Greenville County, SC Outdoor Lighting: Billboard Lighting (2026)
Key Facts
- Billboard brightness ceiling
- 0.3 foot-candles above ambient
- Max painted-bulletin billboard face
- 672 sq ft
- Districts allowing billboards
- C-2, S-1, I-1 only
- Billboard permit renewal deadline
- January 15 annually
- Late renewal fee
- $25 plus $75 base fee
- Unpaid renewal by Feb 15
- permit revoked, remove in 30 days
Summary
Every billboard in unincorporated Greenville County, lit from inside or with external floodlights, must stay within the same 0.3 foot-candle brightness ceiling that governs all signs, under the billboard-specific cross-reference in Sign Ordinance § 19-58(j). Brightness is measured with a Lux meter at a distance set by the sign's square footage under § 19-52.
(j) Billboard illumination. Any billboards either internally or externally illuminated shall not exceed the limits of § 19-52.
§ 19-52 ILLUMINATION. Signs may be internally or externally illuminated but shall not exceed a brightness level of 0.3 foot candles above ambient light as measured using a foot candle (Lux) meter at a preset distance depending on sign area, measured as in the table below.
Full Breakdown
3 foot-candles above ambient light, measured with a foot-candle (Lux) meter at a preset distance keyed to the illuminated surface's area, on a table running from 32 feet for a 10-square-foot surface up to well beyond 100 feet for larger faces, with a formula for anything not on the table. § 19-58(f) treats a billboard that stops displaying copy as abandoned, requiring it to display copy again or come down within 90 days of notice from the zoning administrator. Permits for existing and relocated billboards run under § 19-58(h) on a calendar-year cycle, renewable by January 15 for a $75 fee, with the illumination limit enforced as a condition of that permit alongside the size, spacing, and district standards.
Violations & Fines
Beyond the standard chapter-wide civil penalty in § 19-32(f), up to $200 for a first violation and up to $2,000 per day for continuing violations, billboard permits carry their own consequence for noncompliance: § 19-58(h)(4) adds a $25 late fee to the $75 renewal if the January 15 deadline is missed, and if the fee still isn't paid by February 15 the county revokes the permit outright, requiring the billboard's removal within 30 days.
Frequently Asked Questions
How bright can a billboard be at night in Greenville County?
Where are billboards allowed in unincorporated Greenville County?
What happens if a billboard owner misses the annual renewal?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Greenville County
Compare Greenville County to another location·View the South Carolina outdoor lighting overview
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