Phoenix, AZ Outdoor Lighting: Billboard Lighting (2026)
Key Facts
- Illumination type
- Internal, indirect, or direct allowed
- Evening dimmer cap
- 300-342 nits, sunset-11pm
- Nighttime curfew
- Off 11pm to sunrise
- Emergency exception
- Amber Alerts only
- Shielding rule
- Per City Code § 23-100
Summary
Off-premise billboards in Phoenix may be lit but must dim after sunset and go dark from 11 p.m. to sunrise under the Zoning Ordinance.
Off-premise signs may be internally illuminated, indirectly illuminated, or directly illuminated... Dimmer on sign shall be set in the evening hours (from sunset to 11:00 p.m.) not to exceed 300 nits for signs that are 14 feet by 48 feet and 342 nits for signs that are ten feet by 30 feet... From 11:00 p.m. until sunrise all sign illumination shall be extinguished and sign shall be equipped with an automatic device to assure compliance.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance G-7524, passed June 17, 2026).
Full Breakdown
Phoenix allows off-premise advertising signs (billboards) to be internally, indirectly, or directly illuminated, but digital and other illuminated off-premise signs must dim in the evening, capped at 300 nits for 14-by-48-foot faces and 342 nits for 10-by-30-foot faces from sunset to 11 p.m., and all illumination must shut off automatically from 11 p.m. until sunrise, with an exception only for Amber Alerts and other government emergencies. Lighting fixtures must also be shielded per the Municipal Code's outdoor lighting chapter.
Violations & Fines
Zoning Administrator enforcement; noncompliant or unshielded illumination is a sign-code violation subject to correction, permit revocation, or removal as a nonconforming/illegal sign.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a Phoenix billboard stay lit all night?
Are flashing or animated billboard displays allowed?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Phoenix
Compare Phoenix to another location·View the Arizona outdoor lighting overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.
Billboard Lighting in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Maricopa County handle billboard lighting.