Sioux City, IA Sign Regulations: Digital Billboards (2026)
Key Facts
- Setback from sensitive uses
- 500 feet
- Minimum static duration
- 8 seconds
- Max transition time
- 1 second
- Dimming
- Automatic, ambient-light based
- Compliance deadline (existing signs)
- April 1, 2024
Summary
Sioux City requires digital billboards sit at least 500 feet from residential and sensitive uses, bars animation, and mandates an 8-second static display with automatic dimming.
8. Digital Display Off-Premise Advertising Signs. Digital display off-premises advertising signs shall:
a. Digital display off-premise advertising signs are permitted under the following criteria:
1. The following location standards shall apply to digital display off-premise advertising signs erected after the effective date of this ordinance, including existing non-digital off-premise advertising signs that are converted to digital display signs after said effective date, also referred to as "new".
2. A digital display off-premise advertising sign shall be located to have the visible face a minimum of 500 feet from any residential district, historic district, park, school, religious facility or cemetery.
b. The following criteria shall apply to all digital display off-premise advertising signs. Digital display off- premise advertising signs existing at the date of the adoption of this ordinance shall comply with all of the provisions of this section by April 1, 2024.
1. No animation, flashing, video or scrolling text shall be permitted on a digital display billboard sign during or in transition between messages.
2. Any image or message or part of a message displayed on the sign shall have a minimum duration of eight seconds and shall be a static display.
https://online.encodeplus.com/regs/siouxcity-ia/doc-viewer.aspx#secid-963 924/1110
Full Breakdown
Subsection 25.05.180.4, Item 8 (Digital Display Off-Premise Advertising Signs) of the Sioux City Municipal Code requires new digital display billboards be located with the visible face at least 500 feet from any residential district, historic district, park, school, religious facility, or cemetery. No animation, flashing, video, or scrolling text is allowed during or between messages, each message must display statically for a minimum of 8 seconds with a transition of no more than 1 second, and the sign must carry automatic dimming technology tied to ambient light. Existing digital billboards had to comply by April 1, 2024, and legally conforming static off-premise signs may convert to digital, but nonconforming ones may not.
Violations & Fines
Operating a digital billboard that violates the 500-foot buffer, animation ban, or dimming requirement is enforceable under Subsection 25.06.160.3 as a municipal infraction or misdemeanor, punishable per Sec. 1.04.100.
Frequently Asked Questions
How close can a digital billboard be to a Sioux City neighborhood?
Can a Sioux City digital billboard show video or scrolling text?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Sioux City
Compare Sioux City to another location·View the Iowa sign regulations overview
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