Sign rules are local. They differ from one city to the next, sometimes from one street to the next, and they change over time. So this guide doesn’t tell you what your rules are. It gives you the questions to ask, so you have clear answers before your letters are made.
Ask early. It’s much easier to size a drawing to fit the rules than to change a sign after it’s built.
Who to ask
- Your city. Usually the planning, zoning, building or permits office. Many cities post their sign rules and application forms online. If your business is outside city limits, ask the county.
- Your landlord or property manager, if you lease. Shopping centers and office buildings often have their own written rules for tenant signs, sometimes called sign criteria. Ask for a copy.
- Your HOA or business district, if your property belongs to one.
- Your installer or electrician, who may already know how the local process works.
Write down who you spoke to, the date and what they said. If you can, ask for the answer in writing or a link to the rule.
1. Do I need a permit?
- Does a new wall sign need a permit here?
- What if I’m replacing an old sign with one of the same size?
- Does an indoor sign that faces out through a window count?
- Does lighting the sign change the answer?
2. How big can the sign be?
- Is there a maximum sign area? How is it measured — around each letter, or as one rectangle around the whole sign?
- Is the allowed size tied to the width of my storefront or wall?
- Is there a maximum letter height or overall sign height?
- How many signs can I have on this wall, or on the building?
- Are there rules about where on the wall it goes, or how high above the ground?
Bring your wall measurements to this conversation — see How to measure your wall for channel letters — and compare what you hear with the letter sizes in our size guide.
3. Is lighting allowed, and what kind?
- Can the sign be lit at this address?
- Are some lighting styles allowed and others not? For example, a glowing face like front-lit letters, a glow on the wall like halo-lit letters, or a visible neon line like open-face neon.
- Are there limits on brightness, light color, or the hours the sign can be on?
- Are there extra rules if homes are nearby?
4. Who else has to approve it?
- Does my landlord, property manager or HOA have to approve the design first? What do they need to see?
- Is there a design review — for example, because the building is in a historic district?
- Are there rules about colors, fonts or how a logo is shown?
5. Who files the application, and with what?
- Can the business owner apply, or does a licensed sign contractor have to?
- Does the electrical connection need its own permit? Who is allowed to do that work? (For a hard-wired connection, we recommend a licensed electrician either way.)
- What has to be sent in: a drawing with dimensions, a photo or elevation showing where the sign goes, how it’s mounted, electrical details?
- Is the drawing we send you enough, or do you need it in another format?
6. Inspection, timing and fees
- Is there an inspection? Before the sign is turned on, after it’s installed, or both?
- Does someone have to be on site for it?
- How long does approval usually take?
- What does the permit cost, and when is it paid?
A checklist to take with you
| Ask about | Write down |
|---|---|
| Permit | Needed or not, and for which work |
| Size | Maximum area, how it's measured, maximum letter height, number of signs |
| Placement | Where on the wall, height above the ground |
| Lighting | Styles allowed, brightness, hours |
| Approvals | Landlord, HOA, design review |
| Application | Who files, what to send, electrical permit |
| Inspection | When, and who has to be there |
| Timing and fees | How long it takes, what it costs |
Then tell us the rules
Once you have answers, add them to the notes on the quote form — a maximum width, a letter height limit, a required color, anything. We size your drawing to fit, and the drawing shows each letter’s size so you can check it against the rules or share it with whoever approves your sign.
If the rules change your plans after you get your drawing, tell us before you approve it. Nothing is made until you do. Price depends on letter size and how many letters you have, so a size limit can change it too; see pricing.
When the answer is “it depends”
Sometimes the first answer is vague. Ask what would make the difference — size, lighting, location on the wall — and whether there is a written rule you can read. A short call before you order is far easier than a change after your letters are built.
