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Tangipahoa Parish, LA Sign Regulations: Freeway-Facing Signs (2026)

Some Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Minimum spacing (interstate)
1,000 feet apart, same side of road
Height cap (general)
60 feet from grade or ROW edge
Height exception
Unlimited for food/lodging/fuel signs on federal highway
Setback
10 ft from ROW or 20 ft from pavement edge, whichever greater
Permit
Required from parish council office, engineering drawing

Summary

In unincorporated Tangipahoa Parish, off-premises signs facing the interstate system must sit at least 1,000 feet apart and are exempt from the usual 60-foot height cap only if they are food, lodging or fuel signs on the federal highway system.

These county ordinances apply to unincorporated areas of Tangipahoa Parish. Incorporated cities within the county may have their own rules that take precedence over county-level regulations.

There shall be no height limitation on off-premises signs erected for the purpose of locating food, lodging and fuel provided such signs are designated by emblem, insignia, trademark or trade name only and are located only along the federal highway system. ... On the interstate roadway system and ... all other thoroughfares, no two off-premises outdoor advertising structures shall be spaced less than 1,000 feet apart. ... All off-premises outdoor advertising shall be set back either a minimum of ten feet from any street right-of-way or 20 feet from the edge of street pavement, whichever is greater, and shall not be located within or over any public right-of-way.

Full Breakdown

Off-premises outdoor advertising along Interstate 12, Interstate 55 and other thoroughfares in the rural and unincorporated parts of the parish is governed by Chapter 4, Division 2 of the parish code. Sec. 4-62 sets a normal 60-foot height cap for off-premises signs, measured from ground level at the sign's supports or the nearest edge of the right-of-way, whichever is higher. Sec. 4-62(c) carves out one exception: signs pointing travelers to food, lodging and fuel carry no height limit at all, but only if the copy is limited to an emblem, insignia, trademark or trade name and the sign sits along the federal highway system.

Spacing is controlled separately by Sec. 4-63. On the interstate roadway system and every other thoroughfare where off-premises advertising is allowed, no two structures on the same side of the road may stand closer than 1,000 feet apart, measured along the nearest edge of pavement between points directly opposite the structures. A tighter 250-foot rule applies where one sign is oriented to a different, intersecting street. Every off-premises sign must also be set back at least ten feet from the street right-of-way or 20 feet from the edge of pavement, whichever is greater, and none may sit within or over a public right-of-way.

Sec. 4-61 further confines these signs to areas zoned commercial, rural or industrial, or unzoned land; they cannot go up in any residentially zoned area. A permit from the office of the parish council, backed by an engineering drawing, is required for every off-premises sign or structure before it goes up.

Violations & Fines

Violations are enforced by the office of the parish council, which sends notification of a violation by registered letter under Sec. 4-67. An abandoned sign must come down within 90 days of official notice, and any sign failing the maintenance standards of Sec. 4-71, such as overgrown brush around the supports or burned-out bulbs, must be repaired or removed within 30 days of notification. Signs erected without a permit are treated as illegal structures under Sec. 4-65 and can be ordered removed at the owner's cost.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a billboard along I-12 or I-55 exceed 60 feet in height?
Only if it is a food, lodging or fuel sign limited to an emblem, insignia, trademark or trade name and located along the federal highway system. Every other off-premises sign is capped at 60 feet measured from grade or the right-of-way edge, per Sec. 4-62.
How close together can two off-premises billboards be built facing the interstate?
Sec. 4-63 requires at least 1,000 feet between two off-premises outdoor advertising structures on the same side of the interstate roadway system or any other thoroughfare where such signs are permitted.
Are freeway-facing billboards allowed in residential areas of the parish?
No. Sec. 4-61(b) bars off-premises outdoor advertising in any residentially zoned area; it is only permitted in areas zoned commercial, rural or industrial, or unzoned land, per Sec. 4-61(c).

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Tangipahoa Parish

All Tangipahoa Parish rules

Compare Tangipahoa Parish to another location·View the Louisiana sign regulations overview

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