Long Beach, CA Sign Regulations: Digital Billboards (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit required
- Conditional Use Permit, § 21.54.111
- Min. message duration
- 8 seconds, no blank interval
- Night brightness cap
- 0.3 foot-candles above ambient
- Removal ratio, new electronic sign
- 8x its display area citywide
- Malfunction rule
- freeze to one message or go blank
- Allowed districts
- CCA, CCP, CHW, CS, IL, IM, IG, IP
Summary
Long Beach treats every electronic billboard as a discretionary land use. A Conditional Use Permit is required before any new digital billboard is built or an existing static billboard is converted, and Municipal Code § 21.54.280(B) locks down message timing, motion and nighttime brightness once one is approved and installed.
For electronic billboards, the following restrictions also shall apply:1.The duration of each message displayed shall be at least eight (8) seconds;2.No message shall move, flash, shimmer, glitter, or give the appearance of moving, flashing, shimmering or glittering;3.There shall be a direct change from each message to the next, with no blank or dark interval in between, to avoid a flashing or blinking effect;4.Display of any form of motion or apparent motion within the message, and any form of video, are prohibited;...6.The brightness of the display surface shall be limited as follows:a.Dawn to dusk: unlimited;b.Dusk to dawn: the display surface shall not produce luminance in excess of 0.3 foot-candles above ambient light conditions, or the level recommended by the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IESNA) for the specific size and location of the billboard, whichever is less.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Municipal Code: Supplement 52 Update 1 | City Charter: Supplement 5).
Full Breakdown
54 (Billboards) restricts all billboards, electronic or not, to zoning districts and street frontages listed in Table 54-1: commercial districts CCA, CCP, CHW and CS and industrial districts IL, IM, IG and IP, and only on lots fronting a Freeway, Regional Corridor or Major Arterial. 140 additionally bars conversion to electronic unless the CUP is obtained, the sign meets Table 54-1, building permits are secured, and other existing billboard display area is permanently removed elsewhere in the City. Table 54-1A sets that removal ratio at eight times the display area of the new sign for a new electronic billboard (six times for non-electronic).
3 foot-candles above ambient light (or the IESNA-recommended level if lower), controlled automatically by a photocell rather than a timer. If the display malfunctions, it must freeze on a single unchanging message or go blank.
Violations & Fines
Zoning citations for Title 21 violations, including unpermitted billboard construction, conversion or brightness noncompliance, escalate under Section 21.10.080: a first infraction citation carries a $100 fine, a second within six months $250, and continued noncompliance is referred for misdemeanor prosecution punishable by up to $1,000 and/or six months in jail under Section 1.32.010. The City may also pursue civil abatement or injunctive relief in addition to citation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to convert a billboard to digital in Long Beach?
How bright can a digital billboard be at night?
How long must each ad stay on screen?
Can I build a brand-new digital billboard anywhere in the city?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Long Beach
California rules heatmap·Compare Long Beach to another location·View the California sign regulations overview
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