Los Angeles County, CA Sign Regulations: Digital Billboards (2026)
Key Facts
- Enforcing agency
- LA County Dept. of Regional Planning
- Continuous-motion digital signs
- banned in all zones
- Residential/Ag buffer for EMCs
- 100 feet minimum
- Message change rate limit
- no faster than every 4 seconds
- Static billboard cap
- 800 sq ft, 42 ft tall, CUP only
- First infraction fine
- $100 (then $200, $500)
- 4th+ violation in 12 months
- becomes a misdemeanor
Summary
In unincorporated Los Angeles County, Code § 22.114.040 bans digital billboards outright in every zone: no sign may use flashing, sequential, or programmable-message illumination that appears to move continuously, changes faster than every four seconds, or sits within 100 feet of a Residential or Agricultural Zone. Static outdoor advertising signs still need a Conditional Use Permit.
The following signs shall be prohibited in all zones: ... 5. Any continuous or sequential flashing operation, other than signs displaying time of day, atmospheric temperature or having programmable electronic messages, in which: a. More than one-third of the lights are turned on or off at one time; or b. The operation is located less than 100 feet on the same side of the street or highway from any Residential or Agricultural Zone. 6. Any system for display of time of day, atmospheric temperature or programmable electronic messages in which: a. The proposed display has any illumination which is in continuous motion or which appears to be continuous motion; b. The message is changed at a rate faster than one message every four seconds; c. The interval between messages is less than one second; d. The intensity of illumination changes; or e. The display is located less than 100 feet on the same side of the street or highway from any Residential or Agricultural Zone.
Full Breakdown
040 (Prohibited Signs Designated) applies "in all zones" of the unincorporated area and targets exactly the technology behind digital billboards. 5 bans continuous or sequential flashing operations where more than a third of the lights cycle at once or the sign sits under 100 feet from a Residential or Agricultural Zone. 6 goes further, prohibiting any programmable electronic-message system whose display appears in continuous motion, changes faster than one message every four seconds, has an interval under one second between messages, varies its illumination intensity, or is located within that same 100-foot residential/agricultural buffer.
Revolving beacon lights and revolving signs over six RPM are separately banned. 5, M-2, and M-3, capped at 800 square feet of sign face and 42 feet of height, with spacing rules keyed to size (100 to 500 feet between signs), no siting within 660 feet of a freeway or scenic highway if aimed at travelers on it, and none within 200 feet of a Residential Zone. 050.
Violations & Fines
Section 22.242.050(E) expressly classifies any sign prohibited under § 22.114.040 as an infraction. Under § 22.242.030(B), a first infraction carries a $100 fine, a second within 12 months $200, and a third $500; a fourth or later violation of the same provision within that 12-month window becomes a misdemeanor, and every day the illegal sign remains up is a separate offense. The County may also pursue abatement as a public nuisance under § 22.242.040.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a business in unincorporated LA County install a digital billboard?
Are static, non-digital billboards allowed anywhere?
What's the penalty for putting up an illegal digital sign?
Who enforces the sign rules and how long does a violation run?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Los Angeles County
California rules heatmap·Compare Los Angeles County to another location·View the California sign regulations overview
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