Hillsboro, OR Sign Regulations: Digital Billboards (2026)
Key Facts
- Message change rate
- no faster than every 8 sec
- Transition time
- 4 sec max, or go dark
- Daytime brightness cap
- 8,000 nits max
- Night brightness cap
- 1,000 nits, dusk to dawn
- Animation
- flashing/pulsing/motion banned
Summary
In Hillsboro, Oregon (Washington County), electronic message and tri-vision billboards can't change copy faster than every 8 seconds and must stay under 8,000 nits by day, 1,000 nits after dusk.
Electronic message and tri-vision signs must: A. Have a rate of change from 1 sign copy to the next no more frequent than 8 seconds and the change must be accomplished in no more than 4 seconds or be turned off during the change interval; ... D. Not be illuminated to a degree of brightness that is greater than necessary for adequate visibility or exceed 8,000 nits or equivalent candelas during daylight hours or 1,000 nits or equivalent candelas between dusk and dawn.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Municipal Code: Supplement 1 | Community Development Code: Supplement 1).
Full Breakdown
Hillsboro Municipal Code § 11.32.230 governs every electronic message and tri-vision sign in the city, including the digital billboards allowed within the Sunset Highway and TV Highway billboard districts. Copy can't change more often than every 8 seconds, and the transition itself must finish within 4 seconds or the display must go dark during the switch. Each message must hold in a static position: no flashing, pulsing, exploding, bouncing, rotating, expanding or otherwise animated graphics are allowed. Brightness is capped at 8,000 nits (or equivalent candelas) during daylight hours and drops to 1,000 nits between dusk and dawn.
Violations & Fines
Sign code violations are punishable by a fine up to $500 per offense under HMC § 11.32.340, and each day the sign stays out of compliance counts as a separate offense; the Manager can also order removal under § 11.32.330.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a digital billboard in Hillsboro flash or animate its message?
How bright can an electronic billboard be at night in Hillsboro?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Hillsboro
Compare Hillsboro to another location·View the Oregon sign regulations overview
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Digital Billboards in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Washington County handle digital billboards.