Williamson County, TN Sign Regulations: Digital Billboards (2026)
Key Facts
- Flashing/revolving lights
- Prohibited outright, all districts
- Message change frequency cap
- Every 2 hours or 4x per 24 hrs
- Governing section
- Zoning Ordinance § 18.05(C)-(D)
- Off-premise billboards
- No authorized use in the code
- Illegal sign removal authority
- Codes Compliance Director
Summary
Williamson County bans flashing or revolving lights on any sign in every zoning district and caps how often an electronic message can change. Section 18.05 makes a sign with lights that revolve or flash an outright prohibited sign, and limits message changes to no more than once every two hours or four times in any 24-hour period.
Section 18.05:Prohibited Signs The following types of signs are prohibited in all districts: ... (C) Signs that consist of lights that revolve or flash; (D) Signs where the message is changed more frequently than every two hours or four times per 24-hour period; (E) Signs that include air activated graphics or balloons bearing a commercial message; (F) Signs that rotate, revolve, or otherwise move unless otherwise expressly permitted under this Article
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: the cited page had not changed since it was quoted.
Full Breakdown
05, Prohibited Signs, lists categories banned countywide regardless of district: signs in a public right-of-way (other than government or utility signs), balloons, pennants, streamers or spinners, signs with lights that revolve or flash, signs whose message changes more frequently than every two hours or four times per 24-hour period, air-activated graphics, signs that rotate or otherwise move, obscene signs, trailer-mounted signs, signs imitating traffic or government signals, graffiti, and roof signs. For an electronic message center or digital display, subsections (C) and (D) work together: the flashing/revolving prohibition rules out strobing or scrolling animation, while the two-hour or four-times-daily cap governs how often static content can be swapped even on a compliant static-image display. 03 governs how sign area and height are measured. 05 restrictions rather than as a stand-alone billboard use.
Violations & Fines
The Codes Compliance Director may remove an illegal sign on public property or in a right-of-way without notice and treat it as litter subject to disposal under Section 18.06(F). Beyond removal, operating a prohibited sign is a violation of the Ordinance under Article 22.03, punishable as a misdemeanor with a fine of $10 to $50 per offense under Tenn. Code Ann. § 13-7-111; each day the flashing sign or too-frequent message change continues counts as a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a business in unincorporated Williamson County install a flashing electronic sign?
How often can a digital sign change its message legally?
Does the county allow stand-alone off-premise billboards?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Williamson County
Compare Williamson County to another location·View the Tennessee sign regulations overview
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