Shreveport, LA Outdoor Lighting: Billboard Lighting (2026)
Key Facts
- Daytime cap
- 6,000 nits
- Dusk-to-dawn cap
- 500 nits
- Required hardware
- Dimmer + photocell
- Malfunction rule
- Full black or shutoff within 12 hrs
- Governing section
- UDC § 9.8.E, 9.8.D
Summary
Billboard lighting in Shreveport is tightly numeric. UDC Section 9.8.E requires every electronic billboard to run a dimmer and a photocell that reads ambient light automatically, and it caps brightness at 6,000 nits in daylight and 500 nits from dusk to dawn, measured straight off the sign face.
8.Billboards may be illuminated, subject to the following restrictions:a.No revolving or rotating beam or beacon of light that simulates any emergency light or device is permitted as part of any billboard. Flashing devices are prohibited. However, illuminated signs that indicate customary public service as time, date, temperature, or other similar information are permitted.b.External lighting, such as floodlights, thin line, and gooseneck reflectors are permitted provided the light source is directed on the face of the billboard and are effectively shielded so as to prevent beams or rays of light from being directed or reflected onto any portion of the interstate highway or public street.9.An electronic display must be equipped with both a dimmer control and a photocell that automatically adjusts the display's intensity according to natural ambient light conditions...An electronic billboard must not exceed a maximum illumination of 6,000 nits during daylight hours and a maximum illumination of 500 nits between dusk and dawn, as measured from the sign's face at maximum brightness.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 85 Update 1 | Unified Development Code: Supplement 20).
Full Breakdown
E, Billboard Design, sets both a behavioral and a numeric standard for illumination. No billboard may use a revolving or rotating beam or beacon that simulates emergency lighting, and flashing devices are banned outright, though a sign showing the time, date, or temperature is exempted from that ban. External fixtures such as floodlights, thin line, and gooseneck reflectors are allowed only if the light is directed onto the sign face itself and shielded so no beam is cast onto the interstate or a public street.
E states as a general owner responsibility and again as an operational standard for new electronic billboards. f: an electronic billboard cannot exceed 6,000 nits during daylight hours or 500 nits between dusk and dawn, measured at the sign face at maximum brightness. The same subsection bans animation, moving parts, blinking lights, sound, and smoke or fume effects on an electronic display, and prohibits flashing, strobing, or a scrolling line-travel test. D requires a default 'full black' image or an automatic shutoff, with a 12-hour window to manually kill the display if the automatic default fails.
Violations & Fines
An electronic billboard that exceeds 6,000 nits by day or 500 nits at night, lacks a working dimmer and photocell, or displays animation or flashing effects, violates Section 9.8.E. The Zoning Administrator can order the sign brought into compliance or shut off; noncompliance is enforced under Article 19 with a fine for each day the violation continues.
Frequently Asked Questions
How bright can an electronic billboard be in Shreveport?
Does an electronic billboard need automatic dimming?
What happens if an electronic billboard malfunctions?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Shreveport
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