TRAFFIC CONTROL SIGNS, SIGNALS AND MARKERS

Richmond, Va., City Code ch. 27, art. III

in effect

Richmond, Va., City Code § 27-71 Authority of Chief of Police.

Sec. 27-71. - Authority of Chief of Police. (a) The Chief of Police is hereby authorized and directed to: (1) Make, promulgate and enforce rules and regulations to prohibit other than one-way vehicular traffic upon highways; (2) Regulate the use of highways by processions or assemblages; (3) Require all vehicles to come to a full stop at any highway intersection; and (4) Repeal, amend or modify any rule or regulation made and promulgated under this chapter. (b) The Chief is further authorized to erect and maintain such appropriate signs, markers, semaphores, signals or other devices as may be deemed necessary to enforce the rules and regulations made and promulgated to regulate and control vehicular traffic and travel upon highways by pedestrians and to execute the sections of this chapter. The Chief shall also have the authority to designate private driveways as either "entrances" or "exits." When the property owner or lessee is notified in writing of such designation, such owner or lessee shall install appropriate signs in accordance with specifications drawn by the City Traffic Engineer, and the drivers of all vehicles using such highways shall obey such signs. (c) Unless otherwise provided, any person violating any rule or regulation made and promulgated by the Chief to regulate and control vehicular traffic shall be punished in accordance with Section 27-41, and any person violating any rule or regulation made and promulgated by the Chief to regulate and control travel upon highways by pedestrians shall be punished upon conviction by a fine not exceeding that provided for a traffic violation, each such violation constituting a separate offense. However, no such rule or regulation shall be deemed to be violated if, at the time of the alleged violation, the designation, signal, semaphore, sign or other device placed in conformity with this section was missing, out of order, effaced, mutilated or defaced, so that an ordinarily observant person, under the named circumstances, would not be apprised of or aware of the existence of such rule or regulation. (Code 1993, § 28-71; Code 2004, § 102-81; Code 2015, § 27-71; Code 2020, § 27-71)

Richmond, Va., City Code § 27-72 Approval of barriers or signs.

Sec. 27-72. - Approval of barriers or signs. No person, public utility or any City department shall erect or place any barrier or sign on any street or sidewalk, unless first authorized by the Chief or the City Traffic Engineer. (Code 1993, § 28-72; Code 2004, § 102-82; Code 2015, § 27-72; Code 2020, § 27-72)

Richmond, Va., City Code § 27-73 Unlawful erection, maintenance or operation of certain devices, structures or lights.

Sec. 27-73. - Unlawful erection, maintenance or operation of certain devices, structures or lights. (a) It shall be unlawful for any person to erect, maintain or operate any advertising device, structure or light on any property or highway in the City which: (1) Is primarily designed for the purpose of distracting the attention of drivers of vehicles by flashing lights, movement of objects or emission of blatant sound; (2) Is illuminated in such manner as to interfere with the vision of drivers of vehicles or pedestrians; or (3) Resembles or is operated to resemble traffic control signals, lights or signs authorized to be erected, maintained or operated on the streets pursuant to this chapter or other provision of law. Every person who erects, maintains or operates any such device, structure or light shall remove it from such property or street or otherwise render it inoperative when ordered by the Chief to do so, and it shall be unlawful for any such person to fail, refuse or neglect to comply with the order of the Chief. (b) It shall be unlawful for any person to erect, place, maintain or operate on any property or highway in the City any sign or device of any kind designed to regulate or control vehicular traffic on any highway or to warn operators of vehicles on any highway. Every such sign or device shall be removed by such person, when ordered by the Chief to do so, and it shall be unlawful for any such person to fail, refuse or neglect to do so when ordered. Nothing in this section shall be construed to amend, modify or repeal any of the sections of this article or other similar law or ordinance. (Code 1993, § 28-73; Code 2004, § 102-83; Code 2015, § 27-73; Code 2020, § 27-73)

Source: City of Richmond, Virginia, Code (2026 recodification) and Charter (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/va/richmond/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=CH27TRVE_ARTIIITRCOSISIMAFetched: 11/8/2026