Guilford County, NC Outdoor Lighting: Billboard Lighting (2026)
Key Facts
- Direct illumination
- Prohibited on billboards
- Allowed lighting
- Indirect only, or none
- Animated lighting
- Prohibited
- State rule referenced
- NCAC 19A.2E.023
- Governing section
- UDO Subsec. 7.11.E
Summary
Guilford County bans direct illumination on billboards outright: UDO Subsec. 7.11.E allows only indirect lighting or no illumination at all, and blocks animated lighting features entirely. The restriction tracks the state DOT's outdoor advertising rule at NCAC 19A.2E.023, so a billboard along an Interstate corridor cannot use an internally lit LED face.
E. ILLUMINATION Billboards may be indirectly illuminated or non-illuminated. No billboard may contain any animated features as defined in Subsec. 12 - Definitions, or any form of direct illumination per NCAC 19A.2E.023.
Full Breakdown
UDO Subsec. E is Guilford County's billboard-specific illumination rule, and it is more restrictive than the illumination standard the code sets for other signs. Subsec. C lets ordinary business signs use direct illumination (light contained within the sign, such as an internally lit LED face) up to 350 watts, or indirect illumination aimed at the sign face at a 90-degree angle. Billboards do not get that option: Subsec. 023, the state Department of Transportation's outdoor advertising control rule. The same subsection prohibits animated features on billboards, cross-referencing the definition carried in Subsec.
12. In practice this means a billboard along the Urban Loop or an Interstate frontage can be lit only by an external floodlight or similar fixture that throws light onto the printed or vinyl face, never by an internally illuminated digital panel. Because Subsec. H also requires billboards to meet the general location, construction and maintenance rules in Subsec. 10, a lighting fixture used to illuminate a billboard still cannot obstruct sight distances, interfere with warning signs, or encroach on utility easements. A billboard permit application under Subsec.
3 must show how the sign will be lit so staff can confirm it complies with the indirect-only standard before site plan approval is granted.
Violations & Fines
A billboard built or retrofitted with direct or internally lit illumination violates Subsec. 7.11.E and is treated the same as any other UDO sign violation: the Planning & Development Director can order the lighting removed or the sign brought into compliance, and an owner who ignores a notice faces prosecution as a misdemeanor under the county's general penalty ordinance plus continuing civil penalties.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a billboard have an internally lit LED face in Guilford County?
Why does the county cite a state DOT rule for billboard lighting?
Can a billboard's lighting flash or change?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Guilford County
Compare Guilford County to another location·View the North Carolina outdoor lighting overview
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