# Sign Regulations in Desert Hot Springs, California

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Desert Hot Springs, California (CA)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/california/desert-hot-springs
- **Data last verified:** 2025-04-10
- **Source:** [municode municipal code](https://ecode360.com/43992876#43992876)

## At a glance

Desert Hot Springs, California regulates 19 sign types across 5 zoning districts. Name Plate – Single-family uses in the Residential District zoning district are capped at Below eave line tall and 2 sq ft (Sec. § 17.44.060). Most commercial signs in Desert Hot Springs require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (5 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Residential District | 7 | Below eave line for wall sign & 6 ft. for monument | 40 sq ft | — |
| Commercial Highway District (C-H) | 4 | 25 ft with 22 ft max. sign face or copy areas height | 125 sq ft per face | — |
| Commercial Downtown (C-D) | 6 | 25 ft with 22 ft max. sign face or copy height & monument or supportive structure to consist of an area equal to sign face or copy area | 125 sq ft/face | — |
| Industrial District | 5 | Monument signs 8 ft above grade or max of 4 ft above landscape mound | 200 sq ft | — |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 2 | 10 feet | 16 square feet per sign | — |

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

### Residential District

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Name Plate – Single-family uses | Below eave line | 2 sq ft | — | — | 1 per occupied unit | Wall/door | — | § 17.44.060 |
| Identification Sign – Multifamily or condominium complex | Below eave line for wall sign & 6 ft. for monument | 15 sq ft each | — | — | 1 sign per entrance | At or near main entrance | — | § 17.44.060 |
| Identification Sign – Residential community single-family | 6 ft | 40 sq ft | — | — | 2 signs per primary entrance | At primary entrances to residential community | — | § 17.44.060 |
| Identification Sign – Mobile home parks | 6 ft | 40 sq ft | — | — | 1 sign per street frontage | At primary entrances to mobile home park | — | § 17.44.060 |
| Identification Sign – Nonresidential uses within residential districts | Below eave line for wall sign & 6 ft for monument | 20 sq ft | — | — | 1 sign of each type | At primary entrance | — | § 17.44.060 |
| Identification Sign – Commercial uses within residential districts | Below eave line for wall sign & 6 ft for monument | 20 sq ft | — | — | 1 sign of each type | At primary entrance | — | § 17.44.060 |
| Identification Sign – Hotels, motels, bed & breakfasts | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | § 17.44.060 |

### Commercial Downtown (C-D)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Business identification | Shall not project above the eave line | 75 sq ft | — | — | 1 single-faced per building or street frontage or parking lot frontage. Max. 2 signs per business | May be located on project site | — | § 17.44.060 |
| Business identification | The area between 4 ft and 7 ft shall remain clear | 25% of the glass area upon which the sign is located | — | — | 1 sign per window | Placed on the inside of a window | — | § 17.44.060 |
| Business identification – Shopping centers less than 15 acres | Sign shall not exceed the height of the structure it identifies or 20 ft, whichever is less | 75 sf per face | — | — | 1 double-faced per each street frontage | — | — | § 17.44.060 |
| Business identification – Shopping centers 15 acres or greater | Sign shall not exceed the height of the structure it identifies or 20 ft, whichever is less | 120 sf per face | — | — | 1 double-faced per each street frontage | Shall not be located so as to be a hazard for a driveway | — | § 17.44.060 |
| Business identification – Center adjacent to freeway within Commercial Highway (C-H) District | 25 ft with 22 ft max. sign face or copy height & monument or supportive structure to consist of an area equal to sign face or copy area | 125 sq ft/face | — | — | 1 double-faced sign per center | May be located in landscaped setback area | — | § 17.44.060 |
| Drive-through restaurants | 7 ft | 30 sq ft | — | — | 1 per drive-through lane | Shall face away from the street | — | § 17.44.060 |

### Industrial District

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Business identification – Single tenant | Monument signs 8 ft above grade or max of 4 ft above landscape mound | 100 sq ft | — | — | 2 per street spaced a minimum of 200 ft apart | Shall not be located to create traffic hazard for driveway or corner radius as determined by the City Engineer | — | § 17.44.060 |
| Business identification – Single tenant | May not project above eave line | 200 sq ft | — | — | 1 per street | Building façade or other location below the eave line | — | § 17.44.060 |
| Business identification – Multi-tenant | May not project above eave line | 25 sq ft in area | — | — | 1 per tenant | Building façade or other location below the eave line | — | § 17.44.060 |
| Business identification – Center or project | 8 ft above grade or max. 4 ft above top of planter or landscape mound | 40 sq ft per face | — | — | 1 per street entrance & 1 per major intersection | Shall not be located so as to create traffic hazard for driveway or corner | — | § 17.44.060 |
| Business directory | 8 ft | 32 sq ft per face | — | — | 1 per street or parking lot frontage | Ground mounted | — | § 17.44.060 |

## Prohibited signs in Desert Hot Springs

- Abandoned signs
- Animated, moving, flashing, blinking, reflecting, revolving, or any other similar sign, including searchlights, except electronic message board displays
- Balloons and other inflated devices or signs designed to attract attention, unless permitted subject to Temporary Sign Permit
- Banners, feather signage, unless Temporary Sign Permit is first obtained
- Cabinet or can signs that are internally illuminated with translucent panels that allow the entire sign background to be illuminated
- Gator foam board signs
- Signs on public property, in the public right-of-way, or on public utility poles unless otherwise authorized
- Signs which simulate in color or design a traffic sign or signal, or which make use of words, symbols or characters in such a manner as to interfere with, mislead, or confuse pedestrian or vehicular traffic

## Signs exempt from permit in Desert Hot Springs

- Signs required or contemplated by County, State or Federal law, signs erected by the City Engineer on public property or in the public right-of-way to instruct or direct traffic, and signs owned or permitted by a governmental agency over which the City does not have jurisdiction
- Signs within a structure not visible from the outside of a building
- Flags, not to exceed 15 square feet per flag, per residential lot
- A maximum of 5 flags not exceeding 60 square feet each, on nonresidential lots
- Wall plaque signs with specific conditions
- On-site for-sale or for-rent signs during the period that the subject property is offered to the general public for sale or for lease
- A 'no trespassing' or 'no dumping' sign not exceeding 3 square feet
- Roadside memorial signs, which are only erected for a period not exceeding 30 days
- A-Frame sign, pedestal, or other stand type signs placed near the main entrance on private property and oriented to pedestrians

## Sign plan & submission notes

- A permit for a sign program shall be required for all new commercial, office, and industrial centers consisting of 3 or more tenant spaces within the same structure or building
- Application for a sign program shall be filed with the project application to construct the center and shall be processed concurrently with the project application
- Revisions to sign programs may be approved by the Community Development Director or his or her designee, so long as the revision is consistent with the requirements of this chapter

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

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