Denton sign permit requirements

A sign permit is required to erect, install, alter, etc. any sign except as otherwise provided; a simple change of copy needs no permit. Temporary ground signs up to 32 sq ft need no permit if certain conditions are met.

“It shall be unlawful for any person to place, locate, relocate, erect, construct, reconstruct, replace, renovate, repair, or alter any part of a sign, including the face or supporting structure or other integral part, or to thereafter make use of a sign for which a permit is required herein, without having first secured a sign permit from the city, except as otherwise provided by this chapter.”

In nonresidential districts, ground sign max effective area based on street frontage: 250 sq ft (IH-35), 150 sq ft (Loop 288), 60 sq ft (other primary arterials and all other streets). Monument signs: 300 sq ft (IH-35), 200 sq ft (Loop 288).

“Ground signs shall have a maximum effective area and maximum height based on the street frontage of the property where located, as follows:”

In nonresidential districts, ground sign max height based on street frontage: 40 ft (IH-35), 30 ft (Loop 288), 20 ft (other primary arterials, except Central Business districts), 6 ft (all other streets).

“Ground signs shall have a maximum effective area and maximum height based on the street frontage of the property where located, as follows:”

In nonresidential districts, ground and projecting signs must maintain a minimum setback of 20 feet from the curbline of any public street and 10 feet from any side or rear yard property line (may be reduced to 15 ft on primary arterials if height no higher than setback).

“Ground and projecting signs shall maintain a minimum setback of twenty (20) feet from the curbline of any public street and a minimum setback of ten (10) feet from any side or rear yard property line, except as follows:”

Total square footage of all projecting signs shall not exceed 20 percent of the wall area to which such signs are located.

“The total square footage of all projecting signs shall not exceed twenty (20) percent of the wall area to which such signs are located.”

In central business districts, no projecting sign shall project into the public right-of-way more than 10 feet or within 2 feet of the nearest curbline, and none extending into the ROW may occupy the space between ground level and 8 feet above ground.

“No projecting sign shall project or extend into the public right-of-way for a distance of more than ten (10) feet or within two (2) feet of the nearest curbline, whichever is more restrictive. No projecting sign, supporting structure or part thereof which extends into the public right-of-way shall occupy any of the space between the ground level and eight (8) feet above the ground level in the right-of-way.”

Signs may be illuminated, but flashing, intermittent, moving, or changing-illumination signs are prohibited (excluding time/temperature and holiday lights). Illuminated ground/attached signs over certain heights must observe increased setbacks from single-family property: 200 ft internally illuminated, 500 ft externally illuminated.

“Have any type of intermittent illumination, including flashing, fading, revolving or blinking lights, or any type of moving, traveling or changing message by means of illumination, excluding temporary holiday lights and lights used for time and temperature signs;”

Signs displaying moving images or images giving the impression of motion, including those using digital display, are prohibited; billboards using digital display technology are also prohibited.

“Signs which employ a motion picture machine, or which display moving images, or images which give the impression of motion, including those using digital display.”

A temporary sign is treated as a ground sign; one not larger than 32 sq ft needs no permit under stated conditions, and must be removed within 5 days after the advertised event has occurred. Wind device sign permits are valid 30 consecutive days, no more than 3 permits per location per calendar year.

“A temporary sign shall be considered a ground sign and shall be permitted only according to the standards for ground signs except that a temporary sign not larger than thirty-two (32) square feet in effective area need not obtain a sign permit if:”

Prohibited: new billboards; portable signs (unless registered nonconforming); roof/projecting/billboard signs in residential districts; signs on public property; motion picture / moving image / digital display signs; deteriorated/unsafe signs; signs on trees and shrubs; billboards using digital display.

“New billboards, as defined herein, are prohibited. Existing legal billboards may not be converted to digital display.”

Regulations vary materially by district. The commercial/general figures come from 'Nonresidential districts' (Sec. 33.14.2), which applies to any zoning district not designated as residential in 33.14.1. Central business districts (33.14.4) and residential districts (33.14.1) have separate rules.

“The following regulations shall apply to signs in any zoning district not designated in section 33.14.1:”