DeKalb County, GA Outdoor Lighting: Billboard Lighting (2026)
Key Facts
- Applies to
- All signs, DeKalb County
- Setback
- 75 feet from single-family lots
- Standard
- No glare, blinding or direct spillover
- Citation
- Code of Ordinances § 21-24
Summary
DeKalb County's sign code bars any sign, including illuminated advertising signs, from casting light that glares or blinds or adversely affects traffic or neighbors, and forbids illuminated signs within 75 feet of a single-family lot line.
No sign shall give off light that glares, blinds or has any other such adverse effect on traffic or adjacent properties. The light from an illuminated sign shall be established in such a way that adjacent properties and roadways are not adversely affected and that no direct light is cast upon adjacent properties and roadways. No illuminated sign shall be constructed or maintained within seventy-five (75) feet of any single-family lot property line.
Full Breakdown
Chapter 21's sign regulations set a countywide illumination standard for all signs, including outdoor advertising: no sign may give off light that glares, blinds, or otherwise adversely affects traffic or adjacent properties, no direct light may be cast onto adjacent properties or roadways, and no illuminated sign may be built or maintained within 75 feet of any single-family lot property line. Chapter 27's zoning code separately bans new general advertising signs (billboards) in some overlay districts.
Violations & Fines
A sign found in violation of the illumination standard is a nonconforming or illegal sign subject to code enforcement action, including required removal, under Chapter 21's general enforcement and penalty provisions.
Frequently Asked Questions
How close can an illuminated billboard be to a house in DeKalb County?
Does DeKalb County limit how bright an illuminated sign can be?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in DeKalb County
Compare DeKalb County to another location·View the Georgia outdoor lighting overview
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