Los Banos, CA Outdoor Lighting: Billboard Lighting (2026)

2819(i) treat nonappurtenant (off-site advertising) billboards differently from the illumination rules that apply to on-premise business signs elsewhere in the sign code. Subsection (1) sets the physical envelope: maximum display area of 300 square feet, maximum sign height of twelve feet, and a total structure height of twenty-five feet above grade, with a minimum twelve-foot clearance between grade and the bottom of the sign face. Subsection (4)(C) then addresses light sources directly: electrical illumination is permitted, but neon illumination is not, and the code separately allows reflective paint and reflective material on the sign face as an alternative to internal lighting.

Subsection (4)(D) reinforces the restriction from the lighting angle as well as the display angle, barring any moving parts or animation, so a billboard cannot use programmable or flashing electrical lighting to simulate motion. Billboards must also be constructed according to the Uniform Sign Code for structural safety, and every portion of the sign, including its illumination hardware, frame and supports, must be maintained and kept neatly painted under the article's maintenance clause. Because billboards require a Planning Commission use permit for erection or modification, any proposed lighting scheme, including fixture type and mounting, is reviewed and conditioned at that hearing before installation.