Evanston, IL Outdoor Lighting: Billboard Lighting (2026)
Key Facts
- General brightness cap
- 75 foot-candles
- Residential-district cap
- 50 foot-candles
- Spillover onto neighbors
- 1 foot-candle maximum
- Governing section
- Evanston City Code § 6-19-7(M)(5)
Summary
Illuminated signs in Evanston, including any billboard-type structure, cannot exceed 75 foot-candles of brightness, dropping to 50 in residential zoning districts and 1 on adjoining residential property.
Brightness Limitation. In no instance shall the lighting intensity of any sign, whether resulting from internal illumination or external illumination, exceed: a. Seventy-five (75) foot-candles measured perpendicular to the face of the sign from a distance equal to the narrowest dimension of the sign; or b. When the sign is located in a residential zoning district, fifty (50) foot-candles...; or c. One (1) foot-candle on adjoining residential property, measured three feet (3') above the surface of the ground.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 21).
Full Breakdown
Section 6-19-7(M)(5) caps the lighting intensity of any illuminated sign in Evanston: a category that includes billboard-type structures, since the code defines no separate billboard classification exempt from the sign rules. Brightness cannot exceed 75 foot-candles measured perpendicular to the sign face from a distance equal to the sign's narrowest dimension, dropping to 50 foot-candles for a sign located in a residential zoning district. A further ceiling applies regardless of district: no more than 1 foot-candle is allowed on adjoining residential property, measured three feet above ground level. The same subsection separately bans flashing, traveling, or rotating illumination on non-exempt signs.
Violations & Fines
A sign that measures above the foot-candle ceiling for its zoning district, or that spills more than 1 foot-candle onto neighboring residential land, violates Evanston's illumination standard.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Evanston limit how bright an illuminated sign or billboard can be?
Does Evanston have a separate billboard ordinance with different lighting rules?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Evanston
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How other cities in Cook County handle billboard lighting.