Pearland, TX Outdoor Lighting: Billboard Lighting (2026)
Key Facts
- Illumination cap
- 200 lamberts maximum intensity
- Governing section
- UDC § 4.2.5.1(c)(8), (13)
- Off-premise signs
- Prohibited unless City-adopted program
- Shielding required
- Not directly visible from residential property
- Billboard definition
- UDC Chapter 5, § 499
Summary
Pearland's Unified Development Code bans off-premise billboards outright unless part of a City-adopted signage program, and any sign the City does allow to be illuminated cannot exceed 200 lamberts of intensity measured from neighboring property or the public right-of-way. Lights must be shielded so the source isn't directly visible from residential property.
(8) Signs illuminated to any intensity greater than two hundred (200) lamberts. The restrictions of luminance shall be determined from any other premise or from any public right-of-way other than an alley. Lights shall be shielded to prevent the source of lighting from being directly visible from residential property... (13) Off-premise signs, unless erected as part of a City-adopted signage program or specifically authorized by this UDC.
Full Breakdown
A. , as amended. For any sign the City does authorize with illumination, subsection (c)(8) caps luminance: signs illuminated to any intensity greater than two hundred lamberts are prohibited, and the restrictions of luminance shall be determined from any other premise or from any public right-of-way other than an alley. The same subsection requires shielding: lights shall be shielded to prevent the source of lighting from being directly visible from residential property. Subsection (c)(10) separately bans signs that move, flash, rotate, blink, change color, or are animated, or carry intermittent illumination, and subsection (c)(18) bars decorative lighting such as light strips, LED strips, spotlights, bulbs, and other similar lighting around windows, doors, openings, signs, or on any part of the building or site unless the UDC permits it as part of the sign itself.
Together these standards mean an off-premise advertising structure faces two hurdles in Pearland: it must first qualify for one of the narrow off-premise exceptions, and any lighting it carries must stay under the 200-lambert cap with residential-facing shielding.
Violations & Fines
Erecting an unauthorized off-premise sign violates Section 4.2.5.1(c)(13) and can be removed by the Building Official under the UDC's general sign-removal authority; an authorized sign lit past 200 lamberts or left unshielded toward residential property violates Section 4.2.5.1(c)(8). Both are sign-permit violations enforceable through the City's code enforcement process administered by Community Development.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are billboards legal in Pearland?
How bright can an illuminated sign be in Pearland?
Can a sign have flashing or LED strip lighting?
What counts as a billboard under Pearland's code?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Pearland
Texas rules heatmap·Compare Pearland to another location·View the Texas outdoor lighting overview
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