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Illegal Off-site Signage / Safeguard Public Right-of-Way / Outdoor Advertising Companies / Los Angeles Municipal Code / Amendment

Council File 26-0173

Introduced
2026-02-10
Last changed
2026-05-20
Status
open
Expires
2028-03-25
Mover
BOB BLUMENFIELD
Second
MARQUEECE HARRIS-DAWSON

Brief

Councilmembers Bob Blumenfield and Katy Yaroslavsky moved to amend the Los Angeles Municipal Code to crack down on illegal off-site signage by outdoor advertising companies. The motion directs enforcement against signs placed without proper permits that clutter public spaces and obstruct the right-of-way. The Planning and Land Use Management Committee approved the measure as amended on March 10, and City Council adopted it 14-0-1 on March 25, 2026. The measure is now final.

Full summary

This motion, introduced February 10, 2026, by Councilmembers Bob Blumenfield and Katy Yaroslavsky with co-sponsorship from Marqueece Harris-Dawson, Traci Park, Nithya Raman, and Monica Rodriguez, directs city departments to draft a sweeping overhaul of how Los Angeles regulates and penalizes illegal off-site advertising. Off-site signage — advertisements placed at locations unrelated to the advertised business — has long been an enforcement challenge, and the motion is explicitly timed to address abuses ahead of the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games, including so-called ambush marketing activity. The Council instructed the Department of City Planning, with help from the Department of Building and Safety, the City Attorney, and the City Administrative Officer, to draft an ordinance containing a detailed set of reforms. Key elements include: requiring all outdoor advertising companies to register a sworn inventory of their signs and post a financial bond guaranteeing compliance; establishing daily fines of up to $50,000 for illegal digital signs and up to $25,000 for illegal static signs; tightening the definition of "on-site" signage to prevent shell business arrangements used to circumvent off-site prohibitions; extending liability to parent companies and property owners so violators cannot hide assets behind subsidiary entities; and declaring illegal off-site signs a public nuisance subject to summary removal, with cleanup costs recovered via liens. The framework would also bar advertising companies with outstanding violations or more than three infractions in three years from bidding on city contracts or obtaining new permits. A separate amendment to LAMC Section 14.4.17 would require construction wall signs to share revenue with the city, register as outdoor advertising companies, and display operator identification on-site. The Planning and Land Use Management Committee approved the measure unanimously on March 10, 2026, incorporating floor amendments proposed by Councilmembers Hutt and Lee. When the item reached the full Council on March 25, Yaroslavsky introduced two floor amendments: one striking a procedural cross-referencing requirement to a related council file, and one clarifying that the new penalty framework does not bar the city from entering into future business relationships with outdoor advertising companies. Both amendments were accepted, and the Council adopted the package 14-0-1. The City Attorney was separately instructed to analyze the constitutionality and potential liability issues in the revenue-share and fine structure before any final ordinances are adopted. Community Impact Statements supporting the measure were filed by the Westside Neighborhood Council and the Studio City Neighborhood Council. The file remains open as departments prepare the draft ordinances and required reports.

Activity (8)

  • 2026-05-20 Community Impact Statement submitted by Studio City Neighborhood Council.
  • 2026-03-28 Council action final.
  • 2026-03-25 Council adopted item as amended, subject to reconsideration, pursuant to Council Rule 51.
  • 2026-03-20 City Clerk scheduled item for Council on March 25, 2026.
  • 2026-03-12 Community Impact Statement submitted by Westside Neighborhood Council.
  • 2026-03-10 Planning and Land Use Management Committee approved as amended .
  • 2026-03-06 Planning and Land Use Management Committee scheduled item for committee meeting on March 10, 2026.
  • 2026-02-10 Motion referred to Planning and Land Use Management Committee.

Documents (17)

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