Brevard County, FL Outdoor Lighting: Billboard Lighting (2026)
Key Facts
- Digital brightness cap
- 0.3 footcandles above ambient
- Dimmer requirement
- automatic light-sensing device required
- General sign shielding
- opaque shade, no glare on roads
- New billboards
- banned since October 16, 2003
- Off-premises violation penalty
- $500 per day
Summary
Brevard County caps digital billboard brightness at 0.3 foot-candles above ambient light and requires an automatic dimming sensor. All illuminated off-premises signs must be shielded to prevent glare onto roads.
Digital billboard illumination shall be exempt from the requirements of section 62-2257. Each display shall have a light sensing device with dimming ability that will adjust the brightness of the billboard as ambient lighting conditions change. Light intensity will be adjusted so as not to exceed 0.3 foot candles above ambient lighting, as measured using a foot-candle meter at a present distance.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 135).
Full Breakdown
Under County Code § 62-3306(d), digital billboards allowed at existing nonconforming off-premise sign structures must carry a light-sensing dimmer that adjusts brightness as ambient conditions change, capped at 0.3 foot-candles above ambient measured perpendicular to the face at a preset distance tied to sign size (150 to 250 feet). Digital billboards are exempt from the general sign-lighting standard in § 62-2257, but § 62-3314 still requires every illuminated sign, including conventional billboards, to be shielded with an opaque shade directed so it produces no glare on roadways or surrounding properties. This governs unincorporated Brevard only; Melbourne, Palm Bay, Cocoa, and Titusville regulate their own sign lighting.
Violations & Fines
Code enforcement cites unshielded or over-bright signs under § 62-3314. Off-premises signs erected or maintained in violation carry a $500-per-day penalty under § 62-3318(a)(4) until corrected or removed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a new billboard be built in unincorporated Brevard County?
How bright can a digital billboard be at night in Brevard County?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Brevard County
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Brevard County to another location·View the Florida outdoor lighting overview
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