Oconee County, SC Sign Regulations: Freeway-Facing Signs (2026)
Key Facts
- Default rule
- New billboards banned unless excepted
- I-85 exception test
- Planning director determination
- Billboard spacing
- 1,300 ft from another, same road
- Max billboard face
- 672 sq ft
- Land use permit term
- 6 months, 1 extension
- Penalty
- Up to $500 fine or 30 days
Summary
Oconee County bans new billboards countywide except for a short list of carve-outs, and visibility from Interstate 85 is one of them. Sec. 32-519 excepts a billboard erected so its message can be read from the traveled way of I-85, as the planning director determines, from the general prohibition Sec. 32-520 otherwise imposes on new billboards in the unincorporated county.
Excepted billboard means a billboard falling within one of the following categories that are excepted from the county's general billboard prohibition: (1)A billboard which is visible from Interstate 85 and which is erected with the purpose of its message being read from the traveled way of Interstate 85, as determined by the planning director; ... (a)Only excepted billboards are authorized within the unincorporated area of the county.
Full Breakdown
Sec. 32-520(a) states plainly that only excepted billboards are authorized in unincorporated Oconee County, and Sec. 32-519 lists just four categories that qualify: a billboard visible from I-85 and erected so its message can be read from the interstate's traveled way (determined by the planning director), a billboard under 33 square feet and under ten feet tall, a billboard erected by or for a government entity for a public purpose, and a billboard that already existed before the county's Aug. 18, 2020 sign ordinance, Ord.
No. 2020-09, took effect. A new billboard that qualifies only through the I-85 exception still cannot sit within 1,300 feet of another billboard on the same road, measured along the ordinary route of pedestrian or vehicular travel, and its face cannot exceed 672 square feet under Sec. 32-520(c), nor can it stand along a federal, state, or county-designated scenic highway under Sec. 32-520(d). Before construction, the owner submits a site plan and a survey stamped by a state-licensed surveyor to the planning director under Sec.
32-525, along with construction plans covering any lighting and the required fee, and the county issues a land use permit valid for six months (Sec. 32-528) once every requirement, including the I-85 visibility finding, is met. Personnel enforcing this article include planning and zoning officials, code enforcement officers, building code officials, and sheriff's office personnel under Sec. 32-517.
Violations & Fines
Erecting a billboard that does not fall within one of the four excepted categories, including one claiming I-85 visibility the planning director has not confirmed, violates Sec. 32-520, and Sec. 32-529 makes any violation of the sign article a misdemeanor punishable by a fine up to $500.00, imprisonment up to 30 days, or both. The county may also order removal of an illegally placed billboard and recover the removal and disposal cost from the owner or whoever placed it, under Sec. 32-521(10).
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I put up a billboard in Oconee County just because it faces I-85?
How big can an I-85-facing billboard be in Oconee County?
Who decides if a billboard qualifies for the I-85 exception?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Oconee County
Compare Oconee County to another location·View the South Carolina sign regulations overview
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