# Sign Regulations in Safford, Arizona

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Safford, Arizona (AZ)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/arizona/safford
- **Data last verified:** 2025-05-08
- **Source:** [municode municipal code](https://library.municode.com/AZ/Safford/codes/Code_of_Ordinances?nodeId=COOR_TIT17ZO_CH17.82SIRE)

## At a glance

Safford, Arizona regulates 38 sign types across 3 zoning districts. Real Estate Sign (Property less than one acre)s in the General Regulations For All Zones zoning district are capped at 6 ft if freestanding tall and 12 sq ft (6 sq ft for single-family home) (Sec. Sec. 17.82.040.D). Most commercial signs in Safford require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (3 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 12 | 8 ft | 32 sq ft | — |
| Residential zoning districts, Residential zones | 4 | 14 ft | 80 sq ft | — |
| Commercial zoning districts, Commercial zones, Industrial zoning districts, Industrial zones | 22 | 35 ft | 300 sq ft max | — |

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements

### General Regulations For All Zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Community Activity Sign | 6 ft if freestanding | 12 sq ft | — | — | — | All zones | — | Sec. 17.82.040.A |
| Political Sign (Residential zoning districts) | 4 ft | 16 sq ft | — | — | — | Residential zoning districts | — | Sec. 17.82.040.C; C.4 |
| Real Estate Sign (Property less than one acre) | 6 ft if freestanding | 12 sq ft (6 sq ft for single-family home) | — | — | One per street frontage | On property for sale/lease/rent | — | Sec. 17.82.040.D |
| Construction Announcement Sign (Parcel < 1 acre) | 6 ft | 6 sq ft | — | — | One per street frontage | On property under construction | — | Sec. 17.82.050.B |
| Construction Announcement Sign (Parcel >= 1 acre) | 8 ft | 32 sq ft | — | — | One per street frontage | On property under construction | — | Sec. 17.82.050.B |
| Institutional Sign | 5 ft if freestanding | Aggregate 24 sq ft | — | — | One per street frontage | Premises of church, school, hospital, rest home, institutional facility | — | Sec. 17.82.050.C |
| Real Estate Sign (Property 1 acre or more) | 8 ft if freestanding | 32 sq ft | — | — | One per street frontage | On property for sale/lease/rent | — | Sec. 17.82.050.D |
| Electronic Time and Temperature Sign (Freestanding) | 8 ft | 12 sq ft | — | — | One per property | Freestanding on property | — | Sec. 17.82.050.E |

### Residential zoning districts, Residential zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Apartment/Multifamily Identification Sign | 5 ft if freestanding | 24 sq ft | — | — | One per street frontage | On apartment/multifamily building or complex | — | Sec. 17.82.060.A |
| Subdivision Identification Sign | 14 ft | 80 sq ft | — | — | One | On-premises advertising subdivisions (5+ lots) | — | Sec. 17.82.060.B |
| Subdivision Model Home Sign | 6 ft if freestanding | 6 sq ft | — | — | One per model home | On model home premises | — | Sec. 17.82.060.C |
| Home Occupation Sign | 6 ft (wall sign as measured from finished grade) | 2 sq ft | — | — | One | Wall of home occupation premises | — | Sec. 17.82.060.D |

