Building and permits · Permits by state
Billboard Permits in Illinois: Rules, Spacing and Fees
By Gabie Research · Updated Oct 12, 2026 · 6 min read
Short answer
In Illinois, IDOT's Bureau of Land Acquisition in Springfield issues billboard permits. You need one for a sign within 660 feet of an Interstate, a federal-aid primary road or the National Highway System. Structures must be 500 feet apart on Interstates. The one-time fee is $50 to $200 by size. There is no yearly renewal, and digital messages must hold 10 seconds.
- IDOT's Bureau of Land Acquisition in Springfield issues permits; applications go by mail.
- The one-time fee is $50, $100 or $200 by sign size. The permit lasts as long as the structure.
- Spacing is 500 feet on Interstates and expressways, and 300 feet inside towns on other primary roads.
- In counties under 2 million people, a new sign can be up to 800 square feet.
- Digital messages must hold at least 10 seconds and change in 3 seconds or less.
IDOT issues billboard permits in Illinois. Its Bureau of Land Acquisition handles them from Springfield. You pay a one-time fee of $50 to $200, based on sign size. There is no yearly renewal. Your city or county may also need to approve the sign.
Who issues billboard permits in Illinois?
The state Department of Transportation runs the outdoor advertising program. The Bureau of Land Acquisition, Outdoor Advertising, reviews the permits. Its office is Room 210, 2300 South Dirksen Parkway, Springfield. You can email DOT.billboards@illinois.gov or call (217) 785-0808.
IDOT says about 19,000 permitted signs stand along its controlled routes. There is no online filing. You mail the form with original signatures.
The rules come from the Highway Advertising Control Act of 1971 and 92 Ill. Adm. Code Part 522. The rule was last changed in 2011. The law has changed since, in 2023 and 2025. Where the two differ, the law is newer.
Which roads need a state permit?
The state controls signs along three kinds of roads:
- Interstates
- The federal-aid primary system as it stood on June 1, 1991
- Other roads on the National Highway System
That list comes from federal law, 23 U.S.C. 131. Signs within 660 feet of the right-of-way need a permit if drivers can see them. Outside urban areas, signs farther out count too if they are built to be read from the road. IDOT posts a map of controlled routes on its program page.
Scenic byways on these roads are closed to new billboards. That rule dates to 1996.
Where can a billboard go?
Billboards go only in a "business area." That is land zoned for business, commercial or industrial use. Land with no zoning counts if it lies within 600 feet of a working business. Farms, homes, rail lines and other billboards don't count as a business. Spot zoning made only for a sign is not accepted.
Interstates are stricter. The site must be inside a city or village as its limits stood on September 21, 1959. It must also be zoned for business or industry.
Illinois billboard rules at a glance
| Rule | Illinois limit | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Control zone | 660 ft from the right-of-way; farther outside urban areas if built to be read | 225 ILCS 440/3.07 |
| Unzoned business area | Within 600 ft of a business | 225 ILCS 440/3.11 |
| Spacing, Interstates and expressways | 500 ft, same side of the road | 225 ILCS 440/6.03(b) |
| Spacing, other primary roads | 500 ft; 300 ft inside a city or village | 225 ILCS 440/6.03(b) |
| Interchanges, rest areas, weigh stations | No sign within 500 ft on Interstates and expressways, outside towns | 225 ILCS 440/6.03(c) |
| Maximum size, all counties | 1,200 sq ft, 30 ft high, 60 ft long | 225 ILCS 440/6.01 |
| Maximum size, counties under 2 million people | 800 sq ft, plus up to 20% for cut-outs | 225 ILCS 440/6.01 |
| Signs per facing | 2 at most; V-type angle up to 90 degrees | 225 ILCS 440/6.01 |
| Setback | Not in the right-of-way; no set distance published | 92 Ill. Adm. Code 522.150 |
| Digital hold time | At least 10 seconds | 92 Ill. Adm. Code 522.20, 522.150 |
| Digital change time | 3 seconds or less | 92 Ill. Adm. Code 522.20 |
| Digital brightness | No number published; no glare | 225 ILCS 440/6.02 |
| Application fee | $50 (under 150 sq ft), $100 (150 to 299 sq ft), $200 (300 sq ft or more) | 225 ILCS 440/8 |
| Renewal | None; valid while the structure stands | IDOT Permit Compliance |
| Digital upgrade addendum | $200 | 225 ILCS 440/8 |
| Build deadline | 3 years after the permit is issued | 92 Ill. Adm. Code 522.90 |
What are the digital billboard rules?
Illinois calls a digital board a multiple message sign. Each message must stay fixed for at least 10 seconds. The change to the next one must take 3 seconds or less. If the sign breaks, it must freeze on one message. Other moving parts and flashing lights are banned.
Illinois has no brightness number. The general rule is that lights must not glare at drivers. Spacing is the same as for any other sign.
The 10-second hold is at the top of FHWA's 2007 range of 4 to 10 seconds.
Converting a legal sign got easier in 2023. Public Act 103-0471 lets you file a permit addendum instead of a new permit. The fee is $200. IDOT has 30 days to review it. Nonconforming signs can't convert.
What does a permit cost?
The fee is paid once, with the application. It can't be refunded.
