# Sign Regulations in Pelham, Alabama

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Pelham, Alabama (AL)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/alabama/pelham
- **Data last verified:** 2025-05-08
- **Source:** [municode municipal code](https://library.municode.com/AL/Pelham/codes/Code_of_Ordinances?nodeId=COOR_APXAZO_ARTXXIISIOR)

## At a glance

Pelham, Alabama regulates 39 sign types across 7 zoning districts. Flags in the General Regulations For All Zones zoning district are capped at 20 ft residential; 30 ft nonresidential tall and 5 ft x 8 ft, with a 5 ft from any property line setback (Sec. Sec. 8(b)). Most commercial signs in Pelham require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (7 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 6 | 20 ft residential; 30 ft nonresidential | 32 sq ft per sign; 144 sq ft total; additional 4 sq ft if no real estate sign | — |
| Agricultural District | 4 | 10 ft | 30 sq ft | — |
| E-1, R-1, RG, and PR-1 Residential Districts | 3 | 6 ft | 30 sq ft | — |
| R-2, RT, RA, PR-2, and PR-3 Residential Districts | 4 | 6 ft | 30 sq ft | — |
| Office and Institution District (O-I) and Planned Office and Institutional District (PO-I) | 6 | 12 ft | 100 sq ft total (with freestanding sign) | — |
| B-1, B-2, B-3, B-4, M-1, M-2, PC, PB, P-MX, and P-CD Districts | 18 | 65 ft | 460 sq ft | — |
| Planned Unit Development Districts | 1 | — | — | — |

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements (sample of 3 of 7 zones)

### General Regulations For All Zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Wall Sign | — | — | — | — | — | Attached to an exterior wall of a building. | — | Sec. 4(d); Sec. 22(a)(1)-(2) |
| Building Marker | — | 3 sq ft | — | — | 1 | Affixed to a building wall. | — | Sec. 8(a) |
| Flag | 20 ft residential; 30 ft nonresidential | 5 ft x 8 ft | — | 5 ft from any property line | Up to 6 (max 3 flagpoles x 2 flags each) per building | On private property; not on rooftops. | — | Sec. 8(b) |
| Instructional Sign | 3 ft if freestanding | 4 sq ft | — | — | — | On private property. | — | Sec. 8(c) |
| Temporary Sign (Noncommercial) (Residential Districts) | 8 ft | 32 sq ft per sign; 144 sq ft total; additional 4 sq ft if no real estate sign | — | — | Multiple per property if one per cause/event/candidate | Private property only. | — | Sec. 13(a) |
| Temporary Sign (Commercial) (Residential Districts) | 8 ft | 4 sq ft | — | — | — | Private property only. | — | Sec. 13(b) |

### Office and Institution District (O-I) and Planned Office and Institutional District (PO-I)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Wall Sign (Commercial Building < 3 businesses) | — | 60 sq ft total (with freestanding sign) | — | — | — | On exterior wall of building. | — | Sec. 17(a)(1) |
| Freestanding Sign (Commercial Building < 3 businesses) | 10 ft | 60 sq ft total (with wall sign) | — | — | — | — | — | Sec. 17(a)(1) |
| Wall Sign (Commercial Building ≥ 3 businesses) | — | 100 sq ft total (with freestanding sign) | — | — | — | On exterior wall of building. | — | Sec. 17(a)(2) |
| Freestanding Sign (Commercial Building ≥ 3 businesses) | 12 ft | 100 sq ft total (with wall sign) | — | — | — | — | — | Sec. 17(a)(2) |
| Freestanding Sign (Office Park) | 6 ft | 80 sq ft | — | — | 1 | Main entrance to office park. | — | Sec. 17(a)(3) |
| Freestanding Sign (Institution) | 6 ft | 60 sq ft | — | — | One per abutting street | — | — | Sec. 17(a)(4) |

### B-1, B-2, B-3, B-4, M-1, M-2, PC, PB, P-MX, and P-CD Districts

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Freestanding Sign (Individual Retail/Service Establishment < 1,600 sf) | 18 ft | 80 sq ft | — | — | One per establishment | — | — | Sec. 18(c), Table |
| Freestanding Sign (Individual Retail/Service Establishment 1,600-10,000 sf) | 26 ft | 140 sq ft | — | — | One per establishment | — | — | Sec. 18(c), Table |
| Freestanding Sign (Individual Retail/Service Establishment 10,000-30,000 sf) | 36 ft | 200 sq ft | — | — | One per establishment | — | — | Sec. 18(c), Table |
| Freestanding Sign (Individual Retail/Service Establishment > 30,000 sf) | 48 ft | 380 sq ft | — | — | One per establishment | — | — | Sec. 18(c), Table |
| Freestanding Sign (Shopping Center < 15,000 sf) | 35 ft | 180 sq ft | — | — | One per shopping center | — | — | Sec. 19(b), Table |
| Freestanding Sign (Shopping Center 15,000-40,000 sf) | 40 ft | 280 sq ft | — | — | One per shopping center | — | — | Sec. 19(b), Table |
| Freestanding Sign (Shopping Center > 40,000 sf) | 65 ft | 460 sq ft | — | — | One per shopping center | — | — | Sec. 19(b), Table |
| Freestanding Sign (Office Park or Industrial Park) | 12 ft | 60 sq ft | — | — | One per office/industrial park | Main entrance. | — | Sec. 20(a)(4) |

