Beaverton, OR Sign Regulations: Digital Billboards (2026)
Key Facts
- Siting
- Arterial streets only
- Size
- Max 50% of sign face
- Brightness cap
- 0.3 fc above ambient
- Display
- Static only, no flashing/scrolling
- Citation
- Development Code § 60.40.50
Summary
Beaverton bans standalone digital billboards outright and allows Electronic Message Centers only as part of a permitted freestanding sign on arterial streets, tightly capped on brightness, size and location.
EMCs are allowed only as a component to freestanding signs and shall not exceed fifty percent (50%) of the maximum sign face area for any one (1) sign as identified by the numeric standard of the zone.
https://online.encodeplus.com/regs/beaverton-or/doc-viewer.aspx?secid=244#secid-5 450/706 8/12/26, 3:08 PM Document Viewer | Development Code
C. EMCs shall remain in a static display where the frame effect does not appear to flash, dissolve, fade, scroll, travel, contain animation, portray blinking or chasing lights, or otherwise create continuously changing images. The rate of change from one (1) frame to another, shall be no more frequent than every eight (8) seconds and the actual frame change shall be accomplished in a transition period of two (2) seconds or less. Terms applied in this regulation are further defined in Electronic Message Center Technical Definitions, CHAPTER 90.
D. EMCs shall not operate at illumination levels of more than 0.3 foot-candles above ambient light, as measured using a foot-candle meter at a pre-set distance. The pre-set distances to measure the foot-candles are calculated using the following table:
Table 60.40.50 Sign Area Versus Measurement Distance Distance 32 feet Area of Sign 39 feet Less than or equal to 10 square feet 45 feet
Full Breakdown
In the City of Beaverton, Washington County, Oregon, standalone billboards, digital or not, are prohibited citywide under Development Code § 60.40.25.2. The only path to an electronic display is an Electronic Message Center (EMC) under § 60.40.50, which must be a component of a permitted freestanding sign, limited to 50% of that sign's maximum face area, sited only along streets classified as Arterials on the Comprehensive Plan's Functional Classification Map, and restricted to non-residential sites meeting zone-specific acreage minimums. EMCs must display static images only, no flashing, scrolling or animation, with frame changes no more often than every eight seconds, and illumination capped at 0.3 foot-candles above ambient light (0.5 near residential property), verified by a licensed engineer and controlled by an automatic-dimming sensor.
Violations & Fines
Operating an EMC outside these siting, size or brightness limits is a Development Code violation, a Class 1 City infraction under § 10.70.6, and a nonconforming sign is subject to removal under § 60.40.55.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a business put up a digital billboard in Beaverton?
How bright can an electronic sign be in Beaverton?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Beaverton
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Digital Billboards in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Washington County handle digital billboards.