# Sign Regulations in Pine Bluff, Arkansas

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Pine Bluff, Arkansas (AR)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/arkansas/pine-bluff
- **Data last verified:** 2025-05-06
- **Source:** [municode municipal code](https://library.municode.com/AR/Pine_Bluff/codes/Code_of_Ordinances?nodeId=COOR_CH22SIAD)

## At a glance

Pine Bluff, Arkansas regulates 21 sign types across 5 zoning districts. Incidental Signs in the Central Business District Zone (B-5) zoning district are capped at 30 inches above grade tall and 8 sq ft, with a ≥10 ft from property lines setback (Sec. Sec. 22-35(c)). Most commercial signs in Pine Bluff require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (5 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 4 | — | 64 sq ft | — |
| Residential Zones (R-1, R-2, R-3, R-4, RMF, RHR, RPUD) | 6 | — | 48 sq ft | — |
| Neighborhood Business Zone (B-1), Residential-Commercial Transition Zone (R-B) | 5 | 30 inches above grade | 4 sq ft | — |
| Central Business District Zone (B-5) | 7 | 30 inches above grade | 8 sq ft | — |
| Commercial and Industrial Zones (B-2, B-3, B-4, CI-PUD, I-1, I-2, I-3, I-4) | 9 | 45 ft (controlled access highways), 35 ft (all other zones) | 672 sq ft per sign face | — |

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements (sample of 3 of 5 zones)

### Residential Zones (R-1, R-2, R-3, R-4, RMF, RHR, RPUD)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Subdivision Identification Sign | — | 48 sq ft | — | — | 1 per subdivision per external street frontage | On external street frontage | — | Sec. 22-33(a) |
| Apartment or Condominium Identification Sign | — | 48 sq ft | — | — | 1 per entrance | At each entrance | — | Sec. 22-33(b) |
| Freestanding Sign (Permitted Nonresidential Uses) | — | 48 sq ft | — | — | 1 per use | On premises of nonresidential use (e.g., church, school, synagogue) | — | Sec. 22-33(c) |
| Wall Sign (Permitted Nonresidential Uses) | — | 48 sq ft | — | — | 1 per use | On premises of nonresidential use | — | Sec. 22-33(c) |
| Home Occupation Sign | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Sec. 22-33(d) |
| Bus Bench Sign | — | — | — | — | — | At bus stops, subject to master plan approval by Transit Dept. | — | Sec. 22-33(e) |

### Central Business District Zone (B-5)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Wall Sign or Electric Awning Sign | — | — | — | — | — | On building elevation | — | Sec. 22-35(a) |
| Under Canopy Sign | — | 4 sq ft | — | — | One per occupancy or entrance | One per occupancy or entrance. Suspended beneath canopy, roof, or marquee. | — | Sec. 22-35(b) |
| Incidental Sign | 30 inches above grade | 8 sq ft | — | ≥10 ft from property lines | — | Not closer than 10 ft to property line | — | Sec. 22-35(c) |
| Freestanding or Low Profile Sign | 20 ft | — | — | ≥10 ft from property lines | 1 per street frontage | One per street frontage | — | Sec. 22-35(d) |
| Billboard or Off-Premise Sign | — | — | — | — | — | Along controlled access highways | — | Sec. 22-35(e) |
| Bus Bench Sign | — | — | — | — | — | At bus stops, with Transit Dept. master plan approval | — | Sec. 22-35(f) |
| Aggregate Building Mounted Sign | — | — | — | — | — | Building elevation | — | Sec. 22-35 (final paragraph) |

