Carteret County, NC Sign Regulations: Digital Billboards (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Carteret County Code § 13-17(q)
- Change rate
- No faster than once per 30 seconds
- Colors
- One background, one text color only
- Motion ban
- No blinking, flashing or scrolling
- Billboard height cap
- 20-25 feet (§ 13-10)
- Billboard area cap
- 200 square feet (§ 13-11)
Summary
Unincorporated Carteret County allows electronic message boards as part of a sign's allowed area, but Carteret County Code § 13-17(q) bans blinking, flashing or scrolling displays, limits how often the message can change, and requires low-intensity LED lighting so it doesn't distract drivers.
Electronic message boards: Electronic message boards can be used as a portion of the allowed signage area. Blinking, flashing, flickering, oscillating, rotating, or scrolling of the changeable area or stationary area shall not be permitted. The message cannot change more than once every 30 seconds. The message board shall have one background color and one text color. The sign shall not emit any sound or noise of any type. The message board lighting shall be limited to LED or similar low-intensity lighting. The stationary portion may be externally illuminated with down lighting so as not to affect the view of motorists. ... Violations of provisions of this chapter shall constitute a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not more than $50.00 or imprisonment for more than 30 days.
Full Breakdown
Section 13-17(q) of the Carteret County Code, part of the county's on-premises sign standards in Chapter 13, permits an 'electronic message board' to be used as a portion of a sign's allowed signage area, but layers on strict operating limits: no 'blinking, flashing, flickering, oscillating, rotating, or scrolling of the changeable area or stationary area,' and the message 'cannot change more than once every 30 seconds.' The board is further limited to one background color and one text color, must not emit any sound, and its lighting is capped at 'LED or similar low-intensity lighting,' while any stationary portion of the sign may use external down-lighting only, so it doesn't glare into a driver's view.
The same chapter separately regulates true billboards: § 13-10 caps billboard height at 20 feet within 99 feet of the right-of-way (25 feet if set back 100 feet or more), § 13-11 caps billboard area at 200 square feet, and § 13-13 requires a ten-foot setback from all property lines, so a digital billboard face in unincorporated Carteret County has to meet those size and placement limits in addition to § 13-17(q)'s dimming and change-rate rules. All sign plans go through the county's planning and inspections department before a permit issues.
Violations & Fines
Violating the electronic-message-board standards, or any other provision of Chapter 13, is a misdemeanor under § 13-18 punishable by a fine of up to $50.00 or imprisonment of more than 30 days, with each day of a continuing violation charged as a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a digital billboard in Carteret County flash or scroll its message?
How bright can an electronic message board be?
Are there separate size limits for billboards versus the electronic message portion?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Carteret County
Compare Carteret County to another location·View the North Carolina sign regulations overview
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