Miami-Dade County, FL Outdoor Lighting: Billboard Lighting (2026)
Key Facts
- Nighttime brightness cap
- 500 nits, sunset to sunrise
- Daytime brightness cap
- 5,000 nits
- Message change limit
- Once every 8 seconds
- Illegal illumination fine
- $100 civil penalty
- Applies to
- Countywide, all 34 cities (minimum standard)
Summary
Miami-Dade County caps digital billboard brightness at 500 nits from sunset to sunrise (5,000 nits by day), bans flashing or scrolling illumination, and requires ambient-light sensors: a countywide minimum standard enforced under Sec. 33-96 and 33-107(f).
(f)Illumination. Class C signs other than murals may illuminate the entirety of their sign faces with digital technology, only in accordance with Section 33-96...All digital signs shall be modulated so that, from sunset to sunrise, the brightness shall not be more than 500 Nits...At all other times, the maximum brightness levels shall not exceed 5,000 Nits. All digital signs shall have installed ambient light monitors...
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 135).
Full Breakdown
Sec. 33-107(f) allows Class C signs, the county's billboards, bulletin boards and poster boards, to illuminate their full face with digital technology only in accordance with Sec. 33-96. That section bans flashing, moving, chasing or rotating illumination on any sign; caps digital brightness at 500 nits from sunset to sunrise and 5,000 nits at other times; requires installed ambient-light monitors that automatically adjust brightness; and limits message changes to once every eight seconds. Indirect lighting on static signs may not shine directly on adjacent property, motorists or pedestrians. The Sign Code is a countywide minimum standard: the County enforces it in unincorporated Miami-Dade, and each of the 34 municipalities enforces it (or a stricter version) within its own limits.
Violations & Fines
Miami-Dade Code Enforcement (Ch. 8CC) cites illegal sign illumination under Sec. 33-96 as a $100 civil penalty per violation; a malfunctioning digital sign must revert to a black screen and be repaired within 24 hours.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Miami-Dade billboards use digital or LED displays?
Does this illumination standard apply inside Miami, Miami Beach and other cities?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Miami-Dade County
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Miami-Dade County to another location·View the Florida outdoor lighting overview
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