Glenn County, CA Sign Regulations: Digital Billboards (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Glenn County Code § 15.62.040
- Rotation limit exemption
- None over 8 RPM
- Exceptions
- Time-and-temperature displays, barber poles
- Applies
- All zones, unincorporated county
- Repeat violation penalty
- Up to $5,000 fine, 1 year jail
Summary
Unincorporated Glenn County bans any sign with moving, rotating, flashing or animated light or components in every zone under Code Section 15.62.040, which rules out digital and electronic billboard displays outright. The only carve-outs are time-and-temperature displays and barber poles, so an LED reader board cycling ads or messages does not qualify.
The following signs and sign materials are prohibited in all zones: ... Signs consisting of any moving, rotating (exceeding eight rpm), flashing or otherwise animated light or component, except for time and temperature displays and barber poles;
Full Breakdown
040 lists prohibited signs and sign materials that apply countywide regardless of zoning district. Alongside bans on signs that imitate traffic signals or carry obscene content, the section prohibits any sign with a moving, rotating component exceeding eight revolutions per minute, or any flashing or otherwise animated light or component, with two narrow exceptions carved out for time-and-temperature displays and traditional barber poles. 030. 010 explains the intent behind the rule: safeguarding property values, preserving the county's rural appearance and reducing hazards and confusion to motorists and pedestrians from distracting signage along county roads and state highways. 040 prohibition on animation, so a permitted billboard cannot be built with a digital, flashing or scrolling face. 020.
Violations & Fines
Erecting or maintaining a sign with flashing, rotating or animated components violates Section 15.62.040 in every zoning district; there is no permit that legalizes it since the ban is absolute outside the time-and-temperature and barber-pole exceptions. As with other county code violations, enforcement runs through the general penalty chapter: a first violation is an infraction, and a third violation of the same provision within 12 months becomes a misdemeanor punishable by up to a $5,000 fine or one year in county jail under Sections 1.12.010 and 1.13.010.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a business put up a digital billboard in unincorporated Glenn County?
Does an off-premises advertising permit allow a digital sign face?
What happens if a flashing sign goes up anyway in Glenn County?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Glenn County
California rules heatmap·Compare Glenn County to another location·View the California sign regulations overview
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