St. Johns County, FL Outdoor Lighting: Billboard Lighting (2026)
Key Facts
- Illumination cap
- 0.3 footcandles over ambient light
- Banned features
- flashing, scintillating, beacon, running, animated lights
- Governing sections
- LDC §§ 7.01.03 and 7.00.06.C
- Measurement method
- footcandle meter, 150 ft, 30+ min post-sunset
- Enforcement
- civil penalties only, per-day violation
Summary
St. Johns County bars flashing, scintillating, beacon or running lights and animated copy on any billboard under LDC § 7.01.03. Lighting is otherwise allowed only if it meets the countywide sign-illumination standard in § 7.00.06.C, which caps brightness at 0.3 footcandles over ambient light and requires shielding from roads and homes.
Movement No Billboard shall be Erected, or any existing Billboard modified or operated, that incorporates Flashing, Scintillating, Beacon, or Running Lights, or Animated Copy. ... Lighting Billboards may be lighted in accordance with Section 7.00.06.C of this Article.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: the cited page had not changed since it was quoted.
Full Breakdown
00 governs Billboard Signs countywide (billboards top out at 35 feet, or 40 feet along Interstate 95, and 378 square feet of facing, or 560 square feet on I-95). Within Sec. 03 General Requirements, the Movement subsection flatly bans Flashing, Scintillating, Beacon, or Running Lights, or Animated Copy on any billboard, no exceptions by size or road frontage. C, the article's general Sign Illumination rule. 3 footcandles over ambient light, measured with a footcandle meter 150 feet from the source starting 30 minutes after sunset.
A billboard whose lighting exceeds these limits, or whose intensity glares or impairs a driver's vision, does not get grandfathered: Growth Management can require it be brought into conformance, and a non-compliant Billboard Sign Structure is declared Non-Conforming under the same Part.
Violations & Fines
Violating the lighting standard is prosecuted like a misdemeanor under Fla. Stat. § 125.69, but LDC § 7.00.09 caps the penalty at civil fines only, with no incarceration, and each day the non-compliant lighting runs counts as a separate violation. The County may also pursue Florida's Chapter 162, Part II Code Enforcement Board process or seek an injunction to force the light down.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a billboard in St. Johns County have blinking or animated lights?
How bright can a billboard's lighting be?
Who enforces St. Johns County's billboard lighting standard?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in St. Johns County
Florida rules heatmap·Compare St. Johns County to another location·View the Florida outdoor lighting overview
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