Sec. 28-54. - Digital displays; off-premise.
(a) New, off-premise digital signs are prohibited within the jurisdiction of the city, provided however, that the director was previously authorized to issue fifteen (15) off-premise digital sign permits pursuant to Ordinance No. 2007-12-06-1247. The director may be authorized to issue additional off-premise digital sign permits pursuant to any future pilot program ordinance adopted by city council. Existing off-premise digital signs are subject to this section and all other relevant provisions of this chapter, the City Code, and state and federal law.
Commentary: Under the one (1) year pilot program, thirteen (13) off-premises digital signs were permitted. No new off-premise digital signs are permitted in the city or the ETJ, with the exception of one additional digital sign permit authorized by city council ordinance, and the ten (10) permits authorized by city council through the Digital Media and Arts pilot program. The thirteen (13) existing off-premises digital displays that were approved, and any additional approved off-premises digital displays, are required to be maintained in accordance with the requirements listed here in this section.
(b) Off-premises sign operators testing or maintaining existing off-premise digital signs shall comply with the following requirements:
(1) The dwell time, defined as the interval of change between each individual message, shall be at least ten (10) seconds, and a change of message must be accomplished within one (1) second or less. The dwell time shall not include the one (1) second or less required to change a message.
(2) The off-premises digital sign shall contain a default mechanism that will freeze the sign in one (1) position if a malfunction occurs.
(3) The off-premises digital sign may not display light of such intensity or brilliance to cause glare or otherwise impair the vision of the driver, or results in a nuisance to the driver.
a. Off-premises digital sign light intensity exceeding 0.3 footcandles or the following intensity levels (nits) constitutes "excessive intensity or brilliance":
Intensity Levels (NITS)
Color | Daytime | Nighttime
Red Only | 3,150 | 1,125
Green Only | 6,300 | 2,250
Amber Only | 4,690 | 1,675
Full Color | 7,000 | 2,500
b. Prior to the issuance of a sign permit, the applicant shall provide written certification from the sign manufacturer that the light intensity has been factory pre-set not to exceed seven thousand (7,000) NITS and that the intensity level is protected from end-user manipulation by password-protected software or other method as deemed appropriate by the director.
(4) The off-premises digital sign shall not be configured to resemble a warning or danger signal or to cause a driver to mistake the digital sign for a warning or danger signal.
(5) An off-premises digital sign is subject to all existing restrictions on light intensity or brilliance contained in chapter 35 of the Unified Development Code, including but not limited to subsection 35-612(p)(6).
(6) An off-premises digital sign must not resemble or simulate any lights or official signage used to control traffic in accordance with the 2003 Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, with Revision No. 1 published by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA).
(7) An off-premises digital sign must be equipped with both a dimmer control and a photocell, which automatically adjusts the display's intensity according to natural ambient light conditions.
(8) Except for a sign that qualifies as nonconforming under section 28-55, an off-premises digital sign must comply with sign face size restrictions set forth in section 28-52. A nonconforming sign may not be enlarged beyond its present size without forfeiting its nonconforming status.
(9) An off-premises digital sign may not be within two thousand (2,000) feet of another off-premise digital sign facing the same traveled way. In no case shall an off-premise digital sign be in a line of sight with another off-premise digital sign. Spacing requirements for off-premise digital signs in relation to other classifications of signs shall comply with section 28-52.
(c) The city, through appropriate personnel, may exercise its police powers to protect public health, safety, and welfare by requiring emergency information to be displayed via digital signs. Upon notification, the off-premises sign operators shall display in appropriate sign rotations: Amber Alert emergency information or emergency information regarding terrorist attacks, or natural disasters. Emergency information messages are to remain in rotation according to the designated issuing agencies protocols.
(d) Notwithstanding subsection (a) above, the owner of an existing legally permitted off-premises digital sign erected under the 2007 one-year pilot program may place a second digital display of nor more than six hundred seventy-two (672) square feet on the backside of the existing digital sign provided that the following conditions are met:
(1) For each additional digital display, the owner shall completely remove four (4) square feet of sign face off an existing off-premises sign for one (1) square foot of digital display.
a. The sign faces must be removed prior to receiving a permit for each digital display.
b. If a face is removed from a structure, the entire sign assembly must be removed.
c. No credit will be given for the area of the sign face removed to convert to a digital display.
d. For each additional digital display, at least one (1) sign assembly must contain a minimum of one (1) face of approximately six hundred seventy-two (672) square feet and be removed from designated protected corridors and overlays.
