Millcreek, PA Sign Regulations: Digital Billboards (2026)

Digital billboards in Millcreek Township are governed by § 145-89C(1), which says an Electronic Message Center contained within a Billboard or High-Rise Sign must meet the standards in § 145-88 to the extent not inconsistent with its own operational standards. Billboards are authorized only in C3, I1 and I2 Zoning Districts, and Electronic Message Centers are permitted in all Nonresidential Zoning Districts under § 145-88.

The billboard-specific standards are two. Size: the Electronic Message Center cannot exceed the maximum permitted size of the Billboard or High-Rise Sign, which is 378 square feet for a Billboard and 200 square feet for a High-Rise Sign. Dimmer control: the Sign must have an automatic dimmer control, and no Billboard or High-Rise Sign can be erected without a light detector or photocell, a scheduled dimming timer, or a manual control for dimming when ambient light darkens.

Section 145-88 supplies the rest. Each Sign needs an automatic dimmer device. Animation, audio, pyrotechnics, scrolling messages, videos, flashing lights and spell effect display modes are banned. Messages must stay static for a minimum of eight seconds, and the change must be an instantaneous repixelization of less than one second. Illumination cannot exceed 5,000 nits during daytime hours, and each Sign must be shut off between 11:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. and reduced to 500 nits or less from dusk until 11:00 p.m.

Section 145-78E(1)(d) separately limits message center Signs and digital displays to 5,000 nits between sunrise and sunset and 250 nits at all other times, with a light-sensing device that adjusts brightness automatically. The two sections print different night figures, so confirm the design with the Planning and Development Department before ordering hardware. Under § 145-78E(4)(c), the owner must supply an independent contractor's certification of compliance with the brightness standards before the Sign Permit issues.