Yavapai County, AZ Outdoor Lighting: Billboard Lighting (2026)

7 (Sign Illumination) splits sign and billboard lighting into two tracks. Externally illuminated signs are classified as Class 1 Lighting, meaning the fixture must be fully shielded, and the light it produces counts toward the property's total lumen output ceiling under Table 603-1, capped at 5,000 lumens for a single-family lot or 50,000 lumens per acre (200,000 max) for commercial and industrial land. Internally illuminated signs and billboards, such as backlit or channel-letter faces, are also classified as Class 1 Lighting but are specifically exempted from the shielding requirement and are not counted toward the site's total lumen output.

To qualify, an internally lit sign must be built either with an opaque background so only the translucent letters and symbols transmit light, or with a translucent colored background acceptable to the Development Services Director carrying translucent or opaque letters; the county places no restriction on the opaque colors chosen for backgrounds, letters, or symbols. 6 requires Class 1 lighting to be turned off by 10:00 PM, when the area is no longer in active use, or 30 minutes after close of business, whichever is later.