# Sign Regulations in Buellton, California

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Buellton, California (CA)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/california/buellton
- **Data last verified:** 2025-04-10
- **Source:** [municode municipal code](https://ecode360.com/43116751#43116751)

## At a glance

Buellton, California regulates 13 sign types across 5 zoning districts. Temporary Signs in the General Regulations For All Zones zoning district are capped at 30 feet tall and 30 square feet (Sec. 19.04.172A.4.a). Most commercial signs in Buellton 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 | 3 | 30 feet | 30 square feet | — |
| Commercial Zones | 8 | 30 feet | 100 square feet | — |
| Industrial and Office Zones | 4 | 6 feet | 10 square feet | — |
| Recreation Zone | 1 | 8 feet | — | — |
| CR, M | 1 | 35 feet | 1,200 square feet | — |

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

### General Regulations For All Zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Temporary Signs | 30 feet | 30 square feet | — | — | — | Affixed to a building | — | 19.04.172A.4.a |
| Bus Bench Signs | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 19.04.172A.5 |
| Information Kiosks | — | 20 square feet | — | — | One per site | Freestanding or wall-mounted | — | 19.04.172A.6 |

### Commercial Zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Wall Signs | — | — | — | — | — | Each building wall facing a street or parking lot | — | 19.04.172B.1.a |
| Monument Signs | 8 feet | — | — | 5 feet | — | — | — | 19.04.172B.1.b |
| Freestanding Signs | 30 feet | 100 square feet | — | — | — | — | — | 19.04.172B.1.c |
| Suspended or Projecting Signs | — | 10 square feet | — | — | One per business | Under a canopy or eave | — | 19.04.172B.1.e |
| Window Signs | — | — | — | — | — | Business windows facing a public street frontage | — | 19.04.172B.1.g |
| Marquee Signs | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 19.04.172B.1.h |
| Roof Signs | — | — | — | — | — | On a roof, mansard or wall projecting higher than the building wall | — | 19.04.172B.1.i |
| Tenant Signs | — | 10 square feet | — | — | — | Wall, suspended, or projecting signs | — | 19.04.172B.1.j |

### Industrial and Office Zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Wall Signs | — | — | — | — | — | Building wall adjacent to a public street | — | 19.04.172B.2.a |
| Monument Signs | 6 feet | — | — | 5 feet | — | — | — | 19.04.172B.2.b |
| Suspended or Projecting Signs | — | 10 square feet | — | — | One per business | Under a canopy or eave | — | 19.04.172B.2.c |
| Tenant Signs | — | 10 square feet | — | — | — | Wall, suspended, or projecting signs | — | 19.04.172B.2.d |

## Prohibited signs in Buellton

- Animated Signs. Signs that are moving, flashing, blinking, reflecting, glaring or revolving, except time and temperature signs.
- Confusing Signs. Signs that simulate by color, shape, function or location, a traffic control device or sign.
- Handbills/Flyers. Announcements or posters attached to utility poles, trees, fence posts, and other fixed structures, or placed on the windshields of parked cars.
- Inflatable Signs. Blimps, balloons, inflatable representations of products, motion picture or television characters, and similar lighter-than-air or inflated advertising devices.
- Obscene Signs. Signs that contain indecent or immoral language or graphics, as provided by Section 313 of the California Penal Code.
- Off-Premises Signs. Signs that advertise a business, activity or service that is not offered or sold on the premises, including billboards, except for specific allowed exceptions.
- Sandwich Boards. Portable A-framed signs located in the public right-of-way are prohibited.

## Signs exempt from permit in Buellton

- Agricultural Signs. Agriculturally-zoned properties or properties that are vacant and currently used for farming may have one unlighted, freestanding sign.
- Business Directory Signs. Nonresidential sites with two or more tenants may have one wall-mounted or freestanding business directory sign per public street frontage.
- Construction Signs. Unlighted, freestanding signs identifying project designers, architects, and contractors are allowed.
- Garage Sale Signs. Garage sale signs may be installed one day before a garage sale, and must be removed within one day after the garage sale.
- Hazard Signs. Signs warning of hazards, so long as a hazard exists.
- Historical/Memorial Markers. Signs identifying historic sites shall not exceed an aggregate area of ten square feet.
- Holiday Decorations. Seasonal decorations for a single holiday season or special event, for a maximum period of 60 days.
- Internal Signs. Signs within buildings.
- Miscellaneous Business Information Signs. Nonresidential sites may have miscellaneous business information signs, provided that the aggregate sign area shall not exceed four square feet per tenant.
- Official Flags or Signs. Official federal, state, or local government flags, emblems or signs.
- Political Signs. One wall, freestanding, or banner style political sign per street frontage is permitted.
- Prohibition Signs. Signs indicating warnings such as, 'no trespassing,' 'no parking,' 'no-smoking,' etc.
- Reader Boards. Motels, hotels, and bed and breakfasts may have one sign with removable copy, identifying amenities.
- Real Estate Signs. Sites where property or businesses are for sale, lease or rent, may have one, unlighted real estate sale sign per street frontage.
- Residential Identification Signs. Sites with three or more homes may have one monument or wall sign per public street frontage.
- Safety and Directional Signs. Wall or freestanding signs for vehicle traffic guidance or pedestrian orientation.
- New Development Marketing Flags. Decorative flags without words or letters for the purpose of marketing new residential or commercial developments.
- Flags as Merchandise. Flags that are sold as merchandise on a property may be displayed as long as they are set back a minimum of ten feet from all property lines.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- Master Sign Program. Proposed developments with two or more tenants shall have an approved master sign program.
- Commercial Shopping Centers. Proposed commercial shopping centers with two or more tenants must have a master sign program.

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

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