(a) Creation of the Registry of Signs and Advertisements. — The Puerto Rico Registry of Signs and Advertisements is hereby created to be established by the Regulations and Permits Administration. The registration of signs and advertisements shall be compulsory. For the purposes of complying with the provisions of this section, every holder or owner of a sign or advertisement, including those who hold a permit issued by the Regulations and Permits Administration within the term of six (6) months after the effective date of this act, shall register their sign or advertisement in the Puerto Rico Registry of Signs and Advertisements to be established by ARPE pursuant to the provisions of this chapter, and pay the corresponding fees for such registration. In the case of the registration of signs and advertisements installed prior to the approval of this act, for which ARPE has not initiated an adverse procedure or has not issued a permit, a sworn statement shall be filed to the effect that the sign or advertisement was installed prior to the approval of this act, along with the request for registration.
(b) Initial registration fees, initial registration sticker, renewal of the initial registration sticker. — The Regulations and Permits Administration shall charge ten dollars ($10) for the initial registration of a sign or advertisement in the Puerto Rico Registry of Signs and Advertisements, and shall issue a permit and an initial registration sticker for said registration to the owner or holder who registers the sign or advertisement. Said initial registration sticker shall be attached to a visible place on the sign or advertisement, or next to the same, and shall be valid for a maximum term of fifteen (15) months from the effective date of this act, in which term the owner or holder of the sign or advertisement shall obtain the installation permit or eliminate the same as provided in this chapter. The provisions of this section shall only apply to those signs or advertisements installed prior to the effective date of this act, and for which ARPE had not begun an adverse proceeding. Any person who does not register a sign or advertisement within the term of six (6) months established by this section, shall have to pay a penalty of an additional amount of two hundred dollars ($200) to ARPE in order to register said sign or advertisement.
Any sign or advertisement not registered within the period established in this section shall be removed within ten (10) days after so ordered by ARPE to that effect, unless it complies with the payment of the fees and the penalties accrued after the effective date of this act, as provided in this section.
(c) Registration of signs and advertisements with permits. — Any sign or advertisement that has a permit issued before the approval of this act, shall also be registered within the term of six (6) months after the effective date of this act, without having to pay any additional fee.
(d) Permanent registration sticker and reenewal of the permanent registration sticker. — Any nonconforming sign or advertisement, or any sign or advertisement with a permit issued by the Regulations and Permits Administration before or after the effective date of this act, shall obtain or renew a permanent registration sticker pursuant to the provisions of § 54 of this title.
History —Dec. 22, 1999, No. 355, § 5; Sept. 2, 2000, No. 336, § 2.