Sacramento County, CA Sign Regulations: Freeway-Facing Signs (2026)
Key Facts
- Trigger distance
- within 1,000 ft of a Freeway
- Permit required
- Conditional Use Permit, Board of Supervisors
- Max sign area
- 720 square feet
- Max height
- 50 feet
Summary
Billboards within 1,000 feet of a county-designated Freeway are allowed only in commercial, mixed-use, or industrial zones, and only after Sacramento County's Board of Supervisors approves a discretionary Conditional Use Permit.
Billboard signs, including digital and static billboards may be located in any commercial, mixed-use or industrial zoning district located within 1,000 feet of a designated Freeway on the Sacramento County Transportation Diagram, subject to the standards in Sections 5.10.1.N.1 through 5.10.1.N.11 and subject to securing a Conditional Use Permit approved by the Board of Supervisors, after a recommendation from the Planning Commission.
Area. The total area of any off-site sign shall not exceed 720 square feet, nor shall the sign exceed the length of 50 feet.
Location. Except for digital billboards, each off-site sign shall be located not less than 300 feet from any other off-site sign; nor closer than 75 feet from any on-site freestanding sign. No off-site sign shall be located within 300 feet of a parcel located within any Agricultural, Agricultural Residential, or Residential zone; nor shall any such off-site sign be located more than 1,000 feet from a parcel lawfully used for commercial or industrial purposes.
Full Breakdown
Sacramento County's Zoning Code allows off-site billboards, digital or static, near a Freeway shown on the county's Transportation Diagram only within commercial, mixed-use, or industrial zones located within 1,000 feet of that freeway. Getting one up requires a Conditional Use Permit approved by the Board of Supervisors after a Planning Commission recommendation, plus compliance with 11 development standards covering area, spacing, setback, and height. The Zoning Code caps off-site sign area at 720 square feet, sign length at 50 feet, and height at 50 feet, with a minimum 300-foot separation from other off-site signs.
Violations & Fines
Erecting or altering a freeway-area billboard without an approved Conditional Use Permit, or exceeding the area, height, or spacing standards, is a Zoning Code violation subject to county enforcement, permit denial, or removal.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I put up a billboard near a freeway in unincorporated Sacramento County?
How big can a freeway-area billboard be?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Sacramento County
California rules heatmap·Compare Sacramento County to another location·View the California sign regulations overview
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