Coconino County, AZ Sign Regulations: Digital Billboards (2026)
Key Facts
- Billboards
- Prohibited in every zone
- Existing billboards
- Nonconforming Use, removal after 180 days blank
- Electronic message copy
- No more than one change per 24 hours
- Animation
- Blinking, flashing, animated lighting banned
- Lighting cross-reference
- Counted under Section 4.3 outdoor lighting
Summary
Coconino County bans billboards outright in every zone under Section 4.2.B.2.A of the Zoning Ordinance. Electronic message boards that exist as on-premise signs cannot blink or flash, and their copy can change no more than once every 24 hours under Section 4.2.C.1.O.
A. Billboards
i. Billboards and Off-Premise Signs shall not be permitted in any zone. All existing Billboards and Off-Premise Signs are Nonconforming Uses subject to the provisions of Section 3.13 of this Ordinance.
ii. If any existing Billboard contains copy advertising a Use, business, or product no longer in existence, or is left blank, or is maintained without paid copy for a period of 180 days or more, such Billboard shall be removed immediately unless a Conditional Use permit is approved for its reuse.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: the cited page had not changed since it was quoted.
Full Breakdown
Unincorporated Coconino County does not permit billboards or other off-premise advertising signs anywhere in the county. A is unambiguous: 'Billboards and Off-Premise Signs shall not be permitted in any zone. ' Any billboard standing today predates the current Ordinance and survives only as a Nonconforming Use; the same section forces removal of a billboard that goes blank, carries advertising for a business or product no longer in existence, or is maintained without paid copy for 180 days or more, unless the owner secures a Conditional Use permit for its reuse.
On-premise electronic displays face restrictions rather than an outright ban. O provides: 'Signs shall not blink, flash, or be animated by lighting in any fashion. Electronic Message Board Sign copy shall not be changed more than once in 24 hours. 3 lighting budget, on top of the 24-hour copy-change limit. Combined, the two sections mean a Coconino County business can install a static or slow-changing on-premise electronic sign, but cannot erect a billboard along a county road or animate a display with scrolling, flashing, or video-style motion.
Violations & Fines
Installing a billboard or an animated electronic sign is a zoning violation under Section 5.14.B, and the Zoning Inspector can order removal or deny permits. Civil or criminal penalties reach $750 per day for an individual and $10,000 per day for a corporation, with amounts above $1,500 on a residential lot or $3,000 on a commercial lot referred to the County Attorney's Office.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a business put up a billboard along a county road in Coconino County?
Are digital signs with scrolling messages allowed at a Coconino County business?
Do electronic signs count toward a property's lighting allowance?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Coconino County
Compare Coconino County to another location·View the Arizona sign regulations overview
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