Troup County, GA Sign Regulations: Freeway-Facing Signs (2026)
Key Facts
- Eligible roadway
- I-85 only
- Minimum lot size
- 1 acre
- Required zoning
- LI or HI
- Maximum height
- 75 feet
- Maximum face area
- 400 sq ft/face, 800 total
- Permits required
- County plus Georgia DOT
Summary
Freeway-facing signs in unincorporated Troup County are allowed only along I-85, on lots of at least one acre zoned LI or HI, capped at 75 feet in height and 400 square feet per face under Unified Development Ordinance Section 10.7, and require permits from both the County and the Georgia DOT.
Sec. 10.7. - Interstate signs. (1)Interstate Signs will be allowed on I-85 only, according to the latest version of the adopted quadrant map. The following standards must be met:(a)The property shall be at least a one (1)-acre lot and must be zoned LI or HI.(b)The maximum sign height shall be 75 feet.(c)The surface area of the sign shall not exceed 400 square feet per sign face, and not more than 800 square feet of total sign area when all sign faces are combined.(d)The location of each interstate sign shall be set back not more than 100 feet from I-85, but at least 10 feet from I-85 and 40 feet from all other property lines.(e)No freestanding interstate sign shall be located within 50 feet of another freestanding sign.(f)The face of each sign shall be perpendicular to the centerline of the interstate nearest to its location. No sign shall have more than 2 faces.(g)Interstate signs shall not be changing signs.(h)All interstate signs must be permitted by Troup County Building, Zoning and Planning Department in accordance with this section as well as the Georgia Department of Transportation.
Full Breakdown
Section 10.7 of the sign ordinance carves out a narrow category for interstate signs and confines them to I-85 frontage identified on the County's adopted quadrant map. Eligible property must be at least a one-acre lot zoned Light Industrial (LI) or Heavy Industrial (HI); no other zoning district qualifies no matter how close it sits to the interstate. The sign itself is capped at 75 feet in height and 400 square feet of surface area per face, with a combined maximum of 800 square feet when both faces are counted.
Placement is tightly bounded: the sign must sit no more than 100 feet from I-85, but at least 10 feet from the interstate right-of-way and 40 feet from every other property line, and no freestanding interstate sign may stand within 50 feet of another freestanding sign. Each face must run perpendicular to the interstate centerline nearest the sign, and a sign may have no more than two faces. Interstate signs are barred from using changing-sign or digital message technology altogether, unlike the highway-commercial districts that allow changing signs under Section 10.8.
Before construction, the applicant must secure a permit from both the Troup County Building, Zoning and Planning Department and the Georgia Department of Transportation, since the sign sits within GDOT's outdoor advertising jurisdiction along the interstate corridor.
Violations & Fines
An interstate sign built without the required County and GDOT permits, or one that exceeds the 75-foot height or 400-square-foot face limits, is an unpermitted sign under the Unified Development Ordinance. The Community Development Director can issue a notice of violation and order it removed, and Appendix A Section 2.7 allows a civil penalty of up to $1,000.00 per day of continued violation, plus a criminal citation carrying up to a $1,000.00 fine or 60 days in jail.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I put up a billboard facing I-85 anywhere in Troup County?
How tall can a Troup County interstate sign be?
Do interstate signs need approval from the state as well as the County?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Troup County
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