## Prohibited signs in Pelham

- Signs shall not be located in, nor encroach upon the public right-of-way, unless specifically permitted by this ordinance.
- Signs shall not be located, lighted, or constructed so as to constitute a hazard to the health and safety of individuals on the public right-of-way.
- Signs shall be constructed and maintained to conform to the city's building codes.
- Signs in the right-of-way, unless expressly permitted, are deemed unlawful and subject to immediate removal and disposal by the city, with the owner subject to penalty.
- Illuminated and other lighting effects shall not create a nuisance to adjacent property or create a traffic hazard.
- Lights and lighting upon or from a building or sign shall be designed to prevent direct glare into residentially zoned property.
- No stationary exterior or interior lighting system viewable from a public right-of-way may contain or utilize: (1) Any exposed incandescent lamp with a wattage over 40 watts within 15 feet of a street; (2) Any exposed incandescent lamp with an internal metallic reflector; (3) Any exposed incandescent lamp with an external reflector; (4) Any revolving beacon light.
- No illuminated sign or lighting effect may be on when storm warnings are in effect.
- No changeable copy sign may change messages more frequently than once per minute.
- No more than one changeable copy sign per premises may be visible from a single location (exceptions for back-to-back or different building sides).
- No off-premises advertising sign shall include changeable copy technology.
- Signs allowed without a permit shall still be subject to all other standards of this ordinance.
- Animated signs (except specific changing copy signs), wind-blown signs (except temporary banners), vehicle signs, and strings of lights (except for temporary holiday decorations) are prohibited.
- Portable signs (except as temporary signs) are prohibited.
- Roof signs and projecting signs (except for canopy signs) are prohibited.
- Off-premises signs are prohibited except where specifically permitted by ordinance.
- Signs that display a commercial message related to off-premises activities, products, goods or services, unless specifically permitted, are prohibited.

## Signs exempt from permit in Pelham

- Any sign inside a building, not attached to a window or door that is not legible from a distance of more than three feet beyond the lot line of the development site or parcel.
- Temporary signs required by valid and applicable federal, state, or local law, regulation, or ordinance or posted by a public agency.
- Signs required by a court order.
- Signs in or adjoining areas designated for parking, loading or traffic movement, conforming with the Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices and bearing no commercial message.
- Signs bearing no commercial message and installed by employees of the City of Pelham, Shelby County, or a state/federal agency acting in the course of governmental duties.
- Signs not legible from a distance of more than three feet beyond the lot line of the development site or parcel.
- Temporary signs smaller than 32 square feet and expressly allowed under a provision of this ordinance.
- Permanent signs that bear no commercial message, are less than four square feet in size and, if freestanding, less than four feet in height, where such signs are expressly allowed by ordinance.
- Flags expressly allowed by this ordinance, although some flagpoles or flag lighting may require building permits.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- Any permanent sign, or any temporary sign larger than 32 square feet, requires a sign permit except as expressly allowed without a permit.
- An application for a sign permit must be accompanied by detailed drawings showing the dimensions, design, structure, and location of each sign; one application and permit may include multiple signs on the same development site.
- Temporary signs of less than 32 square feet (political signs) and residential real estate signs do not require a temporary sign permit.
- Temporary signs larger than 32 square feet or other than specified exempt types require a temporary sign permit.
- Any sign proposed for a location in a public right-of-way or median requires both a sign permit and a right-of-way encroachment permit.
- A right-of-way encroachment permit application must include legal descriptions, drawings, a maintenance agreement, and a form acknowledging city revocation rights.
- In certain cases, approval from the chief of police is required for right-of-way encroachment permits.
- Signs that do not conform to the ordinance may only be allowed by variance or in accordance with nonconforming status as described in Section 25.
- The ordinance does not explicitly require a Master Sign Plan for multi-tenant, multi-building, or large developments, but detailed sign plans/drawings for all proposed signage are mandated with each permit application.

## 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 7 zoning districts in Pelham — every sign type, every field — are available with a free PermitPal account: https://app.permitpal.io/?address=Pelham+AL&override=true&utm_source=landing&utm_medium=city-page&utm_campaign=city-pelham

---

PermitPal — AI sign code research. Full HTML page: https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/alabama/pelham