Reed at Two: Impact Still Being Felt

It may not be marked on the calendar, but an important anniversary arrives this month. It has been two years since the U.S. Supreme Court issued a landmark ruling that affected the sign, graphics and visual communications industry. In Reed vs. Town of Gilbert, the court prohibited any regulatory distinctions based on a sign’s content.

This has caused most communities throughout the U.S. to assess whether their sign codes comply with the ruling. And in many cases, planners and local officials have had to revise entire portions of the code.

This has opened up doors for ISA to continue educating planners and local leaders, bringing our expertise about sign codes to hundreds of communities throughout the country. ISA has hosted presentations at the American Planning Association’s National Planning Conference on Reed, along with APA-sponsored webinars and presentations at local APA chapters, with thousands of planners hearing more about the importance of signs and why reasonable—and compliant—sign codes benefit communities.

There are still issues being determined in the courts, including an important distinction between on- and off-premise signs. But Reed offers an important milestone for the sign, graphics and visual communications industry, proving that signs embody a form of speech that deserves constitutional protection.

ISA and the Sign Research Foundation have developed a number of resources for planners and sign companies about the Reed decision and other legal issues. Contact ISA’s David Hickey to learn more.