Carver County, MN Outdoor Lighting: Billboard Lighting (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Carver County Code § 154.22
- Flashing/rotating lights
- Prohibited on any electrical sign
- Floodlighting
- Must be focused on sign face only
- Light spillover
- Banned beyond the lot line
- Off-premise billboards
- Banned countywide under § 154.23(B)
- Electrical permit
- Separate permit from building official required
Summary
Carver County bans flashing or rotating sign lights outright and requires any floodlight on a sign to be aimed at the sign itself, not at the street or a neighboring lot. Because the county also prohibits all off-premise advertising signs, true billboards can't be built in unincorporated Carver County at all; on-premise electrical and pylon signs are what the § 154.22 lighting standard actually governs.
(A) Electrical signs may be permitted, but devices giving off intermittent, flashing or rotating beam of light shall be prohibited. Flood lighting shall be focused upon the sign. No lighting for signs shall directly reflect light beams onto any public street or residential structure. Signs may not be illuminated beyond any lot line. (B) Electrical signs must be installed in accordance with the current electrical code and a separate permit from the building official must be obtained prior to placement.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2025 S-20: Supplement contains: Local legislation current through Ord. 111-2025, passed 7-25-25).
Full Breakdown
22, ELECTRICAL SIGNS, is Carver County's operative lighting standard for any permitted sign: electrical signs may be permitted, but devices giving off intermittent, flashing or rotating beams of light are prohibited. Floodlighting used to illuminate a sign must be focused on the sign itself, light cannot directly reflect beams onto any public street or residential structure, and a sign may not be illuminated beyond any lot line. 10, and must meet the current electrical code. 23(B) lists 'all off-premise signs' as unauthorized, meaning a large sign advertising a business at a different location cannot be erected anywhere in unincorporated Carver County regardless of how it would be lit.
22 lighting limits: no flashing or rotating elements, floodlights aimed only at the sign face, and no spill of light past the property line or onto the street.
Violations & Fines
A flashing, rotating, or spillover-lit sign is an unauthorized sign under Chapter 154; the county can issue a notice of violation or stop-work order under § 154.15, and the sign owner is guilty of a misdemeanor, with each day of continued violation a separate offense. Because off-premise signs are already banned under § 154.23(B), erecting an illuminated billboard-style sign faces removal and injunctive relief regardless of its lighting design.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I light up an on-site business sign with a spotlight in Carver County?
Are billboards allowed anywhere in unincorporated Carver County?
Do I need a separate permit to add electric lighting to my sign?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Carver County
Compare Carver County to another location·View the Minnesota outdoor lighting overview
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