Fairfax County, VA Sign Regulations: Digital Billboards (2026)
Key Facts
- Signs allowed per lot
- One electronic display sign
- Area cap
- 50% of freestanding sign area
- Message change interval
- No faster than every 8 seconds
- Nighttime brightness cap
- 100-300 nits by district
Summary
Fairfax County allows one changeable-copy or electronic display sign per lot, capped at 50 percent of the freestanding sign's allowed area, with message changes no more than once every eight seconds.
A. Changeable Copy and Electronic Display Signs
Changeable copy and electronic display signs are allowed as part of any freestanding sign, in accordance with the following:
(1) Only one changeable copy or electronic display sign is allowed per lot. The area of the changeable copy
or electronic display may not exceed more than 50 percent of the maximum allowable area of that freestanding sign.
Examples:
https://online.encodeplus.com/regs/fairfaxcounty-va/doc-viewer.aspx#secid--1 380/545 8/18/26, 9:54 PM Document Viewer | Zoning Ordinance
1. If the maximum allowed sign area = 80 square feet, then the maximum allowed
electronic display area = 40 square feet. If the actual sign on the property is 40 square feet, the entire sign area could be electronic display.
2. If the maximum allowed sign area = 40 square feet, then the maximum allowed
electronic display area = 20 square feet. If the actual sign on the property is 20 square feet, the entire sign area could be electronic display.
(2) The message or copy of an electronic display sign may not move or change more frequently than once
every eight seconds.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published.
Full Breakdown
Zoning Ordinance § 7101.1.A permits only one changeable copy or electronic display sign per lot, built into a freestanding sign, with the electronic portion limited to 50 percent of that sign's maximum allowable area. Messages cannot change more often than once every eight seconds, must switch instantly without fading or rolling, and the display background cannot be white, off-white, gray, or yellow. Nighttime brightness is capped by photocell dimming at 100 nits in residential districts and 300 nits in commercial, industrial, and Planned districts, dropping to 100 nits within 150 feet of a single-family home.
Violations & Fines
Running a second electronic sign on one lot, exceeding the 50 percent area cap, changing messages faster than every eight seconds, or skipping the required photocell dimming are cited as zoning infractions by the Zoning Administrator.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a business have more than one digital sign in Fairfax County?
How fast can an electronic sign in Fairfax County change its message?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Fairfax County
Compare Fairfax County to another location·View the Virginia sign regulations overview
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