Philadelphia, PA Outdoor Lighting: Billboard Lighting (2026)

Philadelphia Code § 14-905(8)(b) sets hard brightness ceilings for digital billboards citywide: no more than 6,500 nits during daylight hours and no more than 450 nits at all other times. Boards also can't exceed 0.3 foot-candles above ambient light, measured with a foot-candle meter at preset viewing distances tied to the sign's face size (for example, 150 feet for a 12' x 25' face). Automatic dimming technology is required so the sign stays within these limits around the clock rather than relying on a manual setting. The same subsection bans all motion and holographic or 3-D effects on digital displays, requires each message to hold for at least 8 seconds, and mandates a fail-safe that freezes or blanks the screen on malfunction.