Palm Beach County, FL Outdoor Lighting: Billboard Lighting (2026)
Key Facts
- Illumination direction
- Must aim only at billboard face
- Roof-mounted billboards
- Prohibited
- New billboards
- None allowed countywide
- Applies in
- Unincorporated Palm Beach County only
- Enforced by
- Zoning Division / Code Enforcement
Summary
In unincorporated Palm Beach County, billboard illumination must be aimed only at the billboard face, no outward floodlighting, under the Unified Land Development Code's Supplemental Billboard Regulations, which also bar roof-mounted billboards.
a) Roof-mounted billboards are prohibited. b) Billboards shall not be relocated to a site on a road with a R-O-W width of less than 80 feet. c) Billboard illumination shall be directed only towards the billboard face. d) Billboards with valid registration shall be legal, conforming structures, and may be repaired and maintained as provided by the applicable Building Codes of PBC. [Ord. 2016-016] e) Registered billboards may be sold, transferred, or exchanged. [Ord. 2016-016] E. Repair and Maintenance of Billboards All billboards shall be maintained in good repair. Repair and maintenance of billboards shall be exempt from the limitations of Art. 1.F, Non-Conformities. Repair and maintenance of billboards shall not include any improvement which increases the height, size, or number of billboard faces. Temporary embellishments may be included as part of normal maintenance and repair of billboards.
Unified Land Development Code Supplement No. 31 (Printed 08/23)
Full Breakdown
The ULDC's Supplemental Billboard Regulations require that light aimed at a billboard be directed solely toward the sign face, not outward or upward. The rule sits inside the county's broader billboard scheme, which bans new billboards in unincorporated Palm Beach County outside a registration-based relocation and replacement program administered by the Zoning Division, and separately bans roof-mounted billboards. This applies only to unincorporated county land: the county's 39 municipalities, including West Palm Beach, Boca Raton, Delray Beach, Boynton Beach and Jupiter, regulate signage under their own codes.
Violations & Fines
A billboard whose illumination spills off the sign face is an illegal sign under Art. 8; PBC tags it with a notice of violation, and if the owner does not correct it within 10 days, PZB may remove and store the sign at the owner's expense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a billboard in Palm Beach County have lights that spill onto the road or nearby properties?
Does this county lighting rule apply inside West Palm Beach or Boca Raton?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Palm Beach County
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Palm Beach County to another location·View the Florida outdoor lighting overview
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