Santa Clara County Title C zoning prohibits new off-premises digital billboards in unincorporated areas. The California Outdoor Advertising Act sets statewide controls along Interstate and primary highways and requires Caltrans permits for any roadside display.
Unincorporated Santa Clara County does not allow new off-premises digital or electronic message-center billboards under Title C zoning regulations. The County treats digital conversion of legacy billboards as a new sign requiring full permitting, which is generally denied outside designated commercial corridors. Statewide, the California Outdoor Advertising Act, Business and Professions Code §5200 et seq., regulates outdoor advertising visible from Interstate and primary highways, caps brightness and illumination change intervals, and requires a Caltrans Outdoor Advertising permit before construction. Scenic-corridor designations along US-101 and SR-152 add further restrictions. On-premises business signs and existing legal-nonconforming static billboards are not affected by the digital ban.
Erecting an unpermitted digital billboard exposes the owner to County abatement orders, daily civil penalties, and Caltrans removal under Business and Professions Code §5463 along with restitution of any advertising revenue collected.
See how San Jose's digital billboards rules stack up against other locations.
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