# Sign Regulations in Hanford, California

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Hanford, California (CA)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/california/hanford
- **Data last verified:** 2025-04-10
- **Source:** [municode municipal code](https://ecode360.com/43895098#43895098)

## At a glance

Hanford, California regulates 6 sign types across 10 zoning districts. Building Signs in the AP, R-M, and R-H zones with 5 or more residences per site or with non-residential uses on site zoning district are capped at 5 feet below roofline tall and 30 sq. ft. (Sec. Table 17.56.090(A)).

## Sign rules by zoning district (10 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| AP, R-L, R-M, R-H zones with 4 or less residences per site | 3 | 10 feet | 16 cumulative sq. ft. | — |
| AP, R-M, and R-H zones with 5 or more residences per site or with non-residential uses on site | 4 | 6 feet | 32 sq. ft. | — |
| OR zone | 4 | 10 feet | 20 sq. ft. | — |
| C-N, C-R, C-S, C-H, MX-N, MX-C, and O zones | 4 | 8 feet if more than 3 feet wide; 12 feet if 3 feet wide or less | 350 sq. ft. primary frontage; 200 sq. ft. secondary frontage | — |
| I-L, and I-H zones | 4 | 10 feet; 50 feet within 100 feet of State Route 198 | 500 sq. ft. per sign; 1,000 sq. ft. cumulative | — |
| MX-D zone | 3 | — | 100 sq. ft. on primary frontage; 100 sq. ft. on secondary frontage | — |
| PF zone | 4 | 6 feet | 32 sq. ft. | — |
| C zone | 1 | 8 feet | 4 sq. ft. | — |
| CO zone | 1 | 5 feet for first sign, 2 feet for others | 16 cumulative sq. ft. | — |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 2 | 50 feet or twice the distance from base to closest lot line, max 100 feet | — | — |

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements (sample of 3 of 10 zones)

### AP, R-M, and R-H zones with 5 or more residences per site or with non-residential uses on site

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Building Sign | 5 feet below roofline | 30 sq. ft. | — | — | 1 sign per street frontage maximum | — | — | Table 17.56.090(A) |
| Freestanding Sign | 6 feet | 20 sq. ft. | — | — | 1 sign per site maximum | — | — | Table 17.56.090(A) |
| Temporary Building Sign | 5 feet below roofline | 32 sq. ft. | — | — | 1 sign per street frontage | — | — | Table 17.56.090(B) |
| Temporary Freestanding Sign | 5 feet for first sign, 2 feet for others | 32 cumulative sq. ft. | — | — | Up to 4 per site maximum | — | — | Table 17.56.090(B) |

### OR zone

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Building Sign | 8 feet | 8 sq. ft. | — | — | 1 sign per site | — | — | Table 17.56.090(A) |
| Freestanding Sign | 6 feet | 20 sq. ft. | — | — | 1 sign per site maximum | — | — | Table 17.56.090(A) |
| Temporary Building Sign | 10 feet | 12 sq. ft. | — | — | 1 sign per site | — | — | Table 17.56.090(B) |
| Temporary Freestanding Sign | 5 feet for first sign, 2 feet for others | 16 cumulative sq. ft. | — | — | Up to 4 per site maximum | — | — | Table 17.56.090(B) |

### PF zone

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Building Sign | 5 feet below roofline | 30 sq. ft. | — | — | 1 sign per street frontage maximum | — | — | Table 17.56.090(A) |
| Freestanding Sign | 6 feet | 20 sq. ft. | — | — | 1 sign per site maximum | — | — | Table 17.56.090(A) |
| Temporary Building Sign | 5 feet below roofline | 32 sq. ft. | — | — | 1 sign per street frontage | — | — | Table 17.56.090(B) |
| Temporary Freestanding Sign | 5 feet for first sign, 2 feet for others | 32 cumulative sq. ft. | — | — | Up to 4 per site maximum | — | — | Table 17.56.090(B) |

## Prohibited signs in Hanford

- Signs illuminated with red, green, or amber light placed in such a position that it could reasonably be perceived to interfere with, or be confused with any official traffic control device, traffic signal, or official directional guide sign.
- Signs placed within 30 feet of the intersecting curb lines of a street, except for signs erected by a governmental agency to direct or regulate pedestrian or vehicular traffic.
- Signs so located as to prevent free ingress and egress from any door, window, or fire escape.
- Outdoor advertising structures located on a site other than the site on which the advertised commercial use is located or on which the advertised commercial product is produced.
- Signs extending above or beyond the face of the building, the fascia of the roof, the peak of a pitched roof, or the parapet line of a flat roof.
- Glaring, flashing, sparkling, glittering, twinkling, or shimmering signs.
- Signs with open letters that can be viewed from the reverse side.
- Streamers, balloons, blimps, or other floating, inflatable, or hanging devices secured with a rope or string, unless specifically permitted with a temporary use permit.
- Signs located, placed, or erected in or upon any public right-of-way, except as specifically allowed by this chapter.
- Signs located, placed or attached upon any tree, utility pole, or fence, except as specifically allowed by this chapter.
- Signs placed on private property without permission of the property owner.
- Nonconforming signs and sign structures associated with an activity, business, product or service that has not been sold, produced, provided or conducted on the premises for a period of 90 days.
- Signs that revolve or are animated, except public service signs, such as time and temperature units and barber poles.
- Signs containing statements, words, symbols, or characters of an obscene nature.
- Signs emitting sound.
- Murals that contain commercial speech.
- Signs located within five feet of a fire hydrant, street sign, or traffic signal.
- Can or cabinet signs.

## Signs exempt from permit in Hanford

- One nameplate per residence or business premises, mounted on a wall and not exceeding two square feet in area, identifying the owner and/or address of the property.
- Barber poles, not exceeding 18 inches in height, located in a nonresidential zone district and containing no lettering.
- Signs on vehicles, provided that the message pertains to the establishment of which the vehicle is an instrument or tool, and the sign does not utilize changeable copy or special illumination.
- Holiday and cultural observance decorations on private property that do not include commercial advertising. This exemption includes strings of lights associated with a holiday decoration.
- Official notices issued by a court or public agency and posted in the performance of a public duty; notices posted by a utility or other quasi-public agency; signs erected by a governmental agency to direct or regulate pedestrian or vehicular traffic; noncommercial bus stop signs erected by a public transit agency, or other signs required or authorized by law. This exemption also covers signs and banners for special civic events erected by the City, which may be displayed in public rights-of-way.
- Signs that are located entirely within a building or enclosed structure and are not visible from the public right-of-way.
- Signs located on a private area of a lot that is not accessible by the general public, such as a backyard, and are not visible from the public right-of-way.
- Signs and menu display boards fixed to mobile vending carts, up to a maximum of eight square feet of sign area, plus a menu display board.
- Signs that are part of a vending machine.
- Temporary signs that conform to the standards of Chapter 17.56.
- Signs mounted on carrier vehicles such as buses, taxicabs, and limousines that legally pass through the City.
- Window signs that conform to the standards of Chapter 17.56.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- A master sign program is required for any site that contains more than three commercial establishments.
- A master sign program shall be reviewed by the Community Development Director as an administrative use permit.
- The Planning Commission shall approve a master sign program when it is proposed with a development project that requires a conditional use permit.

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

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