Dougherty County, GA Sign Regulations: Digital Billboards (2026)
Key Facts
- Off-site sign status
- Prohibited outright, item (22)
- Billboard definition
- Included in off-site sign definition
- Fine range
- $100.00 to $1,000.00
- Nonconforming amortization
- 10 years, then just compensation
- Governing chapter
- Code Ch. 2-13.3, Res. 98-012
Summary
Unincorporated Dougherty County's sign resolution bans off-site signs, defined to include billboards, outright under Code § 2-13.3-31(a)(22), so a digital or electronic billboard advertising an off-premises business is prohibited the same as any other billboard, with no separate carve-out for changeable-copy or electronic displays.
Changeable copy sign: Any poster board, bulletin board, neon sign, screen, surface or wall, with characters, letters or illustrations affixed thereto or thereon, by any method or means whatsoever, that can be changed, rearranged, or altered without changing the face of the poster board, bulletin board, neon sign, screen, surface or wall. ... Off-site sign: A sign relating its subject matter to premises other than the premises on which it is located or to products, accommodations, services or activities available on premises other than the premises on which the sign is located, including but not limited to billboards. ... (a)Prohibited signs.(1)On-site signs and off-site signs which are not designed, constructed, or maintained in accordance with these provisions, which are not compatible with the objectives of this article, or which do not meet the requirements of all applicable city, county, state and federal codes. ... (22)Off-site signs.
Full Breakdown
3 of the Dougherty County Code, the countywide sign resolution adopted by Resolution No. ' The same section defines a 'changeable copy sign' broadly enough to cover digital and electronic displays, as any poster board, bulletin board, neon sign, screen, surface or wall bearing characters, letters or illustrations 'that can be changed, rearranged, or altered without changing the face' of the sign, meaning an LED or electronic message board reads as a changeable-copy sign under this code. 3-24's definition and is therefore banned outright rather than merely restricted.
3-28 before requiring removal solely for the passage of time. Because the ban targets the sign's off-premises subject matter rather than its illumination method, converting an existing off-site sign's static face to an electronic or digital display does not create a new exemption; it remains a prohibited off-site sign under the same section.
Violations & Fines
Erecting, converting, or maintaining an off-site sign, digital or otherwise, in the unincorporated county violates the prohibition in Code § 2-13.3-31(a)(22) and requires a permit that the building official cannot lawfully issue. Violations are punished under § 2-13.3-34 by a fine of not less than $100.00 and not more than $1,000.00, with each day of continued violation a separate offense under § 2-13.3-33(e).
Frequently Asked Questions
Are digital billboards allowed in unincorporated Dougherty County?
Can an existing billboard be converted to an electronic display?
What is the fine for an illegal off-site sign?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Dougherty County
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