Madison, WI Sign Regulations: Digital Billboards (2026)
Key Facts
- Districts allowed
- Group 2, Group 3, non-residential Special Control
- Change frequency
- Every 5 min (1 hr in Special Control)
- Color rule
- Single color, light copy on dark background
- Scrolling/moving images
- Prohibited outright
- Penalty
- $30–$500 forfeiture per day (§31.19)
Summary
Madison allows electronic changeable copy signs, LED reader boards, digital marquees and message centers, on walls, roofs, ground and projecting signs in Group 2 and 3 zoning districts under MGO § 31.046(1). The display can't change more than once every five minutes (once per hour in Districts of Special Control), must use single-color light-on-dark copy, and scrolling or moving images are banned outright.
(1)Electronic Changeable Copy Signs. Electronic Changeable Copy Signs, as defined in Sec. 31.03(2), may be displayed on a wall, roof, above-roof, ground, projecting, or canopy sign, in Group 2 and 3 districts, and upon non-residential uses in Districts of Special Control, according to the following criteria:(a)The sign shall conform to all applicable provisions of this chapter (area, placement, etc.) for the type of sign in question.(b)The electronic changeable copy or images shall not alternate, change, fade in, fade out, or otherwise change more frequently than once every five (5) minutes in Group 2 and 3 districts, and once every one (1) hour for non-residential uses in Districts of Special Control, including Urban Design Districts.(c)Scrolling, racing, pixelating or moving characters or images, or those that have the appearance of movement, are prohibited for any reason, including as a method of changing copy under sub. (b) above.(d)All copy/characters or other changeable images shall be of one (1) color only, with light copy on a dark background.
Full Breakdown
03(2) as any sign displaying electronically illuminated, scrolling or moving text via LED, LCD or similar technology, on wall, roof, above-roof, ground, projecting or canopy signs in Group 2 and 3 zoning districts, and on non-residential uses inside Districts of Special Control, including Urban Design Districts. The copy or image can't change, fade or alternate more than once every five minutes in Group 2/3 districts, or once per hour for non-residential uses in a District of Special Control. Scrolling, racing, pixelating or any appearance of movement is prohibited outright, even as a method of changing copy within the allowed interval, and all changeable copy must be a single color, light text on a dark background.
044(1)(a); official traffic control devices under Wis. 01(38); signs displaying only motor fuel or gasoline-ethanol blend prices, which are exempt from the area, dwell-time and color rules but still can't scroll or flash; and time-and-temperature signs, which may update as often as needed but must still follow the color and no-scrolling rules and can be used citywide except in Group 1 districts. 045(3)(h). Any sign displaying electronic changeable copy outside these criteria is expressly prohibited. 043.
Violations & Fines
Violating MGO § 31.046(1), for example running a message board that changes faster than the five-minute/one-hour limit, scrolls, or mixes colors, carries a forfeiture of not less than $30 nor more than $500 per MGO § 31.19, plus costs, with each day the violation continues counted as a separate offense. Erecting a sign before a permit issues doubles the permit fee under § 31.041(2)(c), on top of any other penalty.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a business in downtown Madison install a digital billboard?
How fast can the message change on an electronic sign?
Are gas station price signs exempt from the dwell-time rule?
What happens if a sign violates these electronic-copy rules?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Madison
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