Yuma, AZ Sign Regulations: Digital Billboards (2026)
Key Facts
- Daytime brightness cap
- 6,500 NITS full white mode
- Post-sunset cap (<672 sq ft)
- 342 NITS
- Post-sunset cap (>672 sq ft)
- 300 NITS
- Overnight curfew
- Dark from 11 p.m. to sunrise
- Spillover limit
- 1.0 foot candle at property line
- Message change rate
- No more than once per 8 seconds
Summary
Yuma caps digital billboard brightness at 6,500 NITS in daytime full-white mode, dropping to 342 or 300 NITS after sunset depending on sign size, and requires illumination to shut off entirely between 11:00 p.m. and sunrise. Screens must auto-dim through a photoelectric sensor and cannot spill more than 1.0 foot candle onto a neighboring property line. City Code § 154-17.04(B)(10) sets these limits.
(10) Digital billboards. In addition to the off-site sign regulations, the following requirements will apply to all digital billboards. (a) All digital billboard signs shall be limited to a maximum surface luminosity limit of 6,500 NITS in full white mode during daytime hours. After sunset and before 11:00 p.m., the surface luminosity limit of signs smaller than 672 square feet shall be a maximum of 342 NITS in full white mode, and a maximum 300 NITS in full white mode for signs larger than 672 square feet. From 11:00 p.m. until sunrise, illumination shall be extinguished. Digital billboards shall be equipped with an automatic device to ensure the ability to dim the display through a photoelectric sensor that detects ambient light levels and adjusts the display intensity automatically to ensure the maximum NIT levels are enforced. (c) It shall be prohibited for any digital billboard sign to have an illuminance greater than 1.0 foot candle at the property line of any adjacent property.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-74: Current through May 20, 2026).
Full Breakdown
04(B)(10). 04(B)(10)(a). 04(B)(10)(a)-(b). 04(B)(10)(c). 04(B)(10)(d). 04(B)(10)(e). 04(B)(1)-(4).
Violations & Fines
Operating a digital billboard above the NITS ceilings, skipping the required dimming sensor, or running prohibited fade or animation transitions is enforced as a class 1 misdemeanor under § 154-17.99, carrying a fine up to $1,000, up to ten days in jail, or both. A continuing violation that threatens public safety, such as a board left at full daytime brightness overnight, can be charged as a separate offense for each day it persists.
Frequently Asked Questions
How bright can a digital billboard be in Yuma during the day?
Can a digital billboard show video or scrolling animation?
Is there a limit on light spilling onto neighboring property?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Yuma
Compare Yuma to another location·View the Arizona sign regulations overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.