South Fulton, GA Outdoor Lighting: Billboard Lighting (2026)
Key Facts
- External illumination cap
- 55 foot-candles maximum
- LED pixel spacing
- 16 mm max, tri-color required
- Brightness cap
- 0.30 fc above ambient at 100-150 ft
- Fail-safe requirement
- Drops to lowest allowed level if sensor fails
- Non-compliance penalty
- Disconnection of electrical power supply
Summary
South Fulton caps externally illuminated signs, including billboards, at 55 foot-candles and requires downward-directed light on freestanding signs. LED billboards must use tri-color pixels no more than 16 millimeters apart and auto-dimming brightness controls.
Freestanding signs with external illumination shall have light directed downward.(3)Externally illuminated signs shall not exceed 55 foot-candles...d.LED signs. In addition to all other requirements of this Article, LED signs must comply with the following:1.All such signs shall be "tri-color" signs or better, in which each pixel consists of a group of at least one red, green and blue LED or similar light emitting device.2.Maximum distances between pixels shall be as follows for freestanding signs (including billboards): no more than 16 mm between pixels, measured center-to-center both horizontally and vertically...e.Maximum brightness.1.The sign must employ a light sensing device that adjusts the brightness as ambient light conditions change.2.The sign shall not operate at a brightness level of more than 0.30 foot candles above ambient light levels measured at 100 feet from the sign (150 feet for sign faces greater than 100 square feet in area)
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 13 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
04(c) of the South Fulton Zoning Ordinance sets construction standards for sign illumination that govern billboards as freestanding signs. Externally illuminated signs cannot exceed 55 foot-candles, and freestanding signs with external illumination must have their light directed downward. R. 7. 30 foot-candles above ambient light measured at 100 feet from the sign (150 feet for faces over 100 square feet). A fail-safe device must drop the sign to its lowest allowed nighttime brightness if the light sensor fails. Applicants must submit a written installer statement certifying compliance with the city's brightness rules as part of the sign permit application, and certify actual compliance within 30 days of installation. , where the two conflict the more restrictive rule controls.
Violations & Fines
Operating an electronic billboard that exceeds the 0.30-foot-candle-above-ambient brightness cap, disables its light-sensing or fail-safe device, or shows flashing or scrolling content visible from a public street violates Section 706.04(c), and the ordinance authorizes the City to disconnect the sign's electrical power supply at the owner's expense until it is brought into compliance. A billboard installer who fails to submit the required 30-day post-installation compliance certification is likewise in violation of the permit conditions.
Frequently Asked Questions
How bright can an illuminated billboard be in South Fulton?
What happens if a South Fulton billboard's brightness sensor fails?
Can the city shut off power to a noncompliant electronic billboard?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in South Fulton
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