Woodbury, MN Sign Regulations: Digital Billboards (2026)
Key Facts
- Message change limit
- Not more than once per hour
- Brightness near residential
- 0.5 foot-candle at property line
- Brightness near commercial
- 1.0 foot-candle at property line
- Motion
- No scrolling, flashing or movement
- Near residential zoning
- Interim conditional use permit required
- Sign area allowed
- Same as freestanding/wall sign limit
Summary
Woodbury permits electronic display and reader board signs only within the sign area already allowed for freestanding or wall signs, capping brightness, banning scrolling or flashing, and requiring an interim conditional use permit next to residential zoning, per Sec. 18.5-45.
Reader board or electronic display signs may occupy the sign area allowed for freestanding or wall signs and are subject to the following criteria: (1)Messages shall not change more than once per hour.(2)LED perimeter banding shall be prohibited from electronic display and reader board signs...(5)Brightness levels cannot exceed 0.5-foot-candle measured on the property line when adjacent to residential districts or one-foot-candle measured on the property line when adjacent to commercial districts...An interim conditional use permit shall be required for electronic display signs adjacent to residentially zoned property.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 48).
Full Breakdown
Sec. 5-45 governs reader board and electronic display signs citywide; there is no separate off-premise digital billboard category, so any electronic message sign must fit inside the square footage a business is already allowed for a freestanding or wall sign under Sec. 5-56 and Sec. 5-57. 0 foot-candle when adjacent to commercial districts, each sign must use a light-sensing dimmer that automatically adjusts brightness to ambient light, and every other freestanding-sign standard for the underlying zoning district (setback, height, number) still applies on top of these.
Signs proposed adjacent to residentially zoned property carry an extra hurdle: the applicant must obtain an interim conditional use permit before installation, which routes the request through Woodbury's discretionary land-use review rather than a routine sign permit. The current standard was adopted by Ord. No. 1832 in 2010 and has been tightened twice since, by Ord. No. 2014 in January 2022 and Ord. No. 2051 in March 2024, reflecting the city's ongoing scrutiny of LED sign brightness and motion as they've become more common along commercial corridors like Radio Drive and Valley Creek Road.
Violations & Fines
A sign that changes message more than once per hour, uses LED perimeter banding, scrolls or flashes, or exceeds the 0.5/1.0 foot-candle brightness caps is an unlawful sign under Chapter 18.5's prohibited-signs enforcement in Sec. 18.5-44, and installing an electronic display next to residential zoning without first obtaining the required interim conditional use permit exposes the owner to permit revocation and removal action under the chapter's general administration provisions in Sec. 18.5-17.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often can a Woodbury electronic sign change its message?
Can a digital sign flash or scroll in Woodbury?
Do I need a special permit for a digital sign near a residential neighborhood?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Woodbury
Compare Woodbury to another location·View the Minnesota sign regulations overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.