Trenton, NJ Outdoor Lighting: Billboard Lighting (2026)

9. All illumination, whether gooseneck, external, or internal, must be designed, shielded, and directed so it doesn't cast glare or direct light onto roadways or neighboring properties, or distract drivers and pedestrians in the right-of-way. Internally lit sign faces must diffuse the light and hide any exposed bulbs, while externally lit signs must concentrate their light on the printed sign face; bare bulbs as external illumination are allowed only on marquee signs, and no sign illumination may be paired with reflective materials like mirrors or polished metal that would add glare.

The foot-candle ceiling is one foot-candle measured at the lot line, or at the back of curb or edge of pavement for signs allowed to extend over the lot line. Electronic message signs, which include digital billboard faces, are capped at 5,000 nits of brightness during daylight hours and 500 nits between dusk and dawn, and must carry an ambient light meter with an automatic or manual dimmer that visibly steps brightness down starting a half hour before sunset and back up a half hour after sunrise.

Billboards themselves are otherwise confined to the I-L and I-G Districts, capped at 300 or 672 square feet depending on conditional-use approval, and must sit at least 300 feet from any residential district, on top of meeting this citywide illumination standard.