San Jose, CA Sign Regulations: Digital Billboards (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing rule
- SJMC § 23.02.1010(A)(2) and (A)(5)
- Billboards
- Banned citywide, no new construction
- Digital signs
- Programmable electronic signs banned citywide
- Exceptions
- Only in a few pilot special sign zones
- Enforcement
- Public nuisance; injunction or private suit
Summary
San Jose Municipal Code § 23.02.1010(A) prohibits billboards and programmable electronic (LCD, plasma, digital) signs citywide, unless another part of the sign title expressly carves out an exception, such as a handful of pilot special sign zones.
A.Unless otherwise expressly allowed in this title, the following signs are prohibited:1.Animated signs.2.Billboards.3.Inflatable or balloon signs.4.Mechanical movement signs.5.Programmable electronic signs.6.Portable signs.7.Roof signs.8.Flat roof-top signs.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 5 Update 3).
Full Breakdown
Section 23.02.1010(A) bans billboards (poster panels and painted bulletins, defined at § 23.02.090) and programmable electronic signs, display screens 'commonly known as liquid crystal display (LCD), plasma and digital displays' per § 23.02.410, everywhere in the city unless expressly allowed elsewhere in the title. A few special sign zones, including the Stevens Creek Boulevard and Oakridge/Blossom Hill pilot areas (§ 23.02.860), permit limited digital signage, but those signs must still meet the animation, brightness-cap, and 10 p.m.-6 a.m. curfew standards of § 23.02.905. Older legal nonconforming billboards could seek relocation under § 23.04.400, and a separate rotating-message-billboard conversion pilot (§ 23.04.500) has since expired.
Violations & Fines
Erecting a prohibited billboard or digital sign is a declared public nuisance (§ 23.02.830); the city can seek an injunction, and any owner or occupant within 600 feet of a violating sign may sue and recover court costs, attorneys' fees, and up to $1,000 (§ 23.02.840).
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I install a digital billboard in San Jose?
Are any digital signs allowed anywhere in the city?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in San Jose
California rules heatmap·Compare San Jose to another location·View the California sign regulations overview
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Digital Billboards in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Santa Clara County handle digital billboards.