### Commercial zoning districts, Commercial zones, Industrial zoning districts, Industrial zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Commercial Banner/Flag/Pennant | As approved by department | As approved by department | — | — | Max 2 permits per calendar year | All commercial and industrial zones | — | Sec. 17.82.070.B |
| Directory Sign (Freestanding <20 ft high) | <20 ft | 12 sq ft per business | — | — | Max 2 (see restrictions) | Freestanding, in business center | — | Sec. 17.82.070.C.1, C.4 |
| Directory Sign (Freestanding 20 ft+ high) | 20 ft or more | 20 sq ft per business | — | — | Max 2 (see restrictions) | Freestanding, in business center | — | Sec. 17.82.070.C.1, C.4 |
| Off-premises Sign (Freestanding) | 10 ft | 25 sq ft | — | — | One per business | Freestanding, commercial/industrial zones | — | Sec. 17.82.070.F |
| On-building Identification Sign (Street Frontage, Setback ≤ 150ft) | Not above roof line | 300 sq ft max | — | — | One per street frontage | Wall or projecting sign facing/abutting street | — | Sec. 17.82.070.G.1.a, G.4 |
| On-building Identification Sign (Street Frontage, Setback > 150ft) | Not above roof line | 300 sq ft max | — | — | One per street frontage | Wall or projecting sign facing/abutting street | — | Sec. 17.82.070.G.1.a, G.4 |
| On-building Identification Sign (Non-Street Frontage) | Not above roof line | 100 sq ft max | — | — | One per non-street facing side, max 4 per building | Side of building not facing street | — | Sec. 17.82.070.G.1.b, G.4 |
| Temporary Identification Sign (On-building) | Not above roof line | Same as on-building identification sign | — | — | One per permanent sign applied for | Wall mounted | — | Sec. 17.82.070.G.4.d |

## Prohibited signs in Safford

- It shall be illegal for a sign to be placed or maintained in the city except as provided in this chapter.
- Any person, firm or corporation violating any provision of this chapter or failing to comply with any order or regulation made hereunder shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.
- All signs shall be structurally designed and constructed in conformance with the building code of the city, with all supports for such signs placed in or upon private property.
- No person, firm or corporation shall erect, construct or cause or permit to be erected or constructed, any projecting sign over any public sidewalk, street, alley, public place, or property, except as may be required by any other law or ordinance of the city and except as provided in this ordinance.
- No sign or sign structure shall project into any public alley below a height of 14 feet above grade.
- A sign may project from a building over a public sidewalk no further than two feet less than the width of the sidewalk up to a maximum distance of four feet, and must be a minimum of nine feet above the grade elevation of the sidewalk.
- All signs for which a permit is required shall be subject to required inspections unless inspection is waived by the building inspector.
- All permitted illuminated signs shall be installed so as to avoid any glare or reflection into any adjacent property or onto a street or alley, so as not to create a traffic hazard.
- No exposed neon or similar tube type of illumination, including open light bulbs, except indirect lighting, shall be permitted.
- No flashing, blinking, and/or rotating lights shall be permitted.
- Except for electronic message displays, no action or animated signs shall be permitted.
- No sign shall be erected in such a manner as to interfere in any way with, or confuse traffic or present any traffic hazard.
- The building inspector may revoke any permit when the sign has been constructed or is being maintained contrary to the permit; upon revocation the sign is illegal and subject to removal.
- No sign may be located or maintained in the public right-of-way unless specifically permitted.
- No sign shall create an immediate and emergency hazard to persons or property.
- Upon 30 days written notice, illegal or nonconforming signs on private property may be removed if not brought into compliance.

## Signs exempt from permit in Safford

- The erection, construction and maintenance of official traffic, fire and police signs, signals, devices and markings of the state and the city or other competent public authorities are exempt from sign permit requirements.
- The posting of notices required by law is exempt from sign permit requirements.
- Governmental or other signs required by federal, state, or local law are exempt as to size, weight, and location as required by law and may be illuminated if required by law.
- Street numbers required for every building, group of buildings, improved site and residence, with a maximum numeral/letter height of six inches, are exempt and not included in calculation of sign area.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- All applications for a sign permit shall be accompanied by a sketch or drawing showing the location, color, material, size, height, method of illumination, and text of the sign.
- No reference is made in these sections to the requirement for a master sign plan or sign plan for multiple signs or developments; each permit application appears to be for individual signs.
- Certain signs (such as directory signs for business centers) reference conformity to an area matrix, but there is no explicit requirement in these sections for a master sign plan or variance meeting except as may be referenced by criteria in cross-referenced sections (such as section 17.88.040 for variances - process not detailed here).

## Full detail

Complete sign requirements for Safford, including every field PermitPal tracks for each sign type, are available with a free PermitPal account: https://app.permitpal.io/?address=Safford+AZ&override=true&utm_source=landing&utm_medium=city-page&utm_campaign=city-safford

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