St. Louis County, MN Sign Regulations: Digital Billboards (2026)
Key Facts
- Billboard size threshold
- Any outdoor sign over 128 square feet
- Zoning
- Commercial districts only, one per lot
- Setback
- 10 feet from right-of-way
- Digital displays
- Prohibited; billboards cannot be dynamic
- Permit authority
- County Planning and Zoning Department
- Penalty
- Misdemeanor after 30-day cure period
Summary
In unincorporated St. Louis County, a billboard is any freestanding outdoor sign over 128 square feet, and Zoning Ordinance 62 treats it as a principal use that needs its own land use permit, limited to commercial zone districts and one per qualifying lot. Section 6.12.D.3 bars any digital display: billboards cannot be dynamic, meaning no scrolling text, video or changeable LED faces are allowed.
D. Permit Required: Billboards: Billboards may be allowed with a land use permit if the following standards are met: 1. Size and number: A billboard is an outdoor sign that exceeds 128 square feet. Billboards shall be considered a principal use. One billboard is allowed by permit per minimum lot area and width requirement for the dimensional district and on a lot of record as defined in Article IV, Section 4.4 D. 2. Location: Billboards shall be subject to the following location restrictions: a. A billboard shall be located only in commercial zone districts. b. All billboards shall be setback a minimum distance of ten feet from any right-of-way and shall be the same as the required property line setback for principal structures of the zone district in which it is located. 3. Illumination: Billboards shall not be dynamic as defined in section 2.7. 4. Billboards shall meet all other state and local requirements.
Full Breakdown
St. Louis County Zoning Ordinance 62 puts billboards in their own category, separate from ordinary outdoor signs. D. 2 confines billboards to commercial zone districts and requires a ten-foot setback from any right-of-way, matching the property line setback that already applies to principal structures in that zone. 7. Article II defines a Dynamic Sign as a non-static outdoor sign that displays content digitally and is characterized by frequent change or activity, so an LED billboard, a video board, or any face that rotates or scrolls its message fails the standard outright, no matter the zone district or permit conditions.
E. 4 layers on any other applicable state or local requirement. 2: the Director investigates, issues a written compliance notice, and gives 30 days to remove the sign or appeal before the county refers the matter to the County Attorney as a misdemeanor.
Violations & Fines
Operating a digital or dynamic billboard, or building one outside a commercial zone district or without the required ten-foot right-of-way setback, is a permit violation the Planning and Zoning Director investigates under Section 8.2. The owner receives written notice and 30 days to remove the sign or bring it into compliance before the county can revoke the permit, seek an injunction, or refer the case to the County Attorney; conviction is a misdemeanor with fines paid into the county's general revenue fund.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a billboard in St. Louis County have a digital or LED display?
Where can a billboard be built in unincorporated St. Louis County?
What size sign counts as a billboard under county rules?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in St. Louis County
Compare St. Louis County to another location·View the Minnesota sign regulations overview
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