Apex, NC Sign Regulations: Digital Billboards (2026)
Key Facts
- Billboards
- Prohibited in every zoning district
- Exposed LED signs
- Banned except gas-price displays
- Changeable copy signs
- Banned except gas/menu/marquee signs
- Old billboard blank 90 days
- Deemed abandoned, removal in 30
- Governing instrument
- UDO, codified July 2021
Summary
Apex's zoning code bans billboards, exposed LED signs, and changeable-copy signs outright in every zoning district, with narrow exceptions for gas price displays, menu boards, and marquees under the town's 2021 Unified Development Ordinance.
The following signs are expressly prohibited within all zoning districts: ... Billboard signs as defined in Sec. 8.7.9 Definitions. Changeable copy sign(s) as defined in Sec. 8.7.9 Definitions, except for gasoline sales sign, menu boards, and marquee that comply with this Ordinance. ... Exposed LED signs with the exception of LED signs used to display gas prices as permitted by Sec. 8.7.1.A.8.b.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: the cited page had not changed since it was quoted.
Full Breakdown
The Unified Development Ordinance, codified July 2021, flatly prohibits billboard signs, exposed LED signs, and changeable-copy signs in every zoning district across Apex and its mapped extraterritorial jurisdiction. The gas-price exception under Sec. 8.7.1.A.8.b lets fuel stations use LED price displays and changeable copy, and menu boards and marquees also comply. Any nonconforming billboard that predates the ban and sits blank for 90 straight days is deemed abandoned and must come down within 30 days (Sec. 10.6.9). The Town's general code, current through Ord. No. 2026-027, does not separately address signage: this ban comes entirely from the UDO.
Violations & Fines
Installing a prohibited sign is unlawful under UDO Sec. 11.1.3; the Town may order removal, revoke permits, and pursue civil penalties under Sec. 11.4 until the violation is corrected.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a business put up a digital billboard in Apex, NC?
Are electronic message boards allowed for gas stations or restaurant menus?
What happens to a billboard built before the ban?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Apex
Compare Apex to another location·View the North Carolina sign regulations overview
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