# Sign Regulations in Arcadia, California

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Arcadia, California (CA)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/california/arcadia
- **Data last verified:** 2025-03-26
- **Source:** [municode municipal code](https://library.municode.com/CA/Arcadia/codes/Code_of_Ordinances?nodeId=ARTVIIIBURE_CH7MIBURE_PT1SIRE)

## At a glance

Arcadia, California regulates 8 sign types across 3 zoning districts. Temporary Directional Signs in the General Regulations For All Zones zoning district are capped at 3 feet tall and 3 feet in height (Sec. Section 4912.5 - Exception. Temporary Directional Signs). Most commercial signs in Arcadia 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 | 2 | 3 feet | 3 feet in height | — |
| Residential Zones (R-M, R-0, R-1, R-2, R-3, R-3-R) | 3 | Monument sign: 8 feet high; Freestanding sign: 12 feet high | 48 square feet per sign | — |
| Professional Office (C-O), General Commercial (C-G), Regional Commercial (C-R), Commercial Manufacturing (C-M), Industrial (M-1), Downtown Mixed Use (DMU), Mixed Use (MU), Central Business District (CBD) | 3 | Shall not exceed 70% of the horizontal length of the wall | 150 square feet total aggregate | — |

## 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 |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Temporary Directional Sign | 3 feet | 3 feet in height | — | — | One event per eligible organization per calendar year | City parkways and medians | — | Section 4912.5 - Exception. Temporary Directional Signs |
| Homeowners' Association Identification Sign | — | — | — | — | — | Public right-of-way | — | Section 4912.7 - Exception. Homeowners' Association Identification Signs |

### Residential Zones (R-M, R-0, R-1, R-2, R-3, R-3-R)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Wall Sign | Must not extend above eave of roof or parapet | 4 square feet | — | — | 1 per single-family unit | Near main entrance | — | Table 3-13 Regulation of Sign Type by Zone |
| Wall or Monument Sign | Wall sign: Must not extend above eave of roof or parapet; Freestanding sign: 3 feet high | 6 square feet per sign; 12 square feet total | — | — | 1 per frontage of development | At primary entrances to residential community | — | Table 3-13 Regulation of Sign Type by Zone |
| Wall or Freestanding Sign | Monument sign: 8 feet high; Freestanding sign: 12 feet high | 48 square feet per sign | — | — | 1 per frontage of development | Maximum practical distance from adjacent residential uses | — | Table 3-13 Regulation of Sign Type by Zone |

### Professional Office (C-O), General Commercial (C-G), Regional Commercial (C-R), Commercial Manufacturing (C-M), Industrial (M-1), Downtown Mixed Use (DMU), Mixed Use (MU), Central Business District (CBD)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Wall Sign (Single Tenant Sites) | Shall not exceed 70% of the horizontal length of the wall | 150 square feet total aggregate | — | — | 1 single-face wall sign per street or parking frontage, plus 1 side of building sign, plus 1 rear access sign | Street or parking frontage, side of building, rear access | — | Table 3-13 Regulation of Sign Type by Zone |
| Permanent Window Sign | — | — | — | — | 1 window sign area per tenant space | Interior or exterior of glass window or door | — | Table 3-13 Regulation of Sign Type by Zone |
| Freestanding Sign - Monument and Pylon | Monument: 8 ft; Pylon: 25 ft with clearance | — | — | Monument: 5 ft from lot line, 10 ft from driveway; Pylon: 5 ft from lot line, 10 ft from driveway | 1 double face sign per street frontage | Parcels with at least 50 feet of frontage | — | Table 3-13 Regulation of Sign Type by Zone |

## Prohibited signs in Arcadia

- It shall be unlawful to mutilate or destroy any signs posted in accordance with this Part.
- Abandoned signs are prohibited.
- Banners, pennants, streamers, and similar devices are prohibited except as allowed by Section 9103.11.100 (Temporary Signs).
- Off-site commercial signs (billboards) are prohibited.
- Cabinet signs with a plastic, acrylic, or similar material face are prohibited.
- Changeable copy signs (manual) are prohibited except as a component of another type sign allowed through the Comprehensive Sign Program or when used on a marquee sign.
- Commercial mascot and moving signs are prohibited.
- Signs located in hazardous locations are prohibited.
- Inflated signs are prohibited.
- Signs over or on public rights-of-way or any public property are prohibited.
- Pole signs are prohibited.
- Reflective signs are prohibited.
- Signs resembling traffic signs are prohibited.
- Roof signs are prohibited.
- Signs in residential zones are prohibited except for certain exemptions.
- Snipe signs are prohibited.
- Vehicle signs are prohibited.
- Video or projected signs are prohibited.

## Signs exempt from permit in Arcadia

- Address signs made up of numbers and/or letters 12 inches high or less.
- Flags of any nation, state, or city when displayed in compliance with the Flag Code.
- Names of buildings, commemorative tables, and the like when carved into stone, set in concrete or similar material, or constructed out of bronze, aluminum, or other permanent material.
- Public notices and warnings displayed by a public body or officer.
- Public signs within a right-of-way posted by or for government agencies.
- Security and warning signs not more than one foot by one foot in size.
- Signs advertising properties for sale or lease, subject to certain conditions.
- Signs or emblems of a religious, civil, philanthropic, or historical markers or plaques.
- Traffic control and directional signs on-site with a maximum area of four square feet and a maximum height of four feet.
- Vending machine signs on approved vending machines.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- A Comprehensive Sign Program is required for projects located within the Commercial Regional (C-R) zone.
- A Comprehensive Sign Program is required whenever three or more separate tenant spaces are present on the same parcel or on multiple parcels that are part of a unified shopping center or similar business center.
- A Comprehensive Sign Program is required whenever a combination of residential and commercial uses is proposed for the same site or development proposal.
- A Comprehensive Sign Program is required whenever five or more non-exempt signs are proposed for a single-tenant development.
- A Comprehensive Sign Program is required whenever a project or parcel has more than 300 linear feet of frontage on a public street.
- A Comprehensive Sign Program is required whenever an existing multi-tenant development of three or more tenants is being remodeled or rehabilitated to the extent that the value of the work will be greater than 20 percent of the replacement cost of the structure(s).
- A Comprehensive Sign Program for a theater or cinema use may be applied to authorize signs that deviate from the standards of this Section.
- A Comprehensive Sign Program may be required due to special project characteristics as determined by the Director.

## Full detail

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

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