Allentown, PA Outdoor Lighting: Billboard Lighting (2026)
Key Facts
- Daytime brightness cap
- 5,000 nits
- Dusk-to-dawn cap
- 500 nits
- Photocell required
- automatic ambient dimming
- Governing section
- § 660-105.A(4)
- Applies to
- all dynamic displays, incl. billboards
Summary
Digital billboards and other dynamic-display signs in Allentown can't run at full brightness after dark. Zoning Ordinance § 660-105.A(4) caps illumination at 5,000 nits during the day and 500 nits between dusk and dawn, and requires every dynamic display to carry a photocell that dims it automatically as ambient light falls.
(4) Illumination. (a) The brightness of any dynamic display may not exceed a maximum illumination of 5,000 candelas per square meter (nits) during daylight hours and a maximum illumination of 500 candelas per square meter (nits) between dusk and dawn, as measured from the brightest element on the sign's face. (b) Dynamic displays must be equipped with a light detector or photocell that automatically adjusts the display's brightness according to natural ambient light conditions.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4995055; v49 updated 2026-06-26; through 06-26-2026).
Full Breakdown
Section 660-105 governs 'dynamic displays,' the changeable-message signs used on digital billboards and other allowed dynamic signage citywide. Subsection A(4) sets the illumination standard directly: the brightness of any dynamic display may not exceed a maximum illumination of 5,000 candelas per square meter (nits) during daylight hours and a maximum illumination of 500 candelas per square meter (nits) between dusk and dawn, as measured from the brightest element on the sign's face, and dynamic displays must be equipped with a light detector or photocell that automatically adjusts the display's brightness according to natural ambient light conditions.
That tenfold nighttime step-down, from 5,000 nits down to 500, is designed to keep an illuminated billboard from glaring into drivers' eyes or nearby homes once ambient light drops, and the photocell requirement means the dimming has to happen automatically rather than by an operator remembering to adjust it manually. A(5) only allows an existing billboard to add a dynamic display if it complies with the regulations of § 660-105, so the 5,000/500-nit ceiling and photocell mandate apply to freeway-facing digital billboards the same as any other dynamic sign.
A(7) requires a written owner or tenant acknowledgment, before a permit issues, that the display's future operation stays subject to whatever illumination rules are in effect at the time. D.
Violations & Fines
Running a dynamic display above 5,000 nits by day or 500 nits between dusk and dawn, or without a functioning automatic-dimming photocell, violates § 660-105.A(4). The Zoning Officer can revoke the sign's permit under § 660-123.C and pursue civil penalties up to $500 per day of continued noncompliance under § 660-123.D(1).
Frequently Asked Questions
How bright can a digital billboard be at night in Allentown?
Does the sign have to dim itself automatically, or can an operator do it manually?
Do the brightness limits apply to converted freeway billboards too?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Allentown
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