Lakewood, NJ Sign Regulations: Digital Billboards (2026)

Digital billboards are a conditional use under UDO § 18-1019, added by Ord. No. 2013-51 and amended by Ord. Nos. 2014-31 and 2016-11. The Township caps the total number allowed at five townwide, and every one must comply with all federal, state and local building, zoning and land use permits. Each billboard permit application requires a $200 deposit with the Township Clerk and must go through a competitive public bidding process advertised at least 30 days before the bid opening; the successful bidder then pays a $500 annual fee per billboard and must obtain a construction permit before building.

, which can expand during declared emergencies. Structurally, each billboard face is capped at 14 feet in height, 48 feet in length and 672 square feet of area (plus the 18-inch LED strip), the overall structure cannot exceed 40 feet, and the display face must sit at least 15 feet above the adjacent street grade. Billboards must be spaced at least 3,000 feet apart on the same roadway and direction of travel, and at least 500 feet from any residential property. Content is restricted too: each frame must hold for at least eight seconds, and streaming video, full-motion video, animation or frame effects are prohibited outright. No billboard may be mounted on top of, cantilevered over, or suspended above a building.