Parma, OH Outdoor Lighting: Billboard Lighting (2026)
Key Facts
- Nighttime luminance cap
- 250 cd/m2 (Nits)
- Daytime luminance cap
- 5,000 cd/m2 (Nits)
- Dimming trigger
- 15 min before sunset to 15 min after sunrise
- Brightness control
- Automatic photocell or software required
- Penalty
- Misdemeanor of the first degree
Summary
Illuminated billboards and electronic message centers in Parma must run automatic dimming keyed to ambient light and cannot exceed 250 cd/m2 at night, stepping up to a 5,000 cd/m2 daytime ceiling once the sun is fully up.
(c) Electronic Message Centers.
(1) EMC signs shall be permitted as either monument signs or major wall signs.
(2) EMC signs must have automatic brightness controls, either by photocell (hardwired) or via software, that are keyed to ambient light levels in order to bring the EMC lighting levels into compliance with division (c)(3) of this section.
(3) EMC signs may not exceed a maximum luminance level of 250 cd/m2 or Nits during nighttime beginning fifteen minutes before apparent sunset and ending fifteen minutes after apparent sunrise, as determined by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the U.S. Naval Observatory (USNO) for the U.S. Eastern Time Zone (DST). At other times, EMC signs may not exceed a maximum luminance level of 5,000 cd/m2 or Nits.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-30: Local legislation current to August 3, 2026 | State legislation current to June 25, 2025).
Full Breakdown
Section 1196.13(c) sets the light-output standard for electronic message centers (EMCs), which digital billboards must meet under Section 1196.13(b)(4). EMC and digital billboard lighting must use automatic brightness controls, either a hardwired photocell or software, keyed to ambient light levels. The nighttime luminance ceiling is 250 candelas per square meter (cd/m2, also called Nits), running from fifteen minutes before apparent sunset to fifteen minutes after apparent sunrise as fixed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the U.S. Naval Observatory for the Eastern Time Zone.
Outside that nighttime window the ceiling rises to 5,000 cd/m2. Section 1196.13(c)(6) requires an EMC or digital billboard to be turned off promptly if it malfunctions, and Section 1196.13(c)(5) bars scrolling, flashing, spinning, fading or other moving-image effects regardless of brightness level. Section 1196.14(d) folds this into the chapter's general illumination rule: signs must be shielded from adjacent residential buildings and streets and may not cause glare hazardous to drivers or pedestrians, and flashing or intermittent illumination is barred citywide except for the digital billboards and EMCs specifically permitted under Sections 1196.13(b) and (c). In residential districts, only permitted EMC signs, nameplates and bulletin boards may be illuminated at all.
Violations & Fines
A billboard or EMC exceeding the 250/5,000 cd/m2 luminance caps or missing required brightness controls violates Chapter 1196, and Section 1196.99 makes any violation of the chapter a misdemeanor of the first degree, with each day the excess lighting continues charged as a separate offense. The Building Commissioner can order the sign brought into compliance or removed under Section 1196.15(a); if the owner does not act within forty-eight hours, the City may remove or correct it and bill the owner for the cost.
Frequently Asked Questions
How bright can a digital billboard be at night in Parma?
Does a billboard's lighting have to dim automatically?
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Sources & Official References
Other rules in Parma
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