(2) An off-premises digital sign owner, with approval by the city, may make alterations to the digital signs as necessary to deploy the additional digital displays.
(3) An off-premises digital sign owner must apply for all necessary permits within six (6) months of the approval of this article.
(4) An owner who deploys a digital display under this subsection must, in addition to the above, remove any permitted sign assembly from within the city containing a sign face smaller than one hundred (100) square feet. Removal of the signs must be completed within eighteen (18) months of the approval of the ordinance, with at least one-third (⅓) of the operator's inventory removed within twelve (12) months of the approval of the ordinance. Upon good cause shown, the director may grant an extension for the removals of no more than ninety (90) days.
(e) The owner of a sign qualifying for a second digital display under subsection (d) above that did not deploy the display during the allotted time may place a second display so long as all permits have been applied for within nine (9) months of the approval of this article. Such placement may only occur if all other applicable requirements of subsection (d) have been satisfied.
(f) Notwithstanding subsection (a) above, as of the latest date of this ordinance, for a three (3) year period, the owner of an existing legally permitted off-premises sign structure may place up to two digital displays of no more than six hundred seventy-two (672) square feet each on the structure, provided that the following conditions are met:
(1) The sign structure is not located within the following areas:
a. Downtown area within the following boundaries:
1. Both sides of I.H. 10, an expressway, between South Alamo Street to I.H. 35 for a distance of five hundred (500) feet from the street right-of-way.
2. Both sides of I.H. 35, an expressway, between I.H. 10 to I.H. 37 for a distance of five hundred (500) feet from the street right-of-way.
3. Both sides of I.H. 37, an expressway, between I.H. 35 to Carolina Street for a distance of five hundred (500) feet from the street right-of-way.
4. Both sides of I.H. 10,/Highway 90, an expressway, in the Mission Reach Overlay District for a distance of five hundred (500) feet from the street right-of-way.
b. Any street categorized as an Arterial Street or smaller, excluding locations where the structure is located on an arterial or smaller street but oriented toward the expressway and the structure is within one-hundred (100) feet from the expressway right-of-way.
c. A historic overlay district.
d. Both sides of I.H. 37, an expressway, between the south most intersection of I.H. 37 and Jones Maltsberger Road and I.H. 35 for a distance of five hundred (500) feet from the street right-of-way.
e. Within five hundred (500) feet of a structure located on a property zoned HL, HE, or HS.
f. Within two thousand (2000) feet of another digital off-premises sign.
g. Within two thousand (2000) feet of the city limits for City of San Antonio.
h. Within one thousand five hundred (1,500) feet of another existing legally permitted off-premises sign structure.
i. Within ten (10) feet of the adjacent expressway.
j. Within the Hill Country Gateway Corridor, GC-1, as defined per the 2003 Ordinance 97656.
(2) The new digital display shall comply with the following:
a. Digital Sign lighting requirements per the MLOD Standards per the Uniform Development Code Section 35-339.04.
b. The orientation to the highway of the existing sign structure shall not be modified.
c. The height of the existing sign structure shall not be increased. And the structure was not changed in height under a height adjustment permit within the past three (3) years.
d. A minimum of forty (40) hours of public service announcement time shall be provided to the City of San Antonio each year, initially starting at the activation of the sign and renewing at the start of each calendar year.
(3) Takedown credits, utilization and requirements.
a. Takedown credits will be accrued through the removal of existing permitted billboards within the City of San Antonio at a per square footage of sign face removed at a one (1) for one (1) ratio. Billboards removed in the areas defined under section 28-54(f)(1) will receive Takedown Credits at a per square footage of sign face removed at a one and a half (1.5) for one (1) ratio.
b. Relocation credits per Sections 28-56 and 28-57 can be converted to Takedown Credits at a ratio of one (1) square footage of sign face relocation credit to a half (0.5) square footage of takedown credit. A maximum of fifty percent (50%) of required takedown credits needed for the conversion of a digital face can be converted from relocation credits.
c. For each new digital display, the billboard owner shall need four (4) square feet of takedown credits for one (1) square foot of digital display.
d. The sign faces must be removed prior to receiving takedown credits and a permit for each digital display.
e. If a face is removed from a structure, the entire sign assembly must be removed.
f. No credit will be given for the area of the sign face removed to convert to a digital display.
g. Credits for a takedown to be utilized for digital conversion shall not be transferred from one licensed billboard operator to another.
