Pasco, WA Sign Regulations: Digital Billboards (2026)
Key Facts
- Min. message duration
- 8 seconds between changes
- Max. transition time
- 2 seconds
- Brightness cap
- 0.3 foot-candle over ambient at 150 ft
- Citywide billboard cap
- 25 structures (digital + static)
- Max size / height
- 250 sq ft / 35 feet
Summary
Pasco caps digital billboards at an 8-second minimum message change, a 2-second transition, and 0.3 foot-candle brightness over ambient light measured at 150 feet, with a mandatory light sensor. Only 25 billboard sign structures (digital or static) are allowed citywide, at 250 square feet, 35 feet tall.
"Sign - billboard, digital" means an off-premises sign or off-premises sign structure supported by one or more uprights and braces in the ground, erected entirely upon private property, upon which general advertising messages are changed by any electronic process or remote control; provided, that the change from one message to another message is no more frequent than once every eight seconds and the actual change process is accomplished in two seconds or less. The display will operate at an illumination intensity not to exceed three-tenths (0.3) foot-candles over ambient light as measured at 150 feet and must be equipped with a light sensor that automatically adjusts the intensity of the display in real-time according to the amount of ambient light.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 4837, passed May 4, 2026).
Full Breakdown
010 places 'freestanding digital billboard' signs in the office/commercial composite allowance category alongside static billboards, both permitted at up to 250 square feet, 35 feet in height, with a 500-foot spacing requirement, a 6-foot setback and a footnote capping the City at a combined 'Maximum 25 billboard sign structures in City,' meaning digital and conventional billboards share the same 25-structure ceiling. Footnote 7 to the table further flags that signs visible from Washington State Highways may also need approval under the Highway Advertising Control Act of 1971 from the Washington State Department of Transportation, in addition to City sign review.
Because billboards, digital or not, are freestanding structures requiring a building permit under the sign allowance table's 'yes' permit column, an applicant must obtain City approval before installing or converting a sign to digital operation.
Violations & Fines
Signs erected in violation of the sign allowance table or definitions, including a digital billboard that changes message faster than every 8 seconds or exceeds the 0.3 foot-candle brightness limit, are treated as prohibited or noncompliant signs subject to the City's general sign enforcement and removal authority under PMC 17.15.040, and any structure built without the required permit is unlawful under the City's building permit provisions.
Frequently Asked Questions
How fast can a digital billboard message change in Pasco?
Is there a brightness limit for digital billboards in Pasco?
How many billboards, digital or otherwise, can Pasco have?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Pasco
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