Loveland, CO Sign Regulations: Digital Billboards (2026)
Key Facts
- EMC area cap
- 50% of sign face, 60% in I-25 corridor
- EMCs per premise
- 1 per street frontage
- I-25 spacing
- 1,000 ft. between same-direction EMCs
- Curfew
- Off 10 p.m.-6 a.m. in RM/RS, or dim to 3%
- Governing section
- UDC § 18.04.08.08
Summary
Loveland, Colorado caps electronic message center (EMC) displays at 50% of a sign's face, or 60% within the I-25 corridor, and limits most premises to one EMC-equipped sign per street frontage. EMCs are barred outright in residential sign districts except for specific institutional uses, and all EMCs must dim after 10 p.m.
1. Generally. Digital electronic message centers may be incorporated into signs as provided in this subsection. 2. Number and Design. a. Not more than one sign with an EMC component is allowed per street frontage per premise... 3. Dimensions. Unless otherwise specifically allowed by this Division, the area of the EMC display shall not exceed 50 percent of the sign face of the sign upon which it is located, except within the I-25 corridor where the area of the EMC display shall not exceed 60 percent of the sign face of the sign upon which it is located.
Full Breakdown
C. An EMC must be integrated into the sign face and structure rather than being the sign's predominant element, and if it sits atop a sign, the structure needs a substantial cap feature matching the sign's material, form, color and texture. Only one sign with an EMC component is allowed per street frontage per premise. The display area is capped at 50 percent of the sign face on which it sits, rising to 60 percent within the I-25 corridor in recognition of highway visibility needs.
Location is tightly zoned: EMCs are allowed in the CI (Community/Interstate) sign district outright, in the DTS (downtown) sign district only when attached to a marquee sign, and along the Highway 34 corridor only on premises sharing more than 500 linear feet of frontage with the Highway 34 right-of-way. Within the I-25 Overlay District, EMCs serve nonresidential uses only, require more than 500 feet of I-25 frontage, allow just one EMC sign per street frontage (a two-sided sign may carry an EMC on each face), and must sit at least 1,000 feet from another EMC on the same side of I-25 facing the same direction of travel.
D. unless the underlying business operates during those hours, in which case any EMC component must dim to three percent or less of daytime brightness and shut off within 30 minutes of closing.
Violations & Fines
Signs department staff and code enforcement handle EMC violations under UDC Chapter 18.18, Enforcement, which authorizes notice-and-correction orders, civil penalties, and revocation of the sign permit for a display that exceeds the 50/60 percent area cap, runs a second EMC on the same frontage, or ignores the illumination curfew. Non-compliant displays are treated as sign code violations subject to abatement.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a business in Loveland install a digital billboard anywhere in the city?
How bright can a digital sign be at night in Loveland?
How large can the digital display portion of a Loveland sign be?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Loveland
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