Reno sign permit requirements
What the Reno sign code and sign ordinance allow, summarised from Chapter 18.05 - Signs. Every figure below shows the ordinance's own wording, so you can check it rather than take our word for it.
Is a permit required?
Sec. 18.05 (a)Sign permit required to erect, enlarge, alter (except normal maintenance), or relocate any sign; certain small/exempt signs listed do not need a permit
“Except as otherwise provided, no person may erect, enlarge, alter (except for normal maintenance), or relocate within the city, any sign without first having obtained a sign permit.”
Wall sign — maximum area
Table 5-1 (GC)1 sq ft of sign area per lineal foot of business frontage, not to exceed 400 sq ft per business; minimum 40 sq ft per business (GC district)
“1 sq. ft. of sign area per lineal foot of business frontage not to exceed 400 sq. ft. per business. Notwithstanding above, at a minimum, each business shall be allowed 40 sq. ft. of sign area.”
Freestanding sign — maximum height
Table 5-1 (GC)8' maximum; if parcel is ≥ one acre, maximum height is 35' (GC district)
“8' maximum If the parcel is ≥ one acre, freestanding sign maximum height is 35'”
Freestanding sign — setback
Sec. 18.05Freestanding signs may be located within, or project into, setbacks, but no sign may create a traffic hazard; must not extend across property lines into a public right-of-way except as provided
“Freestanding or projecting signs may be located within, or project into, setbacks except that no sign shall be located in a manner that would create a hazard for pedestrian, bicycle, or automobile traffic.”
Illumination
Table 5-1 (GC)All types of illumination allowed in GC; flashing/animation allowed up to 35' in height if not facing a residential zoning district
“Allowed up to 35' in height if not facing residential zoning district.”
Digital / electronic message centres
Sec. 18.05.114 (b)(1)Animated/electronic signs limited to 1,500 nits between sunset and sunrise and 5,000 nits between sunrise and sunset, must auto-dim; only allowed within 750 ft of residential zoning with major site plan review
“No animated sign shall exceed 1,500 nits between sunset and sunrise. No animated sign shall exceed 5,000 nits between sunrise and sunset. Signs shall automatically adjust/dim due to changes in ambient light, such as inclement weather.”
Which zoning district this describes
Table 5-1Values reported are for General Commercial (GC) district; the code varies materially by zoning district per Table 5-1 (Residential, Urban, GC, NC/PO, Employment, Special Purpose, Use Specific)
“Sign regulations for each zoning district are established in Table 5-1, below:”
Set out in a table in the ordinance
These limits depend on street type, lot size or building frontage, and the ordinance expresses them as a table. We'd rather send you to the real table than reproduce it wrongly.
- • Freestanding sign — maximum area Table 5-1 (GC)
Not covered in the sign chapter we read: wall sign — % of facade, projecting sign — maximum area, projecting sign — clearance, window signs — maximum coverage, prohibited sign types. That doesn't mean the city has no rule — it may sit elsewhere in the code.
Spotted something wrong or out of date? Tell us — corrections from local sign shops are how this stays accurate.
Common questions
- Do you need a permit for a sign in Reno, NV?
- Sign permit required to erect, enlarge, alter (except normal maintenance), or relocate any sign; certain small/exempt signs listed do not need a permit
- How big can a wall sign be in Reno, NV?
- 1 sq ft of sign area per lineal foot of business frontage, not to exceed 400 sq ft per business; minimum 40 sq ft per business (GC district)
- How tall can a freestanding sign be in Reno, NV?
- 8' maximum; if parcel is ≥ one acre, maximum height is 35' (GC district)
- How far back from the road must a sign sit in Reno, NV?
- Freestanding signs may be located within, or project into, setbacks, but no sign may create a traffic hazard; must not extend across property lines into a public right-of-way except as provided
- Can a sign be illuminated in Reno, NV?
- All types of illumination allowed in GC; flashing/animation allowed up to 35' in height if not facing a residential zoning district
- Are digital or electronic message signs allowed in Reno, NV?
- Animated/electronic signs limited to 1,500 nits between sunset and sunrise and 5,000 nits between sunrise and sunset, must auto-dim; only allowed within 750 ft of residential zoning with major site plan review
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