Denver's sign code under DRMC Ch. 10 generally bans new off-premise digital billboards citywide, with limited exceptions for stadium and arena districts. Existing billboards may not be converted to digital or LED faces under current rules.
Denver Revised Municipal Code Chapter 10 (Sign Code) and the Denver Zoning Code's sign rules prohibit new off-premise (third-party advertising) signs citywide and bar conversion of existing static billboards to digital or LED faces. The ban dates to a 2009 settlement and 2011 zoning code rewrite. Limited exceptions allow electronic message centers at stadiums (Empower Field, Ball Arena, Coors Field) under specific use permits, and on-premise digital signs are permitted in certain commercial zones with brightness, dwell-time (8-second minimum), and shielding limits. Highway 1A federal scenic-byway segments also restrict any new billboards.
Erecting an unauthorized digital billboard or converting a static face triggers stop-work orders, daily fines up to $999, mandatory removal at the owner's expense, and civil penalties under DRMC §10. Repeat violations can revoke the sign-installer license.
See how Denver's digital billboards rules stack up against other locations.
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