Fountain, CO Sign Regulations: Digital Billboards (2026)

060(D) of the Fountain Municipal Code, adopted by Ordinance No. 1742 on January 14, 2020, governs electronic message centers, the city's closest equivalent to a digital billboard. EMCs are allowed only in nonresidential zoning districts and at educational institutions, and must be built into an existing wall sign, freestanding pole sign or monument sign rather than stand alone; a non-conforming sign cannot be converted into an EMC. 020. 3 foot-candles measured from the sign face between dusk and dawn, and the sign must carry automatic dimming software or solar sensors, with manufacturer documentation on file proving compliance.

Messages must be static: the only transitions allowed are a dissolve or fade, transitions cannot run longer than one second, and each message must hold for a minimum of ten seconds, ruling out scrolling, flashing or video content. 060(G) bars off-premise signs citywide except those inside an approved shopping-center master sign plan, certain temporary signs, and billboards that already existed before Ordinance Number 785 was adopted, so a new stand-alone digital billboard cannot be built anywhere in the city. 080(C)(6), an EMC must include a malfunction sensor and shut itself off automatically if it malfunctions, and a unit under repair must remain off until fixed.