Macon-Bibb County, GA Sign Regulations: Digital Billboards (2026)
Key Facts
- Multiple-message spacing
- 5,000 ft from another digital billboard
- Residential buffer
- 200 ft from residentially zoned property
- Minimum display time
- 10 seconds static per message
- Transition speed
- Under 2 seconds digital, 3 if mechanical
- By-right zones
- C-2, C-4, M-1, M-2, M-3 near interstate/Eisenhower Pkwy
- Governing section
- CLDR § 25.07[7]
Summary
A digital billboard in Macon-Bibb County, called a 'multiple message billboard' under the sign code, is permitted by right only along an interstate highway or Eisenhower Parkway in C-2, C-4, M-1, M-2 or M-3 districts; everywhere else it needs a conditional-use permit, and every digital message must hold for at least 10 seconds with a transition under 2 seconds.
[7]Additional criteria for multiple message billboards. In addition to the above requirements and provisions for multiple message billboards and all billboards, multiple message billboards shall be subject to the following additional requirements and provisions:(a)Location. Multiple message billboards shall not be placed within a five thousand (5,000) foot radius of another multiple message billboard or within two hundred (200) feet of residentially zoned property.(b)Mode of Transition. Multiple message billboards using electronic or digital transition shall only contain messages changed through either: (i) instantaneous transition, with no visible intermittent elements; (ii) subtle transitions such as fading, dissolving or similar transitions that do not have the appearance of moving text or images; or (iii) scrolling.(c)Display and transition time. Each message shall remain static for a minimum of ten (10) seconds. If the message is changed mechanically, transition shall occur in less than three (3) seconds. If the message is changed electronically or digitally, transition shall occur in less than two (2) seconds.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Comprehensive Land Development Resolution: Supplement 4 | Code of Ordinances: Supplement 20).
Full Breakdown
07[1]. Placement is tightly limited: a multiple message billboard cannot sit within 5,000 feet of another multiple message billboard or within 200 feet of residentially zoned property, and like every billboard it must stay at least 1,000 feet from another billboard along the same street and at least 500 feet by radius. As a permitted use it is allowed only in C-2, C-4, M-1, M-2 and M-3 districts adjacent to an interstate highway or Eisenhower Parkway; on property that is not adjacent to those roads but can still be read from them, or on an arterial with a grass or raised median, it drops to a conditional use requiring Commission approval.
The message itself is regulated: electronic or digital transitions can only be instantaneous, a subtle fade or dissolve, or a scroll, never an appearance of moving text or images. Each message must stay static for at least 10 seconds, and if the change is electronic or digital the transition itself must finish in under 2 seconds (3 seconds if mechanical). 09[5] brightness caps, and it must carry a default mechanism that freezes the display on any malfunction.
Violations & Fines
A billboard that changes its message faster than the required 10-second hold, transitions in more than 2 seconds, flashes outside the allowed modes, or sits inside the 5,000-foot spacing or 200-foot residential buffer violates Section 25.07 and, under Section 33.01, is a misdemeanor with each day of the violation a separate offense. The Commission can also suspend or revoke the sign's permit under Section 33.02 if its conditions are not being met.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can a digital billboard be built by right in Macon-Bibb County?
How fast can a digital billboard change its message?
How close can a digital billboard be to a house?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Macon-Bibb County
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