479.03 Jurisdiction of the Department of Transportation; entry upon privately owned lands. - Florida Statutes

479.03 Jurisdiction of the Department of Transportation; entry upon privately owned lands.

The territory under the jurisdiction of the department for the purpose of this chapter shall include all the state. Employees, agents, or independent contractors working for the department, in the performance of their functions and duties under the provisions of this chapter, may enter into and upon any land upon which a sign is displayed, is proposed to be erected, or is being erected and make such inspections, surveys, and removals as may be relevant. After receiving consent by the landowner, operator, or person in charge or appropriate inspection warrant issued by a judge of any county court or circuit court of this state which has jurisdiction of the place or thing to be removed, that the removal of an illegal outdoor advertising sign is necessary, the department shall be authorized to enter upon any intervening privately owned lands for the purposes of effectuating removal of illegal signs, provided that the department shall only do so in circumstances where it has determined that no other legal or economically feasible means of entry to the sign site are reasonably available. Except as otherwise provided by this chapter, the department shall be responsible for the repair or replacement in a like manner for any physical damage or destruction of private property, other than the sign, incidental to the department’s entry upon such intervening privately owned lands.

History. s. 3, ch. 20446, 1941; s. 7, ch. 22858, 1945; s. 5, ch. 67-461; ss. 23, 35, ch. 69-106; s. 4, ch. 71-971; s. 3, ch. 76-168; s. 1, ch. 77-457; ss. 2, 3, ch. 81-318; ss. 4, 25, 26, ch. 84-227; s. 4, ch. 91-429; s. 36, ch. 94-237.