Building and permits · Permits by state
Billboard Permits in Texas: Rules, Spacing and Fees
By Gabie Research · Updated Oct 12, 2026 · 6 min read
Short answer
In Texas, TxDOT's Commercial Signs Regulatory Program issues billboard permits through its online CSLAP system. You need a license ($125 to apply) and a $100 permit for each sign. The yearly license renewal is $75 plus $75 per permit. Signs must be 1,500 feet apart on freeways, and a face can be up to 672 square feet.
- TxDOT's Right of Way Division runs the Commercial Signs Regulatory Program. You apply online in CSLAP.
- You need a license ($125) and a surety bond, then a $100 permit for each sign.
- [object Object]
- Spacing is 1,500 feet on freeways, 750 feet on other primary roads outside cities and 300 feet inside.
- Faces are capped at 672 square feet. You can't cut trees on the right-of-way at all.
TxDOT issues billboard permits in Texas. Texas calls them commercial signs. You need a license and a bond first. Then each sign needs a $100 permit. Since 2024, you renew the license once a year instead of each permit. In 36 certified cities, the city issues the permit instead.
Who issues billboard permits in Texas?
The state Department of Transportation runs the Commercial Signs Regulatory Program. It sits in TxDOT's Right of Way Division in Austin. You can email csrp@txdot.gov. TxDOT says it usually replies within one business day.
You do everything online in CSLAP, TxDOT's sign system. That covers licenses, permits, renewals, transfers and payments. TxDOT now rejects incomplete applications. It no longer asks for missing details.
The rules come from Transportation Code Chapter 391 for major highways. Chapter 394 covers rural roads. TxDOT's rules are in 43 TAC Chapter 21. TxDOT rewrote them as of September 1, 2024.
Which roads need a state permit?
TxDOT controls signs along Interstates and primary highways. That includes state highways and farm-to-market roads on the primary system. Primary means the federal-aid primary system and the National Highway System as of 1991. That follows federal law, 23 U.S.C. 131.
The control zone is 660 feet from the edge of the right-of-way. Farther out, signs seen from the road are controlled outside urban areas. The rule says outside a city's jurisdiction instead. Check with the agency.
Texas goes further than federal law. Chapter 394 covers billboards along any rural road in an unincorporated area.
Some roads ban new billboards outright. The law lists 19 corridors, such as US 290 from Austin to Fredericksburg. State scenic byways are closed too.
Where can a billboard go?
A billboard must sit in a commercial or industrial area.
- Zoned land counts under comprehensive zoning. It also needs a working business within 800 feet of the sign, on the same side.
- Unzoned land is judged by a box. It runs 800 feet each way along the road and 660 feet deep. It must hold two or more businesses, and no more than half of it can be homes.
A qualifying business must be in a permanent building within 200 feet of the right-of-way. It must be open, visible and have utilities. Farms, signs, apartments, schools, cemeteries and churches don't count.
Texas billboard rules at a glance
| Rule | Texas limit | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Control zone | 660 ft from the right-of-way; farther in some areas | Tex. Transp. Code 391.031; 43 TAC 21.153 |
| Unzoned area | 800 ft each way, 660 ft deep, 2+ businesses | 43 TAC 21.162 |
| Spacing, regulated freeways (incl. frontage roads) | 1,500 ft, same side | 43 TAC 21.180 |
| Spacing, other primary roads outside cities | 750 ft | 43 TAC 21.180 |
| Spacing, other primary roads inside cities | 300 ft | 43 TAC 21.180 |
| Interchanges, ramps, rest areas (outside cities) | No sign within 1,000 ft | 43 TAC 21.179 |
| Parks and other public spaces | 250 ft from the boundary; 1,000 ft along the road where they touch it | 43 TAC 21.178 |
| Maximum face | 672 sq ft, 25 ft high, 60 ft long | 43 TAC 21.176 |
| Two faces in one direction | No more than 700 sq ft together | 43 TAC 21.176 |
| Overall height | 60 ft, measured from the centerline grade | 43 TAC 21.181 |
| Setback | 5 ft from the right-of-way; new signs 10 ft from power lines | 43 TAC 21.179 |
| Digital hold time | At least 8 seconds | 43 TAC 21.196 |
| Digital change time | 2 seconds, whole face at once | 43 TAC 21.196 |
| Digital spacing | 1,500 ft from another digital sign facing the same way | 43 TAC 21.160 |
| Digital brightness | Auto-dimming; no number published | 43 TAC 21.196, 21.183 |
| License | $125 to apply; $75 a year plus $75 per permit | 43 TAC 21.148 |
| Permit | $100 per new or amended permit | 43 TAC 21.171 |
| Decision time | 90 days after the application is received | 43 TAC 21.159 |
| Build deadline | 1 year after the approval notice | 43 TAC 21.159 |
Rural roads under Chapter 394 use their own limits. Faces max out at 672 square feet and 42.5 feet tall there. Spacing runs 150 to 1,500 feet by sign size.
What are the digital billboard rules?
Texas calls them electronic signs. They are allowed only along regulated highways inside a city or its extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ).
- Each message holds at least 8 seconds.
- The change takes 2 seconds and happens on the whole face at once.
- The sign must freeze if it breaks.
