Prince George's County, MD Sign Regulations: Digital Billboards (2026)
Key Facts
- New builds
- Only replaces nonconforming billboards
- Banned zones
- Residential, R-PD, TO/AC, MU-PD
- Min. spacing to another billboard
- 500 ft (1,000 ft if digital)
- Height cap
- 45 ft (up to 55 ft with DPIE approval)
- Max display face
- 675 sq ft
- Neighbor notice
- 30 days before application complete
Summary
Digital billboards are banned countywide except as replacements for existing nonconforming billboards, and even then only outside Residential, Transit-Oriented, and MU-PD zones, with a strict siting, spacing, and 45-foot height cap.
Except in Residential base zones and the R-PD Zone, Transit-Oriented/Activity Center base and PD zones, and the MU-PD zone, a digital billboard may only be erected in place of a nonconforming billboard in accordance with the following standards: Notwithstanding any other provision of this Subtitle, a digital billboard shall have a minimum front setback of 10 feet from the property line and a minimum side setback of 5 feet from the property line, and shall be located within 15 feet of the nonconforming billboard that the digital billboard is replacing. A digital billboard shall not be located within 500 feet of an existing outdoor advertising sign or within 1,000 feet of another digital billboard located on and facing the same roadway.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 2026 Update 2).
Full Breakdown
Section 27-61506(g) of the Zoning Ordinance treats digital billboards as an extraordinary use, not an as-of-right sign type. New freestanding digital billboards cannot be built from scratch anywhere in the county; a digital billboard may only be erected in place of a nonconforming billboard, and never in Residential base zones, the R-PD Zone, Transit-Oriented/Activity Center base and PD zones, or the MU-PD zone. Where replacement is allowed, the digital billboard must sit within 15 feet of the nonconforming billboard it replaces, keep a minimum 10-foot front setback and 5-foot side setback from the property line, stay at least 500 feet from any other outdoor advertising sign, and stay at least 1,000 feet from another digital billboard on and facing the same roadway.
It cannot go on any roadway below an arterial functional classification, and it cannot be positioned where it would block a driver's view of traffic signs or approaching and merging traffic. Height is capped at 45 feet above finished grade (or 45 feet above the pavement of an abutting elevated street), though the DPIE Director can approve up to 55 feet above grade or 50 feet above an elevated street's pavement if the replaced billboard was already taller than 45 feet, the new sign would otherwise be obstructed from view, or a building permit already issued next door would obstruct it.
The digital display face itself is capped at 675 square feet, and applicants must mail notice at least 30 days before their application is deemed complete to adjoining owners, owners across any street/alley/stream, every municipality within one mile, and registered civic associations for the area.
Violations & Fines
Erecting or operating a digital billboard that violates the siting, spacing, setback, or height limits in Section 27-61506(g) is a zoning violation. DPIE issues a notice to cease the violation, and under Section 27-8206 continued noncompliance is a misdemeanor punishable by a $500 fine, up to 90 days in jail, or both, with each day of a continuing violation treated as a separate offense within a 36-month window.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a new digital billboard be built anywhere in Prince George's County?
How tall can a digital billboard be?
How close can two digital billboards be to each other?
Do neighbors get notified about a proposed digital billboard?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Prince George's County
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