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Ceres, CA Sign Regulations: Digital Billboards (2026)

Significant Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Off-site billboards
Banned in all zones
Permit required
Conditional Use Permit (Planning Commission)
Max electronic area
32 sq ft of ground sign
Brightness limit
0.3 footcandles over ambient at 100 ft
Operating hours
Static 10 p.m.–6 a.m.

Summary

Ceres prohibits all off-site advertising and billboards citywide, but permits on-site electronic changeable copy signs with a conditional use permit, capped brightness, and a 20-second minimum change interval.

K.Off-site advertising or billboards shall be prohibited in all zones. ... A.Conditional use permit required. Electronic changeable copy signs may be utilized only pursuant to a Conditional Use Permit. ... The sign's brightness shall not exceed 0.3 footcandles (over ambient levels) as measured using a footcandle meter at a distance on 100 feet from the sign face. ... Copy may be changed a maximum of once every 20 seconds. In no case may an electronic changeable copy sign be operated in a fashion which creates the illusion of flashing, blinking, movement, or animation.

View official code

Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Municipal Code: Supplement 4).

Full Breakdown

Ceres bans off-site advertising and billboards outright in every zone (§18.26.070.K). The only digital option is an on-site electronic changeable copy sign, permitted solely with a Conditional Use Permit from the Planning Commission. In C-2, CC, HC, and RC zones on arterial frontage, up to 32 square feet of a ground sign's copy area may be electronic, capped at 16 feet high, one per site or center. The sign must auto-dim between dusk and dawn, stay under 0.3 footcandles at 100 feet, change copy no faster than every 20 seconds, show only on-site business content, and go static from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.

Violations & Fines

Installing an unpermitted electronic sign, operating one without a CUP, exceeding brightness limits, changing copy faster than 20 seconds, or displaying off-site advertising draws a notice of violation and possible removal by the City.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I put up a digital billboard in Ceres?
No. Ceres Municipal Code §18.26.070(K) bans off-site advertising and billboards in every zone: there's no permit path for a true billboard.
What digital signage IS allowed?
Only an on-site electronic changeable copy sign with a Conditional Use Permit, limited to 32 sq ft of a ground sign in commercial zones on arterial frontage, per §18.26.110.
How fast can an electronic sign's message change?
No faster than once every 20 seconds, and never in a way that looks like flashing, blinking, or animation, per §18.26.110(C)(3).

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Ceres

Fence Regulations: Height LimitsSome RestrictionsGarage Sale SignsSome RestrictionsWindow SignsSome RestrictionsFence Regulations: Retaining WallsSome RestrictionsFence Regulations: Fence Permit RequirementsSome RestrictionsFire Regulations: Smoke DetectorsSome RestrictionsLandscaping Rules: Tree Removal & Heritage TreesSome RestrictionsHotels & Lodging: Transient Occupancy TaxSome Restrictions

All Ceres rules

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