Dublin, CA Sign Regulations: Freeway-Facing Signs (2026)
Key Facts
- Signs per parcel
- 1 Off-Site Advertising Sign
- Allowed zone
- M-1, Scarlett Court Overlay
- Freeway setback
- 50-100 ft from I-580 ROW
- Sign separation
- 1,000 ft between parcels
- Trail buffer
- 500 ft from Iron Horse Trail
- First infraction fine
- up to $100
Summary
Dublin, California limits off-site advertising signs, the freeway billboards visible from Interstate 580, to one per parcel and confines them to the M-1 Scarlett Court Overlay. Municipal Code Section 8.84.125 requires each sign to sit fifty to one hundred feet from the I-580 right-of-way, stay visible from the freeway, and meet Caltrans freeway-sign standards.
B. Location. Signs shall be located in the M-1 zoning district within the Scarlett Court Overlay.
C. Interstate Freeway Proximity.
1. Signs shall be located between fifty (50) and one hundred (100) feet from the right-of-way of Interstate 580 and located on properties along Scarlett Court and Interstate 580.
2. Signs shall be visible from the right-of-way of Interstate 580.
3. Signs shall satisfy applicable California Department of Transportation standards for freeway-oriented signs, as amended from time to time.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 2-26, passed March 3, 2026).
Full Breakdown
84 of the Dublin Municipal Code, the Sign Regulations, treats freeway-facing billboards as Off-Site Advertising Signs and confines them to Alameda County's Scarlett Court Overlay district along Interstate 580, not anywhere else in Dublin. B restricts placement to the M-1 zoning district within the Scarlett Court Overlay. C is specific: a sign must sit between fifty and one hundred feet from the Interstate 580 right-of-way, on a property along Scarlett Court and I-580, must be visible from that right-of-way, and must satisfy Caltrans standards for freeway-oriented signs.
E requires one thousand feet of separation between any two parcels each carrying an Off-Site Advertising Sign. H bars sign copy for tobacco, firearms, or sexually explicit products regardless of location. C sets a general freeway rule for any Freestanding Sign citywide, in the R-1, R-2, R-M, C-N, C-O, C-1, C-2, DDZD, M-P, M-1, and M-2 districts: no Freestanding Sign may sit closer than fifty feet to an Interstate Freeway right-of-way, without the visibility, separation, or M-1-only limits that apply to the Scarlett Court billboards. G folds in by reference.
Violations & Fines
Title 8 violations, including unpermitted or noncompliant signs, are infractions under Dublin Municipal Code Section 8.144.060, enforced by officers the Community Development Director designates under Section 8.144.040. Section 8.144.070.B sets escalating fines: up to $100 for a first infraction, $200 for a second within a year, and $500 for a third; a fourth violation in the same year can be charged as a misdemeanor. Each day a sign stays out of compliance counts as a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can any business in Dublin put up a freeway billboard?
How close to I-580 must a Dublin freeway sign be?
What content can't appear on a Dublin freeway sign?
What if a business just wants a freestanding sign near a freeway, not a billboard?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Dublin
California rules heatmap·Compare Dublin to another location·View the California sign regulations overview
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Freeway-Facing Signs in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Alameda County handle freeway-facing signs.