Sherman, TX Outdoor Lighting: Billboard Lighting (2026)

The lighting rules for signs in the City of Sherman, Texas sit in § 14.07.002, the general provisions of the sign article. Subsection (h) sets a bulb limit: signs with flashing, blinking or traveling lights shall have lightbulbs which do not exceed sixty watts each, and the bulbs shall be frosted.

Subsection (j) governs digital and LED displays. Messages must hold for a minimum of eight seconds, the transition between messages cannot exceed two seconds, and brightness shall be no more than 0.3 footcandles over ambient light. Automatic dimming is required. The measurement is taken with a footcandle meter at 200 feet, measured perpendicular to the face of the digital sign, which gives code enforcement a fixed test to apply on site.

Billboards are the signs that normally carry off-premises advertising, and Sherman has closed that door. Subsection (k) states that no off-premises advertising is allowed, § 14.07.003 lists billboards and outdoor advertising signs as prohibited, and § 14.07.012 prohibits all new billboard signs. A billboard that was legally existing before June 17, 2024 can remain, but § 14.07.006 treats it as a nonconforming sign. Under that section a nonconforming sign cannot be changed to use a different method or technology to convey a message, and the list of prohibited actions includes adding illumination to a nonilluminated sign, converting a sign to an animated display or moveable copy technology, and updating the technology in an existing animated display.

The nonconforming owner also had to register the sign and obtain a certificate of nonconforming rights from the city manager within twelve months, or the sign is considered illegal. Sign permits are issued by the development services director under § 14.07.002(c).

Separately, Chapter 8 of the code bars a person or business from operating a light with a visible source of illumination that produces glare across a property line at an intensity that creates a nuisance.