Pittsburgh, PA Sign Regulations: Freeway-Facing Signs (2026)
Key Facts
- Setback from freeway center line
- 350 feet minimum
- Spacing along restricted-access highways
- 1,500 feet between sign structures
- Where advertising signs are allowed
- AS-O Advertising Sign Overlay district only
- Pre-1958 sign removal deadline
- 1 year after highway is designated
- Permitting/inspection office
- Bureau of Building Inspection
Summary
Advertising signs (billboards) facing Pittsburgh's restricted-access highways must sit at least 350 feet from the highway's center line and be spaced at least 1,500 feet apart along that highway, under the zoning code's AS-O district rules.
The face of an advertising sign shall be situated so that it is not visible within a sight distance of three hundred fifty (350) feet of the following:
1. Property in a residential or EMI Zoning District;
2. Park or recreation area of one-quarter (¼) acre or more;
3. Cultural service;
4. The center line of a restricted access highway or center line of ramps thereof.
5. The floodway of the Allegheny, Monongahela or Ohio Rivers;
6. The entry or exit points of the Liberty Tunnels, The Fort Pitt Tunnels, The Squirrel Hill Tunnels or the Wabash Tunnels;
7. Any bridge which crosses the Allegheny, Monongahela, or Ohio Rivers.
E. No Painting Directly on Walls. Advertising signs shall not be painted directly on the wall of any building.
F. Number Allowed. The number of advertising sign structures shall be limited to one (1) structure per zoning lot which shall contain no more than two (2) separate sign faces. The faces may be arranged: back-to-back, side-to-side, decked or V-type. In no case shall there be more than one (1) sign face on any wall of a building.
G. Maximum Face Area. The square foot face area of an advertising sign shall not exceed seven hundred fifty (750) square feet in Subdistrict A and three hundred seventy-eight (378) square feet in Subdistrict B. The face shall not exceed twenty (20) feet in height or sixty (60) feet in length.
H.
Full Breakdown
Pittsburgh confines billboard-style advertising signs to the AS-O Advertising Sign Overlay district and layers extra limits where a sign would face a restricted-access highway. Under Zoning Code § 919.02.D.4, no advertising sign's face may be visible within a sight distance of 350 feet of the center line of a restricted-access highway or its interchange ramps. Section 919.02.I.1 separately requires that no two sign structures along such a highway or ramp stand closer than 1,500 feet apart, more than triple the 500-foot spacing required along ordinary rights-of-way. Older signs caught inside a newly designated freeway corridor face a mandatory removal deadline under § 919.02.K.
Violations & Fines
Signs violating the setback or spacing rules can't be permitted or annually re-tagged by the Bureau of Building Inspection; pre-1958 signs caught in a newly designated restricted-access corridor must be removed within one year, at the owner's expense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a billboard face a Pittsburgh freeway like I-279 or I-376?
What happens to an old billboard near a newly designated freeway?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Pittsburgh
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