West Valley City, UT Sign Regulations: Digital Billboards (2026)
Key Facts
- Day cap, full color
- 6,000 cd/m2
- Night cap, full color (C-2/C-3/LI/M)
- 1,500 cd/m2
- Night cap, RB/MXD/CC/C-1
- 0 cd/m2 (must go dark)
- Dimming window
- 10:00 PM to 6:00 AM
- Governing section
- WVC Code § 11-5-108
Summary
West Valley City sets numeric daytime/nighttime brightness caps for electronic message signs and requires automatic dimming after 10 p.m.
Lumination during the day for full color electronic message signs shall not exceed 6,000 cd/m2 or NITs. Lumination during the night for full color electronic message signs shall not exceed 1,500 cd/m2 or NITs. Full color electronic message signs shall be dimmed to a maximum of 1,500 cd/m2 or NITs from 10:00 P.M. to 6:00 A.M. Lumination during the day for monochrome color electronic message signs shall not exceed 3,000 cd/m2 or NITs. Lumination during the night for monochrome color electronic message signs shall not exceed 500 cd/m2 or NITs. Monochrome color electronic message signs shall be dimmed to a maximum of 500 cd/m2 or NITs from 10:00 P.M. to 6:00 A.M. Electronic message signs shall also be set with a photocell dimmer to automatically dim with ambient light changes.
b. Lumination shall be set and locked with an access code prior to or at the time of installation of the electronic message sign. The lumination settings shall not be changed or altered at any time for the duration of the electronic message sign’s life, unless approval from West Valley City has been granted in writing.
(6) Lumination standards for electronic messages signs in the RB, MXD, CC, and C-1 zones shall be as follows:
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 26-30, passed June 23, 2026).
Full Breakdown
Section 11-5-108 governs electronic message signs, including those on freeway-oriented billboards. In the C-2, C-3, LI and M zones, full-color displays may not exceed 6,000 cd/m2 by day and must dim to a maximum of 1,500 cd/m2 between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m.; monochrome displays are capped lower, at 3,000 cd/m2 by day and 500 cd/m2 overnight. In the RB, MXD, CC and C-1 zones the overnight cap drops to zero cd/m2, the sign must go dark. Every sign needs a photocell dimmer, and brightness settings must be locked by access code at installation, with building-permit plans stamped to certify the set brightness.
Violations & Fines
A sign exceeding its zone's brightness limits or lacking a locked photocell dimmer is a Title 11 violation; the City can require the sign be re-certified, dimmed, or shut off.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a digital billboard run at full brightness all night in West Valley City?
Are new billboards allowed in West Valley City?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in West Valley City
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