Oklahoma City, OK Sign Regulations: Digital Billboards (2026)
Key Facts
- No-sign zone
- Dean A. McGee Ave to N. Hudson Ave
- EMD Commission review
- Required over 25 sq ft
- Reviewing body
- Downtown Design Commission
- Reason cited
- Respect for OKC National Memorial
Summary
Oklahoma City bans off-premise billboards and Electronic Message Display (EMD) signs in a defined downtown zone around the National Memorial, while requiring Downtown Design Commission approval for any EMD sign over 25 square feet citywide in the design districts.
In order to respect the dignity of the Oklahoma City National Memorial, Off-Premise Signs/Billboards, Electronic Message Display (EMD) signs, Supergraphics (Wallscapes/Building Wraps/Large Display Banners), Projection Image Signs, Murals, and Temporary Signs in Certain Public Rights-of-Way (see 59-16113) shall not be permitted in an area of the DBD district located between Dean A McGee Avenue, NW 7th Street, North Broadway Avenue and North Hudson Avenue.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 5 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
The Downtown Design Districts code, § 59-7200.1.F(6)(e), prohibits off-premise signs, billboards, and Electronic Message Display (EMD) signs in the blocks bounded by Dean A. McGee Avenue, NW 7th Street, North Broadway Avenue, and North Hudson Avenue, the area surrounding the Oklahoma City National Memorial, 'in order to respect the dignity' of the site. Outside that no-sign zone, any EMD sign larger than 25 square feet anywhere in the DBD, DTD-1, or DTD-2 Downtown Design Districts must get a Certificate of Approval from the Downtown Design Commission; EMD signs 25 square feet or smaller can be cleared administratively by Planning Department staff under § 59-7200.1.C.
Violations & Fines
Installing a billboard or EMD sign inside the Memorial no-sign zone, or an EMD sign over 25 square feet without a Certificate of Approval, is a code violation enforced through a stop-work order and mandatory removal.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I install a digital billboard near the OKC National Memorial?
Do downtown digital signs need city approval?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Oklahoma City
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Digital Billboards in Nearby Cities
How other cities in this county handle digital billboards.