Title 22.140.430 of the LA County Code prohibits digital and electronic message-center billboards in all residential zones of unincorporated areas, allowing them in commercial and industrial zones only with a Conditional Use Permit and strict brightness, dwell-time, and spacing limits.
Title 22.140.430 treats digital billboards as off-site advertising structures requiring a Conditional Use Permit through the Department of Regional Planning. Residential zones including R-1, R-2, R-3, and R-A bar them outright. Commercial and industrial zones permit them subject to: maximum brightness of 0.3 foot-candles above ambient measured at 250 feet, minimum eight-second static dwell time with no animation or video, 1,000-foot spacing between digital faces, and 500-foot setback from residential zones, parks, and schools. The California Outdoor Advertising Act preempts off-site freeway-facing signs separately. Contract cities and incorporated cities maintain their own sign codes which may be stricter or permit different installations.
Operating a digital billboard without a Conditional Use Permit, exceeding brightness limits, or running animation triggers fines up to 1,000 dollars per day under Title 22.140.430(K), plus removal at the operator's expense.
See how Santa Monica's digital billboards rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.