# Sign Regulations in Downey, California

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Downey, California (CA)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/california/downey
- **Data last verified:** 2025-04-10
- **Source:** [municode municipal code](https://ecode360.com/44402634#44402634)

## At a glance

Downey, California regulates 9 sign types across 11 zoning districts. Freestanding Signs in the M-U zoning district are capped at 43 feet tall and 157 square feet, with a 50 feet from any interior side property line; 75 feet from any residential zone. setback (Sec. §9618.04(a)(1)). Most commercial signs in Downey require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (11 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 3 | 43 feet | 157 square feet | — |
| Residential District (R-1, R-2) | 1 | — | — | — |
| R-3 and R-3-O | 3 | — | 12 square feet in total sign area per street frontage | — |
| M-U | 8 | 43 feet | 157 square feet | — |
| H-M | 3 | — | 30 square feet | — |
| O-S | 3 | — | 20 square feet of copy area and 60 square feet of background area | — |
| P | 8 | 43 feet | 157 square feet | — |
| C-P | 4 | 8 feet | 75% of the sign area | — |
| Commercial District (C-1, C-2, C-3) | 8 | 43 feet | 157 square feet | — |
| C-M | 8 | 43 feet | 157 square feet | — |
| Industrial District (M-1, M-2) | 8 | 43 feet | 157 square feet | — |

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements (sample of 3 of 11 zones)

### M-U

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Awning Sign | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | §9618.04(a)(7) |
| Freestanding Sign | 43 feet | 157 square feet | — | 50 feet from any interior side property line; 75 feet from any residential zone. | 1 per each continuous street frontage that is greater than or equal to 150 feet in length but not more than 2. | Freestanding signs shall be located in a landscaped planter equal the area of the sign face, but never less than 80 square feet. | — | §9618.04(a)(1) |
| Hanging Sign | 20 feet | 5 square feet | — | — | 1 per business | — | — | §9618.04(a)(3) |
| Marquee Sign | 20 feet | 75% of sign area | — | — | 1 per parcel | — | — | §9618.04(a)(2) |
| Monument Sign | 8 feet | 75% of the sign area | — | Permitted within the front setback, but not closer than 7 feet from the street property line | 1 per street frontage | — | — | §9618.04(a)(4) |
| Projecting Sign | 20 feet | 15 square feet | — | — | 1 per business | — | — | §9618.04(a)(5) |
| Temporary Sign | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | §9618.02(a) |
| Wall Sign | — | 75% of the sign area | — | — | 1 per street frontage | No wall sign shall cover any window or doorway of a building. | — | §9618.04(a)(6) |

### P

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Awning Sign | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | §9618.04(a)(7) |
| Freestanding Sign | 43 feet | 157 square feet | — | 50 feet from any interior side property line; 75 feet from any residential zone. | 1 per each continuous street frontage that is greater than or equal to 150 feet in length but not more than 2. | Freestanding signs shall be located in a landscaped planter equal the area of the sign face, but never less than 80 square feet. | — | §9618.04(a)(1) |
| Hanging Sign | 20 feet | 5 square feet | — | — | 1 per business | — | — | §9618.04(a)(3) |
| Marquee Sign | 20 feet | 75% of sign area | — | — | 1 per parcel | — | — | §9618.04(a)(2) |
| Monument Sign | 8 feet | 75% of the sign area | — | Permitted within the front setback, but not closer than 7 feet from the street property line | 1 per street frontage | — | — | §9618.04(a)(4) |
| Projecting Sign | 20 feet | 15 square feet | — | — | 1 per business | — | — | §9618.04(a)(5) |
| Temporary Sign | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | §9618.02(a) |
| Wall Sign | — | 75% of the sign area | — | — | 1 per street frontage | No wall sign shall cover any window or doorway of a building. | — | §9618.04(a)(6) |

