# Sign Regulations in Russellville, Arkansas

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Russellville, Arkansas (AR)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/arkansas/russellville
- **Data last verified:** 2025-09-17
- **Source:** [other municipal code](https://www.russellvillearkansas.org/DocumentCenter/View/1041/Russellville-Zoning-Code-PDF?bidId=#page=165)

## At a glance

Russellville, Arkansas regulates 30 sign types across 3 zoning districts. Monument Sign (Residential Zone)s in the RE, R1, R2S, R2, WN, R3, R4, RO, MU1 zoning district are capped at 6 ft tall and 48 sq ft, with a May be adjacent to property line if clearview protected setback (Sec. Section 7.8 (7)(C)). Most commercial signs in Russellville 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 | 13 | 25 ft (residential); 80 ft (nonresidential) | 16 sq ft (general and window signs) | — |
| RE, R1, R2S, R2, WN, R3, R4, RO, MU1 | 4 | 6 ft | 48 sq ft | — |
| WN, MU1, CHZ (College Hill Zone), DCZ (Downtown Crossing Zone), PCZ (Prairie Creek Zone), C1, C1B, C2, C3, C4, C5, M1, M2, A1, CNS | 15 | 60 ft | 672 sq ft | — |

## 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 |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Government Sign | — | 4 sq ft (Street number); 16 sq ft (Required postings by law) | — | — | Required postings by law: no more than two (unless required by law) | Every zoning district. Street number sign: must be visible from street. | — | Section 7.4.1 (1) |
| Flag | 25 ft (residential); 80 ft (nonresidential) | — | — | Residential: 10 ft from property line; Non-res: Per building/setback rules | Residential: 2 flags/1 pole; Nonres: 1 flag per 25 ft frontage (max 6) | Residential: 10 ft setback from property line; Nonres: Must meet principal building minimum setback or half height of pole (whichever more restrictive) | — | Section 7.4.1 (2) |
| Temporary Sign - Property, General | — | 16 sq ft (general and window signs) | — | — | 1 sign per window (16 sq ft max); 16 sq ft general signage | On owner's property; 1 in window allowed | — | Section 7.4.1 (3)(A) |
| Temporary Sign - For Sale/Lease/Rent | — | Residential: 6 sq ft each; Commercial: 40 sq ft each | — | — | Max 3 per property | On property | — | Section 7.4.1 (3)(B) |
| Temporary Sign - Yard/Garage Sale | — | — | — | — | No limit indicated | On property, not on public property before 6 PM the night before | — | Section 7.4.1 (3)(C) |
| Window Sign (General) | — | — | — | — | — | Window | — | Section 7.4.1 (6) |
| A-Frame/Sandwich Board Sign (Exempt) | 3 ft | 9 sq ft | 3 ft | — | 1 per ground floor tenant | Adjacent to primary entrance, sidewalk | — | Section 7.4.1 (11); Section 7.8 (10) |
| Signs ≤ 2 sq ft, Non-Illuminated | — | 2 sq ft | — | — | 1 per occupancy | Building attached or post/arm | — | Section 7.4.1 (5) |

### RE, R1, R2S, R2, WN, R3, R4, RO, MU1

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Light Pole Banner | — | — | — | — | — | On light pole | — | Table at Section 7.7; Section 7.8 |
| Monument Sign (Residential Zone) | 6 ft | 48 sq ft | — | May be adjacent to property line if clearview protected | 1 per external street frontage or entrance | At external street frontage or entrance. May be located adjacent to property line without encroaching clearview zone. | — | Section 7.8 (7)(C) |
| Monument Sign (Non-residential Use in Residential Zone) | 6 ft | 48 sq ft | — | Setback as defined by underlying district | 2 per nonresidential use (1 wall, 1 monument) | Must meet setback regulations in underlying zoning district | — | Section 7.8 (7)(C)(iv) |
| Off-Premise Sign (Non-digital) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Table at Section 7.7; Section 7.8 |

### WN, MU1, CHZ (College Hill Zone), DCZ (Downtown Crossing Zone), PCZ (Prairie Creek Zone), C1, C1B, C2, C3, C4, C5, M1, M2, A1, CNS

