Lee County, FL Sign Regulations: Digital Billboards (2026)
Key Facts
- Where allowed
- I-75, listed arterials, five named locations only
- Minimum dwell time
- 2 seconds per copy change
- Max electronic area
- 40% of ground sign area or 34 sq ft
- Nighttime brightness cap
- 75% of daytime brightness
- Variances
- None permitted under any circumstance
Summary
Digital changing message signs are confined to I-75 frontage, designated arterial streets and a handful of named intersections in unincorporated Lee County. Each copy change must hold for at least two seconds, and flash, twinkle or zoom transitions are banned outright.
Electronic message centers are permitted along I-75 and arterial streets, subject to the following limitations: a.Location.1.Electronic changing message centers are permitted in any zoning district, provided the area to be used is shown on the County Comprehensive Plan as intensive development, industrial development, interchange areas or tradeport... b.Operation. Each consecutive copy change must remain fixed for a minimum of two seconds. Flash, twinkle and zoom modes, as defined in Section 30-2, are prohibited. ... e.Variances and deviations. No variances or deviations from Subsections (5)a through d of this section may be granted.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 7 | Land Development Code: Supplement 3 Update 3).
Full Breakdown
Section 30-153(5) of the Land Development Code treats electronic changing message centers as a narrow exception within the sign rules for commercial and industrial areas. R. S. S. 41. Where allowed, the electronic portion cannot exceed 40 percent of the total permitted ground-sign area or 34 square feet, whichever is less, incandescent bulbs are capped at ten watts, and an automatic dimmer must keep nighttime brightness at or below 75 percent of daytime brightness. Section 30-153(5)b fixes the operating rule for every location: each consecutive copy change must remain fixed for a minimum of two seconds, and flash, twinkle and zoom entry/exit modes defined in Section 30-2 are prohibited outright.
Section 30-153(5)e closes off relief entirely: no variances or deviations from the location, operation, sign-area or street-classification standards may be granted under any circumstance, a rule Section 30-53 cross-references as one of only two absolute bars on sign variances countywide.
Violations & Fines
General sign violations run through Section 30-8, which lets the Building Official summarily remove unlawfully erected temporary signs or, for other unlawful signs, issue a 15-day correction notice by certified mail before ordering removal, with costs assessed against the property owner and recorded as a lien if unpaid within 45 days at 12 percent annual interest. Because Section 30-153(5)e forecloses any variance, an electronic message center installed outside the permitted locations or exceeding the two-second, 34-square-foot or brightness limits has no administrative path to approval and faces removal under Section 30-8's procedures.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can any business in Lee County put up a digital changing message sign?
How fast can a Lee County electronic sign change its message?
Can I get a variance for an oversized or misplaced digital sign in Lee County?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lee County
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Lee County to another location·View the Florida sign regulations overview
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