Mosinee, WI Sign Regulations: Digital Billboards (2026)
Key Facts
- Segmented message hold time
- 0.5 to 10 seconds
- Traveling message speed
- 16 to 32 light columns/sec
- Allowed content
- On-premises activities or public service info
- Governing section
- Sec. 42-952(b)
- Permit
- Standard sign permit still required
Summary
Mosinee allows electronic message unit signs, the code's term for digital billboards and changeable-message displays, but only to advertise on-site activities or show public service information. Sec. 42-952(b) fixes exact timing: segmented messages must hold for at least half a second and no more than ten seconds, and traveling text is capped between 16 and 32 light columns per second.
(b)Electronic message unit signs.(1)Such signs may be used only to advertise activities conducted on the premises or to present public service information.(2)Segmented messages must be displayed for not less than one-half second and more than ten seconds.(3)Traveling messages may travel no slower than 16 light columns per second and no faster than 32 columns per second.
Full Breakdown
Sec. 42-927 defines an electronic message unit sign as any sign whose message can be changed electronically, including copy, art, graphics, time, date, temperature, weather or advertising for products sold on the premises, and it expressly covers both traveling and segmented message displays. Sec. 42-952(b) then sets the operating limits for the City of Mosinee: the sign may be used only to advertise activities conducted on the premises or to present public service information, ruling out off-premises digital billboard advertising for a fee. Segmented messages, the kind that hold one screen of text before switching to the next, must display for not less than one-half second and no more than ten seconds, preventing a display so fast it becomes a distraction or a hazard to drivers.
Traveling or scrolling messages are held to a speed band of no slower than 16 light columns per second and no faster than 32 columns per second. Because an electronic message unit sign is still a sign under Sec. 42-929(a), it needs the same zoning inspector permit as any other sign, with the application covering illumination and wiring, and it must also meet the general construction standards of Sec. 42-951, including the ban on interference with surrounding properties or traffic and the 25-watt cap on flashing-sign bulbs.
Violations & Fines
An electronic message unit sign that scrolls faster than 32 light columns per second, holds a segmented message for less than half a second, or advertises an off-premises business violates Sec. 42-952(b). Sec. 42-930(c) treats a noncompliant sign as a public nuisance the zoning inspector can sue to abate, on top of the penalty set in Sec. 42-67, and the building inspector can also order it removed if it becomes a traffic hazard.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a business in Mosinee put up a digital sign that scrolls text?
How long must an electronic sign hold each message before changing?
Can I rent space on a digital sign to advertise someone else's business?
Does an electronic sign still need a building permit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Mosinee
Compare Mosinee to another location·View the Wisconsin sign regulations overview
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Digital Billboards in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Marathon County handle digital billboards.