Building and permits · Permits by state
Billboard Permits in Missouri: Rules, Spacing and Fees
By Gabie Research · Updated Oct 12, 2026 · 6 min read
Short answer
In Missouri, MoDOT's Outdoor Advertising program issues billboard permits through five area offices. A new permit costs $200 once. After that, a $100 inspection fee is due every two years. New signs must be 1,400 feet apart. A face can be up to 800 square feet. Digital messages hold 8 seconds.
- MoDOT's area permit specialists take applications. The fee is $200 once. You must build the sign within two years.
- Missouri has no yearly renewal. You pay a $100 inspection fee every two years, and $10 to transfer a permit.
- Spacing is 1,400 feet on every controlled road, and 500 feet from interchanges outside cities.
- A face can be 800 square feet, 72 feet long and 30 feet high. Stacked faces are not allowed.
- Digital messages hold 8 seconds and may not top 300 nits from sunset to sunrise.
MoDOT issues billboard permits in Missouri. A new permit costs $200 once. You then pay a $100 inspection fee every two years instead of a yearly renewal. Spacing is 1,400 feet on every controlled road.
Who issues billboard permits in Missouri?
The Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) runs the outdoor advertising program. The main office is at 105 W. Capitol Avenue in Jefferson City. The phone is 1-888-ASK-MODOT (275-6636).
Five area offices take the applications, by county. Find yours on MoDOT's area contacts page. MoDOT's pages give two addresses for Area 1, in Springfield and in Lee's Summit. Its forms page says the Area 1 specialist job is open. Call (816) 607-2049 first.
You file a notarized application with a $200 check or money order. The law is RSMo 226.500 to 226.600. The rules are 7 CSR 10-6. The copy of the rules we read is dated June 30, 2020. Its last change was in 2018.
Which roads need a state permit?
MoDOT controls three kinds of roads. They are Interstates, the federal-aid primary system as of June 1, 1991, and the enhanced National Highway System. That follows 23 U.S.C. 131. MoDOT's billboards page links a controlled routes map.
The zone is 660 feet from the right-of-way. Outside urban areas, signs farther out are also controlled if drivers can read them. MoDOT posts scenic byway contacts but no sign rule. Ask the area office.
MoDOT also pauses new permits along road sections that are set for construction. The pause lasts until the work is finished and inspected.
Where can a billboard go?
A sign must sit in a zoned or unzoned commercial or industrial area. In both, it must be within 750 feet of a visible, working business.
- Zoned land needs real zoning. Spot zoning, strip zoning and zones that need a variance do not count.
- Unzoned land needs a business on the same side of the road.
A qualifying business has an enclosed building of at least 200 square feet on a foundation. It needs road access, a phone, power, water and a restroom. It needs a sign or product display that marks it. It cannot be in a home. An owner or worker must be there 20 hours a week, with hours posted. It must have run for 180 days before MoDOT issues a permit.
Farms, signs and temporary uses do not count. Neither do businesses more than 660 feet from the right-of-way.
Missouri billboard rules at a glance
| Rule | Missouri limit | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Control zone | 660 ft from the right-of-way; farther outside urban areas | 7 CSR 10-6.050; RSMo 226.540 |
| Distance to a qualifying business | Within 750 ft | RSMo 226.540; MoDOT brochure |
| Maximum face | 800 sq ft | RSMo 226.540 |
| Length and height | 72 ft long, 30 ft high | RSMo 226.540 |
| Two displays | Side by side only; no new stacked faces | RSMo 226.540 |
| Cutouts and extensions | Up to 33% of the face, for 3 years at most | RSMo 226.540; MoDOT brochure |
| Spacing, all controlled roads | 1,400 ft, same side | RSMo 226.540 |
| Interchanges and rest areas (outside towns) | No sign within 500 ft | RSMo 226.540 |
| Setback | Not on or over the right-of-way; no set distance published | MoDOT brochure |
| Lighting | No flashing or moving lights, except time, date and temperature; outside lights shielded | RSMo 226.540 |
| Digital hold time | At least 8 seconds | 7 CSR 10-6.040(4) |
| Digital change time | Instant for digital; 2 seconds for rotating displays | 7 CSR 10-6.040(4) |
| Digital brightness | 300 nits at most, sunset to sunrise | 7 CSR 10-6.040(4) |
| Build deadline | 2 years after the permit is issued | 7 CSR 10-6.070 |
| Decision time | The agency does not post this; ask |
A standard 14 x 48 foot bulletin is 672 square feet. It fits the cap.
What are the digital billboard rules?
Rule 7 CSR 10-6.040 allows digital and changeable displays on conforming signs. The terms are:
- Each message holds at least 8 seconds.
- A digital change is instant, with no gap.
- The whole face changes at once.
- The image may not flash, flicker, move or look animated.
- The sign freezes in one picture if it fails.
- Brightness may not top 300 nits from sunset to sunrise.
Missouri has a middle class of old signs, called conforming out of standard. They fail today's rules but met those of August 27, 1999. If local rules allow, such a sign can go digital on 20% of its face. The cap is 160 square feet, for text or numbers. More than 20% needs 1,400 feet from other such signs. You must ask in writing first. The approval ends after 12 months.
Nonconforming signs may not go digital. Missouri's 8 seconds matches the figure FHWA recommended in 2007.
What does a permit cost?
Fees as of October 12, 2026:
| Fee | Amount | Source |
|---|---|---|
| New permit | $200, one time | RSMo 226.550; 7 CSR 10-6.070 |
| Biennial inspection | $100 every two years | RSMo 226.550; MoDOT brochure |
| Permit transfer | $10 | 7 CSR 10-6.070 |
| Late inspection fee | Delinquent 60 days after the statement due date | 7 CSR 10-6.070 |
| Digital upgrade | The agency does not post this; ask |
Religious, service, veterans and fraternal groups pay no fee on signs under 76 square feet. A denied application gets its fee back.
