# Billboard Permits in Florida: Rules, Spacing and Fees

URL: https://gabie.ai/learn/billboard-permits-florida
Type: Permits by state · Published: 2026-10-08 · Updated: 2026-10-12 · By: Gabie Research

Short answer: In Florida, FDOT's Outdoor Advertising License and Permit Office in Tallahassee issues billboard permits. Sign companies need a $300 yearly license, and each sign face needs a permit at $71 a year. Signs must be 1,500 feet apart on Interstates and 1,000 feet apart on federal-aid primary roads. A face can be up to 950 square feet.

Key takeaways:
- FDOT requires a $300 yearly license to be in the outdoor advertising business, plus a permit for each face.
- The permit fee is $71 per face per year. All permits expire January 15.
- Spacing is 1,500 feet on Interstates and 1,000 feet on federal-aid primary roads.
- A face can be up to 950 square feet. The structure can be 50 feet tall outside cities and 65 feet inside.
- Digital messages must hold at least 6 seconds.

FDOT issues billboard permits in Florida. A company in the billboard business needs a $300 yearly license. Each sign face then needs its own permit at $71 a year. Its 1,500-foot Interstate spacing ties Texas for the widest in our state guides.

## Who issues billboard permits in Florida?

The state Department of Transportation runs the [outdoor advertising program](https://www.fdot.gov/rightofway/OutdoorAdvertising.shtm/new-outdoor-advertising-site). Its Outdoor Advertising License and Permit Office sits at 605 Suwannee Street in Tallahassee. The phone is (850) 414-4601.

You apply and pay online through FDOT's ODA system. It takes cards and bank transfers. You can also mail the forms.

The rules come from [Chapter 479 of the Florida Statutes](http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0400-0499/0479/0479.html) and [Rule Chapter 14-10](https://www.flrules.org/gateway/ChapterHome.asp?Chapter=14-10). A 1972 agreement with the federal government also applies. Where they differ, the stricter rule wins.

## Do you need a license too?

Yes, if you are in the business of outdoor advertising. The license costs $300 a year and can't be prorated. FDOT says new licenses usually take about 10 working days.

The law says a person who only builds signs doesn't need one. FDOT's [FAQ](https://www.fdot.gov/rightofway/OutdoorAdvertisingFAQ.shtm) says builders do. Check with the agency.

## Which roads need a state permit?

You need a permit for signs near these roads:

- Interstates
- The federal-aid primary system as it stood on June 1, 1991
- Roads on the National Highway System
- Other State Highway System roads, outside urban areas

Those federal roads come from [23 U.S.C. 131](https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/23/131). The control zone is 660 feet from the edge of the right-of-way. Outside urban areas it reaches farther, for signs built to be read from the road. An urban area has 5,000 people or more.

New permits are not issued for signs seen from a scenic highway or byway.

## Where can a billboard go?

Signs go only in commercial or industrial zones, as the local government decides. The parcel must be zoned for those uses and have the access to support them. Zoning passed just to allow a sign doesn't count.

Land with no zoning can still qualify. It needs three or more businesses within 1,600 feet of each other. At least one must be on the same side of the road, within 800 feet of the sign. Farms, homes, parks, towers and other signs don't count as businesses.

## Florida billboard rules at a glance

| Rule | Florida limit | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Control zone | 660 ft from the right-of-way; farther outside urban areas | Fla. Stat. 479.01(5) |
| Spacing, Interstate | 1,500 ft, same side of the road | Fla. Stat. 479.07(9)(a)1 |
| Spacing, federal-aid primary | 1,000 ft, same side of the road | Fla. Stat. 479.07(9)(a)2 |
| Spacing with a local removal plan | Interstate spacing can drop to 1,000 ft | Fla. Stat. 479.07(9)(c) |
| Interchanges and rest areas | No Interstate sign within 500 ft, outside cities | Rule 14-10.004(7)(d) |
| Churches, schools, cemeteries, parks | No sign within 100 ft, outside cities | Fla. Stat. 479.11(4) |
| Unzoned area | 3+ businesses within 1,600 ft; one within 800 ft on the same side | Fla. Stat. 479.024(3) |
| Maximum face area | 950 sq ft, including cut-outs | Fla. Stat. 479.07(9)(b)3 |
| Maximum face size | 30 ft high, 60 ft long | Rule 14-10.004(4) |
| Structure height above the road | 50 ft outside cities; 65 ft inside | Fla. Stat. 479.07(9)(b) |
| Setback | 15 ft from the right-of-way, outside cities | Fla. Stat. 479.11(3) |
| Digital hold time | At least 6 seconds | Rule 14-10.004(10) |
| Digital change time | 2 seconds or less, or instant on a digital face | Rule 14-10.004(10) |
| Digital brightness | No number published; no glare | Fla. Stat. 479.11(5)(a) |
| License fee | $300 a year | Fla. Stat. 479.04(1) |
| Permit fee | $71 per face per year | Rule 14-10.0043(2) |
| Late fee | 10% of the amount due | Fla. Stat. 479.07(8)(b) |
| Build deadline | 270 days after the permit is issued | Fla. Stat. 479.07(5)(a) |

