Sangamon County, IL Sign Regulations: Digital Billboards (2026)
Key Facts
- Off-premise/billboard signs
- Banned unless state-Act compliant
- Flashing/animated signs
- Banned
- Digital time/temp/weather exception
- 16 sq ft max
- Governing section
- § 17.62.030
Summary
Sangamon County bans off-premise billboards outright unless they meet Illinois's Outdoor Advertising Control Act, and separately bans flashing or animated signs: a true digital billboard has no path to approval in the unincorporated area.
Off-Premise Signs except those that meet the requirements of the Illinois Outdoor Advertising Control Act of 1971, as amended, 225 ILCS 440/1 et seq. Flashing signs except digital display signs which indicate the time, temperature or weather or other similar information shall not be considered flashing signs, provided that the total area of such sign is not greater than sixteen (16) square feet. Animated Signs. Signs which move or give the appearance of movement. This category includes signs which flutter, undulate, swing, rotate, oscillate or otherwise move by natural or artificial means. Signs in violation of Section 17.40.010 (B) concerning obstructions on corner lots at the intersection of any two streets. In this restricted area pole signs with a sixteen (16) inches maximum pole diameter and clearance of ten (10) feet between the bottom of the sign and grade shall be permitted. (Res. 12 Ex. D(part), May 8, 2001)
HISTORY Amended by Res. Res 7-1 on 11/14/2023
Full Breakdown
Section 17.62.030 prohibits off-premise signs, the billboard category, unless they meet the Illinois Outdoor Advertising Control Act of 1971, 225 ILCS 440/1 et seq., and separately bans flashing and animated signs outright. The only carve-out is a small digital display limited to 16 square feet that shows nothing but time, temperature or weather; anything larger, or carrying advertising copy, falls back into the flashing/animated ban. In practice, a full-size electronic message-center billboard cannot be permitted on unincorporated county land without state Outdoor Advertising Act compliance.
Violations & Fines
Erecting or maintaining a prohibited sign is unlawful under § 17.62.020 and enforced as a zoning violation under § 17.78.010: a petty offense fined $25–$500 per day the sign remains up.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I put up a digital billboard along a county road?
Are small electronic time-and-temperature signs allowed?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Sangamon County
Compare Sangamon County to another location·View the Illinois sign regulations overview
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