Scranton, PA Outdoor Lighting: Billboard Lighting (2026)
Key Facts
- Standard billboard setback
- 250 feet from residential lot line
- Reduced setback if unlit toward homes
- 200 feet
- Illumination hours discouraged near dwellings
- 11:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m.
- Distance trigger for lighting guidance
- Within 200 feet of a dwelling
- Governing sections
- § 445-52B and § 445-57F(8)(a)
Summary
Scranton ties a billboard's required setback from housing directly to whether the sign is lit: an off-premises sign normally needs 250 feet from a residential lot line, but that drops to 200 feet if the sign's illumination is not visible from that line. A separate, non-mandatory rule discourages lighting any sign within 200 feet of a home overnight.
B. Times of illumination. It is strongly encouraged that signs within 200 feet of a dwelling not be illuminated between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. ... Two hundred fifty feet from a "residential lot" line except 200 feet if the illumination of the sign would not be visible from the "residential lot" line;
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4719898; v25 updated 2025-12-16; through 12-16-2025).
Full Breakdown
Two sections of City Code Chapter 445 work together to control how a Scranton billboard can be lit. General outdoor-lighting standards live in § 445-25: all uses must direct, deflect and shield their lights so they don't create nuisance glare onto neighboring lots or streets, and all direct illumination has to stay within the lot's own boundaries, with low-voltage and LED fixtures specifically encouraged. m. The rule that actually bites on billboards is § 445-57F(8)(a), part of the off-premises sign setback table: an off-premises sign, including a lit billboard, has to sit at least 250 feet from a residential lot line, but that setback shrinks to 200 feet if, and only if, the sign's illumination would not be visible from that residential lot line.
In effect, a billboard operator who can demonstrate that a sign's lighting does not reach a nearby residential lot line gains 50 feet of siting flexibility that an equally sized but visibly-lit sign does not get, making the illumination characteristic of the sign a direct input into where it can legally be placed rather than a separate, optional standard.
Violations & Fines
A billboard sited inside the 250-foot residential setback without qualifying for the 200-foot illumination exception, or lit in violation of § 445-25's glare standards, is enforced under § 445-77: an enforcement notice, appeal to the Zoning Hearing Board, and a District Justice civil fine up to $500 plus costs per day of continued violation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a billboard have to sit farther from homes if it's lit?
Are there hours when illuminated signs near houses should go dark?
What general lighting standard applies to a billboard's fixtures?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Scranton
Compare Scranton to another location·View the Pennsylvania outdoor lighting overview
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