Brown tourist road signs for a farm or guesthouse in RS: who applies and approves

An individual host does not order a brown sign beside the road. The tourist organisation of the area submits the request, and the competent ministry or the road manager gives the approval. The rulebook is written for attractions and registered sites, so a single farm, restaurant or rural guesthouse usually does not qualify on its own.

In short

• Brown signs are regulated by the Rulebook on tourist and other signalling on roads (Službeni glasnik BiH, no. 13/07, the 2007 text). The request to the road manager is submitted by the tourist community or organisation of the area, not by an individual host (Article 43).
• The competent ministry or the road manager issues the approval, and the request must match the traffic project of the road (Article 43).
• Article 10 requires that the site is on a register of cultural, historical or natural value, is of general interest and can normally be visited all year. Access must be safe, and there must be parking, sanitary facilities and organised reception of guests.
• If the sign is not in the road's traffic project, it is installed and maintained at the applicant's cost (Article 11).
• Direction signs for accommodation are intended for hotels, motels and pensions in urban zones and tourist settlements (Article 20).

Who it applies to

The rulebook covers signs for attractions, areas and sites that meet the conditions of Article 10, as well as direction signs and signs for accommodation. A commercial business, for example an excursion restaurant, can get a direction sign only if what it offers also has cultural meaning, is adapted to tourism and attracts tourist traffic (Article 38).

The rulebook has no specific sign for accommodation in rural households. A single farm, winery or rural guesthouse therefore usually does not meet the conditions of Articles 10 and 38 on its own. It can get a sign as part of a registered attraction, a tourist route (Article 12, point 5, for example a wine road) or a wider offer for which the tourist organisation applies.

What to do

1. Contact the tourist organisation of your municipality or city and agree that it submits the request, if possible on behalf of several providers or for a whole route.
2. Find out who manages the road. Main and regional roads are managed by JP "Putevi Republike Srpske". Local roads and streets in settlements are managed by the competent body of the local self-government unit (Law on Public Roads, Article 16). Village and field roads are uncategorised roads, and traffic conditions on them are set by their owners or by persons they authorise (same law, Articles 2 and 11), so for a rural access road check with the municipal roads service who manages it.
3. Check the Article 10 conditions, especially parking, sanitary facilities and year-round reception.
4. The tourist organisation submits to the road manager a request that matches the road's traffic project. The terms of installation and maintenance are set by a contract between the tourist organisation and the manager (Article 11).
5. The rulebook sets no fee and no decision deadline. If the sign is not in the road's traffic project, the applicant pays for making, installing and maintaining it (Article 11), so ask the road manager for a cost estimate before you order a sign.
6. The sign has a brown background with white edges and text, and names are also written in at least one foreign language (Articles 5 and 9). It must not stand closer than 30 metres to another traffic sign (Article 8).

A private board on your own land

An ordinary advertising board beside a main or regional road is not tourist signalling. JP "Putevi Republike Srpske" has a separate request form for advertisements and other signs. The request must include:

• a copy of the cadastral plan with the parcel identified,
• a sketch or design prepared by a licensed person,
• urban-technical conditions issued by the authorised body,
• proof of land ownership,
• a decision on urban planning consent with a site plan, not older than one year,
• technical documentation: drawing of the sign, material, a view in natural colours and a static calculation of the board.

Where to go

• JP "Putevi Republike Srpske", Trg Republike Srpske 8, Banja Luka, phone +387 51 334 500, info@putevirs.com. Form: Request for advertisements and other signs beside main and regional roads (in BHS).
• The tourist organisation of your municipality or city (in East Herzegovina, for example the Tourist Organisation of the City of Trebinje), to submit the request.
• The roads department of your municipality, if the road is local. For Trebinje, find contacts on trebinje.rs.

Laws and sources

• Rulebook on tourist and other signalling on roads (Službeni glasnik BiH, no. 13/07)
• Law on Public Roads (Službeni glasnik Republike Srpske, nos. 89/13 and 83/19), Articles 2, 11, 16 and 19, base text 89/13 published by JP "Putevi Republike Srpske"