## What are the digital billboard rules?

Florida calls a digital board an automatic changeable facing. It is allowed if it meets four rules:

- Each message stays up at least 6 seconds.
- The change takes 2 seconds or less. A digital face must change at once.
- The whole face changes at the same time.
- If it breaks, it must show no flashing or movement.

FDOT also bans scrolling and animated images. No brightness number is published. The law just bans glare that hurts a driver's view.

Adding changeable faces to a nonconforming sign ends its nonconforming status. Florida's 6 seconds sits inside [FHWA's 2007 range](https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/real_estate/policy_guidance/offprmsgsnguid.cfm) of 4 to 10 seconds.

## What does a permit cost?

Each face costs $71 a year, whatever its size. A back-to-back sign needs two permits. The law caps the fee at $100. All permits expire each year on January 15. FDOT sends the renewal bill at least 105 days before that.

Pay late and you owe a 10% late fee. Ignore the notices and FDOT can remove the sign. A first-year permit is prorated by the date you apply.

FDOT has [proposed](https://www.flrules.org/Gateway/View_notice.asp?id=29193816) raising the fee to $100 per face. It takes effect only if the Legislature ratifies it. Check with the agency for the current fee.

Other fees: $5 to transfer a permit, $12 for a new tag and $300 to reinstate a permit.

## Can you cut trees in front of a sign?

Only with FDOT's written permission. Apply on Form 650-050-06 through FDOT's [vegetation page](https://www.fdot.gov/rightofway/VegetationManagement.shtm). The terms come from [section 479.106](http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0400-0499/0479/Sections/0479.106.html):

- The fee is $25 per application, or $200 for more than eight in one district.
- You pay mitigation based on an appraisal, or plant something of equal value.
- The view zone is 350 feet where the speed limit is 35 mph or less. It is 500 feet on faster roads.
- For signs permitted after July 1, 1996, the first request means taking down two nonconforming signs.
- FDOT decides within 60 days. A permit lasts five years.
- Cutting without a permit can cost up to $1,000 per face.

## What about nonconforming signs?

A [nonconforming sign](https://gabie.ai/glossary/nonconforming-sign) was legal when built but fails today's rules. You may repair it. You can't replace more than half its structural parts in any 24 months. Changing its size, height, lights or type ends its rights.

The sign counts as destroyed if more than 60% of its uprights are damaged. Vandalism is the exception. It counts as abandoned after 12 months not in use. A blank face or an "available" message counts as not in use.

## Do you need a local permit too?

Yes. The application needs a statement from a local official. It must say the sign meets local rules and that any local permit will be issued. Those local forms can be no more than six months old.

State law does not override city or county sign rules. FDOT can't permit a sign that local rules ban.

## How do you apply for a billboard permit in Florida?

1. Get the $300 outdoor advertising license if you need one.
2. Confirm the site is zoned, or meets the unzoned test.
3. Get written consent from the landowner.
4. Get the local zoning sign-off and building permit.
5. Mark the site so it can be seen from the road. Take a photo.
6. File [Form 575-070-04](https://pdl.fdot.gov/api/form/downloadAttachment/10980942) for each face, with a location sketch and the fee.
7. FDOT must act within 30 days.
8. Build within 270 days. If you don't, the permit is void and the site stays closed for 270 days.
9. FDOT's rules say to post the tag within 30 days. A [2021 law](https://laws.flrules.org/2021/188) lets FDOT drop metal tags once its public database is live. Ask FDOT which applies.

