Billings, MT Sign Regulations: Freeway-Facing Signs (2026)
Key Facts
- Interstate corridor bonus size
- 480 sq ft (vs. 250 sq ft)
- Interstate corridor defined
- within 660 ft of interstate ROW
- Max height
- 35 ft above road grade
- New billboards
- banned citywide since 1999
- Front setback
- 20 feet from property line
Summary
Billings allows larger off-premises billboards in the interstate corridor, up to 480 square feet versus 250 square feet elsewhere, but has banned all new billboards citywide since 1999, permitting only conforming replacements.
Sign area: New and replacement billboards faces and supporting framework shall not exceed the following sign areas:(1)Generally: Two hundred fifty (250) square feet.(2)Located within the interstate corridor: Four hundred eighty (480) square feet.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 66 Update 2).
Full Breakdown
Billings' sign code (BMCC Sec. 27-1409) treats freeway-facing billboards as a distinct category: any sign face located in the "interstate corridor", land within 660 feet of an interstate highway right-of-way outside residential zones, may reach 480 square feet, nearly double the citywide 250-square-foot cap. Billboards max out at 35 feet above road grade, must sit back 20 feet from the front property line, and need at least 15 feet of ground clearance. But no brand-new billboard has been allowed anywhere in the city since 1999; the only path to a fresh sign is replacing an existing nonconforming billboard face one-for-one.
Violations & Fines
Erecting an unpermitted or oversized billboard is a sign code violation subject to removal; discontinued billboards (dark 60+ days) must be removed or restarted within 30 days of city notice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I build a brand-new billboard along I-90 in Billings?
How much bigger can a billboard be near the interstate?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Billings
Compare Billings to another location·View the Montana sign regulations overview
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