§17-19-1. Prohibited signs, etc.; removal at owner's expense.

No person shall paint, mark, post, tack, nail, or otherwise affix any sign, advertisement, notice, picture, drawing, emblem, poster, printing, or writing, other than those placed and maintained in pursuance of law, on or to any stone, rock, tree, fence, stump, post, pole, building, or other structure, which is in or upon the right-of-way of any public road or highway, including the road or highway itself, except that the commissioner may provide for suitable road signs, danger signals and other signs of informational nature. No such sign or other marking shall be suspended over the right-of-way of any public road or highway. These prohibitions include, but are not limited to, such devices which are intended to invite or draw attention of the public to the candidacy of any person for any public office; and any such device which exists in violation of the provisions of this section shall constitute prima facie evidence that the person whose candidacy appears thereon violated this section: Provided, however, That the installation and/or maintenance of newspaper, postal or mailboxes shall not be prohibited or affected by this section.

Any person violating this section, whether as principal, agent, or employee, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and, upon conviction thereof, shall be punished by a fine of not less than $25 nor more than $100; and such person shall be deemed guilty of a separate offense for each day during any portion of which any violation of this section is committed or continued. Every such prohibited sign or other marking is hereby declared to be a public nuisance. Upon receiving notice of any violation of this section, the commissioner shall cause the prohibited sign or other marking to be removed within ten days and shall cause the appearance of the property on which it was affixed to be restored, as near as may be practicable, to its condition immediately before such violation occurred. The commissioner shall, in the name of the state, recover from the persons who hereafter violate this section the amounts expended by the state in removing the sign or other marking and in restoring the appearance of the property on which it was affixed.

The commissioner is empowered to remove any such prohibited sign or other marking in place upon or over any road taken over by him for construction or maintenance.