Newport News, VA Outdoor Lighting: Billboard Lighting (2026)
Key Facts
- Curfew hours
- 10 p.m.–6 a.m.
- Curfew trigger distance
- 250 ft of housing
- Daytime brightness cap
- 10,000 nits max
- Nighttime brightness cap
- 700 nits max
Summary
Electronic display signs within 250 feet of a residential district must go dark from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. in Newport News, and brightness is capped at 10,000 nits by day and 700 nits at night.
no electronic display sign visible from and within two hundred fifty (250) feet of any portion of a single or multiple family dwelling district shall be illuminated between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m.(d)Electronic display signs shall conform to the following requirements:(1)No more than one (1) such sign shall be permitted on any developed site;(2)The entire sign structure, including the structure surrounding the sign face, shall not exceed ten (10) feet in height;(3)The area encompassing an electronic display sign shall not exceed thirty-two (32) square feet per sign face.(4)All electronic displays shall remain static for a period of at least five (5) seconds, and automatic change sequences shall be accomplished by means of instantaneous re-pixelization. Flashing, scrolling, blinking or any other type of intermittent illumination of elements of the display shall be prohibited;(5)Audio speakers on, or electronically connected to, such signs shall be prohibited;(6)The illumination of such signs shall be no greater than ten thousand (10,000) nits or foot candles from sunrise to sunset or seven hundred (700) nits or foot candles between sunset and sunrise, and shall be equipped with automatic brightness control
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 81).
Full Breakdown
Section 33.01-6.1(c) bars illuminating an electronic display sign between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. if it's visible from and within 250 feet of any single- or multiple-family dwelling district. Section 33.01-6.1(d)(6) separately caps brightness for every electronic sign at 10,000 nits or foot candles from sunrise to sunset and 700 nits or foot candles between sunset and sunrise, requires automatic brightness control that can dim further when conditions don't call for maximum brightness, and requires manufacturer certification that the sign was factory pre-set to those limits before a permit issues.
Violations & Fines
Illuminating a qualifying sign past the 10 p.m. curfew near housing, or exceeding the nits cap, violates § 33.01-6.1 and the zoning administrator can order the display dimmed, shut off, or removed; missing the required manufacturer brightness certification can also block or revoke the sign permit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a digital sign stay lit all night near a neighborhood in Newport News?
How bright can an electronic sign be in Newport News?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Newport News
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