O'Fallon, MO Outdoor Lighting: Billboard Lighting (2026)
Key Facts
- Banned light types
- Revolving, rotating, flashing, or moving
- Allowed light types
- Shielded floodlights, thin-line, gooseneck reflectors
- Shielding standard
- No beams onto the main traveled way
- Glare limit
- Cannot impair a driver's vision
- Removal
- Prohibited fixtures removed immediately, no notice
Summary
O'Fallon bans any revolving, rotating, flashing or moving light on a billboard outright under Section 410.170(B)(4). Steady external lighting like floodlights is allowed, but only if it is aimed at the sign face and shielded so no beam spills onto the highway or glares into a driver's eyes.
No revolving or rotating beam or beacon of light shall be permitted as part of any billboard sign. No flashing, intermittent or moving light or lights shall be permitted as a part of any billboard sign. ... External lighting, such as floodlights, thin line and gooseline reflectors are permitted, provided the light source is directed upon the face of the billboard sign and is effectively shielded so as to prevent beams or rays of light from being directed into any portion of the main traveled way of any road or highway near such billboard sign, and the lights are not of such intensity so as to cause glare, impair the vision of the driver of a motor vehicle or otherwise interfere with a driver's operation of a motor vehicle.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4860992; v58 updated 2026-05-14; through 05-14-2026).
Full Breakdown
The lighting standard sits inside the same billboard section that governs location, size and height, and applies on top of those rules. A billboard cannot carry a revolving or rotating beam or beacon, nor any flashing, intermittent or moving light, full stop; there is no permit that authorizes those fixtures on a billboard. External illumination, such as floodlights, thin-line fixtures or gooseneck reflectors, is allowed instead, but the code conditions it on the light source being directed onto the billboard face and effectively shielded so that no rays are cast into the main traveled way of any nearby road or highway.
The lights also cannot be intense enough to cause glare, impair a driver's vision, or otherwise interfere with safe operation of a vehicle, and separately, a billboard cannot be illuminated in any way that interferes with or obscures an official traffic sign, device or signal. 170(B)(5) for any sign that also carries a digital display.
Violations & Fines
A billboard fitted with a revolving beacon, spotlight, searchlight or flashing light is a prohibited sign under Section 410.130(2)-(3) and can be removed immediately by City staff without notice; removed signs become City property and the owner is not compensated. Non-prohibited lighting violations, such as glare or unshielded floodlights, are enforced under Section 410.190, with a fine of up to $500.00, up to ninety days' imprisonment, or both, and each day of continued violation a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a billboard in O'Fallon have a spinning or flashing light?
Is it legal to floodlight a billboard in O'Fallon?
Can billboard lighting shine onto a nearby traffic signal?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in O'Fallon
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