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Jefferson Parish, LA Sign Regulations: Digital Billboards (2026)

Significant Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Spacing from other EVM billboards
1,000 feet minimum
Spacing from static billboards
500 feet minimum
Residential buffer
300 feet, no variance allowed
Allowed districts
C-2, I-L/I-H/AIM/I-LF, U-1R, U-1S along US 90
Max sign area
672 square feet
Max height
65 feet

Summary

Off-premises digital billboards using electronic variable message technology in Jefferson Parish must sit at least 1,000 feet from another EVM billboard, 500 feet from any older static billboard, and 300 feet from any residential district, measured radially. The parish council can't waive that residential buffer for any project, and the signs are only allowed in a handful of commercial and industrial zoning districts to begin with.

These county ordinances apply to unincorporated areas of Jefferson Parish. Incorporated cities within the county may have their own rules that take precedence over county-level regulations.

(2) Off-premises electronic variable message signs. The use of electronic variable message (EVM) technology in off-premises signs shall be permitted subject to the following additional criteria: a. Sign spacing. 1. The minimum distance between off-premises EVM signs shall be one thousand (1,000) feet. 2. The minimum distance between an off-premises EVM sign and an existing non-EVM off-premises sign shall be five hundred (500) feet. b. Residential proximity. Off-premises EVM signs shall be located a minimum of three hundred (300) feet (measured radially) from any residentially zoned district. c. Variances. No variance or exception for the minimum required distance between an off-premises EVM sign and any residential zoning district shall be granted by the parish council or any parish board, commission, department or administrative agency.

View official code

Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 20 Update 2).

Full Breakdown

Section 40-684 governs every off-premises sign, and subsection (h)(2) adds a separate layer of spacing rules once electronic variable message (EVM) technology is involved. A digital billboard has to be at least 1,000 feet from the nearest other off-premises EVM sign and at least 500 feet from an existing non-EVM (static) off-premises sign. It also has to sit a minimum of 300 feet, measured radially, from any residentially zoned district, and unlike most parish sign variances, the code closes the door on relief here: no variance or exception to that residential-distance requirement can be granted by the parish council, the board of zoning adjustments, or any other parish board, commission, department or agency.

S. Highway 90 right-of-way. A standard off-premises sign, digital or static, tops out at 672 square feet of sign area, a 48-foot face width, a 14-foot face height, and 65 feet of overall height, with a minimum 20-foot front/rear and 10-foot side yard setback in the C-2 district. Applicants apply to the department of building permits and must submit a legal description of the property, the owner's signed consent, a current survey by a Louisiana-registered land surveyor, and that surveyor's certification that the proposed sign meets the spacing and residential-proximity rules; no utilities can be released for the sign until a certified as-built survey confirms compliance.

Violations & Fines

Building a digital billboard without meeting the spacing, distance or district rules of section 40-684, or without the surveyor certification required at application, is a Chapter 40 violation. Under section 40-863 that's a misdemeanor punishable by a $10 to $100 fine, up to 30 days in jail, or both, with every day the noncompliant sign stays up counted as a separate offense; section 40-864 lets the parish seek an injunction or withhold utility service.

Frequently Asked Questions

How far must a digital billboard be from a home or residential zone?
At least 300 feet, measured radially from the sign to the residential district line. Section 40-684(h)(2)(b) specifically bars the parish council, the board of zoning adjustments, or any other parish body from granting a variance to shrink that distance, so it applies without exception.
Can two digital billboards go up near each other?
No. Section 40-684(h)(2)(a) requires at least 1,000 feet between two off-premises EVM signs and at least 500 feet between a new digital billboard and an existing static off-premises sign, both measured radially from the nearest point of each structure.
Where in Jefferson Parish are digital billboards allowed?
Only in the General Commercial C-2 district, the I-L, I-H, AIM and I-LF industrial districts, the Unrestricted Rural U-1R district, or the Unrestricted Suburban U-1S district where the lot touches the U.S. Highway 90 right-of-way, per section 40-684(a)(1). They're barred everywhere else, including within 100 feet of any residential district.
How big can a digital billboard be?
Section 40-684(d) and (e) cap any off-premises sign, digital or static, at 672 square feet of area, a 48-foot face width, a 14-foot face height, and 65 feet of overall height above grade. Those limits apply parish-wide regardless of district.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Jefferson Parish

All Jefferson Parish rules

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