Simi Valley, CA Sign Regulations: Digital Billboards (2026)
Key Facts
- Max message change rate
- 1 message per 30 seconds
- Content limit
- Text only, no graphics
- Hours near residential zones
- 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.
- Max height
- 8 feet, freestanding only
- Max display area
- 40 square feet
Summary
Electronic changeable copy signs in Simi Valley cannot flash, animate, or change message faster than once every 30 seconds. Signs near residential zones must go dark between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m., and text-only displays cap out at 40 square feet on an 8-foot freestanding structure.
G.Electronic changeable copy sign standards.1.The display illumination shall not have continuous motion or appear to be in continuous motion.2.The message rate shall not change at a rate faster than one message every 30 seconds.3.The intensity of the illumination shall neither change nor flash.4.For signs located within or abutting residential zones, the hours of operation are limited to 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.5.The display is limited to text only and no graphics/pictures are allowed.6.The sign shall be freestanding only with a maximum height of eight feet and a total area allowed for electronic display limited to 40 square feet.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 51).
Full Breakdown
050(G) sets six mandatory standards for electronic changeable copy signs. The display illumination cannot have continuous motion or appear to be in continuous motion, and the message rate cannot change faster than one message every 30 seconds, ruling out the scrolling and rapid-transition displays common on true digital billboards. The intensity of the illumination cannot change or flash. , shutting the display off overnight. Content is restricted to text only, with no graphics or pictures allowed, and the sign must be freestanding, capped at eight feet in height, with the total electronic display area limited to 40 square feet.
050(D)(1), abatable under the City's Property Maintenance Ordinance. Because full-motion digital billboards inherently violate the no-continuous-motion, no-graphics, and 30-second message-rate rules, the ordinance functions as a de facto ban on true billboard-style video displays while allowing static, slow-changing text signage.
Violations & Fines
A sign that violates the electronic sign standards is an unlawful public nuisance under SVMC Section 9-37.090(A), subject to removal proceedings under Chapter 9-78 (Enforcement of Development Code Provisions); the Director may also ask the City Council to declare an illegible or unsafe sign a public nuisance under Section 9-37.090(B) after notice to the sign and property owners.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are digital billboards with video allowed in Simi Valley?
Can an electronic sign run all night near a Simi Valley neighborhood?
How big can an electronic sign be in Simi Valley?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Simi Valley
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Digital Billboards in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Ventura County handle digital billboards.