Carson, CA Sign Regulations: Digital Billboards (2026)
Key Facts
- Max sign face area
- 800 sq ft (freeway corridor)
- Max height
- 42 feet
- Digital change interval
- minimum 8 seconds
- Max digital faces per corridor side
- 2
- Approval required
- City Council development agreement
Summary
Digital billboards in Carson are confined to the I-405, I-110 and SR-91 freeway corridors, capped at 800 square feet and 42 feet tall, limited to two per corridor side, and require a City Council-approved development agreement.
The total sign face area on each I-405, I-110 or SR-91 Freeway Corridor sign structure or any pre-Ordinance No. 01-1237 sign structure shall not exceed eight hundred (800) square feet and digital displays can be installed on said sign face areas if approved within a development agreement, with appropriate conditions and public benefits to be negotiated with the City and complying with all other conditions imposed by this Chapter. The interval between the change of digital display shall be a minimum of eight (8) seconds. The total sign face area on any other new sign structure shall not exceed one hundred fifty (150) square feet and digital displays are not allowed on these other new sign structures.
2. The height of an I-405, I-110 or SR-91 Freeway Corridor sign structure or any pre-Ordinance No. 01-1237 sign structure shall either be the height of the current off-premises sign if said sign is being rebuilt or maintained on the same parcel of land or if the proposed off-premises sign is not replacing an existing off-premises sign on the same parcel of land, then said sign shall not exceed forty-two (42) feet measured from the higher of either the ground level at the base of the sign structure or the finished grade of the road which the sign is advertising thereto. The height of any other new sign structure shall not exceed twenty (20) feet measured from the ground level at the base of the sign structure.
3.
Full Breakdown
Carson's zoning code (CMC § 9146.7) confines digital billboard displays to outdoor advertising structures fronting the I-405, I-110, or SR-91 Freeway Corridors, or to pre-2001 sign structures. Sign face area on these structures is capped at 800 square feet, height at 42 feet, and digital content must change no faster than once every 8 seconds. No more than two digital display faces are permitted per corridor side, and new digital displays must sit at least 1,000 feet from any other digital display. Every new sign structure requires a City Council-approved development agreement; ordinary commercial signs elsewhere in the city may not carry digital displays at all.
Violations & Fines
Unpermitted or oversized digital signage is a misdemeanor under CMC § 1200, punishable by up to a $1,000 fine and six months in jail, with each day a separate offense; the City may also abate it as a nuisance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can any business put up a digital billboard in Carson?
How fast can a digital billboard's message change in Carson?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Carson
California rules heatmap·Compare Carson to another location·View the California sign regulations overview
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Digital Billboards in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Los Angeles County handle digital billboards.