Ankeny, IA Sign Regulations: Digital Billboards (2026)
Key Facts
- New billboards
- not permitted anywhere in the city
- Conversion ratio
- remove 2 old faces per 1 digital face
- Size cap
- height/area of the sign replaced
- Spacing
- 1,000 ft between same-facing digital signs
- Public-safety condition
- must display Amber Alerts on request
Summary
In the City of Ankeny, Iowa, new off-premises advertising billboards are banned outright under § 195.07(5)(A). An existing nonconforming billboard may convert to a digital advertising sign only by removing two other existing non-electronic billboard faces for every face converted, and the new digital sign cannot exceed the height or size of the sign it replaces.
New off premises advertising signs (billboards) are not permitted. Existing non-conforming billboards are allowed to be converted to digital advertising signs subject to the following criteria: (1) For every one existing sign face converted from non-electronic to a digital advertising sign, two other existing non-electronic billboard sign faces must be removed. ... (2) The digital advertising sign may not exceed the height or size (sign area) of the existing sign being replaced.
Full Breakdown
Ankeny Code of Ordinances § 195.07(5)(A) states flatly that new off-premises advertising signs, meaning billboards, are not permitted anywhere in the city. The only path to a digital billboard is converting an existing nonconforming billboard, and § 195.07(5)(A)(1) makes that conversion expensive in sign inventory: for every one existing sign face converted from non-electronic to digital, the owner must remove two other existing non-electronic billboard faces, structured so no sign face is left without another face backing it up, which would otherwise expose the structure's bare back.
Section 195.07(5)(A)(2) caps the converted digital sign at the height and size of the sign it replaces, so conversion cannot be used to enlarge a billboard. Section 195.07(5)(A)(3) requires the digital sign to be mounted on a monopole structure unless City staff or the Plan and Zoning Commission approves otherwise. Beyond the removal ratio and size cap, § 195.07(5)(A)(9) keeps converted digital billboards at least 1,000 feet apart when they face the same direction, and § 195.07(5)(A)(11) still requires all applicable City permits and fees before conversion.
Section 195.07(5)(A)(10) also obligates every approved digital billboard to carry Amber Alerts and other emergency notifications the City or law enforcement designates, a public-safety condition attached to the private conversion right.
Violations & Fines
Erecting a new off-premises billboard, converting a nonconforming billboard without removing two other sign faces for every face converted, or exceeding the replaced sign's height or size violates § 195.07(5)(A) and is enforced by the Department Director, who can withhold or revoke sign permits under § 195.08 until the sign chapter's requirements are met.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can someone build a brand-new billboard in Ankeny?
What does it cost in signage to convert an old Ankeny billboard to digital?
Do converted digital billboards in Ankeny have to help with emergency alerts?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Ankeny
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