Legal & Compliance in Outdoor Advertising

Legal compliance is extremely important — when you get it wrong, you can face fines, campaign shutdowns, and completely wasted budgets. The trouble is, outdoor advertising uses strict rules that vary by city, state, and property type. You’ve got to understand the rules before your launch to protect your investment… and avoid legal headaches. The good news is this isn’t impossible — most media partners can handle it for you! But it always helps to know the basics.

Key Regulations and Permit Requirements

Local permits are required for most outdoor ads — exactly how it works varies. But cities regulate billboard sizes, locations, and their content to maintain aesthetic standards and public safety. Some ban all new billboards, others restrict heights or lighting. Sometimes billboards aren’t allowed anywhere near schools.

Content restrictions vary significantly by location. Tobacco advertising is banned in many jurisdictions these days, while alcohol ads are often banned near schools. Some cities require health disclaimers for certain products. Political advertising often faces additional scrutiny — especially during election periods.

Landlord approvals add another compliance layer for venue-based advertising. Shopping malls, airports, and transit systems maintain their own content standards beyond government regulations. These private venues often prohibit competitive advertising or controversial topics.

Zoning laws affect where outdoor advertising is allowed. Most outdoor formats are allowed in commercial zones, but that’s not at all true for residential or historical districts. Sometimes they ban outdoor advertising completely.

DOOH-Specific Regulations

It’s a powerful channel worth using, but DOOH is usually subject to additional regulations. These are mainly to prevent driver distraction and light pollution — stuff like brightness limits. These restrict digital billboards to 300 nits during daylight hours and 30 nits at night usually, but they vary.

Animation restrictions limit how digital content can move and change. Most jurisdictions prohibit flashing, scrolling, or rapid transitions that could distract drivers. Static images must display for minimum periods, typically 6 to 10 seconds.

Dwell time limits prevent digital billboards from displaying the same advertiser's content for extended periods. These rules are about fairness: everyone can get access to the space and it stops monopolization of high-visibility, premium locations. Rotations usually aren’t too fast or too long — think 10 to 30 seconds.