Houston County, GA Sign Regulations: Digital Billboards (2026)
Key Facts
- Allowed districts
- C-1, C-2, C-3, M-1, M-2 (97.13.1)
- Minimum display time
- 1 second per message (97.13.2)
- Minimum repeat interval
- 2 seconds (97.13.3)
- Segmented message cap
- 10 seconds (97.13.4)
- Scroll speed range
- 16-32 light columns/second (97.13.5)
Summary
Electronic signs in unincorporated Houston County only go in C-1, C-2, C-3, M-1 and M-2 districts, and Section 97.13 locks their message timing: each display holds at least 1 second, cannot repeat sooner than every 2 seconds, and any segmented message tops out at 10 seconds.
97.13.1. Electronic signs shall be allowed only in C-1, C-2, C-3, M-1 and M-2 zoning districts. 97.13.2. No message may be displayed for less than one (1) second. 97.13.3. No message may be repeated at intervals of less than two (2) seconds. 97.13.4. No segmented message may last longer than ten (10) seconds. 97.13.5. No traveling message may travel at a rate slower than sixteen (16) light columns per second or faster than thirty-two (32) light columns per second.
Full Breakdown
13 of the Comprehensive Land Development Regulations governs electronic signs, the category that covers digital billboards and other changeable-message displays. 1 restricts electronic signs to five zoning districts: C-1, C-2, C-3, M-1, and M-2, so they are not a by-right use in residential or agricultural zones. Within those districts, four timing rules apply together. 2 requires every message to display for at least one second before changing. 3 bars repeating any message at intervals shorter than two seconds. 4 caps any segmented message, one broken into multiple parts shown in sequence, at ten seconds total.
5 governs traveling or scrolling messages, requiring the light columns to move no slower than 16 per second and no faster than 32 per second, so a crawl cannot be sped up into an unreadable blur or slowed to a near-static flash. 2.
Violations & Fines
Section 97.25.3 makes any violation of the sign chapter, including an electronic sign that flashes faster than the 97.13 limits or is installed outside the five permitted districts, subject to the general penalty in Sec. 1-11 of the County Code: up to $1,000 for each of the first two offenses, and for a third offense up to $1,000, up to 60 days in jail, or both, with each day and each sign counted separately.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where are digital billboards allowed in unincorporated Houston County?
How fast can an electronic sign's message change?
Is there a rule for scrolling text on digital signs?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Houston County
Compare Houston County to another location·View the Georgia sign regulations overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.