Missouri has no yearly renewal. Counties are inspected in one month, every two years. MoDOT may bill one prorated fee to line up the dates. Unpaid fees block transfers and new permits.
Do you need a license or bond?
MoDOT posts no operator license or bond for sign permits. A $1,000 bond or deposit applies only to vegetation permits.
Can you cut trees in front of a sign?
Yes, with a vegetation permit. You need one to cut, trim or spray in front of any lawful sign. State law and rule say so. Use the vegetation permit form, revised in February 2026.
- You post a $1,000 bond or cash deposit. The permit lasts 365 days.
- You carry liability insurance and name MoDOT on it.
- You reach the site from private land or a side road.
- You may cut or trim trees 3 inches wide or more only from November 1 to March 31. That protects bats.
- You haul off all cuttings. No burning on the right-of-way.
- You fix any damaged turf.
The rule sets no cut distance. The form asks you to state one for each face. MoDOT can cancel the permit and keep the bond if you ruin plants it wants kept.
What about nonconforming signs?
A nonconforming sign fails today's rules. You may do reasonable repair. You may not move, rebuild or enlarge it. You may not add lights, change its height, add stabilizing parts or convert it to tri-vision or digital.
You cannot repair a damaged sign once over half its poles are damaged or replaced in 12 months. A conforming out of standard sign has a similar test. It cannot be substantially rebuilt.
Do you need a local permit too?
Check with your county and city. MoDOT tells applicants to do this. Cities and counties may adopt rules stricter than the state's. In zoned areas, a local government can set its own size, light and spacing rules.
How do you apply for a billboard permit in Missouri?
- Check the road on MoDOT's controlled routes map.
- Find a qualifying business within 750 feet that has run 180 days.
- Measure 1,400 feet to the nearest billboard on your side.
- Check county and city rules.
- Get the landowner's consent.
- Complete and notarize the permit application. Add the $200 fee.
- Send it to your area office. MoDOT inspects the site.
- If approved, build within two years.
- Pay the biennial fee, and tell MoDOT about sales and address changes.
Read how to start a billboard business for the steps before a permit.
Other state billboard permit guides
- Billboard permits: the national overview
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Florida
- Georgia
- California
- North Carolina
- Ohio
- Pennsylvania
- Illinois
- New York
- Alabama
- Kentucky
- South Carolina
- Virginia
This is a summary, not legal advice. Check with the agency before you build or sign.
Questions people ask
Who issues billboard permits in Missouri?
The Missouri Department of Transportation does. Five area offices take the applications, by county. The program sits in MoDOT's Right of Way work in Jefferson City.
How much does a Missouri billboard permit cost?
$200 once to apply. Then a $100 inspection fee every two years. Moving a permit to a new owner costs $10.
How far apart must billboards be in Missouri?
1,400 feet on the same side of the road, on every controlled road. Outside towns, no sign may sit within 500 feet of an interchange or rest area.
How big can a billboard be in Missouri?
A face can be up to 800 square feet, 72 feet long and 30 feet high. Two displays can sit side by side. They cannot be stacked.
What are Missouri's digital billboard rules?
Each message holds at least 8 seconds. Digital changes must be instant, with no gaps. The sign may not exceed 300 nits from sunset to sunrise, and it must freeze if it fails.
Can I cut trees in front of my billboard in Missouri?
Only with a MoDOT vegetation permit. It needs a $1,000 bond or deposit and lasts 365 days. Trees 3 inches wide or more can be cut or trimmed only from November 1 to March 31.
Sources
- 01Outdoor Advertising · Missouri Department of Transportation · accessed Oct 12, 2026
- 02Outdoor Advertising Rules and Regulations Brochure (03/2026) · Missouri Department of Transportation · accessed Oct 12, 2026
- 03Billboards · Missouri Department of Transportation · accessed Oct 12, 2026
- 04Outdoor Advertising Area Locations and Contacts · Missouri Department of Transportation · accessed Oct 12, 2026
- 05Applications and Forms · Missouri Department of Transportation · accessed Oct 12, 2026
- 06Application for Outdoor Advertising Vegetation Permit (rev. 02/2026) · Missouri Department of Transportation · accessed Oct 12, 2026
- 07Engineering Policy Guide 236.16, Outdoor Advertising · Missouri Department of Transportation · accessed Oct 12, 2026
- 08RSMo Chapter 226, Missouri Highways (sections 226.500 to 226.600, outdoor advertising) · Missouri Revisor of Statutes · accessed Oct 12, 2026
- 09RSMo 226.540, Signs permitted on certain highways · Missouri Revisor of Statutes · accessed Oct 12, 2026
- 10RSMo 226.550, Permits, fees for · Missouri Revisor of Statutes · accessed Oct 12, 2026
- 11RSMo 226.585, Vegetation along right-of-way, cutting of · Missouri Revisor of Statutes · accessed Oct 12, 2026
- 127 CSR 10-6, Outdoor Advertising (compilation dated June 30, 2020) · Missouri Secretary of State · accessed Oct 12, 2026
- 1323 U.S.C. 131, Control of outdoor advertising · Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School · accessed Oct 12, 2026
- 14Guidance on Off-Premise Changeable Message Signs (Sept. 25, 2007) · FHWA · accessed Oct 12, 2026
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Published Oct 12, 2026 · Updated Oct 12, 2026 · How we check facts