Winnebago County, IL Sign Regulations: Digital Billboards (2026)
Key Facts
- Where allowed by-right
- CG and Industrial districts only
- Special use permit needed
- CC and OP districts
- Static image minimum
- 8 seconds
- Max brightness
- 6,000 nits day / 500 nits night
- Nonconforming conversion
- Prohibited
Summary
Electronic billboards are permitted only in CG and Industrial districts, need a special use permit in CC and OP districts, and are banned everywhere else in unincorporated Winnebago County.
Electronic billboards are a permitted use only in the CG and Industrial Districts. A special use permit is required for electronic billboards in the CC and OP Districts... Each message or image must be static for a minimum of eight (8) seconds. Animation, streaming video and images that move or give the appearance of movement are prohibited. An electronic billboard must not exceed a maximum illumination of six thousand (6,000) nits during daylight hours, and a maximum illumination of five hundred (500) nits between dusk and dawn.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 64).
Full Breakdown
Winnebago County's Unified Development Ordinance allows electronic billboards as a permitted use only in the CG (General Commercial) and Industrial districts; a special use permit is required in the CC and OP districts, and they are prohibited in all residential, OS, CN, CD, TND, Scenic Road Overlay, and FP Overlay districts. Each displayed message must hold static for at least 8 seconds, with animation, streaming video, or movement effects banned. Brightness is capped at 6,000 nits by day and 500 nits from dusk to dawn, and every sign must carry an ambient-light monitor that auto-dims. An existing nonconforming billboard's face cannot be converted to electronic.
Violations & Fines
Sign permits can be revoked for violations or misrepresentation; noncompliant or unsafe signs can be removed by the County at the owner's or permit holder's expense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I put an electronic billboard on residential-zoned land in Winnebago County?
How bright can an electronic billboard be at night in Winnebago County?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Winnebago County
Compare Winnebago County to another location·View the Illinois sign regulations overview
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