Augusta-Richmond County, GA Outdoor Lighting: Billboard Lighting (2026)

Section 28-B-10(H), the billboard article's 'Code conformance' clause, folds electrical and lighting safety into the same subsection that governs structural sign-off. Any sign requiring a building permit must conform to City building and electrical codes, and a billboard with neon exposed or attached to its structure must pass a final inspection before it can operate. Every billboard must carry a disconnect switch located at the sign itself, so power can be cut for servicing or in an emergency. Any billboard with internal lights or other electrical devices or circuits must display a label certifying that its equipment is approved by an organization OSHA recognizes as a Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory (NRTL), the same certification the county requires for freestanding message boards under the parallel Section 28-B-8(K).

Section 28-B-10 does not carry its own illumination distance table the way ordinary freestanding signs do under Section 28-B-8(J); instead, a lit billboard's location is controlled by the section's separate siting rules, including the 500-foot single-family residential zone buffer and the interstate and National Highway System proximity limits. The Augusta Planning and Development Department reviews electrical documentation and NRTL labeling as part of the billboard permit and site plan process required under Section 28-B-10(I) before a sign can be erected, repaired, or replaced.