Bolingbrook, IL Sign Regulations: Digital Billboards (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing law
- Code of Ordinances § 30-173(f)(7)
- Night brightness cap
- 150 nits maximum
- Day brightness cap
- 5,000 nits maximum
- Footcandle limit
- 0.3 footcandles above ambient light
- Residential line cap
- 0.1 footcandles at 60 inches
- Penalty
- $100.00 per day (Sec. 30-4)
Summary
Bolingbrook caps electronic and digital signs at 5,000 nits by day and 150 nits at night, with brightness above ambient light measured from 150 to 350 feet depending on sign face size. The rule lives in the village's subdivision design standards, Chapter 30, alongside a separate 0.1 footcandle cap at any adjacent residential property line.
(7)Electronic signage.a.The brightness of an electronic sign shall not exceed 0.3 footcandles above ambient light, when measured at a distance of 150 feet for those sign faces less than or equal to 300 square feet...and when measured at a distance of 350 feet for those sign faces equal to or greater than 672 square feet.b.Light produced by outdoor electronic signage measured at any adjacent residential property line, as measured at a height of 60 inches above grade in a plane at any angle of inclination, shall not exceed 0.1 footcandles.c.For electronic signs during the daytime, based on normal daylight illumination, a maximum limit of 5,000 nits of illumination is allowed. During the nighttime hours, a maximum of 150 nits is allowed, which is in line with the sign illumination level recommendations of the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IESNA).
Full Breakdown
Section 30-173(f)(7) of the Bolingbrook Code of Ordinances regulates electronic signage as part of the village's outdoor lighting standards. 3 footcandles above ambient light, measured at a distance that scales with sign face size: 150 feet for faces of 300 square feet or less, 200 feet for faces up to 378 square feet, 250 feet for faces up to 672 square feet, and 350 feet for faces of 672 square feet or more. Subsection c adds an absolute luminance cap, independent of the footcandle test: 5,000 nits maximum during daylight hours and 150 nits maximum at night, a day and night split the code ties to the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America's recommended sign-illumination levels.
Every qualifying sign must also carry an automatic dimming control that throttles brightness between the day and night maximums based on ambient light, rather than relying on a fixed setting or manual adjustment. 1 footcandles. Because this provision sits in Chapter 30's design standards for subdivision and development, it governs signs proposed with new development plans and is checked, alongside the photometric and lighting plans, by the village engineer before a permit issues; the separate sign code in Chapter 54 addresses size and placement mechanics for message board and other signs but does not restate these brightness figures.
Violations & Fines
Section 30-173 carries no sign-specific fine, so the general Chapter 30 penalty in Section 30-4 applies: $100.00 per violation, with each day an overbright or undimmed sign operates counted as a separate offense. The village can also require automatic dimming controls be installed or repaired before allowing continued operation of a noncompliant display.
Frequently Asked Questions
How bright can an electronic sign be in Bolingbrook at night?
Does Bolingbrook limit how close an electronic sign can be to homes?
Is there a separate footcandle test for digital signs beyond the nit limits?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Bolingbrook
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