Are LED Signs Allowed in Atlanta, DeKalb County, Georgia? A Guide to Permits, Sizes, and Zoning
EMC Sign Allowed?
✅ Yes — with strict limitations.
Electronic message centers (EMCs), LED/digital signs, or signs with changing content are conditionally permitted under Atlanta’s sign code in certain contexts, but subject to regulatory constraints (timing, distancing, brightness, and district rules).
If your property is not in a district where changing signs are allowed, then static signage or other forms will be your only option.
🔗 Full Ordinance – City of Atlanta Sign Code
🔗 Zoning & GIS Map – City of Atlanta Zoning & GIS Map
EMC Sign Summary Table
| Feature | Answer / Limitation |
|---|---|
| Districts allowing changing (electronic / digital) signs | Limited – generally in nonresidential zones; special allowance for large screen video displays in SPI-1 Subarea 5 as wall signs. |
| EMC / digital sign styles allowed | Electronic / changing copy / video displays (in specific districts) |
| Off-premise EMC allowed | Only via permitted “billboard signs” in industrial zones (I-1 / I-2) under Atlanta code |
| EMCs in right-of-way / public property | ❌ Not allowed; signs in public right-of-way (other than authorized exceptions) are prohibited. |
| Minimum setback / spacing | Billboard signs: ≤ 300 ft from residential zones prohibited; ≥ 500 ft apart; ≤ 300 ft from historic, government, or transit structures prohibited. |
| Use restrictions / timing | Changing signs must stay static for at least 10 seconds per message, transitions ≤ 2 seconds. |
| Brightness / glare / traffic safety | Must adjust brightness to ambient lighting; must not impair sightlines / distractions. |
Zoning / Sign Regulatory Framework
Atlanta regulates signage under Chapter 16, Part III, Chapter 28A (Sign Ordinance) within its Zoning / Land Development Code.
The code is designed to be content-neutral (i.e. not regulating signs by message content but by type, size, location) in compliance with Reed v. Town of Gilbert.
A notable recent amendment: the city now permits Large Screen Video Display (LSVD) signs (i.e. digital wall display) in SPI-1, Subarea 5, by codifying a new exception in § 16-28A.012(M).
In addition, the ordinance sets general rules applicable to all districts (illumination, sign hazard, animation rules) under § 16-28A.007.
Zoning-Specific Standards
Residential & Mixed-Use / Commercial Districts
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In residential zones, only small, static signage is generally allowed, subject to limitations (area, setbacks, number)
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Changing signs or animated / flashing signs adjacent to highways or visible from them are prohibited unless following strict safety review § 16-28A.007(h)
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All signs must comply with lighting control, glare rules, and avoid interference with traffic devices.
Nonresidential / Industrial Zones & Billboards
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Billboard signs are permitted only in I-1 and I-2 industrial districts, under § 16-28A.007(b).
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Distance limits: no billboard sign within 300 ft of residential district boundary, or 500 ft of another billboard, or 300 ft of a historic, government, or transit facility.
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Billboard signs employing changing sign technology are subject to stricter spacing: e.g. 5,000 ft apart if adjacent to interstate highway; 2,500 ft apart along arterial / connector streets.
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Building “signature signs” or wall-mounted signs in SPI-1 Subarea 5 may allow large screen video display signs. This provision creates an exception for digital wall signage in a special district.
Permit Filing Requirements
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A sign permit is required for most exterior signs (non-exempt).
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For changing / electronic signs, permit applications must include an owner/operator certification to operate in compliance with timing, brightness, and safety rules. § 16-28A.007(h)(16).
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For video display signs in SPI-1, the applicant must follow the procedure set in the ordinance amendment (Ordinance 19-0-1478).
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Permits are reviewed by the city’s planning / zoning / building departments via their online system.
Local Project Example
Atlanta’s Georgia Aquarium is one example: the aquarium obtained permission under the SPI-1 special district to install high-definition digital display panels on its exterior walls. These are considered large screen video display signs under the SPI-1 exception.
Because these are wall-mounted digital displays (not freestanding billboards), they fall under the special district’s rules rather than general billboard spacing rules.
Ordinance Excerpts (Key Passages)
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§ 16-28A.007(h):
“No animated flashing or changing sign shall be located adjacent to an interstate highway or be visible from any portion of said highway unless … the sign is otherwise permitted …”
Changing signs must remain static ≥ 10 seconds, transitions ≤ 2 seconds.
Brightness must be appropriately adjusted so as not to impair vision or distract drivers. -
§ 16-28A.007(b) (Billboards):
“Billboard signs are permitted only in the I-1 and I-2 industrial districts … No billboard sign shall be located within 300 feet of any residential district boundary… No billboard sign shall be located within 500 feet of another billboard sign …”
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Ordinance 19-0-1478 (SPI-1 amendment):
Adds § 16-28A.012(M), permitting Large Screen Video Display (LSVD) signs as a type of wall sign in SPI-1, Subarea 5.
External Reference Links
🗺️ Atlanta Zoning & GIS Map
📘 Atlanta Zoning Sign Code
📝 Permit Application Portal