Florence County, SC Sign Regulations: Freeway-Facing Signs (2026)
Key Facts
- Standard max size
- 378 sq ft
- Interstate exception
- 672 sq ft within 600 ft of ROW
- Standard height
- 40 ft
- Interstate height exception
- 100 ft within 600 ft of ROW
- Spacing between structures
- 1,200 ft both sides of road
- Setbacks
- 10 ft front and side
- General penalty
- up to $200 fine / 30 days (Sec. 1-13)
Summary
In unincorporated Florence County, outdoor advertising structures facing Interstate 95 or Interstate 20 can reach 672 square feet and 100 feet high, more than double the standard 378-square-foot, 40-foot limit, but only within 600 feet of the interstate right-of-way. Building Inspection enforces size, height, spacing and setback rules under Chapter 28.5 of the Code of Ordinances.
Sec. 28.5-25. - Size of sign faces. [The following] square footage [is] allowed for outdoor advertising faces: Maximum square footage shall not exceed 378 square feet with the following exception: (1)The maximum square footage permitted for interstate highways shall not exceed 672 square feet. All signs must be located no more than 600 feet from the state interstate highway right-of-way.(2)An interstate highway, as defined by this Ordinance No. 17-98/99, does not include I-20 Spur, David McLeod Boulevard, from West Evans Street to Interstate 95. ... Sec. 28.5-27. - Height requirements. Maximum height shall not exceed 40 feet above the average roadway grade level with the following exception: The maximum height shall not exceed 100 feet above the average roadway grade level if within 600 feet of interstate highways.
Full Breakdown
5, Article II regulates outdoor advertising structures (billboards) in unincorporated Florence County separately from on-premises signs (Sec. 5-21). Billboards are allowed only in the C-3 General Commercial, M-1 Light Industrial and M-2 Heavy Industrial zoning districts, or in non-zoned areas within 600 feet of a business operating at least 12 months with an on-site attendant 36 hours a week (Sec. 5-22). Structure design bars stacked or side-by-side sign faces; any face of 32 square feet or larger built after Ordinance No. 17-98/99 requires a single steel pole meeting the Southeastern Building Code and a 90-mile-per-hour wind load (Sec.
5-23). Spacing is a minimum 1,200 feet between structures on both sides of the road, measured without regard to municipal boundaries within the county (Sec. 5-24). Size caps out at 378 square feet countywide, rising to 672 square feet within 600 feet of an interstate highway right-of-way (Sec. 5-25); the I-20 Spur (David McLeod Boulevard between West Evans Street and I-95) does not count toward that interstate exception. Setbacks are 10 feet from the front property line and 10 feet on the side (Sec. 5-26).
Height is capped at 40 feet above the average roadway grade, rising to 100 feet within 600 feet of an interstate (Sec. 5-27). Existing nonconforming billboards are grandfathered (Sec. 5-29) and can be rebuilt under the current single-pole design if relocated after a government land acquisition, keeping the same sign-face square footage (Sec. 5-28, Sec. 5-30).
Violations & Fines
Chapter 28.5 sets no separate penalty, so violations fall under the county's general penalty, Code Sec. 1-13: a fine of up to $200, imprisonment up to 30 days, or both, with each day the structure remains out of compliance counted as a separate offense. Under Sec. 1-14, that fine does not stop the county from also revoking or suspending a sign permit.
Frequently Asked Questions
How big can a billboard be near I-95 or I-20 in Florence County?
How tall can an interstate-facing billboard be in Florence County?
Does the I-20 Spur count as an interstate for the bigger sign allowance?
How far apart must outdoor advertising structures be spaced?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Florence County
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