Leander, TX Sign Regulations: Digital Billboards (2026)
Key Facts
- Off-premises billboards
- Banned outright, § 3.08.010(2)
- On-premises EMC allowed
- Yes, subject to § 3.08.011(d)(8) limits
- Max brightness
- 0.3 footcandles above ambient light
- Residential setback
- 50 feet from residential property line
- Curfew
- Must shut off 11:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m.
- Malfunction rule
- Must default to a black screen
- Residential light spillover cap
- 0.1 footcandle at property line
Summary
Leander bans billboards outright: § 3.08.010(2) states flatly that "No billboards shall be permitted. No other off-premises signs shall be permitted, except as specifically authorized in this article." A business that wants a digital display has to put it on its own property as an Electronic Messaging Center, which comes with strict brightness, dimming, and nighttime shut-off rules.
(2)No billboards shall be permitted. No other off-premises signs shall be permitted, except as specifically authorized in this article; ... (8)All electronic message signs must meet the following illumination standards:(A)No sign shall be brighter than is necessary for clear and adequate visibility.(B)No sign shall be of such intensity or brilliance as to impair the vision of a motor vehicle driver or to otherwise interfere with the driver's operation of a motor vehicle. ... (D)All signs must be equipped with a mechanism that automatically adjusts the brightness of the display in response to ambient conditions, such that the display is automatically dimmed as ambient light levels decrease.(E)The illumination of a sign at full brightness shall not exceed 0.3 footcandles above the footcandle level with the sign turned off when both measurements are taken perpendicular to the sign at a distance determined by the following formula: measurement distance = square root of area of sign in square feet x 100.(F)All signs shall contain a default mechanism that will cause the sign to revert immediately to a black screen if the sign malfunctions.
Full Breakdown
010(2) draws a hard line against off-premises advertising of any kind, digital or static: billboards are flatly prohibited, and no other off-premises sign is allowed unless the article specifically authorizes it. 011(d)(8) subjects them to detailed illumination standards. An EMC "shall not be brighter than is necessary for clear and adequate visibility," can't be intense enough to impair a driver's vision or interfere with traffic-control devices, and must carry an automatic mechanism that dims the display as ambient light drops. 3 footcandles above the ambient (sign-off) footcandle level, measured perpendicular to the sign at a distance equal to the square root of the sign's area in square feet, multiplied by 100.
Every EMC must also default to a black screen immediately if it malfunctions. 1 footcandles. The code is technology-neutral: it notes that LED is the technology "currently being deployed," but any future technology meeting the same illumination standards is permitted. Taken together, a business can't erect a stand-alone digital billboard advertising other properties, but can install a compliant LED reader board on its own site.
Violations & Fines
Installing an off-premises billboard, digital or static, violates the flat ban in § 3.08.010(2) and is subject to removal as an unauthorized sign. An on-premises EMC that exceeds the 0.3-footcandle brightness ceiling, skips the automatic-dimming or malfunction-blackout features, sits within 50 feet of a residential property line, or stays lit past 11:00 p.m. violates § 3.08.011(d) and can be ordered altered, dimmed, or removed by the building official, with removal costs becoming a lien against the property after 30 days' nonpayment.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I put up a digital billboard advertising my business along a Leander road?
Can I install an LED sign on my own property in Leander?
How bright can an electronic message sign be in Leander?
Does an on-premises EMC have to turn off at night in Leander?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Leander
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