Baytown, TX Sign Regulations: Digital Billboards (2026)
Key Facts
- Residential setback
- 200 ft from any dwelling unit
- Minimum display time
- 8 seconds per message
- Max transition time
- under 1 second
- Max display area
- 25% of monument sign's total area
- Illumination cap
- 0.3 fc over ambient at 50 ft
- Fine for violation
- up to $500/day, misdemeanor
Summary
Electronic message centers in Baytown must sit at least 200 feet from any residential dwelling, hold each message for eight seconds or longer, and transition in under one second. They're capped at 25% of a monument sign's total area and can go dark automatically if they malfunction.
4. Electronic Message Centers. Where electronic message centers are permitted in this ordinance, the following shall apply in addition to any other standards: a. All electronic message centers shall be set back a minimum of 200 feet from a residential dwelling unit. b. Any message changes shall be a static, instant message change. c. Messages can only change once every eight seconds or longer. d. The transition time between messages shall be less than one second. e. All electronic message centers shall contain a default mechanism that will cause the sign to revert immediately to a black screen if the sign malfunctions. f. The electronic message center shall come equipped with an automatic dimming photocell... g. Illumination shall not exceed 0.3 foot-candles over ambient lighting conditions when measured at 50 feet in any direction... h. Audio emissions from electronic message center signs shall be prohibited.
Full Breakdown
ULDC Sec. 64(B)(4) sets the citywide standards for every electronic message center allowed under the sign code. The unit must sit back at least 200 feet from a residential dwelling unit, and its content is restricted to static, instant message changes only, meaning no scrolling, fading, or animated transitions. Baytown also fixes the display cadence: each message must display for a minimum of eight seconds, and the transition between messages must take less than one second, effectively banning slow fades or dissolve effects. 3 foot-candles over ambient conditions when measured 50 feet from the sign in any direction.
Audio emissions from electronic message centers are prohibited outright. 64-2 confines electronic message centers to monument signs in the GC and FC industrial/commercial districts along an arterial roadway, or for places of assembly in any district, and the display area cannot exceed 25% of the monument sign's total permitted sign area. Freestanding pylon and other freestanding sign types outside that table are not eligible for an electronic message center under this section. A sign permit is required before installation under Sec. 1 foot-candle cap where the sign bounds a residential use or district under Sec. 64(B)(3)(c).
Violations & Fines
A person who places or maintains a sign in violation of the ULDC sign standards, including the electronic message center rules, commits a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $500 per Sec. 3.67(H)(1), with each day of continuing violation a separate offense under Sec. 3.67(H)(2). The Planning Director can also issue a written notice to remove or correct a noncompliant sign and, on failure to comply, remove it at the owner's expense.
Frequently Asked Questions
How far must a digital sign be from a house in Baytown?
Can a digital billboard scroll or fade between messages in Baytown?
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What happens if a digital sign malfunctions?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Baytown
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