Laredo, TX Sign Regulations: Digital Billboards (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit
- Sign permit required (Sec. 28-22)
- Off-premise spacing
- 1,500 ft between CEVMS same direction
- Brightness
- 10,000 nits day / 5,000 night
- Message hold
- Static 8 sec, 2-sec transition
- Motion
- No animation, video, or scrolling
Summary
Laredo permits changeable electronic variable message signs (CEVMS), including digital billboards, by permit. Off-premise electronic signs must sit at least 1,500 feet apart, dim automatically, hold each message eight seconds, and cannot animate, scroll, or show video.
Changeable electronic variable message sign (CEVMS) ... Off-premise freestanding. A CEVMS must be installed at least one thousand five hundred (1500) feet, measured along or across a roadway from another CEVMS facing the same direction. ... The maximum brightness of CEVMS shall not exceed ten thousand (10,000) nit's during daylight hours and five thousand (5,000) nit's between dusk to dawn. ... CEVM signs shall remain static for not less than eight (8) seconds. ... CEVMS does not allow animation, moving video, or scrolling text.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 23 Update 3 | Land Development Code: Supplement 1).
Full Breakdown
Laredo's Building Development Services Department administers the Sign Ordinance (Chapter 28, Article II). A CEVMS is allowed on a billboard only along major modified arterials or greater; on-premise CEVMS require industrial collectors or greater. An off-premise freestanding CEVMS must sit 1,500 feet from another CEVMS facing the same direction. Brightness caps at 10,000 nits by day and 5,000 nits from dusk to dawn, with a required automatic dimmer control. Each message must stay static at least eight seconds and complete its transition within two seconds; animation, moving video, and scrolling text are barred. Approved signs must be available for Amber Alerts.
Violations & Fines
Erecting, re-facing, or altering a CEVMS without a building official's permit is prohibited. Unpermitted signs face denial or permit revocation, impoundment, and a permit fee set at twice the standard rate.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are digital billboards allowed in Laredo?
How bright can a Laredo digital sign be?
Can a Laredo digital sign show video or scrolling text?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Laredo
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