Modesto, CA Sign Regulations: Freeway-Facing Signs (2026)

108(f)(2)(i). Getting one built or converted requires a conditional use permit that runs through the Planning Commission for a recommendation and the City Council for final approval; if either body denies the permit, the applicant receives a written statement of the reasons. 703, will not create a hazard to vehicle or pedestrian traffic, conforms to the state Outdoor Advertising Act in the Business and Professions Code, and delivers a public benefit, such as aesthetics, safety or economic revitalization, that the code requires to outweigh impacts like light pollution or visual impact.

The development standards then layer on hard numbers: location within 660 feet of State Highway 99 but at least 300 feet from any residential zone or use; a maximum of two digital display faces per structure, positioned for opposing traffic and set no more than 45 degrees apart if double-faced; a 60-foot height cap for new construction, though existing legal nonconforming billboards keep their current height if converted; a 700-square-foot cap per digital display area; a hard citywide ceiling of seven digital freeway billboards on either side of Highway 99; and a 2,500-foot minimum separation from any other digital freeway billboard in the city.

Messages must be static and held for at least eight seconds, with no flashing, scintillating light or animation, and supporting poles must carry decorative cladding designed to avoid drawing extra attention to the structure.