### Commercial District (C-1, C-2, C-3)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Awning Sign | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | §9618.04(a)(7) |
| Freestanding Sign | 43 feet | 157 square feet | — | 50 feet from any interior side property line; 75 feet from any residential zone. | 1 per each continuous street frontage that is greater than or equal to 150 feet in length but not more than 2. | Freestanding signs shall be located in a landscaped planter equal the area of the sign face, but never less than 80 square feet. | — | §9618.04(a)(1) |
| Hanging Sign | 20 feet | 5 square feet | — | — | 1 per business | — | — | §9618.04(a)(3) |
| Marquee Sign | 20 feet | 75% of sign area | — | — | 1 per parcel | — | — | §9618.04(a)(2) |
| Monument Sign | 8 feet | 75% of the sign area | — | Permitted within the front setback, but not closer than 7 feet from the street property line | 1 per street frontage | — | — | §9618.04(a)(4) |
| Projecting Sign | 20 feet | 15 square feet | — | — | 1 per business | — | — | §9618.04(a)(5) |
| Temporary Sign | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | §9618.02(a) |
| Wall Sign | — | 75% of the sign area | — | — | 1 per street frontage | No wall sign shall cover any window or doorway of a building. | — | §9618.04(a)(6) |

## Prohibited signs in Downey

- Canvas signs (excluding awning signs), paper or cardboard signs, banners, pennants, flags, streamers, balloons, or other wind signs, except where temporarily permitted.
- A-frame, portable, or sandwich board signs.
- Signs or sign structures which by color, wording, or symbols, resemble or conflict with any traffic control sign or signal.
- Signs with an intensity of illumination that creates a safety hazard for pedestrian, bicycle, or vehicular traffic.
- Signs which produce odor, sound, smoke, fire, or other such emissions.
- Signs advertising commercial uses, day care homes, residential care facilities, and similar uses on sites where the principal use is a residential dwelling unit unless otherwise allowed in accordance with State law.
- Signs that rotate, move, or cause uncontrolled direction of lights, flash, reflect, blink, or appear to do any of the foregoing with the exception of public service signs stating time and temperature.
- On-premises signs that identify or advertise a product, business, or service that is not located on the property on which the sign is located.
- Off-premises signs, including billboards, and/or advertising signs as defined in this chapter, which do not advertise a product, an interest, a service, or entertainment available on the premises, except as permitted.
- Any other sign, sign structure, or advertising device which is not specifically permitted by the zone regulations in which the sign is located or which may have been erected in violation of the laws in effect at the time of erection.
- String lights, except in connection with permissible holiday decorations.
- Statuary sign, excepting those statuary signs legally established before January 12, 1978.
- Lamps or incandescent lights are prohibited from use in any sign.
- Signs extending above a building roof.
- Exposed neon, unless the neon is approved by the Commission as a contributing architectural or historical feature of the building.
- Any painted wall sign.
- Any sign or portion thereof that physically rotates about an axis (a revolving sign).
- Changeable copy except as permitted elsewhere in this chapter.
- Animals or human beings, live or simulated, utilized as signs.

## Signs exempt from permit in Downey

- Accessory sign to a commercial, public or semipublic use.
- Address numbers.
- Balloons, non-helium.
- Construction sign.
- Construction sign warning about a potential public hazard.
- Credit card, trading stamp, or trade association sign.
- Directional sign on-site.
- Directional signs for public and semi-public use signs within the public right-of-way.
- Door sign, nonilluminated.
- Flag of an official government jurisdiction.
- Historical marker.
- Holiday lights, decorations, and displays.
- Identification sign, owner/occupant.
- Identification sign, public utility.
- Inspection sign.
- Interior sign.
- Menu board sign.
- Open house sign.
- Commemorative plaque sign.
- Political sign, residential.
- Political sign, nonresidential.
- Poster, notice, or sign legally required by state or Federal law.
- Real estate sign.
- Subdivision sign.
- Time and temperature sign.
- Traffic, danger emergency or other official public sign.
- Window sign, permanent.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- The City Planner may require submittal of a Planned Sign Program prior to the approval of a sign permit.
- A Planned Sign Program shall be required for any site having three or more nonresidential tenants and shall be submitted and approved by the Commission prior to the issuance of any sign permit.
- Planned Sign Programs may be part of a Site Plan Review, a Conditional Use Permit, or a Planned Unit Development.
- The Planning Commission shall conduct a public hearing on the planned 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 11 zoning districts in Downey — every sign type, every field — are available with a free PermitPal account: https://app.permitpal.io/?address=Downey+CA&override=true&utm_source=landing&utm_medium=city-page&utm_campaign=city-downey

---

PermitPal — AI sign code research. Full HTML page: https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/california/downey