Peoria, AZ Sign Regulations: Digital Billboards (2026)
Key Facts
- EMC definition
- Peoria City Code § 21-705
- Where allowed
- Wherever changeable copy is permitted, § 21-709(C)
- LED brightness cap
- 0.3 foot-candles above ambient light
- Other illuminated sign cap
- 0.6 foot-candles above ambient light
- Residential dark hours
- 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. within 200 feet of homes
- Flashing-sign threshold
- More than 2 message changes per day
- Permit validity
- 180 days to complete authorized work
Summary
Peoria allows electronic message centers on permanent signs wherever changeable copy is otherwise permitted under City Code § 21-709(C), but caps LED brightness at 0.3 foot-candles above ambient light and requires illuminated signs near homes to go dark between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. Message changes no more than twice daily avoid the flashing-sign rule.
C. Changeable Copy. Electronic message centers may be utilized for permanent signs where changeable copy is permitted. ... E. Illumination: 1. In residential zoning districts, illuminated signs for permitted non-residential uses within two hundred (200) feet of residential uses or undeveloped residentially zoned property, whether directly adjacent or across a road, shall go dark between the hours of 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. or when the establishment is closed, unless otherwise permitted within this Section. 2. All signs with exposed LED illumination shall be limited to a brightness of 0.3 foot candles above ambient lighting. All other internally illuminated signs shall be limited to a brightness of 0.6 foot candles above ambient lighting.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-9: Supplement contains: LLocal legislation current through Ord. 2026-15, passed 6-16-26).
Full Breakdown
Peoria's Sign Code treats an Electronic Message Center or Board as a sign that is static and changes messages by any electronic process or remote control, defined at § 21-705. Under § 21-709(C), electronic message centers may be utilized for permanent signs where changeable copy is permitted, meaning EMCs are not a separate sign category but an allowed display method wherever the applicable sign type in Tables 1 or 2 already authorizes changeable copy. Section 21-709(E) sets illumination limits that apply to EMCs along with other lit signs.
6 foot-candles above ambient. or when the business closes. The Sign Code's flashing-sign definition at § 21-705 gives EMCs a specific carve-out: a message change no more frequent than twice per day is not treated as flashing, which would otherwise be a prohibited sign under § 21-706. All illumination must also comply with Peoria's Dark Sky lighting requirements in Chapter 20 of the City Code. A sign permit under § 21-711 is required, expires if the work is not completed within 180 days, and can be revoked for fraud or misrepresentation.
Violations & Fines
EMCs and other signs are administered under Sign Code § 21-711: the Department may revoke a permit obtained by fraud or misrepresentation after mailed or posted notice, and a sign permit becomes void if the authorized work is not completed within 180 days. Beyond permit administration, sign violations fall under the Zoning Ordinance's general enforcement scheme at § 21-114, civil or criminal, with abatement available under Code § 17-59.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a business in Peoria put up a digital billboard?
How bright can an LED sign be in Peoria?
Does an electronic sign near my house have to turn off at night?
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Sources & Official References
Other rules in Peoria
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