Tulsa, OK Outdoor Lighting: Billboard Lighting (2026)
Key Facts
- Max illumination
- 70 foot-candles at sign face
- Light type required
- Constant light only, no flashing
- Digital billboard cap (day)
- 6,500 nits maximum
- Digital billboard cap (night)
- 500 nits, dusk to dawn
- Governing code
- Tulsa Zoning Code § 60.080.F.9
Summary
Tulsa caps illumination on off-premise billboards at 70 foot-candles measured at the sign face, requires constant (non-flashing) light, and bans blinking, traveling lights or reflective glitter under the city's zoning code.
9.Illumination.a.Illumination on the face of any off-premise outdoor advertising sign may not exceed seventy (70) foot-candles.b.Any illumination must be by constant light unless otherwise expressly stated.c.No off-premise outdoor advertising sign may contain flashing, blinking or traveling lights or reflective glitter.10.Conversion. A sign permitted as an off-premise outdoor advertising sign may not be converted to any other type of sign without first obtaining a permit. The reverse is also true.11.Dynamic displays.a.Off-premise outdoor advertising signs that incorporate a dynamic display are subject to the dynamic display regulations of Section 60.100.b.No off-premise outdoor advertising sign with a dynamic display may be modified, extended, or enlarged until a permit has been issued for its installation and use as a dynamic display sign.c.The conversion of an off-premise outdoor advertising sign into an off-premise outdoor advertising sign with a dynamic display requires a permit as if it were an entirely new sign.d.A nonconforming off-premise outdoor advertising sign may not be modified, changed or converted into a dynamic display off-premise outdoor advertising sign unless it complies with all requirements of this zoning code, and all setback, spacing and separation requirements have been verified. (Ord. No. 25604, §§ 12, 13, 6-18-2025)
Full Breakdown
Off-premise outdoor advertising signs (billboards) in Tulsa may not be illuminated beyond seventy (70) foot-candles measured at the sign face, and the light must be constant: flashing, blinking, traveling lights and reflective glitter are all prohibited outright under Zoning Code Section 60.080.F.9. Digital billboards with dynamic displays face additional limits under Section 60.100: brightness is capped at 6,500 nits during daylight and 500 nits from thirty minutes after sunset to thirty minutes before sunrise, and every digital face must carry an automatic-dimming photocell tied to ambient light conditions.
Violations & Fines
Signs need a permit under Title 51 before installation; unpermitted, over-bright, or flashing off-premise advertising signs are zoning violations enforced by the city's development administrator, who can deny, condition, or revoke a sign permit for noncompliance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can billboards in Tulsa flash or use traveling lights?
Are digital billboards regulated differently?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Tulsa
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Billboard Lighting in Nearby Cities
How other cities in this county handle billboard lighting.