Background

Seattle Municipal Code Section 23.55.003 prohibits, in all zones, signs attached to or located on stationary motor vehicles, equipment, trailers, and related devices, except for signs not exceeding five (5) square feet in area and relating to the sale, lease or rent of the motor vehicle to which the signs are attached.

While it is customary to have commercial or noncommercial messages painted on or attached to motor vehicles,such as delivery vans, a distinction is made for stationary motor vehicles or similar devices. The purpose of this rule is to clarify the meaning of the word "stationary" as used in Section 23.55.003.

Rule

A vehicle is stationary if it is not regularly in use for transportation purposes.

Factors to be used to determine if a motor vehicle or similar device is stationary and functioning as a sign rather than a transportation vehicle include, but are not limited to, the following:

Lack of a current motor vehicle registration and current tabs.

The vehicle is incapable of operating due to mechanical conditions, or the vehicle fails to meet standards or lacks required equipment for motor vehicles as set forth in the Revised Code of Washington.

Failure to move a vehicle from a lawful parking area when the parking area is unrelated to the owner of the vehicle and the vehicle is not regularly being used for transportation purposes. For purposes of this factor a time period of seventy-two hours shall be used to establish a failure to move a vehicle from a lawful parking area.

A pattern of dispersing parked vehicles with messages painted on them or attached to them that evidences a planned effort to attract attention to the message when the vehicles are not regularly in use for transportation.

Other factors that indicate that a purpose of a parked vehicle is to function as a medium to convey a message and that the message is not incidental to the normal use of the motor vehicle for some other purpose.

Vehicles that are stopped at traffic control devices, parked in established parking areas while the driver executes some task or business, government vehicles, vehicles regularly used by a household for transportation, and vehicles that are regularly in use for transporting the goods and services or personnel of a business are not considered stationary for the purposes of SMC Section 23.55.003.