted August 26, 1977, effective August 27, 1977, 7 Pa.B. 2428; renumbered May 15, 1981, effective May 16, 1981, 11 Pa.B. 1678; readopted January 8, 1988, effective January 9, 1988, 18 Pa.B. 190. Immediately preceding text appears at serial page (80035).

§ 155.3. Design.

 The following requirements apply to illuminated signs including signs illuminated by spotlights or other lamps off the sign:

   (1)  The light source shall be constant. Flashing, rotating or alternating lamps may not be used.

   (2)  The sign lighting shall contain a separate fusing device unless the power source is other than a vehicle lighting circuit.

   (3)  No sign lighting may contain any type of prismatic lens designed to direct or focus the lamp ray in any direction.

   (4)  No red lamp may be visible through an area of 180° of the front of the sign.

   (5)  No sign lighting may display a beam of light visible to the rear of the sign. The arrangement of lamps shall be such that it is not possible to look directly into a lamp from a vehicle following at 50 feet within an arc ranging from 45° right to 45° left.

Source

   The provisions of this §  155.3 adopted August 26, 1977, effective August 27, 1977, 7 Pa.B. 2428; renumbered May 15, 1981, effective May 16, 1981, 11 Pa.B. 1678; amended February 18, 1983, effective February 19, 1983, 13 Pa.B. 783; readopted January 8, 1988, effective January 9, 1988, 18 Pa.B. 190. Immediately preceding text appears at serial page (80036).

§ 155.4. Brightness.

 The maximum brightness of the sign lighting shall be determined by two separate tests:

   (1)  The maximum project area brightness shall be measured with a calibrated, standard light meter, located so as to directly face the illuminated portion of the sign with the center of the light meter on the same horizontal plane as a horizontal line drawn through the center of the illuminated area at a distance equal to five times the diagonal dimension of the sign. Light meter readings shall be mathematically converted to candles per square inch and footlamberts where one candle is equivalent to 452 footlamberts. The maximum limits specified in this paragraph shall not be exceeded. In determining the projected area of the sign, the entire illuminated area shall be used with no allowance made for opaque lettering.

   Maximum Brightness—Projected Area


Candles, MaximumMultiply
(1 CP=140)
Footlamberts, Maximum
1 per square inch452452 Footlamberts

   (2)  The maximum spot brightness shall be measured with a calibrated, standard illuminometer, located so as to directly face the illuminated portion of the sign with the center of the illuminometer on the same horizontal plane as a line drawn through the center of the illuminated area. The maximum limit of 1,800 footlamberts may not be exceeded at the brightest point of the illuminated area.

Source

   The provisions of this §  155.4 adopted August 26, 1977, effective August 27, 1977, 7 Pa.B. 2428; renumbered May 15, 1981, effective May 16, 1981, 11 Pa.B. 1678; amended February 18, 1983, effective February 19, 1983, 13 Pa.B. 783; readopted January 8, 1988, effective January 9, 1988, 18 Pa.B. 190. Immediately preceding text appears at serial pages (80036) to (80037).

§ 155.5. Installation.

 The external limits of the sign shall be such that the sign does not extend more than 16 inches in height and be limited in width to 4 inches less than the width or length of the vehicle at the point of attachment, except signs mounted on truck tractors may extend 30 inches in height. No part of a sign may extend into a window area.

Source

   The provisions of this §  155.5 adopted August 26, 1977, effective August 27, 1977, 7 Pa.B. 2428; amended May 16, 1980, effective May 17, 1980, 10 Pa.B. 1980; renumbered May 15, 1981, effective May 16, 1981, 11 Pa.B. 1678; amended February 18, 1983, effective February 19, 1983, 13 Pa.B. 783; readopted January 8, 1988, effective January 9, 1988, 18 Pa.B. 190. Immediately preceding text appears at serial page (80037).



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