Macon-Bibb County, GA Outdoor Lighting: Billboard Lighting (2026)
Key Facts
- Daytime brightness cap
- 5,000 nits
- Dusk-to-dawn brightness cap
- 500 nits
- Flashing/moving light
- Banned except limited multiple-message transitions
- Dimmer requirement
- Photocell dimmer required on digital billboards
- Governing section
- CLDR § 25.09[5] and § 25.07[1](j)
Summary
Every illuminated sign in Macon-Bibb County, including a billboard, is capped at 5,000 nits during daylight hours and 500 nits from dusk until dawn under the Comprehensive Land Development Resolution, and no billboard is allowed to flash, pulse or use intermittent or moving light except the narrow electronic-transition modes allowed for multiple message billboards.
[1]Illuminated signs are prohibited on single or two-family residential properties located in residential or historic zoning districts. Where illumination is allowed on signs in residential or historic zoning districts, only remote source illumination may be used and no visible bulbs, neon tubing, luminous paints or plastics shall be permitted as a part of any signs or sign structures in said districts.[2]The source and design of the light or illumination emanating from a sign, including any electronic displays or other devices, shall be installed and/or shielded so that no light or illumination is angled or directed into a residential structure, or hinders the operation of motor vehicles.[3]No revolving beam or beacon of light resembling any emergency vehicle light shall be permitted as part of a sign display.[4]No sign shall be operated so as to create a flashing or pulsing of light or light intensity or color, or intermittent or moving light, except as permitted for changeable copy signs or multiple message billboards in this chapter.[5]Illuminated signs shall not exceed 5,000 nits during daylight hours. Brightness from dusk until dawn shall not exceed 500 nits.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Comprehensive Land Development Resolution: Supplement 4 | Code of Ordinances: Supplement 20).
Full Breakdown
' That subsection caps output at 5,000 nits during daylight hours and 500 nits from dusk until dawn, and requires any sign capable of meeting a future, tighter standard without physical alteration to comply with it automatically. 07[7](b) allows for multiple message billboards: an instantaneous change, a subtle fade or dissolve, or a scroll. 09 also requires the light source on any sign to be installed or shielded so it is never angled or directed into a residential structure and never hinders a driver's operation of a vehicle, and it bans any revolving beam or beacon resembling an emergency vehicle light.
On single- or two-family residential property, illumination is further restricted to remote-source lighting only, with no exposed bulbs, neon tubing or luminous paint or plastic permitted as part of the sign or its structure.
Violations & Fines
A billboard that exceeds 5,000 nits by day, 500 nits by night, or that flashes, pulses or uses moving light outside the narrow transitions allowed for multiple message billboards violates Sections 25.07 and 25.09. Under Section 33.01 that is a misdemeanor, with each day of noncompliance a separate offense, and the zoning enforcement officer or Commission can pursue injunctive relief or suspend the billboard's permit under Section 33.02.
Frequently Asked Questions
How bright can a Macon-Bibb billboard be at night?
Can a billboard in Macon-Bibb County flash or scroll?
Does a billboard dimmer have to meet a specific standard?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Macon-Bibb County
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