(4) A maximum of eight (8) digital conversion permits will be issued per calendar year starting on January 1, 2024 and will conclude on December 31, 2026. Conversion permits are only good for the year issued and cannot be transferred to another calendar year. One (1) permit will be issued for each billboard structure to be converted to digital. The billboard owner will have the option to convert one (1) or both faces of an existing dual face billboard. If the owner only converts one (1) face of a dual face structure, then a new permit will be required to convert the second face in any future year. No new faces can be added to existing billboards under the digital conversion and no more than two (2) digital faces can be added to an existing structure.
a. Licensed billboard operators with four-hundred (400) or more permitted billboards shall be allocated four (4) conversion permits per year.
b. Licensed billboard operators with twenty (20) to three-hundred ninety-nine (399) permitted billboards shall be allocated one (1) conversion permit per year.
c. Licensed billboard operators with less than twenty (20) permitted billboards shall be allocated the remaining allowable conversions using the following process:
1. A company wishing to participate in the digital conversion process during each calendar year must submit a completed application detailing the location to be converted, the number of faces to be converted, and billboards that will be removed to accrue the required takedown credits.
2. Development services department will conduct a drawing in the presence of participants.
3. The company selected by the drawing must submit a final application within sixty (60) days of the selection drawing date.
4. All demolition requirements need to be completed in six (6) months after the application has been issued and approved. The director is authorized to extend this time an additional ninety (90) days for good cause shown supported by written documentation stating the reasons why six (6) months was insufficient to complete the required demolitions.
5. If the company drawn to perform the conversion fails to meet the deadline, the next company in line will be awarded the right to perform a digital conversion.
6. Approval to receive a digital conversion permit cannot be transferred or sold.
(g) Notwithstanding any prior permit limitations, the director may issue up to ten (10) off-premise digital display permits associated with the Digital Media and Arts (DMA) two-year pilot program.
(1) The DMA permits shall be authorized for use only in the eight (8) districts established by, and more particularly described in, the DMA pilot program ordinance, being:
• UTSA District
• Downtown West District
• Downtown East District
• Downtown South District
• Alamodome East District
• Port San Antonio District
• Brooks City Base District
• Toyota Field District
(2) No more than three (3) permits may be authorized for use in any one (1) district.
(3) Two (2) of the DMA permits shall be reserved for use on city facilities and shall be subject to the city's procurement process and procedures.
(4) DMA permittees shall be subject to the DMA pilot program policy and guidelines, including any revenue sharing and cost-bearing conditions.
(5) DMA participation revenue detail:
i. Revenue Share - Ten (10) percent during the two-year pilot program and thereafter.
ii. Revenue shall go to the City of San Antonio Arts and Culture Department.
iii. Display time share for city use - Twenty (20) percent of display time guaranteed, plus an additional five (5) percent remnant time, if available.
iv. Pilot Art Contribution - One hundred thousand dollars ($100,000.00) per permit.
(6) At the end of the two-year pilot program, said program will be evaluated by city for potential program time extension. City council shall have sole discretion to authorize any additional program time beyond the initial two-year pilot program.
(7) A limited number of digital displays on existing buildings that allow off-premise advertising will be allowed with the city receiving a percentage of revenue share and time share on the display.
(8) Size limitations - Maximum display size shall be limited to twenty-five (25) percent of the side of a building on which a display is located. On regulated streets, the display must meet all Texas Department of Transportation regulations which may require smaller digital display size.
(9) To the best of permittee's ability, each display will strive for carbon neutrality.
(10) Lighting intensity levels shall comply with the provisions of this chapter.
(11) No display shall be located on the San Antonio Riverwalk.
(12) No display shall be located on any historic designated structures.
(13) Any display to be located in the RIO District shall require HDRC and OHP approval.
(14) The content of any display shall conform to existing laws and city policy. Permittee voluntarily agrees to not display prohibited content including, but not limited to:
i. Explicit images.
ii. Advertising for smoking or vaping products, vendors or facilities.
(Ord. No. 2017-05-04-0297, § 1(Att. 1), 5-4-17; Ord. No. 2019-09-12-0718, § 1, 9-12-19; Ord. No. 2019-11-07-0910, § 4, 11-7-19; Ord. No. 2023-6-01-0369, § 1(Att. I), 6-1-23; Ord. No. 2025-06-12-0465, § 4, 6-12-25)
