Craven County, NC Outdoor Lighting: Billboard Lighting (2026)

Under the Developmental Regulations' off-premises sign article, Craven County treats sign glare as a traffic hazard, not just an aesthetic issue. Section 206 bars any floodlight used as part of a sign illumination system unless it is hooded or shielded so the light source itself is never visible from a public right-of-way or adjacent property, and it separately bars any sign from reflecting or emitting a glaring light that could impair a driver's vision. The same section flatly bans beacons, spotlights, search lights, and stroboscopic lights or reflectors visible from a right-of-way or adjacent property on any sign illumination system, and those lights cannot be operated outdoors under any circumstances except by authorized public agencies.

Section 208 layers on illumination conditions specific to off-premises signs (billboards): any light used to illuminate the sign must be shielded so the beams or rays never shine directly into surrounding areas or onto the public roadway, and neither direct nor reflected light from the sign may create a traffic hazard or distraction for drivers on public thoroughfares. The Planning Director administers the Article and, under section 206(f), may order the repair or removal of a sign, including its lighting, that is not maintained in a safe condition, treating a noncompliant sign as a nuisance.