Tampa, FL Outdoor Lighting: Billboard Lighting (2026)
Key Facts
- Brightness ceiling
- 0.3 foot-candle above ambient
- Measured at
- 250 feet perpendicular from sign face
- Residential buffer
- 200 feet triggers extra shielding duty
- Required equipment
- Automatic light-sensing dimmer
- Waiver option
- Written landowner waiver substitutes for compliance
- Traffic interference
- Separately barred under (d)(5)e
Summary
Every electronic billboard sign in Tampa must dim or shield its lighting so nearby homes never see more than three-tenths of a foot-candle of light above ambient conditions. Sec. 27-289.15(d)(3) and (d)(5) set that ceiling, require an automatic light-sensing dimmer, and demand certification before the upgrade permit is issued.
(3)Lighting control and mitigation. If a residential property is located within two hundred (200) feet of the base of a sign structure, the sign permit applicant must reduce light intensity on, or shade or shield the electronic billboard sign...such that the lighting...shall not result in a light intensity greater than three-tenths of one (0.3) foot-candle above ambient lighting, as measured at the property line of any residential property within two hundred (200) feet of the base of the sign structure. ... d.Each electronic billboard sign's operating system shall contain a light sensing device to adjust brightness...The maximum brightness shall be 0.3 foot-candles above the ambient light measured two hundred fifty (250) feet perpendicular from the face of the sign...e.No electronic billboard sign shall display light of such intensity that it interferes with the effectiveness of an official traffic sign, signal or device.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 148).
Full Breakdown
Tampa allows legally existing nonconforming or variance billboard signs to be upgraded to electronic billboard signs only if they meet the lighting standards in Sec. 15(d)(3) and (d)(5). ' The sign owner must certify compliance to the city, though a written waiver from the affected residential landowner can substitute for it. ' These standards are conditions of the upgrade permit issued under Sec. 2.
Violations & Fines
An electronic billboard exceeding the 0.3 foot-candle brightness ceiling in Sec. 27-289.15(d)(5)d, or lacking the required auto-dimming light sensor, is out of compliance with its upgrade permit conditions and is treated as a sign-permit violation under Sec. 27-289.14: general City Code § 1-6 penalties, a triple-permit fee, and removal or permit revocation for continued noncompliance.
Frequently Asked Questions
How bright can an electronic billboard be near my house in Tampa?
Do all Tampa electronic billboards have a brightness limit?
Can a billboard's lighting interfere with traffic signals?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Tampa
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Tampa to another location·View the Florida outdoor lighting overview
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