For years, the signage in Wareham has been loosely regulated and violations have rarely been enforced. But with the adoption of a new bylaw aimed to cut down on distractions and obstructions along the streets of Wareham, that will soon change.

"Wareham has been the wild west of signage," said Bob Iafrate, Wareham's building commissioner. Iafrate is tasked with enforcing the new bylaw, which he said officially landed on his desk April 15 after being adopted at Town Meeting last October.

Iafrate said he is sensitive to the needs of the business community, but also has to follow the new regulations. He wants to alert people that they can't just put up signs anywhere they want.

"You need to consult the department before making any signs," said Iafrate, noting that some signs will be collected by his department if they are not compliant after receiving proper notice.

No sign can be put up without a permit, except for the following:

Address signs, awning signs, construction signs, for sale signs, political signs, flags, window signs and off-premises directional signs that direct people to local businesses. Although these signs do not require permits, they still must meet certain specifications within the bylaw in regards to size and placement.

Also included in that group are signs that direct people to one day events such as yard sales, open houses, road races, lost pets, etc.. Those signs can be displayed on a public or private ways for a maximum of 18 hours but "may not be placed on public trees, poles, lightpoles, etc."

Iafrate said that, with the proliferation of electronic message boards, signage has become a more sensitive issue everywhere, not just in Wareham.

Selectman Alan Slavin said the town has been trying to update the town bylaw since 1992 and that the bylaw has been worked on by the town planner, the Zoning Board of Appeals, the Planning Board and other town officials.

"It covers almost anything possible," Slavin said.

He said the whole idea was to make a consistent law for signs in town and to have an enforcement policy in place. Slavin said that many older signs will be grandfathered in under the new bylaw and that, "it affects new signs more than anything else."

The complete bylaw is available online here starting on page 61.

Some things covered in the bylaw are as follows:

• No flashing signs, roof signs, signs containing moving parts or reflective elements are allowed without a special permit. This does not include barber poles or time/temperature signs, which are allowed.
• Any sign advertising a business or organization which is either defunct or no longer on the premises where the sign is located is not allowed.
• No billboards, streamers, pennants or ribbons are allowed except with a special permit obtained from the ZBA.
• No sign shall be larger than 40 square feet, except for a mall, shopping center or free- standing sign, which cannot exceed 120 square feet.
• No sign shall use the words "stop," "caution" or "danger" or resemble traffic signals or stop signs.

There are also rules prohibiting the placement of signs on certain areas of private property, such as utility poles.