Prince George's County, MD Outdoor Lighting: Billboard Lighting (2026)

Section 27-61506(g)(8) of the Zoning Ordinance sets the light-trespass ceiling for digital billboards separately from the sign's structural standards. The brightness limit is measured with a foot candle meter at a set distance from the sign, and that distance scales with the digital display's size under Table 27-61506(g)(8): a display of 300 square feet or less is measured from 150 feet away, a display between 300 and 378 square feet is measured from 200 feet away, and a display between 378 and 675 square feet, the county's maximum allowed size, is measured from 250 feet away.

3 foot candle above the ambient light level already present at that spot, a standard aimed squarely at glare bleeding onto neighboring roads and properties at night rather than at daytime visibility. On top of the numeric cap, every digital billboard must be equipped with a light-sensing device that automatically adjusts the display's brightness as ambient light conditions change through the day and night, so the sign cannot be manually locked at a bright daytime setting after dark. This lighting standard applies on top of, not instead of, the siting and height limits in the rest of Section 27-61506(g) covering setbacks, roadway classification, and spacing, and any digital billboard must also separately comply with all applicable State and Federal lighting and outdoor advertising regulations.