# Sign Regulations in Lincoln, California

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Lincoln, California (CA)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/california/lincoln
- **Data last verified:** 2025-03-26
- **Source:** [municode municipal code](https://library.municode.com/CA/Lincoln/codes/Code_of_Ordinances?nodeId=TIT16SI)

## At a glance

Lincoln, California regulates 5 sign types across 5 zoning districts. Freestanding Signs in the Developed Residential (R-1, R-2, R-3) zoning district are capped at 6 feet tall and 16 sf (Sec. Ord. No. 897B, § 2(Exh. A), 3-24-2015). Most commercial signs in Lincoln require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (5 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Developed Residential (R-1, R-2, R-3) | 2 | 6 feet | 16 sf | — |
| Developed Business-Professional | 2 | 6 feet | 20 sf | — |
| Developed Commercial, Highway-Commercial, Light-Industrial, or Industrial | 2 | 14 feet | 64 sf | — |
| Undeveloped or Developed (C or I) | 1 | 25 feet | 250 sf | — |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 3 | 8 feet | 40 sf | — |

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

### Developed Residential (R-1, R-2, R-3)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Freestanding Sign | 6 feet | 16 sf | — | — | One per frontage | One per frontage | — | Ord. No. 897B, § 2(Exh. A), 3-24-2015 |
| Building Sign | — | — | — | — | One per building | One per building | — | Ord. No. 897B, § 2(Exh. A), 3-24-2015 |

### Developed Business-Professional

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Freestanding Sign | 6 feet | 20 sf | — | — | One per frontage | One per frontage | — | Ord. No. 897B, § 2(Exh. A), 3-24-2015 |
| Building Sign | — | — | — | — | One per street frontage | One per street frontage | — | Ord. No. 897B, § 2(Exh. A), 3-24-2015 |

### General Regulations For All Zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Freestanding Sign | — | — | — | Minimum of three feet from the property line | — | — | — | Ord. No. 897B, § 2(Exh. A), 3-24-2015 |
| Flags (Noncommercial Speech) | — | — | — | — | — | All zones | — | Ord. No. 897B, § 2(Exh. A), 3-24-2015 |
| Menu/Order Board Signs | 8 feet | 40 sf | — | — | Two per drive-through business | Adjacent to the drive-through lane | — | Ord. No. 897B, § 2(Exh. A), 3-24-2015 |

## Prohibited signs in Lincoln

- No person shall mark, post, paste, print, paint, nail, tack, or otherwise fasten or leave a card, banner, handbill, sign, sticker, poster, or advertisement or notice of any kind or cause the same to be done, on city property.
- Feather Sign, Feather Banner, or Feather Banner Sign are prohibited in all zones.
- Freestanding signs installed or placed in the public right-of-way (excludes Government and Community Signs, and A-frame signs).
- Animated Signs (includes mannequin signs).
- Flashing Signs.
- Use of a banner sign as a permanent sign.
- Permanent Off-site Signs.
- Signs placed or maintained so as to interfere with free ingress to or egress from any door, window, fire escape, or parking lot.
- Signs which simulate or imitate in size, color, lettering, or design any 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.
- Vehicles used only for general signage or parked in a place or manner where the primary purpose is not the use of the vehicle but the primary placement is to display a commercial message.
- Mobile messaging signs or mobile billboards parked upon any street, parking lot, or other public place where the public has the right of travel.
- Balloon signs.
- Air dancer sign.
- Roof signs.
- Abandoned signs.
- Obscene signs.
- Any sign not expressly allowed by this title is expressly prohibited.

## Signs exempt from permit in Lincoln

- Address Signs: House numbers and nameplates not exceeding three square feet in area; business numbers not exceeding ten square feet in area.
- Construction Site Signs: One sign per property not exceeding 16 square feet identifying contractors, owners, designers, lenders etc., for projects under construction on that property.
- Government and Community Signs: Traffic control signs; Legal/Public Notices; Street Identification Signs; Utility Signs; Directional or Instructional Signs.
- Interior Signs: Any sign not visible from another lot of record or from a public right-of-way.
- No Trespassing/No Parking Signs: Must be posted in compliance with federal, state, and local laws.
- Parking Lot Signs: A total maximum area of three square feet per sign. The sign locations shall be within 20 feet of a driveway or other ingress/egress to private property.
- Real Estate Signs: Real estate signs as authorized by Civil Code section 713 et seq.
- Signs Required by Federal or State Law: Signs required for compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) etc., or legal notices posted pursuant to law or court order.
- Temporary Noncommercial Signs - Residential: Duration - 45 calendar days per event, Up to 6 times per calendar year, Size. 12 square feet, not to exceed 4 feet in height, Quantity. Two per private property.
- Temporary Noncommercial Signs - Nonresidential: Duration - 45 calendar days per event, Up to 6 times per calendar year.
- Vehicle Signs: Signs on licensed commercial vehicles, provided such vehicles are not used or intended for use as portable signs for general advertising for hire.
- Advertising Statuary: Not exceeding four feet in height or 24 inches in width.
- Pennant/Bunting: Temporary, made of durable fabric or canvas, can be displayed for up to 10 consecutive days.
- Bulletin Boards: Not exceeding eight square feet in size.
- Grave Stones and Grave Markers: Must comply with Federal and State requirements.
- Time and Temperature: Not exceeding eight square feet in size. The square footage counts towards the overall allowed signage.
- Manufacturer's Marks: Including but not limited to signs on vending machines, gas pumps etc., not exceeding four square feet in size.
- Memorial Signs, Symbols, Insignias, or Tablets: Names of buildings, dates, commemorative plaques, identification emblems etc. that do not encroach into the public right-of-way.
- Wayfinding Signs: Destination and directional signage to guide visitors to primary and secondary attractions in the City.
- Service Club Signs: Community signage, such as community bulletin boards, service club signs, and information sign kiosks.
- Window Signs: Window signs shall not cover more than 35 percent of the area of the window.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- A sign permit is required prior to the installation or display of any sign, except those exempt signs described herein, and the signs that expressly do not require a permit.
- An application for a sign permit shall be made on a form prescribed by the director and accompanied by a fee in an amount established by city council resolution.
- Issuance of a sign permit shall not relieve the applicant from complying with all other applicable laws relating to displaying or erecting a sign, including, but not limited to, obtaining any required sign or electrical permit under Lincoln Municipal Code Chapter 15.04, Uniform Construction Codes, and California Building Code.
- A sign permit will not be approved if the applicant has installed a sign in violation of the provisions of this title.
- A sign permit will not be approved if there is any other existing zoning code violation(s) located on the site of the proposed sign(s) which has not been remedied at the time of the application, unless the noncompliance is proposed to be cured as part of the proposed new sign.
- A sign permit will not be approved if the applicant has not obtained any other applicable required permit(s).
- A sign permit will not be approved if the applicant has an outstanding unpaid balance for prior city services.

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

---

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