# Sign Regulations in El Dorado, Arkansas

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

- **Jurisdiction:** El Dorado, Arkansas (AR)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/arkansas/el-dorado
- **Data last verified:** 2026-01-16
- **Source:** [other municipal code](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1AXNpUds2KA6a09hXmeLw08wku6U0zGBB/view?usp=sharing)

## At a glance

El Dorado, Arkansas regulates 19 sign types across 11 zoning districts. Church Bulletin Boards in the R-2 (General Residential), R-3 (Multi-Family Residential) zoning district are capped at 6 ft tall and 12 sq ft, with a Subject to 12 ft-from-curb rule in Sec. 78-2. setback (Sec. Sec. 78-12(b)(2); Sec. 78-3). Most commercial signs in El Dorado require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (11 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 9 | — | 32 sq ft | — |
| R-1 (Single Family Residential) | 4 | 6 ft | 18 sq ft | — |
| R-2 (General Residential), R-3 (Multi-Family Residential) | 5 | 6 ft | 18 sq ft | — |
| R-4 (Manufactured Home Park) | 1 | — | 32 sq ft | — |
| R-5 (Manufactured Home Zone) | 1 | — | 4 sq ft | — |
| C-1 (Central Business District) | 2 | — | 25% of wall area | — |
| C-2 (General Commercial) | 6 | 35 ft | 200 sq ft | — |
| C-3 (Office Commercial) | 5 | 24 ft | 50 sq ft | — |
| C-4 (Neighborhood Commercial) | 4 | 24 ft | 50 sq ft | — |
| I-1 (Heavy Industrial), I-2 (Light Industrial) | 2 | 35 ft | 200 sq ft | — |
| A-1 (Suburban Agricultural – Undeveloped) | 1 | 16 ft | 32 sq ft | — |

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements (sample of 3 of 11 zones)

### R-2 (General Residential), R-3 (Multi-Family Residential)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Name Plate | — | 4 sq ft | — | Subject to 12 ft-from-curb rule in Sec. 78-2. | 1 per public street entrance | At public street entrance. | — | Sec. 78-12(b)(1); Sec. 78-3 |
| Church Bulletin Board | 6 ft | 12 sq ft | — | Subject to 12 ft-from-curb rule in Sec. 78-2. | 1 per public street entrance | At public street entrance. | — | Sec. 78-12(b)(2); Sec. 78-3 |
| Freestanding Sign | 6 ft | 12 sq ft | — | See Sec. 78-2 curb/sidewalk rules. | 1 per property | On the property. | — | Sec. 78-12(b)(3); Sec. 78-2; Sec. 78-3 |
| Temporary Real Estate | 6 ft | 18 sq ft | — | Minimum 5 ft from ROW per Sec. 78-10; and Sec. 78-2 curb clearance rules apply. | 1 per lot or 1 per each 300 ft of street frontage | On the lot being advertised. | — | Sec. 78-12(b)(4); Sec. 78-3; Sec. 78-10 |
| Government/Official Sign (Public Property) | 6 ft | 12 sq ft | — | — | 1 per public street entrance | Public property at public street entrance. | — | Sec. 78-12(b)(5); Sec. 78-3 |

### C-2 (General Commercial)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Freestanding Sign | 35 ft | 200 sq ft | — | Observe Sec. 78-2 for placement relative to curb/sidewalk. | 1 freestanding sign | On the lot. | — | Sec. 78-12(f)(1) |
| Wall Sign - Single Occupancy | — | 200 sq ft | — | — | 1 wall sign allowance per single occupancy structure (area may be split among multiple signs without exceeding 200 sq ft total) | On the building wall. | — | Sec. 78-12(f)(2) (single occupancy provisions) |
| Wall Sign - Multiple Occupancy (Per Exterior Entrance Occupant) | — | 200 sq ft per qualified occupant | — | — | 1 wall sign per occupant with exterior entrance | On the building wall for each occupant with exterior entrance. | — | Sec. 78-12(f)(2) (multiple occupancy provisions) |
| Church Bulletin Board | 6 ft | 12 sq ft | — | — | 1 per public street entrance | At public street entrance. | — | Sec. 78-12(f)(3); Sec. 78-3 |
| Temporary Real Estate | 6 ft | 18 sq ft | — | Minimum 5 ft from ROW; Sec. 78-2 curb clearance rules also apply. | 1 per lot or 1 per each 300 ft of street frontage | On the lot being advertised. | — | Sec. 78-12(f)(4); Sec. 78-3; Sec. 78-10 |
| Government/Official Sign (Public Property) | 6 ft | 12 sq ft | — | — | 1 per public street entrance | Public property at public street entrance. | — | Sec. 78-12(f)(5); Sec. 78-3 |

