Baldwin Park, CA Outdoor Lighting: Billboard Lighting (2026)
Key Facts
- Brightness ceiling
- 0.3 foot candles above ambient
- Measurement point
- 250 ft from display face
- Auto-dimming
- Light-sensing device required
- Minimum image duration
- 4 consecutive seconds
- Transition time
- Max 1 second between images
- Flashing/animation
- Prohibited on any image
- Governing section
- § 153.170.110(J), (M)
Summary
Digital billboards approved under Baldwin Park's freeway-corridor billboard rule cannot exceed 0.3 foot candles above ambient light, measured 250 feet from the display face, and must carry a sensor that automatically dims the sign as ambient light changes.
(J) A digital billboard shall not operate at brightness levels of more than 0.3 foot candles above ambient light, as measured using a foot candle meter at a pre-set distance of 250' perpendicular to the display face of the digital billboard. Each digital billboard shall have a light sensing device that will automatically adjust the brightness of the digital billboard to meet that foot candle requirement, as ambient light conditions change;
Full Breakdown
110(J), part of the city's new static or digital billboard construction rules adopted by Ord. 1510 on 6-19-24, sets the light-output ceiling for any digital billboard approved within the interstate freeway corridor. 3 foot candles above ambient light, with compliance measured using a foot candle meter positioned 250 feet perpendicular to the display face. 3 foot-candle ceiling as ambient conditions change through the day and night, rather than relying on a fixed manual setting. 110(M): each still image must display for at least four consecutive seconds, no image may include animation, movement, flashing, scintillating lighting or varying light intensity, and the transition between one still image and the next cannot exceed one second. 110(D)(2)(b).
Violations & Fines
A digital billboard operating above the 0.3 foot-candle ceiling, lacking a functioning auto-dimming sensor, or violating the still-image and transition rules breaches its § 153.170.110 approval and the city agreement required under § 153.170.110(D)(2)(b). Beyond enforcement under the general penalty, § 10.99, (a misdemeanor with up to a $1,000 fine or six months' imprisonment), noncompliance exposes the owner to the agreement's removal remedies for the offending structure.
Frequently Asked Questions
How bright can a digital billboard be in Baldwin Park?
Must digital billboards adjust their own brightness?
Can billboard images flash or animate in Baldwin Park?
What happens if a billboard exceeds the brightness limit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Baldwin Park
California rules heatmap·Compare Baldwin Park to another location·View the California outdoor lighting overview
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Billboard Lighting in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Los Angeles County handle billboard lighting.