Why Are Billboards Illegal in Maine, but Billboards on Wheels Aren’t?

I'd never seen a billboard until I got glasses.

Good or bad, I'm old enough to remember when billboards were still a thing in Maine. There's an old story my mom loves to tell about when I got my first pair of glasses. Apparently, we were on our way home and I made a pretty enthusiastic comment about a billboard being brand new.

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My mom said it had been there as long as I'd been alive, but I never saw it until I got glasses. Sad, but true, hahaha. But not long after that in the later part of the 70's, billboards went away. Especially along Maine's highways. They were basically deemed an eyesore. I'm not sad that we don't have them everywhere like in other states.

If they're illegal, why's it ok for a truck to drive around town with one?

Now there's the million dollar question, right? They seem essentially identical in every way to a traditional billboard, it's just on the back of a truck? How come that's fair, but a big sign on the road isn't? The difference seems to lie in whether it's literally on the road, or beside the road.

According to WGME, Maine law says that as long as the sign doesn't exceed the size of the vehicle itself, and never stays in one place for an extended period of time, then it's good to go. It's called "rolling stock". As long as it meets these basic requirements, the state doesn't see them as a violation of our state's billboard laws. Seems like a loophole to me, but I'm not one who gets to make or enforce laws.

Do other states have laws against billboards?

Vermont, Alaska, and Hawaii have also placed bans on billboards by the side of the road. The other 46 states, billboards are perfectly legal. It would seem that a few of us states are more interested than others in protecting our natural beauty. On the other hand, eliminating billboards in a place like New York City, won't dramatically improve it's landscape.

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Maybe someday the state will change its mind, but right now Maine seems perfectly fine with letting these mobile billboards fly, as long as they meet the very vague requirements. But again, I'm never goin to regret that my travels up and down the highways of Maine aren't littered with ads on billboards. I'll take the trees, thanks.