Jacksonville, FL Outdoor Lighting: Billboard Lighting (2026)
Key Facts
- Trigger distance
- Within 200 feet of residential zoning
- Lighting rule
- Must be nonilluminated
- Size cap
- 400 sq ft, including embellishments
- Governing section
- § 320.414(b)(2), nonconforming signs
- Enforcement
- Abatement under §§ 320.413, 326.208
Summary
An offsite sign within 200 feet of a residentially zoned district in Jacksonville must be nonilluminated and can't exceed 400 square feet, under the nonconforming-sign standards of Ordinance Code Section 320.414(b)(2), even though such a sign may otherwise be grandfathered from the Zoning Code's general distance limits.
Any lawful nonconforming off-site sign which is nonconforming because of distance limitations shall not be required to be removed, changed or altered to conform to the distance limitations established in Section 656.1303; provided that any off-site sign located within 200 feet of any residentially zoned district shall be nonilluminated and shall not exceed a maximum of 400 square feet in area, including embellishments.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 6 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
414 sets the rules for signs that became legally nonconforming when the City rewrote its sign standards on March 11, 1987. 1303, meaning an older billboard doesn't have to be moved just because it now sits too close to another sign or use, but that relief comes with a lighting and size condition attached: if the offsite sign sits within 200 feet of any residentially zoned district, it must be nonilluminated and cannot exceed 400 square feet in area, including embellishments. That trade-off lets Jacksonville protect nearby homes from glare and oversized advertising even where it is not requiring full removal of an older billboard. 208 abatement procedures. 1303 zoning-limitation tables, which set illumination rules by zoning district rather than by proximity to housing.
Violations & Fines
An offsite sign within 200 feet of a residential zoning district that stays illuminated, or that grows past 400 square feet, loses its Section 320.414(b)(2) protection from the current distance standards and becomes subject to removal under the Section 320.413 and 326.208 abatement procedure; Section 656.1303(o) separately declares a sign structure maintained in violation contraband, subject to civil forfeiture to the City once a violation is proved.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a billboard near my house in Jacksonville stay lit up at night?
How big can a billboard be near homes in Jacksonville?
What happens if a billboard near homes violates the 200-foot lighting rule?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Jacksonville
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Jacksonville to another location·View the Florida outdoor lighting overview
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