Madison County, IL Outdoor Lighting: Billboard Lighting (2026)

116(B), part of the general requirements that apply to every sign, billboard included, in the county's zoning districts. Light from an illuminated sign must be shaded, shielded, or directed so its intensity is not objectionable to the surrounding area, and it cannot spill across the property line into a residential zone except by indirect reflection. No sign may use blinking, flashing, or scintillating lights, or any illumination device with changing intensity, brightness, or color; beacon lights are banned outright, though the rule carves out an exception for signs that show only time and temperature.

Exposed lamps or bulbs over 15 watts cannot be mounted on a sign's exterior surface where the bulb, light, or lamp face is visible from a public street or adjacent property, and neither direct nor reflected light from a sign may create a traffic hazard for drivers. 116(C): the maximum sign area for any sign, including a two-sided billboard, is 300 square feet total, so a double-sided billboard is limited to 150 square feet per face. 161(A), and electrical permits for sign lighting must be obtained at the same time.