Toledo, OH Sign Regulations: Digital Billboards (2026)
Key Facts
- EMC placement
- Only on-premise ground/monument signs, one per parcel
- Message change rate
- No more than once every 8 seconds
- Animation/flashing/scrolling
- Prohibited at all times
- Curfew near residential
- Off by 10 p.m.–6 a.m. within 100 feet
- Brightness limit
- Max 0.3 fc increase over ambient at 100 feet
- Off-premise billboards
- No new ones permitted in code overlays; not a citywide category
Summary
Toledo's sign code has no permit category for freestanding off-premise digital billboards. Electronic Message Centers (EMCs) are allowed only as part of an on-premise ground or residential monument sign, capped at one per parcel, with strict brightness, dimming and update-speed limits under Toledo Municipal Code 1113.0506.
C. An EMC is only permitted as a part of a low profile, medium profile, or high profile ground sign, or a residential monument sign. An EMC is not permitted as any building sign, a shopping center ground sign, or another special sign type except for an internal sign. ... F. Only one (1) EMC shall be permitted per premises. ... H.1. EMCs located within one hundred (100) feet of a residentially zoned district or use must be turned off when the use is closed or between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m., whichever is more restrictive. ... 2. Displayed messages may change no more than one time every eight (8) seconds. 3. Movement including animation, flashing and scrolling is prohibited at all times. Only static text or images are permitted.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-105: Complete to June 30, 2026).
Full Breakdown
0506, is the only rule addressing digital/electronic sign displays. C). F). 1). 2-3). 4-5). Separately, two overlay districts (including the UpTown Overlay) explicitly state that "Additional Off-Premise Signs (Billboards) are prohibited," while allowing existing legal nonconforming billboards to remain under Chapter 1113's nonconforming-sign rules.
Violations & Fines
Installing an EMC or digital display outside the permitted ground-sign/monument-sign categories, running more than one EMC per parcel, changing copy faster than every eight seconds, or using animation, flashing or scrolling triggers a code violation enforceable by the Division of Building Inspection under the general sign-permit provisions of Chapter 1113. A sign erected without a required permit or in a prohibited configuration is treated as an unlawful sign subject to removal, and continuing to operate a noncompliant EMC exposes the owner to municipal code penalties under Toledo's general enforcement provisions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a company build a new digital billboard in Toledo?
How fast can an EMC's message change in Toledo?
Does an EMC have to turn off at night?
What happens to existing billboards that predate the current code?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Toledo
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