# Sign Regulations in Imperial Beach, California

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Imperial Beach, California (CA)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/california/imperial-beach
- **Data last verified:** 2025-04-10
- **Source:** [municode municipal code](https://ecode360.com/42864317#42864317)

## At a glance

Imperial Beach, California regulates 12 sign types across 5 zoning districts. Monument Signs in the Residential District (R-1-6000, R-1-3800, R-1-3000-D, R-1-3000) zoning district are capped at N.A. tall and N.A. (Sec. Table A and B, Ord. 94-884). Most commercial signs in Imperial Beach require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (5 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Residential District (R-1-6000, R-1-3800, R-1-3000-D, R-1-3000) | 2 | N.A. | N.A. | — |
| Residential District (R-2000, R-1500) | 7 | 6 ft. | 32 sq. ft. | — |
| Commercial/Mixed Use District (C/MU-1, C/MU-2, C/MU-3) | 11 | 8 ft. | 40 sq. ft. | — |
| Open Space Zone (OS) | 1 | — | — | — |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 1 | — | 6 sq. ft. | — |

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

### Residential District (R-1-6000, R-1-3800, R-1-3000-D, R-1-3000)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Monument Sign | N.A. | N.A. | — | — | N.A. | — | — | Table A and B, Ord. 94-884 |
| Flag | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Table A, Ord. 94-884 |

### Residential District (R-2000, R-1500)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Monument Sign | 6 ft. | 12 sq. ft. | — | — | 1 per lot frontage | — | — | Table A and B, Ord. 94-884 |
| Incidental Sign | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Table A and B, Ord. 94-884 |
| Canopy Sign | — | 32 sq. ft. | — | — | — | — | — | Table A and B, Ord. 94-884 |
| Marquee Sign | — | 32 sq. ft. | — | — | — | — | — | Table A and B, Ord. 94-884 |
| Projecting Sign | — | 32 sq. ft. | — | — | — | — | — | Table A and B, Ord. 94-884 |
| Wall Sign | — | 32 sq. ft. | — | — | — | — | — | Table A and B, Ord. 94-884 |
| Flag | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Table A, Ord. 94-884 |

### Commercial/Mixed Use District (C/MU-1, C/MU-2, C/MU-3)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Monument Sign | 8 ft. | 40 sq. ft. | — | — | 1 per lot frontage | — | — | Table A and B, Ord. 94-884 |
| Banner | — | 1 per lineal ft. of wall face | — | — | — | — | — | Table A and B, Ord. 94-884 |
| Canopy Sign | — | 1 per lineal ft. of wall face | — | — | — | — | — | Table A and B, Ord. 94-884 |
| Marquee Sign | — | 1 per lineal ft. of wall face | — | — | — | — | — | Table A and B, Ord. 94-884 |
| Projecting Sign | — | 1 per lineal ft. of wall face | — | — | — | — | — | Table A and B, Ord. 94-884 |
| Roof Integral Sign | — | 1 per lineal ft. of wall face | — | — | — | — | — | Table A and B, Ord. 94-884 |
| Suspended Sign | — | 1 per lineal ft. of wall face | — | — | — | — | — | Table A and B, Ord. 94-884 |
| Wall Sign | — | 1 per lineal ft. of wall face | — | — | — | — | — | Table A and B, Ord. 94-884 |

## Prohibited signs in Imperial Beach

- No person shall post or cause to be posted within a public right-of-way or upon any utility or light pole, standard or structure within any public right-of-way any sign of either a permanent or temporary nature.
- All signs not expressly permitted by this code are prohibited.
- Roof signs are prohibited.
- Pole signs are prohibited.
- Billboards are prohibited.
- Changeable Copy signs, except time and temperature signs, are prohibited.
- Animated signs, balloons and inflatable signs or inflatable attention-getting devices, beacons, pennants, and portable signs are prohibited, except for special events as provided for in this Chapter.
- Signs located within or projecting into the public right-of-way, not including governmental or public service signage or as otherwise permitted in this Chapter, are prohibited.
- Signs posted on trees, rocks, or other natural features are prohibited.
- Signs made of paper or cardboard displayed on the outside of windows or exterior walls except as otherwise permitted in this Chapter are prohibited.
- Any sign which has been more than fifty percent destroyed, and the destruction is other than facial copy replacement, and the display cannot be repaired within 30 days of the date of its construction is prohibited.

## Signs exempt from permit in Imperial Beach

- Legally required notices posted by any governmental entity or public utility are exempt.
- Any public notice or warning required by a valid and applicable Federal, State or local law, regulation, or ordinance is exempt.
- Any sign inside a building, not attached to a window or door, that is not legible from a distance of more than three feet beyond the lot or parcel on which such sign is located is exempt.
- Works of art that do not include a commercial message are exempt.
- Holiday lights and decorations with no commercial message, but only between November 15 and January 15, are exempt.
- Traffic control signs on private property, such as 'Stop', 'Yield', and similar signs, the face of which meet Department of Transportation standards and which contain no commercial message of any sort, are exempt.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- No permit shall be issued for an individual sign requiring a permit unless and until a Signage Plan or Comprehensive Signage Plan for the lot on which the sign will be erected has been submitted to the Community Development Department and approved.
- For any lot on which the owner proposes to erect one or more signs requiring a permit, unless such lot is included in a Comprehensive Signage Plan, the owner shall submit to the Community Development Department a Signage Plan.
- The owners of a building or building complex containing three or more uses shall file with the Community Development Department a Comprehensive Signage Plan.
- A Signage Plan or Comprehensive Signage Plan shall be included in any Site Plan Review, Design Review, Conditional Use Permit, or any other official plan required by the City for the proposed development and shall be processed simultaneously with such other plan.

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

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