Officials battling signs across Northern Virginia

The battle being waged by Northern Virginia officials against signs of every size and type has left many area businesses and real estate agents searching for new ways to promote themselves without incurring hefty fines.

In Fairfax County, officials asked the state for permission to police their own roadways and remove all types of signs left in grassy medians and along 53 county streets. County officials are also trying to restrict electronic signs that blink, flash and change messages too frequently along roadways. The first electronic sign they cracked down on belonged to a church.