### C-3 (Office Commercial)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Name Plate | — | 4 sq ft | — | Subject to 12 ft-from-curb rule in Sec. 78-2. | 1 per public street entrance | At public street entrance. | — | Sec. 78-12(g)(1); Sec. 78-3 |
| Freestanding Sign | 24 ft | 50 sq ft | — | Observe Sec. 78-2 for placement relative to curb/sidewalk. | 1 per lot | On the lot. | — | Sec. 78-12(g)(2) |
| Temporary Real Estate | 6 ft | 18 sq ft | — | Minimum 5 ft from ROW; Sec. 78-2 curb clearance rules also apply. | 1 per lot or 1 per each 300 ft of street frontage | On the lot being advertised. | — | Sec. 78-12(g)(3); Sec. 78-3; Sec. 78-10 |
| Wall Sign | — | 30 sq ft | — | — | 1 per public street entrance | On the building wall at public street entrance. | — | Sec. 78-12(g)(4) |
| Government/Official Sign (Public Property) | 6 ft | 12 sq ft | — | — | 1 per public street entrance | Public property at public street entrance. | — | Sec. 78-12(g)(5); Sec. 78-3 |

## Prohibited signs in El Dorado

- Off-premises signs are prohibited citywide, except official public-purpose signs and city-authorized signs for churches and civic clubs.
- Signs that hinder pedestrian flow or obstruct safe sight lines for motorists at entrances and along public ways are prohibited.
- Signs lower than 8 feet above a sidewalk are prohibited.
- Signs hung across any street or alley lower than 20 feet above the roadway are prohibited.
- Within 12 feet of a curb or street edge, signs are prohibited unless they are at least 8 feet above ground or no taller than 36 inches and do not sit on or interfere with a sidewalk.
- Erecting or maintaining any sign on or over sidewalks or streets without written permission from the mayor is unlawful.
- Within the fire district, signs or advertising devices made of wood, cloth, paper, or other combustible materials on, upon, or over any building are prohibited.
- Signs with pulsating illumination are prohibited, including any sign or attraction device that distracts drivers after dark.
- Sign illumination using incandescent bulbs may not exceed the maximum bulb counts/wattage based on distance from curb; blue and red colored bulbs are not permitted.
- Private or unofficial signs on public property are prohibited; such signs must be located on private property.
- Maintaining signs identifying a person, business, or organization that has ceased operation for more than 60 days is prohibited; sign faces must be removed promptly.
- Temporary or portable signs are prohibited except for announcing construction, advertising the premises for sale/lease/rent, or with a special 10-day permit for specified special events; exceeding 32 square feet, placing more than one, violating the 5-foot setback, or exceeding time limits is prohibited.

## Signs exempt from permit in El Dorado

- Permit-exempt signs: name plates, temporary real estate signs, church bulletin boards, and signs of an official nature on public property.
- Exceptions to the off-premises sign ban: official public-purpose signs authorized and erected by the city or state, and city-authorized signs for churches and civic clubs.
- Informational signs displaying time, temperature, or other informational data are not prohibited by this chapter.
- Signs on or over sidewalks or streets are allowed with written permission from the mayor (subject to clearance requirements).
- Preexisting nonconforming permanent signs are allowed for their remaining economic life or until change in ownership, up to but not exceeding 15 years.
- Election campaign signs are allowed on private property with the owner's permission, provided they are removed within seven days after the final election.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- A sign permit is required for all signs except name plates, temporary real estate signs, church bulletin boards, and official signs on public property; the fee is $10 per permanent sign; the Public Works Department receives applications and enforces.
- Permit applications must state sign size, height, location, and distance from the street edge, and must include a to-scale drawing with dimensions and any electrical features.
- Variances related to signage may be applied for through the Zoning Commission/El Dorado Planning & Zoning Commission.
- Written permission from the mayor is required to place any sign on or over sidewalks or streets.
- No master sign plan or comprehensive sign plan requirement is stated in the provided text.

## 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 11 zoning districts in El Dorado — every sign type, every field — are available with a free PermitPal account: https://app.permitpal.io/?address=El+Dorado+AR&override=true&utm_source=landing&utm_medium=city-page&utm_campaign=city-el-dorado

---

PermitPal — AI sign code research. Full HTML page: https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/arkansas/el-dorado