### Commercial and Industrial Zones (B-2, B-3, B-4, CI-PUD, I-1, I-2, I-3, I-4)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Freestanding Sign | — | 150 sq ft | — | ≥5 ft (if sign clearance ≥9 ft) or ≥20 ft (if clearance <9 ft) from property lines | One per street frontage; additional for each 150 ft frontage past 100 ft | One per lot per street frontage | — | Sec. 22-36(a) |
| Wall Sign or Electric Awning Sign | — | — | — | — | — | Building wall | — | Sec. 22-36(b) |
| Projecting Wall Sign | — | — | — | — | — | Projecting from building | — | Sec. 22-36(c) |
| Roof Sign | 20% of total building height | — | — | — | — | On roof of building | — | Sec. 22-36(d) |
| Under Canopy Sign | — | 3 sq ft | — | — | One per occupancy or entrance | One per occupancy or entrance, suspended beneath canopy, roof, or marquee | — | Sec. 22-36(e) |
| Incidental Sign | 30 inches above grade | 4 sq ft in aggregate per occupancy | — | ≥10 ft from property lines | — | Not closer than 10 ft to property line | — | Sec. 22-36(f) |
| Billboard or Off-Premise Sign | 45 ft (controlled access highways), 35 ft (all other zones) | 672 sq ft per sign face | — | ≥20 ft from property lines; must also meet 750 ft spacing | — | Along controlled access highways or qualifying highways only. Not within 1,320 ft of scenic corridor; not less than 750 ft from nearest billboard/off-premise structure. | — | Sec. 22-36(h), (j) |
| Portable Sign | — | — | — | ≥20 ft from property lines | — | — | — | Sec. 22-36(i) |

## Prohibited signs in Pine Bluff

- Abandoned signs
- Festoons, beacons (exceptions allowed in specified sections)
- Signs which imitate or resemble official traffic or government signs or signals
- Snipe signs
- Moving, flashing, blinking, revolving, or any other similar signs, except electronic message boards
- Permanent sale or come-on signs
- Signs on fences
- Any sign not meeting the requirement for a visibility zone
- Signs placed on vehicles or trailers which are parked or located for the primary purpose of displaying said sign, excluding signs or lettering on buses, taxis or vehicles operating during normal course of business
- Inflatable signs and tethered balloons (exceptions allowed in specified sections)
- No sign may be placed or designed so as to simulate or interfere with traffic control devices or official highway directional/informational signs
- Signs shall not interfere with internal parking areas, traffic lanes, nor be placed in designated parking spaces and/or area
- All signs, including those specifically exempt from permits and fees, shall be maintained and kept in good repair, otherwise considered a nuisance
- Illuminated signs may not face the front, side or rear of lot lines of any residential lot if such signs are within fifty (50) feet of the lot line(s)

## Signs exempt from permit in Pine Bluff

- Building design features such as decorative or architectural features except for letters, trademarks, moving parts, or moving lights
- Official traffic or governmental signs
- The content or message of signs
- Signs not intended to be viewed from public right-of-way
- Window displays
- Product dispensers and point of purchase displays
- Scoreboards on athletic fields
- Flags and insignia of government or non-commercial organizations, except when displayed in direct connection with commercial promotion
- Gravestones, barber poles, religious symbols, commemorative plaques, street numbers
- Signs smaller than one (1) square foot in area and which bear only property numbers, post office box numbers, names of occupants or premises
- Any display or construction not defined by the ordinance as a sign

## Sign plan & submission notes

- All signs require permits unless otherwise provided by this article; see section 22-25
- Application for sign permits must include a site plan with measurements showing the proposed location of the sign along with the locations of all existing signs on the same premises (section 22-41)
- Variances from sign code requirements require a public hearing as per board of zoning adjustment (section 22-45)
- Bus benches in certain zones require approval through a master plan by the Pine Bluff Transit Department
- Wall sign permit applications must indicate the area of exterior wall to be used for signage as described by the owner in the permit application (definition of Wall Sign)
- Some signs specifically require only a sign permit and do not mention a master sign plan

## 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 5 zoning districts in Pine Bluff — every sign type, every field — are available with a free PermitPal account: https://app.permitpal.io/?address=Pine+Bluff+AR&override=true&utm_source=landing&utm_medium=city-page&utm_campaign=city-pine-bluff

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