Murrieta, CA Sign Regulations: Digital Billboards (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Municipal Code § 16.38.150
- Digital billboards allowed via
- Council-approved relocation agreement only
- Approving body
- Murrieta City Council
- State authority cited
- Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code § 5412
- Additional permits needed
- Building permit + conditional use permit
Summary
Murrieta only permits digital billboards through a city council-approved relocation agreement under Municipal Code Section 16.38.150; a new digital billboard cannot simply apply for a standard sign permit outside that process.
16.38.150 Billboards Subject to a Relocation Agreement. The city recognizes that California Business and Professions Code Section 5412 encourages cities to enter into relocation agreements, and to adopt ordinances or resolutions providing for relocation of billboards. Thus, the intent of this section is to reduce visual clutter; eliminate non-conforming signage; facilitate the relocation and redistribution of existing billboards to more appropriate locations within the city to better serve the advertising needs of the local business community; to allow for incorporation of modern technology into relocated billboards in the form of digital displays; and to eliminate payment of public funds for the removal of existing billboards to accommodate a public project.
B. Review Process. All relocation agreements shall be reviewed and approved by the city council.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-23: A Codification of the General Ordinances of the City of Murrieta, California through Ord. 634-26, passed 7-7-2026).
Full Breakdown
' In practice that means digital displays on billboards are only authorized when an existing billboard is relocated under a negotiated agreement, not as a standalone permit for a new digital sign. Every relocation agreement must identify the billboard being removed and the relocated billboard's location, include conceptual design drawings with sign area and dimensions, and describe any revenue the city will receive. The city council must review and approve the agreement, making six required findings, including that the relocation reduces visual clutter citywide, does not create traffic or safety problems, and does not interfere with required parking or landscaping.
Only billboards that already comply with the Murrieta Municipal Code, or that are legal nonconforming billboards as of the section's adoption, are eligible to relocate. Relocated billboards need a building permit at minimum, plus a conditional use permit and either a lease/license (on city property) or a development agreement (on private property), and any nonconforming billboard that is relocated under an approved agreement loses its nonconforming status going forward. 38 provides for digital billboard displays in the city.
Violations & Fines
Constructing or operating a digital billboard without an approved relocation agreement, conditional use permit, and building permit violates Section 16.38.150 and is enforceable under Murrieta Municipal Code Section 1.32.010: an infraction citation carrying up to $100 for a first offense, $200 for a second within a year, and $500 for further offenses, or the city may pursue a misdemeanor (up to $1,000 and six months in jail), a civil abatement action, or an administrative citation, with each day of noncompliance treated as a separate violation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I build a new digital billboard in Murrieta without relocating an existing one?
Who approves a digital billboard relocation agreement in Murrieta?
What permits does a relocated digital billboard need beyond the relocation agreement in Murrieta?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Murrieta
California rules heatmap·Compare Murrieta to another location·View the California sign regulations overview
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