COMMUNITY
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T STANDS NO TALLER THAN 30 INCHES, NO WIDER THAN 18. The Arizona Department of Transportation allows the bereaved their markers — small reminders at the edge of the gravel shoulder — but only after the right forms are filed, the right boxes checked, the right distances measured from the asphalt. Mourning must stay to the unmowed edges, near a utility pole if possible, and never in the median, never in front of a home without permission. The materials are regulated, too. No metal, no concrete footings. Wood or composite only, with a plaque no larger than a man’s palm, engraved with a name and two dates. No photographs. The memorial must stand alone, unattached to any tree, fence, or traffic sign. The policy is written in the careful language of safety — an acknowledgment that love and memory must share the roadside with speed limits and distracted drivers. The law has been in effect since 2016 and, while not heavily enforced, unsanctioned memorials face the constant threat of being relegated. Families may keep a marker already in place if it meets code; if not, they are given 60 days to fix it before ADOT workers remove what remains, storing the memorial items in a maintenance yard like a misplaced suitcase.
Mapping memorials
BY DAVID IVERSEN
InMaricopa.com | September 2025
September 2025 | InMaricopa.com
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