Reading, PA Outdoor Lighting: Billboard Lighting (2026)
Key Facts
- Billboard lighting placement
- Top-mounted, aimed downward
- General standard
- Fully shielded, no skyward light
- Applies to
- New billboards
- Governing section
- § 600-912.J, Lighting control
Summary
Reading's lighting-control ordinance requires new billboard illumination to be mounted at the top of the sign and aimed downward, part of a broader rule shielding all sign and wall lighting from nearby homes.
Lighting of nonhorizontal surfaces. For lighting of predominantly nonhorizontal surfaces, such building walls and wall signs, lighting fixtures shall be fully shielded and shall be aimed so as to not project light: towards neighboring residences; past the object being illuminated; or skyward. Any lighting of a flag shall use a beam no wider than necessary to illuminate the flag. Any lighting of a new billboard should be attached to the top of the billboard and project downward.
K. Upward lighting and lasers. Spotlights shall not be directed upwards into the sky. Laser lights shall not be directed into the sky to attract attention to a business or activity. This subsection shall not apply to theaters, arenas or performing or visual arts centers in the C-C District, or as part of a City-sponsored special event.
L. Neon and similar lighting. The use of neon, argon and similar lighting shall be prohibited within residential districts for commercial advertising purposes if it is visible from a dwelling on another lot.
17. NOTE: See also sign lighting provisions in §
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-8: Current through August 10, 2026).
Full Breakdown
Section 600-912.J governs lighting of 'nonhorizontal surfaces' such as building walls, wall signs and billboards: fixtures must be fully shielded and aimed so they don't project light toward neighboring residences, past the object being lit, or skyward. The subsection adds a billboard-specific rule, 'any lighting of a new billboard should be attached to the top of the billboard and project downward', and separately caps flag lighting to a beam no wider than needed. It sits within Reading's citywide outdoor lighting-control standards (§ 600-912), which also cap light spillover and mounting height.
Violations & Fines
Installing new billboard lighting that isn't top-mounted and downward-facing, or that projects glare toward neighboring residences or the sky, violates the § 600-912 lighting-control standards.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where must lighting be mounted on a new billboard in Reading?
Can billboard lights point upward or skyward in Reading?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Reading
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