Billboard eligibility is determined by a combination of state law, local zoning, and physical site conditions. Here's a practical overview of what matters most.
Zoning Requirements
Most states and municipalities restrict billboard placement to commercially or industrially zoned parcels. If your land is residentially zoned or in a protected scenic area, it's typically not eligible — regardless of road frontage.
Highway Access and Spacing
Billboard placement regulations include minimum distance requirements between signs (often 500–1,000 feet depending on the state and highway classification) and setback rules from road rights-of-way. The specific rules vary by state and road type.
Traffic Count
More traffic means more advertiser demand, which means higher lease rates. Scotty Outdoor evaluates traffic count data as part of every site assessment to estimate the income potential of your property.
Physical Access and Visibility
A site needs to be visible from the road — without significant obstructions from trees, buildings, or terrain. We assess this during our free site visit.
What Scotty Outdoor Looks For
When we evaluate a potential land lease site, we look at:
- Proximity to a state highway, US route, or interstate
- Zoning classification and local billboard ordinances
- Current spacing from other billboards
- Tree canopy or future development that could affect visibility
- Traffic count and advertiser demand in the area
The Process
If your site qualifies, we handle every step: permit applications, structural engineering, construction, and ongoing maintenance. You sign a lease, we do the work, and you receive a lease payment — typically paid annually or semi-annually.
Submit your property for evaluation →