Wichita, KS Outdoor Lighting: Billboard Lighting (2026)
Key Facts
- Curfew
- No illumination 11 p.m.–7 a.m.
- Trigger distance
- Within 200 ft of residential zone
- Shading duty
- Must avoid bright light on homes
- Penalty
- Up to $500 fine, 6 months jail
- Citation
- Sec. 24.04.220(o), City Code
Summary
Illuminated signs near a Residential Zoning District, including off-site billboards, must go dark from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. and be shaded so they don't cast bright light onto homes or public streets.
(o)Illuminated Signs. Signs shall be shaded wherever necessary to avoid casting bright light upon property located in any Residential Zoning District or upon any public street. Any Illuminated Sign located on a lot adjacent to or across the street from any Residential Zoning District, which sign is visible and within two hundred (200) feet of any Residential Zoning District, shall not be illuminated between the hours of eleven (11) p.m. and seven (7) a.m. Signs may not be illuminated unless so designated to permit same.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 35).
Full Breakdown
Wichita's sign code (which governs both on-site signs and off-site Junior/Standard Billboards) requires any Illuminated Sign on a lot adjacent to, across the street from, or within 200 feet of a Residential Zoning District to shut off between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. Signs also have to be shaded wherever needed so they don't throw bright light onto residential property or a public street. The rule lives in the same general-requirements section, Sec. 24.04.220, that sets height, area and type standards for every sign class citywide, so it applies to Standard and Junior Billboards along with ground, pole and wall signs.
Violations & Fines
A sign code violation is a misdemeanor under Sec. 24.04.260: a fine up to $500, up to six months in jail, or both, per violation, plus possible sign removal by the Zoning Administrator.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the curfew cover digital billboards?
What if my sign is far from housing?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Wichita
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