Hanover County, VA Sign Regulations: Digital Billboards (2026)

Section 26-277(e) creates a conditional use permit process for freestanding 'destination commerce signs' adjacent to and viewed from Interstate highways within areas the Comprehensive Plan designates as Destination Commerce, available only for developments larger than 100 acres with at least 1,500 feet of Interstate frontage. Subsection (e)(9) governs any digital message panels on an approved destination commerce sign. No more than two variable message panels can be built into a single sign, and each panel is generally placed back-to-back so the message displays to traffic moving in both directions.

When Light Emitting Diode, Liquid Crystal Display, or video display message panels are used, the light emitted cannot exceed 5,000 nits during daylight hours or 500 nits at night, and the diode pitch cannot exceed 25 millimeters, standards aimed at preventing the panel from blinding drivers after dark. Messages cannot change more often than the sign's sight distance on the Interstate divided by the posted speed limit, and in no case more often than once every ten seconds. Between messages the panel must go straight to black or immediately switch to the next message, with no dissolve, wipe, fade, motion video, sound, or interactive technology, and the board must go to black automatically if the sign malfunctions. Sensors and dimmers are required to keep the sign within these light limits at all times.