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Peoria, IL Outdoor Lighting: Billboard Lighting (2026)

Some Restrictions

Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Nighttime brightness cap: 500 nits at sign surface
Daytime brightness cap: 5,000 nits at sign surface
Dimming trigger: Automatic, dusk to dawn
General sign brightness cap: 75 foot-candles (Sec. 8.3.9)
Governing section: UDC § 8.3.15.D

Summary

Electronic billboards and message signs in Peoria must dim automatically after dark: light sensors or a timer are required to cut brightness at dusk, capping the sign at 500 nits at night and low light, versus up to 5,000 nits during the day, measured right at the sign surface.

D. Automatic Dimming: Electronic multiple message signs shall be equipped with light sensing devices or a scheduled dimming timer which automatically dim the intensity of the light emitted by the sign during ambient low-light and nighttime (dusk to dawn) conditions. The signs shall not exceed 500 nits of intensity as measured at the sign surface during nighttime and low-light conditions and 5,000 nits during daytime hours.

View official code

Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 119).

Full Breakdown

' That ten-to-one day/night ratio is meant to prevent a billboard calibrated for daylight visibility from glaring at drivers and neighboring residents once the sun sets. E, which requires bulbs, LEDs and pixels to stay in proper working, evenly illuminating condition at all times. A billboard operator who fails to install automatic dimming, or who exceeds the 500-nit nighttime ceiling, is out of compliance with both the specific electronic-sign standard and the sign chapter's general maintenance requirement.

Violations & Fines

Peoria enforces this standard under the Unified Development Code's escalating $300/$525/$750 fine schedule in Sec. 2.15, each day a violation continues counting as a separate offense, referencing Chapter 1, Sec. 1-5 of the Peoria City Code; the City may also pursue injunctive relief to force a non-compliant billboard's brightness down.

Frequently Asked Questions

How bright can a digital billboard be at night in Peoria?

No more than 500 nits measured at the sign surface, under Section 8.3.15.D, roughly a tenth of the 5,000-nit ceiling allowed during daylight hours. The sign must dim itself automatically using a light sensor or a scheduled timer between dusk and dawn.

Does an electronic billboard need a light sensor in Peoria?

Yes. Section 8.3.15.D requires either light-sensing devices or a scheduled dimming timer that automatically reduces brightness during nighttime and low-light conditions; a billboard without one is not compliant even if its raw brightness happens to stay under the nighttime cap.

Is there a general brightness limit for all signs in Peoria, not just billboards?

Yes. Section 8.3.9.B caps any illuminated sign at 75 foot-candles measured perpendicular to the face at a distance equal to the sign's narrowest dimension, on top of the electronic-sign-specific 500/5,000 nit day-night limits in Section 8.3.15.D.

Sources & Official References

[1]Peoria, IL Unified Development Code, Appendix A

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