Omaha, NE Sign Regulations: Freeway-Facing Signs (2026)
Key Facts
- Interstate corridor/ACI ratio
- 5 signs removed per 1 built
- Industrial district ratio
- 3 signs removed per 1 built
- Other district ratio
- 4 signs removed per 1 built
- Initial permit fee
- $1,500
- Annual renewal fee
- $500
Summary
Digital billboards along Omaha's interstate corridors face the toughest takedown ratio in the sign code: five existing off-premises signs, worth five times the new sign's square footage, must come down for every one installed.
Installation...will occur within one of the following three categories: 1) along an interstate corridor, or in an existing or planned ACI corridor; 2) in an industrial zoned area; and 3) all other permissible zoning districts...In order to erect one electronic off-premises sign in a planned or existing ACI...district or interstate corridor, at least five existing signs, which total at least five times the square footage of the electronic off-premises sign being installed, must be removed...
Full Breakdown
Omaha's electronic off-premises sign ordinance splits new digital billboard installations into three geographic tiers based on how many existing signs must be removed first. Industrial-zoned locations require a 3-to-1 takedown ratio; other permissible districts require 4-to-1; but any sign along an interstate corridor, or inside a planned or existing area-of-civic-importance (ACI) district, requires the strictest ratio in the code: five existing sign faces, totaling at least five times the new sign's square footage, removed and approved by the planning director. Removed signs cannot be replaced, making freeway-visible digital billboards the most expensive category to build under city code.
Violations & Fines
Installing an electronic off-premises sign without meeting the takedown ratio, or without the $1,500 permit and planning director sign-off, is a Code violation punishable under § 1-10: up to $500 per day.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I put up a digital billboard facing I-80 in Omaha?
Why are interstate-facing signs treated differently than other billboards?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Omaha
Compare Omaha to another location·View the Nebraska sign regulations overview
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