Loudoun County, VA Sign Regulations: Digital Billboards (2026)
Key Facts
- Off-premise billboards
- Prohibited under § 8.03.A.2
- On-premise digital signs
- Governed by § 8.08
- Message hold time
- 6 seconds minimum, fade transitions only
- Max digital sign height
- 25 feet to top of face
- Hours
- Must shut off when business closed
- Maintenance
- Repair broken modules within 30 days
Summary
Loudoun County bans stand-alone off-premise signs outright under Zoning Ordinance Section 8.03.A.2, so third-party digital billboards aren't a permitted use in the unincorporated county. Where an on-premise digital sign is allowed, Section 8.08 caps brightness and height, ties operating hours to the business, and requires 6-second static messages with fade transitions only.
Applicability. Section 8.08 applies to any illuminated sign. Types of illumination include: digital, backlight, external illumination, and halo lit... Hours of operation for illuminated and digital signs are limited to the hours of operation associated with the establishment. The establishment must shut off all illumination and digital content when the establishment is closed... Each message on the sign must be displayed for at least 6 seconds duration. Digital signs must contain static messages changed only through dissolve or fade transitions and must not have movement or the appearance or optical illusion of movement during the static display period of any part of the sign.
Full Breakdown
2 lists Off-Premise Signs among Prohibited Signs, with narrow exceptions only for government/VDOT signs and off-premise signs "specifically provided for" elsewhere in Chapter 8. That means a stand-alone digital billboard advertising an unrelated business off-site is not a permitted use anywhere in the unincorporated county. 08, Illuminated and Digital Signs, which requires that "the intensity of the light source for an illuminated sign must not produce glare, the effect of which constitutes a traffic hazard," caps the highest point of a digital sign face at 25 feet, and states: "Hours of operation for illuminated and digital signs are limited to the hours of operation associated with the establishment.
" Digital messages must hold for "at least 6 seconds" and can change only "through dissolve or fade transitions," with no scrolling, flashing or apparent movement. Every digital sign must carry a light-sensing dimmer and an automatic shutoff or "full black" failover for malfunctions, the sign owner must give the Zoning Administrator a live contact who can shut the sign off, and broken light modules must be repaired or replaced within 30 days of failure.
Violations & Fines
Operating an off-premise digital billboard violates the Section 8.03.A.2 prohibition outright, while an on-premise digital sign that skips the 6-second hold time, uses scrolling or flashing content, runs after the business closes, or lacks a working automatic shutoff violates Section 8.08. Sign violations carry a $200 civil penalty for the first offense and $500 for each additional offense under Section 10.13.E, capped at $5,000 before criminal misdemeanor exposure under Section 10.13.D.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a company put up a digital billboard in Loudoun County?
What rules apply to a business's own digital sign?
Can a digital sign run all night?
What happens if a digital sign malfunctions?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Loudoun County
Compare Loudoun County to another location·View the Virginia sign regulations overview
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