Linn County, IA Sign Regulations: Digital Billboards (2026)
Key Facts
- Message hold time
- 1 second minimum per change
- Full-motion video
- Prohibited on all digital signs
- Billboard spacing
- 1,000 feet between digital devices
- Where allowed
- HC, GC and I districts only
- Malfunction rule
- Must freeze, blank, or shut off
Summary
Linn County permits digital billboards in HC, GC and I districts, but requires each message to hold for at least one second, bans full-motion video, and keeps digital advertising signs at least 1,000 feet apart along the same road.
Digital signs are permitted as accessory or advertising signs and shall conform to the following regulations... Each change of message is accomplished in one second or less; No full-motion video shall be allowed... If the advertising device incorporates a digital sign, the advertising device shall not be located within 1,000 feet of another advertising device that incorporates a digital sign when both are visible to traffic proceeding in any one direction.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 16).
Full Breakdown
The county's unified development code allows digital signs as accessory or advertising signs only in Highway Commercial, General Commercial and Industrial districts. Each digital message must display for one second or longer, full-motion video is prohibited, and a malfunctioning sign must freeze, blank, or shut off rather than glitch. Only one digital sign is allowed per property, and a digital billboard cannot sit within 1,000 feet of another digital advertising device visible to the same direction of traffic. This governs unincorporated Linn County only. Cedar Rapids, Marion and the county's other cities regulate signs under their own municipal codes.
Violations & Fines
Violating the sign rules is a county infraction under § 107-160, civil penalty up to the state-law maximum per offense, enforced under chapter 1, article II.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a digital billboard be placed anywhere in Linn County?
How fast can a digital billboard's message change in Linn County?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Linn County
Compare Linn County to another location·View the Iowa sign regulations overview
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