Santa Ana, CA Outdoor Lighting: Billboard Lighting (2026)

Section 41-1133 of the Off-Premises Commercial Advertising Signs (Billboards) article sets the lighting and display standards that apply once a digital billboard clears Santa Ana's Conditional Use Permit and Operating Agreement process under Article XII. 3 foot-candles over ambient light levels, measured against surrounding conditions rather than a flat brightness number. Subsection (b) requires that brightness be controlled automatically by a photocell or light sensor that reads ambient light and adjusts the display without human input; timer- or calendar-based dimming is permitted only as a backup system, not the primary control.

The operator must have the display factory-certified as capable of meeting the brightness standard, provide that certification to the Executive Director of the Planning and Building Agency, and, on request, pay for or provide an independent contractor's verification that actual brightness complies. Every sign must include a fail-safe control system that freezes on a single unchanging image or blank screen if the display malfunctions, plus an emergency shutoff switch. Section 41-1135 backs this up with an ongoing compliance duty: operators must submit a Lighting Monitoring Report to the Planning Division at installation and every three years after, and if the city investigates a complaint, the operator must supply an updated report within 72 hours -- with the city's own measurement controlling over the operator's report if the two conflict.