Ashwaubenon, WI Sign Regulations: Digital Billboards (2026)

Section 17-6-200(L)(2) governs digital signage under the label Electronic Message Centers (EMCs) and treats it as an add-on to a permanent sign rather than a sign type of its own: an EMC cannot exceed 32 square feet on each face, with a maximum of two faces, and its area counts toward whatever total square footage the property's sign-code zone district allows. Content is restricted to words or graphics; § 17-6-200(L)(2)(a) bans animation, including video. Each displayed message, including anything that scrolls, must stay lit and visible for at least 5 seconds under § 17-6-200(L)(2)(b), and § 17-6-200(L)(2)(c) treats anything shown for less than 5 seconds as prohibited flashing.

Brightness is measured, not eyeballed: § 17-6-200(L)(2)(d) requires an illuminance meter accurate to two decimal places, comparing the EMC powered off against the EMC showing a full white, or solid for single-color displays, image, at a measurement distance calculated from the sign's own square footage. Under § 17-6-200(L)(2)(e), that off-to-on difference cannot exceed 0.3 footcandles at night, and § 17-6-200(L)(2)(f) requires every EMC to carry an ambient-light sensor that automatically dims the display so it never exceeds 0.3 footcandles over ambient conditions; exceeding that ceiling is itself a violation under § 17-6-200(L)(2)(g). Safety features are mandatory too: an EMC must default to off or 'full black' on malfunction or a power surge, per § 17-6-200(L)(2)(h). EMCs near a state or federally regulated roadway can face additional state and federal restrictions layered on top of the Village standard.