Jacksonville, FL Sign Regulations: Freeway-Facing Signs (2026)
Key Facts
- Ban effective
- June 1, 1987, Charter § 23.03
- Civil penalty
- $500 per day per violation
- Old billboard removal deadline
- June 1, 1992 (non-highway)
- Highway billboards
- Governed by F.S. Ch. 479 removal rules
- Size threshold
- Applies to signs over 25 sq ft
Summary
Since June 1, 1987, Jacksonville Charter Section 23.03 has banned building or erecting any new offsite commercial billboard anywhere in the city, including along the interstate and federal-aid primary highway systems, and Section 23.06 backs the ban with a $500-per-day civil penalty against anyone who erects one anyway.
After June 1, 1987, no person shall construct or erect an offsite commercial billboard within the city at any location, including along any portion of the interstate highway system or federal-aid primary highway system. ... In connection with any offsite commercial billboard which is erected or constructed in violation of the provisions of section 23.03, each person responsible for erecting or constructing such offsite commercial billboard shall pay the city a penalty of five hundred dollars per day until the offsite commercial billboard is removed.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 6 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
Charter Article 23, the Offsite Commercial Billboard Ban, grew out of a citywide referendum on May 26, 1987. 02 defines an 'offsite commercial billboard' as any sign, display or device of more than 25 square feet permanently affixed to the ground or a building that advertises a commercial use, product or service not sold or provided on the property where the sign sits, carving out government signs, residential subdivision signs, signs transferred under a sign-rights-transfer ordinance that reduces the sending property's rights by 300 square feet, and stadium naming-rights signage.
03 then flatly prohibits constructing or erecting any offsite commercial billboard anywhere in the city after June 1, 1987, expressly including along the interstate highway system and the federal-aid primary highway system, the freeway-facing locations billboard companies most want. S. Chapter 479. 05 separately bars converting a lawful offsite noncommercial billboard, such as one carrying only political or civic messages, into a commercial one. 05.
Violations & Fines
Erecting a new offsite commercial billboard anywhere in Jacksonville, including along I-95 or I-10, exposes the builder to a $500-per-day civil penalty under Section 23.06(b) for every day the sign remains up. Failing to remove a billboard the June 1, 1992 deadline required down carries the same $500-per-day penalty under Section 23.06(c), and converting a noncommercial billboard to commercial use draws it too under Section 23.06(d); the City or any resident or taxpayer may sue to enforce compliance and recover attorneys' fees.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I put up a new billboard facing I-95 in Jacksonville?
What's the penalty for an illegal billboard in Jacksonville?
Are existing billboards along Jacksonville's interstates grandfathered?
Who can sue over an illegal Jacksonville billboard?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Jacksonville
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Jacksonville to another location·View the Florida sign regulations overview
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