Thousand Oaks, CA Sign Regulations: Freeway-Facing Signs (2026)
Key Facts
- Restricted zone
- Within 660 feet of any freeway right-of-way
- Main exception
- Subdivision billboards in C-1, C-2, M-1, M-2 zones only
- Removal bond
- Required to guarantee removal within 30 days of a freeway landscaping contract award
- On-site sign exceptions
- For-sale/lease, owner ID, and on-site business signs are exempt (§ 8-9.103)
Summary
Thousand Oaks bans nearly all outdoor advertising displays within 660 feet of any freeway right-of-way if the sign is visible from or aimed at freeway traffic. The only carve-out is a narrow one for subdivision billboards advertising a development inside the City, and only in commercial or manufacturing (C-1, C-2, M-1, M-2) zones.
No advertising display shall be placed or maintained on property adjacent to or within 660 feet of the right-of-way of any freeway if the advertising display copy is visible from, or is designed to be viewed primarily by persons traveling on, such freeway except as follows: A subdivision billboard which advertises a development lying within the City and which has no other billboard advertising on the same freeway facing traffic in the same direction within the City may be erected and maintained in the C-1, C-2, M-1, and M-2 zones; provided, however, such subdivision billboard shall meet all the applicable zoning requirements of the zone in which located without the necessity of a variance or special use permit.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-78: 2026 S-78 Supplement contains: Current city legislation passed through March 31, 2026).
Full Breakdown
The freeway sign restriction dates to the City's original 1965-era ordinance and predates the modern Uniform Sign Code adopted in Article 2 of the same chapter. A qualifying subdivision billboard must be the only billboard for that development facing the same direction of freeway traffic within the City, must meet all normal zoning requirements without a variance, and the owner must sign an agreement and post a bond guaranteeing the sign's removal within 30 days after the state or City awards a contract to landscape that stretch of freeway. Separate exceptions in § 8-9.103 allow on-site signs that advertise a property for sale/lease, identify the owner or occupant, or advertise the business/goods/services actually located on that property.
Violations & Fines
Any sign placed in violation must be removed (§ 8-9.104), and violating the freeway sign restrictions or the Sign Code generally is a violation of the Municipal Code enforceable under the general penalty provisions referenced in § 8-9.206 (Title 1, Chapter 2).
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I put up a billboard visible from US-101 in Thousand Oaks?
Does this rule apply to a sign for my own business on my own property?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Thousand Oaks
California rules heatmap·Compare Thousand Oaks to another location·View the California sign regulations overview
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