- Brightness must adjust to daylight on its own.
- Digital signs sit 1,500 feet apart on the same highway, facing the same way.
- You must help show Amber Alerts and disaster alerts.
In certified cities, the city can set its own digital spacing. Converting a face to digital needs an amended permit. Texas's 8 seconds matches the figure FHWA recommended in 2007.
What does a permit cost?
Texas changed its fees in 2024. Permits no longer renew one by one. The rule change cut about 15,000 permit renewals to one license renewal per owner.
- License application: $125
- Yearly license renewal: $75, plus $75 for each permit and credit you hold
- New or amended permit: $100
- Permit transfer: $25
- Surety bond: $2,500 per county, up to $10,000
Renew in CSLAP by November 1. A late license can be reinstated until December 15 for an extra 1%. On December 16 it ends, and its permits become void. Fees can't be refunded.
Can you cut trees in front of a sign?
No. Texas bans trimming or removing plants on the right-of-way for a sign. TxDOT has no vegetation permit. It turned down an industry request for one in 2024. Cutting can get your permit denied or canceled.
You may trim branches that cross onto private property, from the private side.
What about nonconforming signs?
A nonconforming sign was legal when built but fails today's rules. You may keep it up and change the ad. You may switch to energy-saving lights. With an amended permit, you may replace up to half its poles in 12 months. You may not rebuild it or make a substantial change.
The sign counts as destroyed if half or more of its poles need repair. A bent or broken monopole counts too. You can dispute this within 90 days with a Texas engineer's report. Blank faces and overgrown signs can count as abandoned.
Do you need a local permit too?
Often. A TxDOT permit doesn't exempt you from city codes. Cities can set stricter rules.
In 36 certified cities, the city permit replaces TxDOT's. These include Houston, Dallas and Fort Worth. Certification doesn't cover a city's ETJ. In the ETJ of a city over 1.9 million people, you need a city permit too.
How do you apply for a billboard permit in Texas?
- Create a CSLAP account and apply for a license. Upload a surety bond and pay $125.
- Check the road on TxDOT's sign map, and make sure it isn't a banned corridor.
- Confirm the zoning, or that the site meets the unzoned test.
- Get the landowner's signed consent. It lasts for the life of the permit.
- Set a stake at the center pole spot, with at least 2 feet showing.
- Apply in CSLAP with the parcel ID and your stake location. Pay $100.
- Add the ETJ affidavit or a city permit if your site needs one.
- TxDOT decides within 90 days. You have 90 days to appeal a denial.
- Build within one year of the approval notice.
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
- Florida
- Georgia
- California
- North Carolina
- Ohio
- Pennsylvania
- Illinois
- 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 Texas?
TxDOT's Commercial Signs Regulatory Program, in the Right of Way Division. In 36 certified cities, the city issues permits instead of TxDOT.
How much does a Texas billboard permit cost?
A license costs $125 to apply, and each permit costs $100. Each year the license renews for $75 plus $75 for every permit you hold.
How far apart must billboards be in Texas?
1,500 feet on regulated freeways, including frontage roads. On other primary highways it is 750 feet outside cities and 300 feet inside.
How big can a billboard be in Texas?
A face can be up to 672 square feet, 25 feet high and 60 feet long. The whole sign can be up to 60 feet tall.
Where are digital billboards allowed in Texas?
Only along regulated highways inside a city or its extraterritorial jurisdiction. They must be 1,500 feet from another digital sign facing the same way, and hold each message 8 seconds.
Can I trim trees in front of my billboard in Texas?
Not on the highway right-of-way. TxDOT has no vegetation permit, and cutting can cost you the permit. You may trim branches that cross onto private land, from private land.
Sources
- 01Commercial Signs Regulatory Program · Texas Department of Transportation · accessed Oct 8, 2026
- 02Commercial Signs Licensing and Permitting Application (CSLAP) · Texas Department of Transportation · accessed Oct 8, 2026
- 03Texas Certified Cities, FY 2026 (rev. March 12, 2026) · Texas Department of Transportation · accessed Oct 8, 2026
- 04CSLAP job aid: apply for an interstate or primary system highway sign permit (Jan. 2025) · Texas Department of Transportation · accessed Oct 8, 2026
- 05Transportation Code Chapter 391, Highway Beautification on Interstate and Primary Systems · Texas Legislature · accessed Oct 8, 2026
- 06Transportation Code Chapter 394, Regulation of Outdoor Signs on Rural Roads · Texas Legislature · accessed Oct 8, 2026
- 0743 TAC Chapter 21, Subchapter I, Regulation of Signs Along Interstate and Primary Highways · Texas Secretary of State · accessed Oct 8, 2026
- 08Adoption preamble, 49 TexReg 6256 (rules effective Sept. 1, 2024) · Texas Secretary of State · accessed Oct 8, 2026
- 0923 U.S.C. 131, Control of outdoor advertising · Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School · accessed Oct 8, 2026
- 10Guidance on Off-Premise Changeable Message Signs (Sept. 25, 2007) · FHWA · accessed Oct 8, 2026
Billboard operations and sales research
The Gabie team studies how billboard companies price, sell and run their boards. Every number we publish links to its source.
Published Oct 8, 2026 · Updated Oct 12, 2026 · How we check facts