Stonecrest, GA Sign Regulations: Digital Billboards (2026)
Key Facts
- Allowed districts
- C-1, C-2, M, M-2 only
- Illumination cap
- 6,300 nits day / 500 nits night
- Minimum display time
- 6 seconds per message
- Electronic area limit
- 25 percent of permitted sign
- Billboards
- prohibited outright, § 21-62(22)
- Certification deadline
- licensed engineer, by Jan. 31
Summary
In the City of Stonecrest, digital and electronic signs are allowed only as part of an already-permitted sign in the C-1, C-2, M, and M-2 zoning districts under Stonecrest Code § 21-74(a), while freestanding billboard signs are banned outright citywide under § 21-62(22).
(a)Electronic signs shall be allowed as part of a lawfully permitted sign only in C-1, C-2, M, and M-2 zoning districts, but only if the electronic sign complies with all of the following requirements:(1)No message may be displayed for less than six seconds;(2)No message may be repeated at intervals less than three seconds; ... (5)Electronic signs shall not exceed a maximum illumination of 6,300 nits during the daylight hours and a maximum illumination of 500 nits between dusk to dawn, as measured from the sign's face at maximum brightness; and(6)The electronic sign shall be limited to 25 percent of the sign area of the lawfully permitted sign.
Full Breakdown
Chapter 21 treats electronic signage as an add-on to a sign that already has a permit, never as a freestanding structure of its own. Section 21-74(a) confines electronic signs to the C-1, C-2, M, and M-2 zoning districts and layers on six operating limits: no message may display for less than six seconds, no message may repeat at intervals shorter than three seconds, no segmented message may run longer than ten seconds, traveling messages must move between 16 and 32 light columns per second, illumination is capped at 6,300 nits in daylight and 500 nits from dusk to dawn measured at the sign face, and the electronic portion is limited to 25 percent of the lawfully permitted sign's area.
Subsection (b) carves out a narrower residential allowance: one electronic sign for a place of worship or a public or private elementary, middle, or high school in listed residential and mixed-use districts, capped at 15 feet in height and 100 square feet of copy area, with the same 6,300/500-nit limits and a required default freeze-and-black-screen setting for malfunctions. Subsection (c) bars any electronic sign from blinking, scrolling, or flashing in a way that simulates movement. Subsection (d) requires the sign owner or permit holder to file an annual certification from a Georgia-licensed electrical engineer confirming the lighting meets these standards, due to the Director no later than January 31 each year.
Separately, § 21-62(22) prohibits billboard signs outright anywhere in the city, so a true freestanding digital billboard has no path to approval in Stonecrest at all.
Violations & Fines
An electronic sign installed outside C-1, C-2, M, or M-2, one that violates the timing or nit limits of § 21-74, or an owner who fails to file the January 31 engineer certification is subject to citation under § 21-28. A freestanding billboard is banned outright under § 21-62(22) with no permit path. The Code's general penalty in § 1-11(c)(1) applies: up to $1,000.00 in fines, up to 120 days in jail, or both, with each day a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a business put up a digital billboard in Stonecrest?
How bright can an electronic sign be at night?
Can a church or school outside the commercial districts have an electronic sign?
Who has to certify an electronic sign's lighting each year?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Stonecrest
Compare Stonecrest to another location·View the Georgia sign regulations overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.