News Racks

Tampa City Code ch. 22, art. I, div. 3, subpt. V

in effect

Tampa City Code § 22-146 Permit required.

Sec. 22-146. - Permit required. (a) It is unlawful for any person to install, maintain or operate a news rack upon any sidewalk or other public place of the city without first having made application for a permit to do so and having been issued a permit as herein provided. (b) Any permit application for modular news racks shall include a dimensioned site plan of a block including location of each proposed modular news rack, sidewalks, curbs, street, street names, driveways, trees, tree grates, fire hydrants, parking meters and utility access points. Only one (1) permit shall be required for the placement of any number of modular news racks, provided that each modular news rack is included on the site plan. (c) Permit applications for news racks, other than modular news racks, shall include the total number of and exact location of each news rack to be permitted, as well as an affidavit from the applicant that the location meets the requirements of the Code. Only one (1) permit shall be required for the placement of any number of news racks, provided that the application clearly states the location of each. (Ord. No. 89-244, § 2(34-121), 9-28-89; Ord. No. 2010-60, § 3, 5-20-2010)

Tampa City Code § 22-147 Approval of application; permit authorization; appeals.

Sec. 22-147. - Approval of application; permit authorization; appeals. (a) Upon the filing of an application to locate a news rack(s), the transportation manager or his or her designee shall review it and determine whether the application complies with the requirements of this subdivision. (b) The transportation manager or his or her designee shall approve the application within ten (10) working days if the application complies with the requirements of this subdivision, including the furnishing of proof of insurance by the applicant. (c) Any applicant who has been denied a permit pursuant to the provisions of this article may file an appeal. Any denial of a news rack permit may be appealed in accordance with section 1-19 of the City of Tampa Code. The decision rendered pursuant to section 1-19 may be appealed in any manner allowed by law. (Ord. No. 89-244, § 2(34-123), 9-28-89; Ord. No. 2010-60, § 4, 5-20-2010)

Tampa City Code § 22-148 Approval of permit without charge.

Sec. 22-148. - Approval of permit without charge. No fee or charge shall be made for the permit to install a news rack, except for modular news racks as provided in sections 22-56 and [22-]57. (Ord. No. 89-244, § 2(34-124), 9-28-89; Ord. No. 2010-60, § 5, 5-20-2010)

Tampa City Code § 22-149 Insurance required.

Sec. 22-149. - Insurance required. (a) Before placing any news rack upon the public sidewalks and other public places of the city, the owner of the news rack or the applicant shall effect, and during all periods of time during which the news rack is maintained upon the sidewalks and other public places of the city, shall maintain in force the following types and amounts of insurance: (1) Applicant must provide proof of insurance with companies authorized to do business in Florida, with an A.M. Best rating of B+ VII or higher (or otherwise be acceptable to the City). All liability policies shall name City of Tampa as an additional insured as to the operations of the applicant, shall provide the severability of interest provision, and the wavier of subrogation endorsement in favor of the city. The applicant shall provide proof of a commercial general liability insurance policy on the most current insurance services office (ISO) form, or its equivalent, with an amount of no less than one million dollars ($1,000,000.00) per occurrence and a two million dollars ($2,000,000.00) general aggregate. The insurance coverage and limits required must be evidenced by a properly executed Accord 25 Certificate of Insurance form (or its equivalent). This requirement is waived for the owner of a personal dwelling; and, city franchised utilities, the city, the state, the county, or other governmental body, board, or authority, which are self-insured in limits exceeding those set forth herein, provided further, however, that this waiver shall not be applicable to any contractor employed by the owner of a personal dwelling or any of the aforementioned governmental agencies. Thirty (30) days written notice must be given to the city of any cancellation or reduction in the policy coverage. The applicant's insurance coverage required herein is to be primary to any insurance carried by the city or any self insurance program thereof. The city reserves the right to adjust insurance requirements based on the scope of service of the permit. (Ord. No. 89-244, § 2(34-125), 9-28-89; Ord. No. 2010-60, § 6, 5-20-2010)

Tampa City Code § 22-150 Indemnification of city by applicant for damages.

Sec. 22-150. - Indemnification of city by applicant for damages. The applicant to which a permit shall be issued shall at all times indemnify and save harmless the city, its officers and boards of and from all damages, costs and liability whatsoever arising from, growing out of or incident to or in any manner connected with the installation, maintenance or operation of each such news rack, together with all costs, charges and expenses, including reasonable attorney's fees, incurred by the city in defending any suit brought against it, either as sole defendant or joined as a defendant with the applicant. If the applicant fails to defend any such suit against the city, the city may itself defend the same and the applicant will pay to the city upon demand all costs, charges and fees incurred in connection therewith. (Ord. No. 89-244, § 2(34-126), 9-28-89; Ord. No. 2010-60, § 7, 5-20-2010)

Tampa City Code § 22-151 Location.

