Pocatello, ID Sign Regulations: Digital Billboards (2026)
Key Facts
- Minimum hold time
- 8 seconds per message/frame
- Transition time
- 2 seconds or less, static after
- Brightness cap
- 0.3 foot-candle over ambient
- Curfew
- Dark 9:30 p.m. to 6:30 a.m. (Res./RCP)
- Max EMCs per property
- One, unless sign master plan
Summary
Digital signs in Pocatello, called Electronic Message Centers, must run static messages held at least 8 seconds each with no animation or streaming video, stay under 0.3 foot-candle above ambient light, and go dark between 9:30 p.m. and 6:30 a.m. in Residential and RCP zones under City Code section 17.07.050.F.
F. Electronic Message Centers (EMC). Signs that may contain electronic messaging shall be permitted in accordance with the following criteria: 1. Messaging. Such signs shall contain static messages only and shall not have animation. No chasing, blinking, rotating or flashing shall be employed in displaying a message or image, or during the change from one message or image to another. No streaming video shall be displayed. ... ... c. Each message or frame must be displayed for a minimum of eight (8) seconds. 2. Amount. Only one (1) EMC per property shall be permitted, unless otherwise approved through the sign master plan process. ... ... a. EMCs shall not exceed 0.3 foot-candle over ambient lighting conditions when measured pursuant to the requirements of this subsection. ... d. Curfew. ... All electronic message displays located in a Residential or RCP zone shall not be illuminated between 9:30 p.m. and 6:30 a.m.
Full Breakdown
Section 17.07.050.F regulates Electronic Message Centers (EMCs) citywide. Messaging must be static: no chasing, blinking, rotating or flashing display and no streaming video, and any automated change of message or image must complete within 2 seconds and freeze on a default design if the sign malfunctions; each message or frame must display for a minimum of 8 seconds before changing. Only one EMC per property is permitted unless a sign master plan authorizes more, and an EMC's area counts toward the property's total allowed sign area under the section 17.07.050.D Sign Standards Table, where EMCs are barred entirely for residential uses in the RE, RL, RMS, RMM, RH and RCP rows and permitted by CUP for non-residential uses in those same zones, or permitted outright in CC, CG, OP, LI and I districts.
EMCs cannot be installed on a legal non-conforming sign. Illumination is capped at 0.3 foot-candle over ambient lighting, measured with an illuminance meter reading the base ambient level and then the EMC's added light, and every EMC must carry an automated dimmer that adjusts to ambient conditions. Section 17.07.050.F.5.d imposes a curfew: electronic message displays in a Residential or RCP zone must go dark between 9:30 p.m. and 6:30 a.m.
Violations & Fines
An EMC that animates, streams video, changes faster than the 8-second minimum hold, exceeds the 0.3 foot-candle brightness cap, or stays lit past 9:30 p.m. in a Residential or RCP zone violates section 17.07.050.F and section 17.07.020.A's general unlawful-sign prohibition. Because EMCs in residential zones require a CUP for non-residential uses, operating one without that approval, or installing one on a non-conforming sign structure, exposes the sign owner to enforcement by Planning and Development Services or the Building Official, including required correction or removal.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a digital sign in Pocatello scroll video or animate?
Is there a curfew for illuminated digital signs?
How bright can an EMC be in Pocatello?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Pocatello
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