Evansville, IN Sign Regulations: Digital Billboards (2026)
Key Facts
- Minimum dwelling setback
- 300 feet (off-premises EMS)
- Message hold time
- At least 8 seconds, no flashing
- Section
- EMC 18.140.270(B)(2), (B)(4)
- Historic districts
- Barred unless in a redevelopment area with design review
Summary
Off-premises electronic message signs in Evansville must sit 300 feet from any dwelling and hold each image at least eight seconds.
(a) Message Duration. Electronic message signs shall be programmed so that no copy shall flash or blink and the image, message, or lighting pattern holds for a minimum of eight seconds between transitions for both on-premises and off-premises EMSs.
(b) Spacing.
(i) On-premises EMSs shall be located at least 200 feet from any dwelling; and
(ii) Off-premises EMSs shall be located at least 300 feet from any dwelling.
(c) Only one electronic message sign shall be permitted:
(i) Per business on single-use commercial lots/parcels to which subsection (B)(4)(b) of this section does not apply.
(ii) Per development in the case of uses such as commercial shopping centers, institutional campuses, etc., which could incorporate multiple parcels under common ownership with unified, integrated development such as a shared roof, facade, parking, drainage, or similar facilities.
(d) Properties that have an electronic message sign shall not have temporary signs such as sidewalk signs, banners, or feather signs.
(e) Electronic message signs shall be immediately turned off in the event of a malfunction.
(5) Feather Signs.
(a) Feather signs must be set back from the right-of-way by no less than two feet.
(b) Feather signs must be securely anchored into the ground or secured to a weighted portable base designed for such function.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance G-2026-12, passed June 22, 2026).
Full Breakdown
Evansville's sign code treats off-premises electronic message signs (digital billboards) as a distinct, tightly regulated category under EMC 18.140.270(B)(2) and (B)(4). Off-premises signs generally must be at least 25 feet from any right-of-way, spaced 400-1,000 feet from the next off-premises sign depending on the road, and at least 300 feet from a residential dwelling, church, library, museum, park or school. On top of those spacing rules, an off-premises electronic message sign must hold each image or message for a minimum of eight seconds with no flashing or blinking, and must sit at least 300 feet from any dwelling -- a tighter standard than the 200-foot buffer required for on-premises electronic signs. They are also barred outright in historic districts unless the property sits in a redevelopment area and clears design review by the Redevelopment Commission.
Violations & Fines
Erecting or operating a noncompliant electronic off-premises sign is enforced through the improvement location/sign permit process; a sign that malfunctions or flashes must be turned off immediately, and noncompliant signs are subject to removal under the Planning Department's sign enforcement authority.
Frequently Asked Questions
How far must a digital billboard be from a house in Evansville?
Can a digital billboard flash or scroll quickly in Evansville?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Evansville
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