Kyle, TX Outdoor Lighting: Billboard Lighting (2026)
Key Facts
- CEVMS brightness cap
- 0.3 fc over ambient at 250 ft
- General sign cap
- 75 foot-candles, all signs
- Bare-bulb near homes
- 25W night / 33W day within 150 ft
- Certification required
- factory-programmed, password-protected dimmer
- Up-lighting
- banned; down-lighting required
Summary
Digital billboards along Interstate 35 in the City of Kyle must automatically dim so their brightness never exceeds 0.3 footcandles above ambient light, measured 250 feet from the sign, under City Code § 29-17(c)(7)i. Before a permit issues, the sign manufacturer must certify in writing that the brightness limit is factory-programmed and cannot be altered by the operator.
i. Display. 1. All CEVMS signs must automatically adjust the sign brightness so that the brightness level of the sign is no more than 0.3 footcandles over ambient light conditions at a distance of 250 feet from the sign. A digital display sign must be equipped with both a dimmer control and photocell that automatically adjusts the display's intensity according to natural ambient light conditions. ... ... 3. Before the issuance of a CEVMS sign permit, the applicant shall provide written certification from the sign manufacturer that: i. The light intensity has been factory programmed to comply with the maximum brightness and dimming standards in this subsection; and ii. The light intensity is protected from end-use manipulation by password-protected software or other method satisfactory to the building official.
Full Breakdown
Every changeable electronic variable message sign must carry both a dimmer control and a photocell that automatically adjusts the display's intensity to natural ambient light, and the applicant must submit the manufacturer's written certification that the intensity is factory-programmed to the brightness and dimming standard and shielded from end-user manipulation by password-protected software or an equivalent method acceptable to the building official (§ 29-17(c)(7)i.1, i.3). This CEVMS-specific limit sits alongside the chapter's general sign brightness cap: illumination on any sign in the city, measured perpendicular to the sign face at a distance equal to the sign's narrowest dimension, may not exceed 75 foot-candles, and bare bulb lighting near residential uses is capped at 25 watts at night and 33 watts in daylight within 150 feet of a home (§ 29-13(c), (d)).
Up-lighting is banned outright for any externally illuminated sign; internally illuminated letters or down-lighting must be used instead to cut light pollution, and where the sign chapter conflicts with the outdoor lighting rules in Chapter 53, Article V, the outdoor lighting standard controls (§ 29-13(g)). CEVMS message changes must also hold for at least eight seconds and complete within two seconds, with no flashing, dimming or brightening outside of a scheduled change, reinforcing the steady-brightness standard (§ 29-17(c)(7)j).
Violations & Fines
Operating a digital billboard above the 0.3-footcandle brightness ceiling, bypassing the required dimmer or photocell, or defeating the password-protected brightness controls is a chapter 29 violation. Like other sign offenses, it is a misdemeanor carrying a fine of up to $2,000.00 upon conviction, and each day the sign runs out of compliance is a separate offense (§ 29-30(a)).
Frequently Asked Questions
How bright can a digital billboard be in Kyle?
Do regular Kyle business signs have a brightness limit too?
Can a business point sign lighting upward in Kyle?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Kyle
Texas rules heatmap·Compare Kyle to another location·View the Texas outdoor lighting overview
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