Harnett County, NC Sign Regulations: Digital Billboards (2026)

159(I) permits outdoor advertising signs in the Commercial/Business District (except within a Highway Corridor Overlay District), capped at 500 square feet along interstates and 300 square feet elsewhere, set back at least 50 feet from any right-of-way, and spaced at least 1,500 feet apart with a minimum 500-foot buffer from residential structures (reducible to 250 feet with a notarized waiver from adjacent owners). Subsection (I)(7) governs electronic display techniques specifically: any billboard using LEDs, fiber optics, light bulbs, or projected imagery must hold a static full image for a minimum 20-minute duration, with transitions accomplished only by instantaneous re-pixelization, not scrolling, flashing, or fading.

Daylight brightness cannot exceed 5,000 nits and nighttime brightness cannot exceed 500 nits, measured at the sign face, and an automatic dimmer must step illumination down between a half-hour before sunset and a half-hour after sunrise. Audio speakers and pyrotechnics are prohibited outright, and no portion of the sign may fluctuate, strobe, or simulate video motion, pictorial progression, or moving light patterns. The Planning Department may revoke a permit for structural nonconformance, unpaid fees, or misrepresentation on the application, and a sign that becomes dilapidated or abandoned under NCDOT's outdoor advertising rules loses its permit.

Ownership transfers must be reported to the Administrator and NCDOT within 60 days or the new owner must obtain a fresh land use and zoning permit.