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Knoxville, TN Sign Regulations: Digital Billboards (2026)

Significant Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Where allowed
Commercial & industrial districts
Dwell time
60 sec. minimum per display
Day brightness cap
3,000 nits
Night brightness cap
750 nits
Banned district
C-N District

Summary

Knoxville confines digital, electronic message center signs to commercial and industrial districts, requires each display to hold for 60 seconds with no scrolling, and caps brightness at 3,000 nits by day, 750 at night.

Electronic message centers (EMC) are permitted only in commercial and industrial districts... Each display on an EMC must hold constant for a minimum of 60 seconds... Brightness...cannot exceed the following standards: a. Daytime maximum brightness: 3,000 nits b. Nighttime maximum brightness: 750 nits c. Maximum brightness at the property line: 0.2 footcandles d. Maximum bulb wattage for incandescent light: 40 watts.

View official code

Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 80).

Full Breakdown

Knoxville's sign article treats digital billboards as Electronic Message Centers (EMCs) and permits them only in commercial and industrial zoning districts, with an outright ban in the C-N District and narrow additional carve-outs for H Overlay Districts, the DK District, and changeable price signs. Every display must hold constant for at least 60 seconds, images must be complete and static with no continuation between messages, and the transition between displays must be instantaneous with no special effects. Brightness is capped at 3,000 nits in daytime and 750 nits at night, with a 0.2 footcandle ceiling at the property line, enforced through a mandatory automatic dimmer tied to a light sensor. Minimum text size also scales up with the posted speed limit on the frontage road.

Violations & Fines

Sign permits are issued and enforced by the City's Plans Review and Inspections office; an EMC exceeding the brightness caps, cycling faster than 60 seconds, or installed in the C-N District or outside commercial/industrial zoning is a sign-code violation subject to permit denial or removal.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a Knoxville business run a scrolling digital sign?
No. Each EMC display must hold constant for at least 60 seconds and transitions between messages must be instantaneous, with no scrolling, fading, or continuation of content.
How bright can a digital billboard be at night in Knoxville?
Nighttime brightness is capped at 750 nits, about a quarter of the 3,000-nit daytime cap, and the sign must run an automatic dimmer tied to a light sensor.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Knoxville

Parking Rules: Overnight ParkingSome RestrictionsParking Rules: Street Parking LimitsSome RestrictionsHoliday DisplaysFew RestrictionsWindow SignsFew RestrictionsFreeway-Facing SignsSome RestrictionsGarage Sale SignsSome RestrictionsNoise Ordinances: Leaf Blower RulesLight RestrictionsParking Rules: Towing & Impound RightsSignificant RestrictionsParking Rules: Curb Color RulesSome RestrictionsParking Rules: Commercial & Oversized VehiclesSome Restrictions

All Knoxville rules

Compare Knoxville to another location·View the Tennessee sign regulations overview

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