Troy, MI Sign Regulations: Digital Billboards (2026)

Digital signage in Troy is governed as an "Electronic Message Sign" (EMS) under Sec. 85.03.06 of the Sign Chapter. An EMS is permitted solely as a ground sign, never a wall or roof sign, and is subject to the height and area limits of the zoning district it sits in; only one EMS is allowed per premise. The electronic portion of that ground sign cannot exceed 50 square feet regardless of how large the district otherwise allows the ground sign itself to be.

Operationally, the ordinance restricts how the display behaves as much as how big it is. Each message has to stay on screen for at least one minute before changing, and the change from one message to the next must be instantaneous, without dissolve, fade, or other transition effects. An EMS cannot exhibit any movement or flashing, and the code specifically bars dynamic frame effects, scrolling, or traveling text. It also cannot resemble or simulate a warning signal or an official traffic sign or signal, and it cannot carry an audio message.

Brightness is separately capped: illumination cannot exceed 0.3 foot-candles above ambient light, measured at night with a calibrated meter at a distance set by the sign's square footage under Table 85.03.06. Every EMS must be equipped with a default mechanism that reverts the display to a black screen if any component malfunctions, a non-glare panel to cut glare, and a sensor that automatically dims the sign as ambient light changes, so a digital sign that runs too bright at night, changes too fast, or lacks the auto-dim sensor is out of compliance even if its size is within the 50-square-foot cap.