Pittsburgh, PA Sign Regulations: Digital Billboards (2026)
Key Facts
- Where allowed
- AS-O Subdistrict A only
- Approval needed
- Zoning Board Special Exception
- Dwell time
- No change faster than 30 sec
- Night brightness cap
- 250 nits after sunset
- Day brightness cap
- 2,500 nits
Summary
Electronic advertising signs need a Zoning Board Special Exception, are confined to AS-O Subdistrict A, and face strict brightness and dwell-time limits.
Electronic Signs as defined in Section 919.01.C.3 shall be permitted within AS-O - Subdistrict A only, and shall be approved by the Zoning Board of Adjustment as Special Exceptions... (a) Motion. All motion is prohibited on an electronic advertising sign face. ... (c) Brightness. During daylight hours between sunrise and sunset, luminance shall be no greater than two thousand five hundred (2,500) nits. At all other times, luminance shall be no greater than two hundred fifty (250) nits.
Full Breakdown
Pittsburgh allows electronic advertising signs only in the AS-O Subdistrict A (industrial/near-highway zoning), and only after the Zoning Board of Adjustment grants a Special Exception under § 922.07. Text or images can't change more than once every 30 seconds, all motion is banned, and nighttime luminance is capped at 250 nits (2,500 nits by day) with an automatic dimmer. New signs are barred from Historic Districts and the RIV district, and operators must file an annual compliance certification.
Violations & Fines
No violation schedule stated in Chapter 919; erecting or operating an electronic advertising sign without a Special Exception approval or outside these standards makes it an illegal/nonconforming sign subject to Bureau of Building Inspection zoning enforcement.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a digital billboard be placed anywhere in Pittsburgh?
Can a Pittsburgh digital billboard show video or animation?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Pittsburgh
Compare Pittsburgh to another location·View the Pennsylvania sign regulations overview
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Digital Billboards in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Allegheny County handle digital billboards.