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Fairfield, CA Outdoor Lighting: Billboard Lighting (2026)

Heavy Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Billboard status
Prohibited outright, §25.1309.G
Blinking/audible signs
Prohibited, §25.1309.H
Exception
Electronic message & time/temp signs
Only lawful path
Relocation agreement, §25.1302.B

Summary

Fairfield bans off-site advertising structures like billboards outright under Section 25.1309.G of the sign ordinance, and separately bans animated signs that use blinking lights or audible sounds under Section 25.1309.H, though that blinking-light ban carves out electronic message signs and time-and-temperature displays from the prohibition.

The following signs are prohibited by this Section: ... G. Any structure that advertises an off-site business or activity, product, or service (such as a billboard), with the exception of off-site residential subdivision advertising signs that comply with the regulations established by this Section. H. Animated signs that use blinking lights or audible sounds. This restriction does not apply to electronic message signs and time and temperature signs.

View official code

Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4962673; v0 updated 2026-02-17).

Full Breakdown

1309 lists the signs Fairfield prohibits outright, and subsection G puts 'any structure that advertises an off-site business or activity, product, or service (such as a billboard)' on that list, with only one carve-out: off-site residential subdivision advertising signs that meet the ordinance's own regulations. B for signs already standing before an eminent domain proceeding. Subsection H of the same prohibited-signs list bans animated signs that use blinking lights or audible sounds, a rule that would otherwise sweep in flashing or strobing billboard-style illumination, but the ordinance carves out two exceptions by name: electronic message signs and time-and-temperature signs.

B relocation process or another authorized sign approval. Every other sign in the city, including a wall or monument sign with a blinking accent light, falls under the flat ban. A's general regulation also requires that a sign's illumination be coordinated with the building's architecture and area lighting, reinforcing that lighting design on any permitted sign has to fit the rest of the site rather than stand out.

Violations & Fines

A billboard, or any sign using blinking lights or audible sounds outside the electronic-message and time-and-temperature exceptions, is an illegal sign under Section 25.1312, drawing an Administrative Citation and penalties under Chapter 1, Article II of the City Code. The City can abate it as a public nuisance under Chapter 27 and bill the owner for removal and storage before releasing the structure.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a new billboard be built in Fairfield?
No. Section 25.1309.G prohibits off-site advertising structures, including billboards, outright, with only a narrow exception for off-site residential subdivision advertising signs that meet the ordinance's separate rules.
Are blinking or flashing sign lights allowed in Fairfield?
No, with two exceptions. Section 25.1309.H bans animated signs that use blinking lights or audible sounds citywide, but electronic message signs and time-and-temperature signs are specifically excluded from that ban.
How does an electronic message board avoid the billboard ban?
It doesn't avoid the ban directly. An off-site electronic message board can only exist in Fairfield through the Section 25.1302.B relocation pathway for a sign that already existed before an eminent domain proceeding, and it must meet the 2,500-foot spacing and net-reduction conditions in that section.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Fairfield

All Fairfield rules

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