Monroe County, FL Sign Regulations: Digital Billboards (2026)
Key Facts
- Message type
- Static, motionless messages only, no video or flashing
- Brightness limit
- 0.3 footcandle above ambient light
- Residential zones
- Electronic message centers prohibited outright
- Permit requirement
- Photometric plan required with the permit application
- First-violation fine
- Up to $1,000 per day under Chapter 8
Summary
In the unincorporated Florida Keys, electronic message centers and digital signs must display static, motionless messages only, with no video, flashing or audio, and are capped at 0.3 footcandles of brightness above ambient light. Land Development Code Section 142-8(b)(4) bans these digital displays outright in residential and low-intensity zoning districts, so they are confined to commercial areas along U.S. 1.
(3)Electronic message centers and digital signs shall comply with the following:a.Electronic message centers and digital signs shall contain static, motionless messages only;b.Displaying any form of motion, or the optical illusion of movement, video or varying light intensity is prohibited; ... e.Brightness. Digital signs shall not operate at brightness levels of more than 0.3 foot candles above ambient light, as measured using a foot candle meter at a pre-set distance. This requirement is based on levels established by the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IESNA) for Light Emitting Diode (LED) signage as amended from time to time. ... (4)Electronic message centers and automatic changing signs ... shall be prohibited in residential areas and areas of low intensity (CD, CFV, IS, MN, NA, OS, PR, SS, SR, SR-L, UR, URM, URM-L).
Full Breakdown
Monroe County's sign code, Chapter 142 of the Land Development Code, treats electronic message centers and digital signs as a distinct, tightly restricted category rather than an ordinary permitted sign. Section 142-6(f)(3) requires that electronic message centers and digital signs shall contain static, motionless messages only, and bars any form of motion, or the optical illusion of movement, video or varying light intensity, audio mechanisms, and any message that continues onto a subsequently displayed message. 3-footcandle ceiling as ambient light changes. 3 footcandles. Beyond those technical limits, Section 142-8(b)(4) removes electronic message centers and automatic changing signs from residential and low-intensity districts entirely, covering the CD, CFV, IS, MN, NA, OS, PR, SS, SR, SR-L, UR, URM and URM-L land use districts, so a digital sign can only be sited in the county's commercial and industrial zoning categories, and even there it must meet every static-message and brightness standard above. A malfunctioning sign must default to an off or all-black display rather than freeze on an image or flash.
Violations & Fines
Sign violations are enforced under Chapter 8 of the county code: a code compliance officer can cite a violator, and the code compliance special magistrate may order fines of up to $1,000 per day for a first violation, up to $5,000 per day for a repeat violation, and up to $15,000 for an irreparable or irreversible violation, with unpaid fines recorded as liens against the property.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are digital billboards allowed in residential areas of the unincorporated Keys?
How bright can an electronic message sign be?
Can a digital sign scroll, flash or play video in Monroe County?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Monroe County
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