I read in the paper this morning that to MDT is going to stop putting bright green stickers on signs that Do Not Comply and instead they are going to call or write the sign owners and try to help fix the problems. Wow, the State is going to stop arbitrarily pissing off its citizen and help them! If they had done this from the beginning they would not have stickered the Welcome to Great Falls sign. (This makes me laugh, they helped pay for it!) I see signs everyday that are in violation of code and I honestly believe most people are unaware of their transgressions. We have State/Federal guidelines for signs close to the highway that make no allowance for Private Property, county codes that you can't find, a city code that is unpopular, unclear, discriminatory (based on content) and open to interpretation of city officials. It is tough for someone unfamiliar with the permit process to get the information they need, and have it be the right information.
Usually your best bet is to hire a sign company, they charge you but they also take responsibility for doing everything correctly.