Calaveras County, CA Sign Regulations: Digital Billboards (2026)
Key Facts
- Max billboard area
- 128 sq. ft.
- Allowed zone
- M2 only, with CUP
- Height cap
- 20 ft.
- Spacing
- 300 ft. from other billboards/signs
- Lighting
- no blinking/animated; static EMC only
- EMC display change rate
- no more than once per 8 seconds
- State permit also required
- Outdoor Advertising Act, Caltrans
Summary
Billboards in unincorporated Calaveras County are capped at 128 square feet and 20 feet in height, allowed only in the M2 zone with a conditional use permit, and can't use blinking or animated lighting. Electronic message displays elsewhere in the sign chapter must show static copy that changes no more than once every eight seconds.
D.Billboards. Billboards of a maximum area of one hundred twenty-eight square feet may be permitted on private property in the M2 zone upon approval of a conditional use permit. Billboards shall comply with the provisions of Division 3, Chapter 2 of the California Business and Professions Code, and the following requirements:1.Billboards shall not be erected in a manner to block the visibility along the highway for pedestrians and vehicles of other vehicular traffic.2.Billboards may be illuminated, except that blinking or animated lighting shall not be permitted.3.No billboard shall be erected within three hundred feet of any other billboard facing the same traffic direction. No billboard shall be erected within three hundred feet of an on-site sign for the same business erected in conformance with this chapter.4.No billboard shall be erected without the issuance of a permit pursuant to the Outdoor Advertising Act from the California Department of Transportation.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 23 Update 2).
Full Breakdown
100(D) permits billboards up to a maximum area of 128 square feet on private property in the M2 zone only, upon approval of a conditional use permit, and requires compliance with Division 3, Chapter 2 of the California Business and Professions Code, the state's Outdoor Advertising Act. The section adds four county-specific conditions: billboards cannot be erected in a way that blocks highway visibility for pedestrians or vehicles; they may be illuminated but blinking or animated lighting is prohibited outright; no billboard can be erected within 300 feet of another billboard facing the same traffic direction or within 300 feet of an on-site business sign; and no billboard can go up without a separate Outdoor Advertising Act permit from Caltrans.
080(C) adds a height ceiling of 20 feet above the ground elevation on which the billboard sits. 3 foot-candles over ambient conditions, and automatic dimming controls tied to an ambient-light sensor.
Violations & Fines
A billboard outside the M2 zone, over 128 square feet, taller than 20 feet, sited within 300 feet of another billboard or on-site sign, or displaying blinking or animated lighting is unpermitted under Section 17.24.100(D) and enforceable under the chapter's sign-permit and zoning-clearance requirements; an electronic message display that changes more often than once every eight seconds or shows movement violates the Electronic Message Center standards of Section 17.24.070(D)(2) regardless of the billboard's size or location.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can a billboard be built in unincorporated Calaveras County?
How big can a Calaveras County billboard be?
Can a digital billboard in the county flash or animate its message?
Do billboards need a state permit in addition to the county's?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Calaveras County
California rules heatmap·Compare Calaveras County to another location·View the California sign regulations overview
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