# Sign Regulations in Bell, California

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Bell, California (CA)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/california/bell
- **Data last verified:** 2025-04-10
- **Source:** [municode municipal code](https://ecode360.com/44227346#44227346)

## At a glance

Bell, California regulates 12 sign types across 5 zoning districts. Digital Billboards in the Manufacturing Zone zoning district are capped at 75 feet tall, 1,200 square feet per sign face, and 60 feet wide, with a At least 50 feet from any residential zone or residentially used property setback (Sec. § 17.84.064E). Most commercial signs in Bell 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 | 1 | 5 feet in residential zones, 8 feet in all other zones | 8 square feet in residential zones, 32 square feet in all other zones | — |
| Residential Zones | 4 | 7 feet, 6 inches | 80 square feet | — |
| C Zones, M Zones | 6 | 7 feet, 6 inches | 80 square feet | — |
| Manufacturing Zone | 1 | 75 feet | 1,200 square feet per sign face | — |
| Commercial Zone, Industrial Zone, C3, C3R, CM | 1 | 40 feet | Not exceed the total sign area of the existing printed billboard | — |

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

### Residential Zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Monument Sign (Nonresidential Use) | 7 feet, 6 inches | 50 square feet | — | Not closer than 3 feet to the nearest property line | One per nonresidential use | Not closer than 3 feet to the nearest property line, at least 25 feet from any other monument sign, pole sign, or other freestanding sign | — | § 17.84.040A.1 |
| Wall Sign (Nonresidential Use) | — | 80 square feet | — | — | One per nonresidential use | — | — | § 17.84.040A.4 |
| Monument Sign (Multifamily Residential Use) | 7 feet, 6 inches | 50 square feet | — | Not closer than 3 feet to the nearest property line | One per residential development exceeding 15 units | Not closer than 3 feet to the nearest property line, at least 25 feet from any other monument sign, pole sign, or other freestanding sign | — | § 17.84.040B.1 |
| Residential Lot Sign | — | 3 square feet | — | — | One per residential lot | — | — | § 17.84.040B.4 |

### C Zones, M Zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Wall Sign (Single Frontage) | — | 80 square feet | Not exceed 70% of the width of the tenant space or building wall | — | One per business tenant space | Attached to the exterior of the building entry or business frontage | — | § 17.84.050B |
| Wall Sign (Multiple Frontages) | — | 80 square feet | Not exceed 70% of the width of the tenant space or building wall | — | Additional wall sign permissible | Attached to the exterior of the building entry or business frontage | — | § 17.84.050B |
| Projecting Sign | — | 15 square feet per sign face | — | — | One per business tenant space | No farther than 15 feet from the nearest property line | — | § 17.84.050C |
| Monument Sign | 7 feet, 6 inches | 50 square feet | — | Not closer than 3 feet to the nearest property line | One per business center or single business with frontage of 126 lineal feet or more | Not closer than 3 feet to the nearest property line, at least 25 feet from any other monument sign, pole sign, or other freestanding sign | — | § 17.84.050D |
| Temporary Sign | — | 36 square feet | — | — | One per display period | Mounted on a building on the subject site | — | § 17.84.050E |
| Window Sign | — | 15 square feet | — | — | — | Interior of window | — | § 17.84.050F |

### Manufacturing Zone

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Digital Billboard | 75 feet | 1,200 square feet per sign face | 60 feet | At least 50 feet from any residential zone or residentially used property | One per location | Adjacent to the California Interstate 710 Freeway | — | § 17.84.064E |

## Prohibited signs in Bell

- No person may erect any sign regulated by this chapter without first obtaining appropriate zoning clearance and building permits, where required.
- Signage which includes distracting features including, but not limited to: signs that make sounds, signs that limit the effectiveness of official traffic control signs or devices, signs that contain flashing, moving, rotating or scintillating elements, shall be prohibited.
- Signage which does not comply with the provisions of this chapter, which includes, but is not limited to, roof signs, balloon signs, vehicle mounted signs which disable the vehicle and prevent it from being operated in a safe manner, a-frame signs, pennants, bunting, or streamers shall be prohibited.
- Pole signs are prohibited.
- Billboards are prohibited except as provided in the ordinance.

## Signs exempt from permit in Bell

- This chapter shall not regulate official traffic-control or governmental signs.
- Exterior signs on private property, which are not visible from the public right-of-way or public areas, are exempt.
- Interior signs on private property not visible in any way from the building exterior are exempt.
- Window signs that do not exceed 15 square feet and do not cover more than 20% of the total window space are exempt.
- Interior signs are exempt.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- Multi-tenant commercial centers, consisting of three or more tenants, shall submit a master sign program to be approved by the City of Bell Planning Commission prior to the issuance of building permits for signage.
- The City of Bell Planning Commission may grant a master sign program for multi-tenant commercial buildings and/or shopping centers, consisting of three or more tenants.
- A master sign program may be granted to accommodate unique commercial development needs, including multiple signs per business, signs larger than standard size, and signs with unique and creative design.

## 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 Bell — every sign type, every field — are available with a free PermitPal account: https://app.permitpal.io/?address=Bell+CA&override=true&utm_source=landing&utm_medium=city-page&utm_campaign=city-bell

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