Augusta-Richmond County, GA Sign Regulations: Digital Billboards (2026)
Key Facts
- Allowed zones
- B-1, B-2, LI, HI only
- Max area, B-1
- 100 sq ft
- Max area, B-2/LI/HI
- 200 sq ft
- Max height
- 20-30 ft by zone
- Illumination ban zone
- Within 100 ft of single-family home
- Max penalty
- $1,000 fine or 60 days
Summary
Augusta-Richmond County treats electronic message boards, what the zoning ordinance calls 'Reader Boards' or Commercial Electronic Variable Message Signs, as a category of freestanding sign. Section 28-B-8(H) permits them only in B-1, B-2, LI, and HI zones, where they count toward the same square-footage and height caps that apply to every other freestanding sign, from 100 to 200 square feet.
Message Board or Reader Board. A sign or portion of a sign on which the message or copy changes automatically on a lamp bank or through mechanical means. Also known as Commercial Electronic Variable Message Sign. ... H. Message boards and reader boards. Shall be permitted in B-1, B-2, LI and HI zones. They shall count toward the maximum permitted freestanding signage set forth in Sections 28-B-8-B and 28-B-8-D.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Recodification).
Full Breakdown
The Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance defines a 'Message Board or Reader Board' as a sign or portion of a sign on which the message or copy changes automatically on a lamp bank or through mechanical means, also called a Commercial Electronic Variable Message Sign. Section 28-B-8(H) permits these boards only in B-1 (Neighborhood Business), B-2 (General Business), LI (Light Industrial), and HI (Heavy Industrial) zones, and folds their surface area into the same freestanding-sign ceilings set by Section 28-B-8(B): 100 square feet in B-1 zones and 200 square feet in B-2, LI, and HI zones, shrinking to 50 square feet within 100 feet of a single-family residence or R-1 zone boundary.
Height follows the same table: 20 feet in B-1, 30 feet in B-2/LI/HI. Section 28-B-8(J)'s illumination table bars any flashing sign, message board, or reader board from being lit within 100 feet of a single-family residence on the same street, though the boards are allowed everywhere else in those zones, including National Register historic districts. Section 28-B-8(K) layers on code-conformance duties: freestanding signs 30 feet or taller, or larger than 150 square feet, need a Georgia-registered structural engineer's certification, a foundation inspection, a disconnect switch, and equipment bearing an OSHA-recognized Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory (NRTL) label.
Violations & Fines
The Augusta Planning and Development Department enforces sign rules under Section 28-B-13: after a written notice to abate and a 10-to-30-day cure window, an uncorrected violation draws a citation to Magistrate Court, a misdemeanor fine up to $1,000, up to 60 days in jail, or both, with every day the sign stays noncompliant counted as a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I put an electronic message sign at my business?
Can my digital sign be lit up at night near a house?
Does a digital sign need an engineer's sign-off?
What happens if I install one without a permit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Augusta-Richmond County
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