Cook County, IL Outdoor Lighting: Billboard Lighting (2026)
Key Facts
- Strobe lights
- Prohibited on all billboards
- Illumination source
- Steady, stationary, shielded or shaded light
- Glare limit
- Light must not shine on neighbors
- Message change limit
- No more than once per ten seconds
- Enforcement
- Dept. of Building and Zoning, on-site removal
Summary
In unincorporated Cook County's industrial-zoned areas, billboard and off-premises advertising signs cannot use strobe lights; indirect illumination must come from a steady, shielded light source aimed only at the sign face, per Cook County Code § 114-33.
(d)Signs shall not use strobe lights.(e)Signs which are indirectly illuminated shall be illuminated by a steady, stationary, shielded or shaded light source and shall be directed solely at the sign so that the light intensity or brightness does not shine on adjacent properties or create traffic hazards for motorists or pedestrians.(l)Signs shall not contain any fluttering, undulating, swinging, rotating, flashing or other moving parts, except ... multiple-message signs with displays that change not more frequently than once every ten seconds.
Full Breakdown
Cook County Code § 114-33, part of the Billboard and Off-Premises Outdoor Advertising Signs article, bars strobe lights on any billboard and requires indirectly-illuminated signs to use a steady, stationary, shielded or shaded light source directed solely at the sign face: brightness may not spill onto adjacent properties or create hazards for motorists or pedestrians. Flashing, rotating or undulating displays are also banned, with two narrow exceptions: time-and-temperature signs and multiple-message signs that change no more than once every ten seconds. The Department of Building and Zoning administers sign permits under this article, which governs billboards sited in the County's Industrial zoning districts.
Violations & Fines
Noncompliant lighting or unpermitted flashing lets the Commissioner of Building and Zoning order the sign removed under § 114-33(n); a sign permit can also be revoked under § 114-32(b)(4).
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a Cook County billboard use flashing or strobe lights?
What lighting is allowed on an illuminated billboard?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Cook County
Compare Cook County to another location·View the Illinois outdoor lighting overview
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