- Under 150 square feet: $50
- 150 to 299 square feet: $100
- 300 square feet or more: $200
Pay by check or money order to the Illinois State Treasurer. IDOT says a permit lasts as long as the structure. No yearly fee or late fee is published. A new owner files form LA9009 within 60 days. IDOT's page lists no fee for it.
Can you cut trees in front of a sign?
Yes, but only with a permit from the district. IDOT's vegetation plan sets the terms:
- The sign must be legal and at least two years old.
- Each structure needs its own permit.
- The clear zone is 250 feet in front of each face. IDOT may add 250 feet case by case.
- A permit lasts 180 days. The district aims to decide within 45 days.
- The contractor needs $300,000 in insurance and bonding.
- No more than one-third of a tree's canopy comes off at once.
- Trees you remove are replaced at two inches for every inch cut.
What about nonconforming signs?
A nonconforming sign was legal before the 1972 act took effect but no longer fits. You may keep it up. Some work goes past normal upkeep, though, and is not allowed:
- Replacing more than 60% of a wood sign's uprights
- Replacing more than 30% of a bent or broken metal support
- Making the sign taller or bigger
- Adding lights
A sign is abandoned after a year with no message. A message that offers the space for rent counts as a message. The state must pay just compensation to remove a lawful sign.
Do you need a local permit too?
Often, yes. IDOT says its approval does not exempt you from local rules. A local okay doesn't guarantee state approval either.
The state needs two things from the local side. One is a letter from the city or county on its letterhead that confirms the zoning. The other is proof that you told the city or county about your application. In zoned areas, local size, lighting and spacing rules can replace the state's.
How do you apply for a billboard permit in Illinois?
- Check the road on IDOT's controlled routes map.
- Confirm the zoning, or find a business within 600 feet.
- Sign a site lease with the landowner.
- Get the zoning letter from the city or county.
- Fill out Form LA9001 for a primary road or LA9002 for an Interstate.
- Signs over 150 square feet need a site drawing from a licensed land surveyor. Add a title commitment.
- Sign a notarized statement that you own no illegal or abandoned signs.
- Within 2 miles of a public airport, the Division of Aeronautics must also approve.
- Mail it all to Room 210 in Springfield with the fee. IDOT says reviews take about four weeks.
- Build within three years. Fix the tag to the front of the sign once it is built.
If IDOT denies the permit, you have 30 days to appeal. A 2025 law, Public Act 104-0199, sends appeals to a hearing judge.
Read how to start a billboard business for the steps before a permit. See billboard lease rates for what landowners get paid.
Other state billboard permit guides
- Billboard permits: the national overview
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Florida
- Georgia
- California
- North Carolina
- Ohio
- Pennsylvania
- New York
This is a summary, not legal advice. Check with the agency before you build or sign.
Questions people ask
Who issues billboard permits in Illinois?
The Illinois Department of Transportation does, through its Bureau of Land Acquisition, Outdoor Advertising, in Springfield. You can reach it at DOT.billboards@illinois.gov or (217) 785-0808.
How much does an Illinois billboard permit cost?
The one-time application fee is $50 under 150 square feet, $100 from 150 to 299 square feet and $200 at 300 square feet or more. IDOT lists no yearly renewal fee.
How far apart must billboards be in Illinois?
At least 500 feet on the same side of an Interstate or expressway. On other primary roads it is 500 feet, or 300 feet inside a city or village.
How often can a digital billboard change in Illinois?
No more than once every 10 seconds. The change itself must take 3 seconds or less, and the sign must freeze if it fails.
Do Illinois billboard permits expire?
No. IDOT says the permit is valid as long as the structure exists. You must build within three years of the permit, or it becomes void.
Can I convert my Illinois billboard to digital?
Yes, if it is a legal, conforming sign. Since 2023 you file a permit addendum with a $200 fee instead of a new permit. Nonconforming signs can't convert.
Sources
- 01Outdoor Advertising · Illinois Department of Transportation · accessed Oct 8, 2026
- 02Outdoor Advertising: Application · Illinois Department of Transportation · accessed Oct 8, 2026
- 03Outdoor Advertising: Permit Compliance · Illinois Department of Transportation · accessed Oct 8, 2026
- 04Outdoor Advertising Vegetation and Landscaping Control Plan (March 1, 2008) · Illinois Department of Transportation · accessed Oct 8, 2026
- 05Highway Advertising Control Act of 1971 (225 ILCS 440) · Illinois General Assembly · accessed Oct 8, 2026
- 06225 ILCS 440/8, Permits and fees · Illinois General Assembly · accessed Oct 8, 2026
- 0792 Ill. Adm. Code Part 522, Control of Outdoor Advertising Adjacent to Primary and Interstate Highways · Illinois General Assembly, JCAR · accessed Oct 8, 2026
- 08Public Act 103-0471 · Illinois General Assembly · accessed Oct 8, 2026
- 09Public Act 104-0199 · Illinois General Assembly · accessed Oct 8, 2026
- 1023 U.S.C. 131, Control of outdoor advertising · Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School · accessed Oct 8, 2026
- 11Guidance on Off-Premise Changeable Message Signs (Sept. 25, 2007) · FHWA · accessed Oct 8, 2026
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Published Oct 8, 2026 · Updated Oct 12, 2026 · How we check facts