# Sign Regulations in Elberta, Alabama

Sign permit rules, size and height limits, setbacks, and ordinance citations for Elberta, Alabama, compiled by PermitPal from the jurisdiction's published municipal code.

- **Jurisdiction:** Elberta, Alabama (AL)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/alabama/elberta
- **Data last verified:** 2025-03-31
- **Source:** [municode municipal code](https://library.municode.com/AL/Elberta/codes/Code_of_Ordinances?nodeId=COOR_APXBZO_ARTXSPPR_S10.7SI)

## At a glance

Elberta, Alabama regulates 6 sign types across 8 zoning districts. Residential Signs in the R-A zoning district are capped at 6 ft. tall and 6 sq. ft. (Sec. Sec. 10.7.7.5). Most commercial signs in Elberta require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (8 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 2 | 8 ft above sidewalk, 15 ft above driveway | 75 sq. ft. | — |
| R-A | 1 | 6 ft. | 6 sq. ft. | — |
| R-1 | 1 | 6 ft. | 6 sq. ft. | — |
| R-2 | 1 | 6 ft. | 6 sq. ft. | — |
| R-3 | 1 | 6 ft. | 6 sq. ft. | — |
| Neighborhood Professional Business (N-B) | 1 | 10 ft. | 35 sq. ft. per premises | — |
| General Business (G-B, B-1) | 1 | 21 ft. | 75 sq. ft. per premises | — |
| Industrial (M-1) | 1 | 21 ft. | 75 sq. ft. per premises | — |

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements (sample of 3 of 8 zones)

### General Regulations For All Zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Outdoor Advertising Sign | — | 75 sq. ft. | — | — | — | Not on street or highway right-of-way | — | Sec. 10.7.1.1 - 10.7.1.9 |
| Projecting Outdoor Advertising Sign | 8 ft above sidewalk, 15 ft above driveway | — | — | — | — | Above sidewalk or driveway | — | Sec. 10.7.1.6 |

### R-A

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Residential Sign | 6 ft. | 6 sq. ft. | — | — | 1 per premises | On premises | — | Sec. 10.7.7.5 |

### R-1

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Residential Sign | 6 ft. | 6 sq. ft. | — | — | 1 per premises | On premises | — | Sec. 10.7.7.5 |

## Prohibited signs in Elberta

- No sign shall be erected, constructed, posted, painted, altered, maintained, or relocated on property other than that of the business being advertised until a permit has been issued by the Building Department.
- No outdoor advertising sign or sign structure shall be placed upon any street or highway right-of-way.
- No outdoor advertising sign or sign structure shall be located in such a manner as to materially impede the view of any street or highway intersection.
- No outdoor advertising sign shall be erected, relocated or maintained so as to prevent free ingress or egress from any door, window or fire escape.
- No portion of any projecting outdoor advertising sign shall be less than eight (8) feet above the level of a sidewalk or other pedestrian thoroughfare, nor less than fifteen (15) feet above the level of a public driveway, alley or street.
- No sign shall be larger than seventy-five (75) square feet, except where the name of a building or firm is to be attached across the front of a building.
- Any sign erected or painted upon a fence, tree, standpipe, fire escape or utility pole is prohibited.
- Any sign which uses the word 'Stop' or 'Danger' prominently displayed and/or which is a copy or imitation of official traffic control signs is prohibited.
- Signs which contain flashing or intermittent illuminations, except as required for traffic control, are prohibited.
- Portable signs, snipe signs, sandwich signs, or ladder type signs are prohibited.
- Permanent signs that produce sound or noise; cause interference with radio, telephone, television or other communication transmissions; produce or reflect motion pictures; emit visible smoke, vapor, particles, or odor; are animated or produce any rotation, motion or movement are prohibited.
- Billboards and off-premises signs are prohibited.

## Signs exempt from permit in Elberta

- Official traffic signs or sign structures, or municipal information signs and provisional warning signs or sign structures, when erected or required to be erected by a governmental agency.
- Changing the copy on a bulletin board, poster board, display encasement, marquee, or changeable copy type sign.
- Temporary non-illuminated signs not more than thirty-two (32) square feet in area, erected in connection with new construction work and displayed on the premises during such time as the actual construction work is in progress.
- Any sign on a truck, bus or other vehicle that is used in the normal course of a business for transportation and not for the sole purpose of advertising, except where a vehicle is offered for sale.
- Weather flags for providing information on weather conditions; one (1) set for each premises.
- Real estate signs, temporary in nature, non-illuminated, not exceeding six and one-half (6½) square feet in area, advertising real estate for sale or lease or rent, or announcing contemplated improvements of real estate.
- Temporary decorative flags, bunting, banners, pennants, streamers, and signs for recognizing holidays, conventions, grand openings, festivals, fund raisers, and other commemorative occasions authorized by the Zoning Enforcement Officer or Building Inspector.
- Political signs, subject to specific regulatory controls.
- Non-advertising directional signs or symbols located on and pertaining to a parcel of private property, not to exceed two (2) square feet.
- One (1) identification sign, with or without bulletin board per street frontage for public, charitable, educational or religious institutions, located on the premises of said institution and not exceeding seventy-five (75) square feet.
- Memorial signs and historical markers, constructed of bronze, stone, or other incombustible material, after historical authentication and location is approved by the Building Inspector.
- One (1) each professional, announcement, or occupational sign non-directly illuminated and flat wall mounted, and/or one (1) each outdoor advertising sign for privately owned premises or business location, provided the area of the sign or the combined areas of both signs, if two (2) signs are erected, does not exceed five (5) square feet.
- Noncommercial yard or garage sale temporary signs not exceeding eight (8) square feet erected on private property and which display the date(s) and address of the sale.
- Signs attached to machinery or equipment which advertise only the product or service dispensed by the machine or equipment, such as signs customarily affixed to vending machines, newspaper racks, telephone booths, and gasoline pumps, provided the combined area of such signs does not exceed eight (8) square feet.
- Window signs which identify or advertise activities, services, goods, or products available within the building.
- One (1) each business or professional identification sign mounted to extend vertically below a marquee or canopy, provided its area does not exceed six (6) square feet nor exceed the width of the marquee or canopy nor provide less than nine (9) feet of clearance above the sidewalk or pedestrian thoroughfare.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- The Board of Adjustment may, in special cases and for good reason, permit the erection of a sign not in conformance with the requirements of this ordinance.
- A temporary advertising sign will be permitted to the owner for the development for each individual business premises, shopping center premises, commercial/industrial business, subdivision, mobile home park, and mobile home subdivision, provided the area of each sign shall not exceed thirty-two (32) square feet, is non-illuminated, mounted from the ground within the confines of the development and the height no greater than ten (10) feet for no more than one (1) sign, either single or double faced, per street frontage. Permits shall be issued for a period of one (1) year. An additional one (1) year permit may be issued if the Building Inspector has determined that the promotion of the development is active and the temporary sign meets the maintenance requirements in Section 10.75 of this ordinance. The temporary sign will be removed when a permitted permanent sign is erected.

## Full detail

This page publishes an overview of every zoning district plus a sample of 3 districts in full. Complete zone-by-zone requirements for all 8 zoning districts in Elberta — every sign type, every field — are available with a free PermitPal account: https://app.permitpal.io/?address=Elberta+AL&override=true&utm_source=landing&utm_medium=city-page&utm_campaign=city-elberta

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