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| A-Frame/Sandwich Board Sign | 3 ft (general); OR 4 ft (El Paso zones option) | 9 sq ft (general); OR 8 sq ft (El Paso zones option) | 3 ft (general); OR 2 ft (El Paso zones option) | — | 1 per ground floor tenant | Adjacent to principal customer entrance or up to 8 ft from entrance; sidewalk | — | Table at Section 7.7; Section 7.8 (10) |
| Canopy Sign | Height of text/graphics: 2 ft | 24 sq ft | 75% of canopy width/depth | — | One per entrance (attached); One per side (max two) (free-standing) | On canopy, attached to building (one per entrance) or free-standing canopy (one per side, max two sides) | — | Table Section 7.7; Section 7.8 (4,5,6) |
| Monument Sign (Non-Residential Zone) | Eight ft (1-3 tenants); Twelve ft (4+ tenants) | One tenant: 48 sq ft; Two-three tenants: 72 sq ft; Four-five tenants: 84 sq ft; Six or more: 108 sq ft | — | Must meet setback for side yard setbacks when adjacent to residential zones. Otherwise as per base zone. | One per street frontage | May be adjacent to property line allowed if clearview zone maintained | — | Section 7.8 (7)(B) |
| Monument Sign (Prairie Creek Zone) | 5 ft | 30 sq ft per sign face | — | — | One per lot | On lot | — | Section 7.8 (7)(D)(i) |
| Pylon/Double Post Sign | 35 ft general; 50 ft Interstate option | 150 sq ft (general);300 sq ft if within 300 ft of Interstate 40 and 15+ ft ROW setback | — | Must be 15 ft from ROW for increased size | One per street frontage per lot | Freestanding; per street frontage each lot. Must be 250 ft apart if multiple allowed. | — | Table Section 7.7; Section 7.8 (8) |
| Billboard Sign (Conforming) | 60 ft | 672 sq ft | — | — | No max, 1,000 ft apart | Oriented to interstate or ramps, within 200 ft of I-40 ROW | — | Section 7.8 (2) |
| Billboard Sign (Non-Conforming, Existing) | As per pylon sign max in underlying zone or at original elevated height (max 5 ft above roadway) | Not expanded, may be replaced with up to 50% original area (min 385 sq ft if less than 385) | — | — | No new non-conforming signs; may replace/modernize as described | Same property as existing sign | — | Section 7.8 (3) |
| Shingle Sign | 3 ft | 9 sq ft | Projection max: 3 ft; Depth max: 6 in; Clearance above sidewalk: min 10 ft | — | One per occupant or per building/tenant | Near entrance | — | Table at Section 7.7; Section 7.8 (11) |

## Prohibited signs in Russellville

- No sign shall be erected or maintained at any location where, by reason of its position, wording, size, shape, illumination, or color may obstruct, impair, obscure, interfere with the view of, or be confused with any authorized traffic control sign, signal, or device.
- No sign shall contain or make use of any word, phrase, symbol, shape, form or character in such a manner as to interfere with, mislead, or confuse traffic.
- No illuminated sign shall be permitted within 25 feet of property in any residential use district unless the illumination of such sign is so designed that it does not shine or reflect light onto such property.
- No exposed lights, or sign interior shall be allowed on sign structures not in use.
- Signs with fluctuating illumination, including any sign that flashes, blinks, fluctuates in light intensity or is animated, are prohibited.
- Signs which revolve, rotate or move in whole or in part are prohibited.
- Windblown signs are prohibited, except flags as provided in the ordinance.
- Signs that constitute a traffic hazard are prohibited, and no sign or other material shall be erected at the intersection of any street in such a manner as to obstruct free and clear vision.
- Roof signs are prohibited.
- Signs on or affixed to trees or utility poles are prohibited, except signs for utility identification purposes by the proper utility.
- Reflective or mirrored signs are prohibited.
- Signs placed or affixed within public rights-of-way or encroach upon a public right-of-way are prohibited, except for government signs.
- It is unlawful to use a vehicle or trailer as a sign in circumvention or violation of any part of this code.
- No sign shall be erected or maintained which, by use of lights or illumination, creates a distracting or hazardous condition to a motorist, pedestrian or the general public.
- No sign shall display animated messages, including flashing, blinking, fading, rolling, shading, dissolving, or any other effect that gives the appearance of movement.
- No sign shall include any audio message.

## Signs exempt from permit in Russellville

- Government signs: This code does not apply to signs erected, maintained or posted by the state, federal or local government, including traffic control devices, public interest signs, official notices, government placards required during construction or remodeling, and memorial/historical markers.
- Street numbers: Every property owner is required to post street numbering, not exceeding 4 square feet, proportional to the building size and distance to the street.
- Signs required by law: Where federal, state or local law requires a property owner to post a sign to warn of a danger or to prohibit access, such signs are exempt if not larger than 16 square feet or the minimum required by law, and not more than two or the minimum required by law.
- Flags displayed on a permanently affixed flagpole in accordance with residential and nonresidential district limitations.
- Temporary signs (subject to size and duration limitations, including special election, sale/rent, and garage/yard sale provisions).
- Signs not exposed to view from public street, public right-of-way, public place, or other property.
- Non-illuminated signs of two square feet or less, attached to building or supported by a post and arm structure, one per occupancy.
- Window signs limited to 25% of total window area.
- Incidental signs.
- Markers located on designated historic sites, as recognized by local, state or federal authorities.
- Signs created by landscaping.
- Sign face changes not requiring any change to the structure of a sign; owner may substitute non-commercial speech in lieu of any other allowed speech.
- A-Frame/Sandwich Signs as allowed.
- Manual and electronic changeable copy on monument signs (up to 40% of sign area, and not to exceed three rotations per day).

## Sign plan & submission notes

- A sign permit is required prior to the display and erection of any sign except as provided in section 7.4 (which lists signs allowed in all districts and not requiring a permit).
- Application for a sign permit must be submitted to the permitting office, with sufficient information to determine compliance.
- All signs listed in the sign regulations by district table require a sign permit.
- Any sign type not listed in the permitted sign types table shall only be considered with a Special Use Permit.
- Monument signs for applicants with more than six tenants may be increased by special use permit approved by the Planning Commission.

## Full detail

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

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