Fall River, MA Sign Regulations: Digital Billboards (2026)
Key Facts
- By-right districts
- 6 named commercial districts only
- Elsewhere
- Special permit, 24 sq ft cap
- Change rate
- No faster than every 4 seconds
- Brightness cap
- 5,000 nits day / 500 nits night
- Sensors
- Ambient light monitors required
Summary
Digital/electronic signs in Fall River are allowed only in specific commercial districts, must change images no more than once every four seconds, and are capped at 5,000 nits by day and 500 nits at night.
Electronic signs shall be allowed in Neighborhood Shopping Districts (B-N), Local Business Districts (B-L), Mixed Use Business Districts (MBD), Commercial Mill Districts (CMD), Central Business Districts (CBD), and Waterfront and Transit-Oriented Development Districts (WTOD), provided such signage meets the following use and dimensional regulations:
(1) Use regulations.
(a) The sign shall be programmed so that the message or image on the sign changes no more often than every four seconds.
(b) The sign shall not display any illumination that changes in intensity during the static display period.
(c) The electronic sign shall have installed ambient light monitors, and shall at all times allow such monitors to automatically adjust the brightness level of the sign based on ambient light conditions.
(d) Maximum brightness levels for electronic or digital display boards shall not exceed 5,000 nits when measured from the billboard's face at its maximum brightness, during daylight hours, and 500 nits when measured from the board face at its maximum brightness between sunrise and sunset.
(e) No such sign shall: [1] Emit or utilize in any manner any sound capable of being detected on a main traveled way by a person with normal hearing. [2]
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4739915; v14 updated 2025-12-23; through 12-23-2025).
Full Breakdown
Fall River's § 86-451(E) treats electronic and digital signs, including billboards, as their own permitted use, but confines them by right to six commercial districts: B-N, B-L, MBD, CMD, CBD and WTOD. Outside those districts, an electronic sign needs a Zoning Board of Appeals special permit and is capped at 24 square feet. Message changes may occur no more than once every four seconds, static images can't shift brightness, ambient-light sensors must auto-dim the display, and overall brightness is capped at 5,000 nits by day and 500 nits overnight.
Violations & Fines
Electronic signs sited outside the permitted districts without a special permit, exceeding the brightness or dimensional caps, or lacking ambient-light sensors violate § 86-451(E) and are subject to Building Inspector enforcement.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I put an electronic billboard anywhere in Fall River?
How bright can a digital sign be in Fall River?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Fall River
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Digital Billboards in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Bristol County handle digital billboards.