(a) A sign permit may be transferred only with the written approval of the department.
(b) At the time of the transfer, both the transferor and the transferee must hold a valid license issued under §21.153 of this subchapter (relating to License Issuance) or §21.450 of this chapter (relating to License Issuance), except as provided in subsections (e) - (g) of this section.
(c) The permit holder must send to the department a request to transfer a sign permit in a form prescribed by the department accompanied by the applicable fees prescribed by §21.175 of this subchapter (relating to Permit Fees). The request may be submitted online or in writing.
(d) If the request is submitted in writing and is approved, the department will send to the transferor and to the transferee a copy of the approved permit transfer form.
(e) If the request is submitted electronically, the department will send the request to the transferor for affirmation, If affirmed by transferor, the department will notify the transferee to submit applicable fees required under subsection (c) of this section. After the fee is received, the department will confirm the completed permit transfer to the transferor and transferee electronically.
(f) The department may approve the transfer of one or more commercial sign permits from a transferor to a person who holds a license, with or without the signature of the transferor, if the person provides to the department:
  (1) legal documents showing the sign has been sold;
  (2) documents that indicate that the transferor is dead or cannot be located; or
  (3) a court order demonstrating the new ownership of the sign permit.
(g) The department will not approve the transfer if cancellation of the permit is pending or has been abated awaiting the outcome of an administrative hearing.
(h) The department will approve a transfer only if the permit is valid.
(i) The documentation and fees required under this section must be sent to: Texas Department of Transportation, Highway Beautification Section, P.O. Box 13043, Austin, Texas 78711-3043 or submitted to the department electronically through the process established by the department.

Source Note: The provisions of this §21.173 adopted to be effective July 1, 2011, 36 TexReg 2418; amended to be effective April 19, 2012, 37 TexReg 2687; amended to be effective June 19, 2014, 39 TexReg 4668; amended to be effective March 14, 2018, 43 TexReg 1446