Read [how to start a billboard business](https://gabie.ai/learn/how-to-start-a-billboard-business) for the steps before a permit. See [billboard lease rates](https://gabie.ai/learn/billboard-lease-rates) for what landowners get paid.

## Other state billboard permit guides

- [Billboard permits: the national overview](https://gabie.ai/learn/billboard-permits)
- [Tennessee](https://gabie.ai/learn/billboard-permits-tennessee)
- [Texas](https://gabie.ai/learn/billboard-permits-texas)
- [Georgia](https://gabie.ai/learn/billboard-permits-georgia)
- [California](https://gabie.ai/learn/billboard-permits-california)
- [North Carolina](https://gabie.ai/learn/billboard-permits-north-carolina)
- [Ohio](https://gabie.ai/learn/billboard-permits-ohio)
- [Pennsylvania](https://gabie.ai/learn/billboard-permits-pennsylvania)
- [Illinois](https://gabie.ai/learn/billboard-permits-illinois)
- [New York](https://gabie.ai/learn/billboard-permits-new-york)

> How Gabie handles this: A booking can't outlive the permit behind it. [Gabie Inventory](https://gabie.ai/platform/inventory) blocks any hold or booking that runs past a [ground lease](https://gabie.ai/glossary/ground-lease) or an expired permit.

This is a summary, not legal advice. Check with the agency before you build or sign.

## Questions people ask
### Who issues billboard permits in Florida?
The Florida Department of Transportation does, through its Outdoor Advertising License and Permit Office in Tallahassee. Applications and payments go through its online ODA system or by mail.

### How much does a Florida billboard permit cost?
The permit is $71 per sign face each year, and the company license is $300 a year. FDOT has proposed raising the permit fee to $100, pending the Legislature.

### How far apart must billboards be in Florida?
At least 1,500 feet on the same side of an Interstate and 1,000 feet on a federal-aid primary road. Interstate spacing can drop to 1,000 feet under a local removal agreement.

### How long must a digital billboard message stay up in Florida?
At least 6 seconds. The change must take 2 seconds or less, or happen at once on a digital face, and the whole face must change together.

### Can I trim trees in front of my billboard in Florida?
Only with written permission from FDOT. The application fee is $25, you pay mitigation, and cutting without a permit can cost up to $1,000 per face.

### How long do I have to build after getting a Florida permit?
270 days. If the sign is not finished by then, the permit is void and the site can't be permitted again for 270 days.

## Sources
1. Outdoor Advertising, Florida Department of Transportation. https://www.fdot.gov/rightofway/OutdoorAdvertising.shtm/new-outdoor-advertising-site (accessed 2026-10-08)
2. Outdoor Advertising FAQ, Florida Department of Transportation. https://www.fdot.gov/rightofway/OutdoorAdvertisingFAQ.shtm (accessed 2026-10-08)
3. Vegetation Management at Outdoor Advertising Signs, Florida Department of Transportation. https://www.fdot.gov/rightofway/VegetationManagement.shtm (accessed 2026-10-08)
4. Form 575-070-04, Application for Outdoor Advertising Permit, Florida Department of Transportation. https://pdl.fdot.gov/api/form/downloadAttachment/10980942 (accessed 2026-10-08)
5. Chapter 479, Florida Statutes (2026), Outdoor Advertising, Florida Legislature. http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0400-0499/0479/0479.html (accessed 2026-10-08)
6. Section 479.106, Vegetation management, Florida Legislature. http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0400-0499/0479/Sections/0479.106.html (accessed 2026-10-08)
7. Rule Chapter 14-10, F.A.C., Outdoor Advertising Sign Regulation and Highway Beautification Program, Florida Department of State. https://www.flrules.org/gateway/ChapterHome.asp?Chapter=14-10 (accessed 2026-10-08)
8. Notice of Proposed Rule 14-10.0043 (fees), Florida Department of State. https://www.flrules.org/Gateway/View_notice.asp?id=29193816 (accessed 2026-10-08)
9. Laws of Florida, Chapter 2021-188, Florida Department of State. https://laws.flrules.org/2021/188 (accessed 2026-10-08)
10. 23 U.S.C. 131, Control of outdoor advertising, Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School. https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/23/131 (accessed 2026-10-08)
11. Guidance on Off-Premise Changeable Message Signs (Sept. 25, 2007), FHWA. https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/real_estate/policy_guidance/offprmsgsnguid.cfm (accessed 2026-10-08)