Sedgwick County, KS Sign Regulations: Freeway-Facing Signs (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Sec. 6-346(j)(1)c., county Sign Code
- Max size on freeways
- 825 square feet including embellishments
- Max dimensions
- 14 feet tall, 48 feet wide
- Standard billboard cap elsewhere
- 300 square feet
- Qualifying roads
- Turnpike, I-135, I-235, US-81, US-54, +6 state routes
- Zoning districts allowed
- LC, GC, OW, IP, IP-A, LI, GI
- Violation class
- Class G, fine up to $500
Summary
Billboards facing the Kansas Turnpike, I-135, I-235, U.S. 81, U.S. 54 or six state highways through unincorporated Sedgwick County may grow far larger than an ordinary billboard: up to 825 square feet, 14 feet tall and 48 feet wide, under Sec. 6-346(j)(1)c. of the county Sign Code. The larger size is on top of, not instead of, the county's standard billboard siting and permit rules.
c.In addition to the requirements of subsection (j)(1)a. above, and notwithstanding the restrictions in (j)(1)b. above, billboard signs erected along or intended to be viewed from the Kansas Turnpike, I-135, I-235, U.S. 81, U.S. 54, K-2, K-15, K-42, K-49, K-53, K-96, and K-254 shall be subject to the following additional requirements: The gross surface area of any billboard sign shall not exceed eight hundred twenty-five (825) square feet, including cut-outs and embellishments, which may not exceed twenty-five (25) percent of the face area of the billboard. In addition, the maximum vertical dimension of a billboard sign shall be fourteen (14) feet and the maximum horizontal dimension of a billboard sign shall be forty-eight (48) feet, not including cut-outs and embellishments.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 22 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
The Sedgwick County Sign Code sets two size tiers for billboards depending on where they face. The base standard, at Sec. , caps a billboard's gross surface area at 300 square feet. But Sec. S. S. 54, K-2, K-15, K-42, K-49, K-53, K-96, and K-254': up to 825 square feet including cut-outs and embellishments, a maximum vertical dimension of 14 feet and a maximum horizontal dimension of 48 feet. Those freeway-facing signs still have to meet every other requirement in subsection (j)(1)a: a 75-foot setback from any residential structure, a 35-foot height ceiling, construction as a freestanding two-pole structure with one face per direction, shielded lighting, and a minimum 500-foot separation from the next billboard.
They are also limited to the LC, GC, OW, IP, IP-A, LI and GI zoning districts and to no more than five billboards facing a direction of travel per mile of frontage, with 'mile' defined as the distance between section-line roads roughly a mile apart. A sign permit from the MABCD director under Sec. 6-344 is required before construction, and signs over 100 square feet or 10 feet tall may be erected only by a licensed sign hanger.
Violations & Fines
Building or maintaining an oversized freeway billboard without meeting Sec. 6-346(j)(1)c.'s dimensional caps, or without a permit under Sec. 6-344, is enforced the same as any other sign violation: a class G violation under Sec. 6-341(f)(3), with a district court fine up to $500.00 per K.S.A. 19-4716, and each day of continued noncompliance charged separately. The MABCD director may also order removal or alteration of the oversized sign under Sec. 6-344(e), with costs assessed against the property if the county performs the work.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which roads qualify for the larger freeway billboard size in Sedgwick County?
Do freeway billboards still need the standard 75-foot setback?
Can a freeway billboard be built anywhere in unincorporated Sedgwick County?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Sedgwick County
Compare Sedgwick County to another location·View the Kansas sign regulations overview
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