Sec. 22-151. - Location. (a) No news rack shall be chained, bolted or attached in any other manner to any traffic sign, utility pole, or traffic-control device. (b) Location and placement of any news rack shall meet minimum state and federal design standards, related to roadside recovery areas, minimum sight triangles and the Americans with Disability Act requirements, including amendments thereto, as said standards and requirements are adopted herein. (c) News racks shall be parallel to the roadway. (d) The front of any news rack located in landscaped areas of the public right-of-way or on a public sidewalk shall face toward the sidewalk and/or away from the street. (e) The back of a news rack shall not be located against the back of another news rack. (f) News racks shall only be installed on any sidewalk or pedestrian path if such placement will not result in less than five (5) feet of unobstructed sidewalk or pedestrian path. (Ord. No. 89-244, § 2(34-128), 9-28-89; Ord. No. 2010-60, § 9, 5-20-2010)

Tampa City Code § 22-152 Construction details.

Sec. 22-152. - Construction details. (a) News racks, except modular news racks shall be not more than four and one-half (4½) feet in height, two and one-half (2½) feet in width and two and one-half (2½) feet in depth when fully extended, shall be constructed of metal, shatterproof glass or similar materials and shall be movable. Each news rack shall have clearly marked thereon the applicant thereof. (b) Modular news racks shall be not more than sixty-two (62) inches in height, seventeen and one-half (17½) inches in width and seventy-three (73) inches in length when fully extended, shall be constructed of metal, shatterproof glass or similar materials and shall be bolted directly to a concrete surface as approved by the transportation manager. Each modular news rack shall have clearly marked thereon the applicant thereof. (Ord. No. 89-244, § 2(34-130), 9-28-89; Ord. No. 2010-60, § 11, 5-20-2010)

Tampa City Code § 22-153 Operation and maintenance.

Sec. 22-153. - Operation and maintenance. (a) Each news rack must contain contact information for the news rack owner or the applicant, including a name and a working telephone number. (b) After installation, the applicant shall at his own cost and expense, keep and maintain each news rack in good operating condition and repair. (Ord. No. 89-244, § 2(34-131), 9-28-89; Ord. No. 2010-60, § 12, 5-20-2010)

Tampa City Code § 22-154 Permit revocation, violations, removal.

Sec. 22-154. - Permit revocation, violations, removal. (a) At any time after the installation of any such news rack, the transportation manager may review the location of news rack. The permit issued to any applicant for the installation, maintenance and operation of a news rack may be revoked at any time by the transportation manager, upon written notice to the applicant, whenever the transportation manager finds and determines that: (1) The applicant has failed to install such news rack in compliance with the terms and provisions of this article; (2) The applicant has failed to operate and maintain such news rack in compliance with the provisions and conditions hereof; (3) Such news rack interferes with public safety. The applicant shall at his or her own cost and expense, within thirty (30) days from the date of the written notice, remove the news rack. Should applicant fail to remove the news rack, the transportation manager may remove the same and the applicant, upon demand of the city, shall reimburse it for all costs incurred in the connection with such removal. (b) It is a violation of this Code to install, operate, or maintain a news rack without a permit. It is further a violation of this Code to install, operate, or maintain a news rack in a manner not in compliance with the terms and provisions of this article, regardless of whether a permit has been issued for the news rack. (c) If the transportation manager determines that the immediate further operation or maintenance of any news rack, regardless of whether a permit has been issued for the news rack, is an immediate threat to public safety, the transportation manager may remove or move the same and the owner or applicant, upon demand of the city, shall reimburse it for all costs incurred in the connection with such removal. (d) Revocation of a news rack permit may be appealed in accordance with section 1-19 of the City of Tampa Code. The decision rendered pursuant to section 1-19 may be appealed in any manner allowed by law. (Ord. No. 89-244, § 2(34-132), 9-28-89; Ord. No. 2010-60, § 13, 5-20-2010)

Tampa City Code § 22-155 Injury, defacement, destruction, misuse or removal unlawful.

Sec. 22-155. - Injury, defacement, destruction, misuse or removal unlawful. It is unlawful for any person to injure, deface, destroy or remove without the permission of the applicant any news rack lawfully placed, operated and maintained in pursuance of this article or to use the same for any purpose other than as a news rack. (Ord. No. 89-244, § 2(34-135), 9-28-89; Ord. No. 2010-60, § 16, 5-20-2010)

Tampa City Code § 22-156 Abandoned news racks.

Sec. 22-156. - Abandoned news racks. (a) A news rack shall be deemed abandoned when no publication is in the news rack for a period of more than seven (7) consecutive days. Abandonment of a news rack is a violation of this Code. (b) A news rack shall be deemed abandoned when no contact information, as required in section 22-153, "Operation and maintenance," is provided on the news rack. (c) In the event an applicant of a news rack desires to voluntarily abandon a news rack location, the applicant shall notify the transportation manager and completely remove the news rack. (Ord. No. 2010-60, § 17, 5-20-2010; Ord. No. 2010-183, § 1, 11-18-2010)

Tampa City Code § 22-157 Reserved.

Tampa City Code § 22-158 Reserved.

Source: City of Tampa, Code of Ordinances and Charter and Related Laws (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/fl/tampa/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=COOR_CH22STSI_ARTIADPR_DIV3FEAUTYPEIN_SDVNERAFetched: 10/28/2026