The provisions of Sections 23-1-275 and 23-1-276 shall not be applicable to signs of less than one square foot in area, excluding the support, erected by a public utility to mark the location of any buried telephone cable, electric power line, gas line, waterline, or other underground public utility facility, for the protection of the facilities of the public utility.
Ala. Code § 23-1-277 (1975)