Roanoke County, VA Outdoor Lighting: Billboard Lighting (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Roanoke County Code § 30-93-9
- Glare limit
- no direct glare on adjoining property/ROW
- Electrical listing required
- UL, ETL, CSA or ULC label
- Civil penalty
- $200 first, $500 each additional summons
- Off-premises signs also covered by
- § 30-93-14
Summary
Roanoke County regulates illumination on every sign in the county, including the off-premises billboards allowed in its commercial and industrial districts, through a flat glare ban: no light from an illuminated sign may hit an unrelated building, an adjoining property or an adjoining right-of-way.
(A)Unless otherwise prohibited, signs may be illuminated either through the use of backlighting or direct lighting provided the following standards are met:1.Any new or refurbished sign containing electrical components shall be required to have electrical permit approval from the development services office. ... 3.No light from any illuminated sign shall cause direct glare into or upon any building other than the building to which the sign is related.4.No light from any illuminated sign shall cause direct glare on to any adjoining piece of property, or any adjoining right-of-way.
Full Breakdown
Section 30-93-9, "Illuminated Signs," governs any sign displayed in the county with backlighting or direct lighting, and off-premises signs (the county's term for billboards, defined under § 30-28) are signs subject to this article just like any other. Before lighting a sign, the owner must obtain electrical permit approval from the Development Services office for any new or refurbished sign with electrical components, and the illumination details must be disclosed on the sign permit application itself. The operative glare standards are in subsection (A)3 and (A)4: light from an illuminated sign cannot cause direct glare into or upon any building other than the one the sign relates to, and it cannot cause direct glare onto any adjoining property or any adjoining right-of-way.
Electrical components must also carry a UL, ETL, CSA or ULC label, or be built and inspected to standards that would allow one to be affixed, under § 30-93-9(B); an unlabeled electrical sign is separately listed as a prohibited sign under § 30-93-4(A)9. b.
Violations & Fines
Sign violations, including illumination violations under § 30-93-9, are the one category the county has made a scheduled civil infraction under § 30-22-1: a $200 civil penalty for the initial summons and $500 for each additional summons, capped at $5,000 total for repeat violations from the same facts within a ten-day span, with a right to elect trial in General District Court rather than pay. Sign violations can otherwise still be charged as a misdemeanor under § 30-22 (fine of $10 to $2,500 per day) if the violation causes injury.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do Roanoke County's illuminated sign rules apply to billboards?
What is the glare standard for an illuminated sign in Roanoke County?
What is the penalty for an illegally illuminated sign?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Roanoke County
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