Penn Hills, PA Sign Regulations: Digital Billboards (2026)
Key Facts
- Where allowed
- I-1 and I-2 Districts only
- LED faces
- permitted, changing messages allowed
- State standard
- PennDOT Publication 581, § 5.04
- Separation distance
- 1,000 feet apart minimum
- Interstate-adjacent size cap
- 672 square feet per face
Summary
Penn Hills allows LED billboards with electronically changing messages, but only in I-1 and I-2 Industrial Districts, and every such sign must meet PennDOT's digital-billboard standards under Publication 581.
Billboards are not permitted in any R, C, B, or M District within the Municipality of Penn Hills, or in any residential use in a non-residential district. Billboards are permitted in I-1 and I-2 Districts only.
(2) Billboards must have a minimum separation of 1,000 feet as measured from another billboard on the same side of the roadway.
(3) Billboards located adjacent to an interstate highway shall not exceed 672 square feet in area per sign face. All other billboards shall not exceed 100 square feet in area per sign face.
(4) Billboards may not be mounted on the roof, wall, or other part of a building or any other structure.
(5) All billboards must conform to § 1276.01(g), Subsection (d) hereof and § 1276.03, except billboards located adjacent to an interstate highway shall not exceed 40 feet in height, as measured from the surface of the interstate highway to the top of the billboard.
(6) Billboards may utilize LED sign faces with electronically changing messages and such billboards shall conform to all PennDOT rules and requirements including those contained in Section 5.04 of PennDOT Publication 581, as amended from time to time.
(m)
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4434863; v5 updated 2025-07-21; through 07-21-2025).
Full Breakdown
Chapter 1276 of the Zoning Code governs signs in the Municipality of Penn Hills, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. Billboards are barred from every Residential, Commercial, Business, and Mixed Use District and from any residential use in a non-residential district; the Zoning Code confines them to I-1 and I-2 Industrial Districts. Section 1276.02(l)(6) specifically permits billboards to carry LED sign faces with electronically changing messages, but requires every such sign to conform to all PennDOT rules and requirements, including Section 5.04 of PennDOT Publication 581. Standard billboard limits on separation (1,000 feet) and size (up to 672 square feet near interstates) still apply.
Violations & Fines
Erecting an LED billboard outside the I-1/I-2 Districts, or one that fails to meet PennDOT Publication 581 standards, is a Zoning Code violation subject to the Municipality's enforcement action and fines.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are digital billboards legal in Penn Hills?
Can an LED billboard go up in a Penn Hills business district?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Penn Hills
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Digital Billboards in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Allegheny County handle digital billboards.