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DeKalb County, GA Sign Regulations: Digital Billboards (2026)

Significant Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified August 2026

Key Facts

Allowed zones
C-1, C-2, M, M-2 only
Day brightness cap
6,300 nits maximum
Night brightness cap
500 nits, dusk-dawn
Message hold time
At least 1 second

Summary

DeKalb County limits digital and electronic signs to commercial and industrial zoning districts, bans them in historic residential districts, and sets strict timing and brightness rules for the ones that are allowed.

These county ordinances apply to unincorporated areas of DeKalb County. Incorporated cities within the county may have their own rules that take precedence over county-level regulations.

Electronic signs shall be allowed only in C-1, C-2, M, and M-2 zoning districts, but only if the electronic sign complies with all of the following requirements: (1) No message may be displayed for less than one (1) second; (2) No message may be repeated at intervals less than two (2) seconds; (3) No segmented message may last longer than ten (10) seconds; and (4) No traveling message may travel at a rate slower than sixteen (16) light columns per second or faster than thirty-two (32) light columns per second.

View official code

Full Breakdown

DeKalb County Code § 21-22 confines electronic signs to C-1, C-2, M, and M-2 districts, or to places of worship and public/private K-12 schools in a list of residential districts: never in a historic residential district. Messages must display for at least one second, cannot repeat faster than every two seconds, no segment may run past ten seconds, and traveling text must move between 16 and 32 light columns per second. Commercial electronic signs also cap brightness at 6,300 nits by day and 500 nits from dusk to dawn, with a required default freeze-frame mode if the sign malfunctions.

Violations & Fines

Signs that exceed the district, timing, or brightness limits are code violations enforceable under chapter 21's general sign permit denial, revocation, and penalty provisions (§ 21-6, § 21-8).

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a business put up a digital billboard anywhere in DeKalb County?
No: electronic signs are limited to C-1, C-2, M, and M-2 zoning districts, plus certain schools and places of worship; they're banned in historic residential districts.
How bright can a DeKalb County electronic sign be?
Up to 6,300 nits during the day, dropping to a maximum of 500 nits from dusk to dawn, measured at the sign face at full brightness.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in DeKalb County

Parking Rules: Street Parking LimitsSome RestrictionsGarage Sale SignsSome RestrictionsWindow SignsSome RestrictionsPolitical SignsSignificant RestrictionsHoliday DisplaysFew RestrictionsNoise Ordinances: Decibel LimitsSome RestrictionsNoise Ordinances: Barking DogsSome RestrictionsNoise Ordinances: Aircraft NoiseLight RestrictionsParking Rules: Preferential Parking DistrictsSome RestrictionsParking Rules: Commercial & Oversized VehiclesSignificant Restrictions

All DeKalb County rules

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