# Sign Regulations in Pacifica, California

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Pacifica, California (CA)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/california/pacifica
- **Data last verified:** 2025-05-08
- **Source:** [municode municipal code](https://library.municode.com/CA/Pacifica/codes/Code_of_Ordinances?nodeId=TIT5PUWEMOCO_CH20MOVEFUPRSIAD)

## At a glance

Pacifica, California regulates 24 sign types across 17 zoning districts. Freestanding Signs in the Neighborhood Commercial District (C-1), Commercial Apartment District (C-1-A), Community Commercial District (C-2), Service Commercial District (C-3), Professional Office District (O), Commercial Recreation District (C-R) zoning district are capped at 20 ft above sidewalk/paved area tall and Limited by formula; max 150 sq ft per sign unless approved by Commission (Sec. Sec. 9-4.2906(b)). Most commercial signs in Pacifica require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (17 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Single-Family Residential District (R-1), Single-Family Residential Hillside District (R-1-H) | 2 | — | 6 sq ft | — |
| Two-Family Residential District (R-2), Multiple-Family Residential District (R-3), Multiple-Family Residential District (R-3.1), Multiple-Family Residential Garden District (R-3-G), High Rise Apartment District (R-5), R-3/L.D. Multiple-Family Density Residential District (R-3/L.D) | 2 | — | 6 sq ft | — |
| Neighborhood Commercial District (C-1), Commercial Apartment District (C-1-A), Community Commercial District (C-2), Service Commercial District (C-3), Professional Office District (O), Commercial Recreation District (C-R) | 7 | 20 ft above sidewalk/paved area | Limited by formula; max 150 sq ft per sign unless approved by Commission | — |
| Parking District (P) | 2 | 35 ft | — | — |
| Agricultural District (A), Lot Size Overlay District (B-1, B-2, B-3, B-4, B-5, B-6, B-7, B-8, B-9, B-10) | 1 | — | 4 sq ft or 25% of window area, whichever is less | — |
| Open Space District (O-S) | 2 | — | 4 sq ft or 25% of window area, whichever is less | — |
| Public Facilities District (P-F) | 1 | — | — | — |
| Planned Development District (P-D) | 1 | — | — | — |
| Resource Management District (R-M) | 2 | — | 4 sq ft or 25% of window area, whichever is less | — |
| Coastal Zone Combining District (CZ), Special Area Combining District (SA) | 1 | — | — | — |
| Cannabis Operation Overlay District (CO, CO-F, CO-LM, CO-PP, CO-RB, CO-SP) | 2 | — | — | — |
| Hillside Preservation District (HPD) | 2 | — | — | — |
| Unclassified District (U) | 1 | — | — | — |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 1 | — | Varies by type (e.g. real estate - 6 sq ft in residential, 32 sq ft construction/development sign, 16 sq ft bulletin board, 1 sq ft nameplate) | — |
| Industrial District (M-2), Controlled Manufacturing District (M-1) | 7 | 20 ft above sidewalk/paved area | Limited by formula; max 150 sq ft per sign unless approved by Commission | — |
| Special Area Combining District (SA) | 1 | — | — | — |
| Coastal Zone Combining District (CZ) | 1 | — | — | — |

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements (sample of 3 of 17 zones)

### Single-Family Residential District (R-1), Single-Family Residential Hillside District (R-1-H)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Home Occupation Sign (Interior Window) | — | 4 sq ft or 25% of window area, whichever is less | — | — | 1 | Interior window | — | Sec. 9-4.3111 |
| Bed and Breakfast Inn Sign - Residential District | — | 6 sq ft | — | — | 1 | Freestanding, wall, or window | — | Sec. 9-4.463(d)(1) |

### Neighborhood Commercial District (C-1), Commercial Apartment District (C-1-A), Community Commercial District (C-2), Service Commercial District (C-3), Professional Office District (O), Commercial Recreation District (C-R)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Freestanding Sign | 20 ft above sidewalk/paved area | Limited by formula; max 150 sq ft per sign unless approved by Commission | — | — | 1 per premises, may be more if multiple frontages (see Master Sign Program) | On premises | — | Sec. 9-4.2906(b) |
| Wall Sign | — | Limited by formula and 10% of building face | — | — | No limit on number so long as within size limit | Wall of structure, parallel to wall | — | Sec. 9-4.2906(a)(3), (d) |
| Window Sign (Permanent) | — | Within limit above | — | — | — | Window, interior or painted exterior | — | Sec. 9-4.2906(a)(3), (c) |
| Projecting Sign | Not above roofline; minimum 8 ft above ground to base | Limited by formula | — | — | — | Projecting from structure, not parallel to wall | — | Sec. 9-4.2906(e) |
| Awning/Canopy Sign | — | Included in total for all signs per formula | — | — | — | Awning or canopy | — | Sec. 9-4.2906(h) |
| Suspended Sign | — | Included in formula; also see Master Sign Program for multi-unit developments | — | — | — | Suspended under awning/canopy/porch/walkway covering | — | Sec. 9-4.2906(i) |
| Temporary Signs (Business) | — | — | — | — | — | Interior window; may be painted on exterior window | — | Sec. 9-4.2906(f) |

### Industrial District (M-2), Controlled Manufacturing District (M-1)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Freestanding Sign | 20 ft above sidewalk/paved area | Limited by formula; max 150 sq ft per sign unless approved by Commission | — | — | 1 per premises, more if approved by sign program | On premises | — | Sec. 9-4.2906(b), Article 12 zoning (C-3 regulations incorporated) |
| Wall Sign | — | Limited by formula and 10% of building face | — | — | No limit, see overall size limits | Attached parallel to building face | — | Sec. 9-4.2906(a)(3),(d) |
| Window Sign (Permanent) | — | Within limit above | — | — | — | Windows | — | Sec. 9-4.2906(a)(3),(c) |
| Projecting Sign | Not above roofline; minimum 8 ft above ground to bottom of sign | Limited by formula | — | — | — | Projecting from building, not parallel to wall | — | Sec. 9-4.2906(e) |
| Awning/Canopy Sign | — | Included in overall sign area | — | — | — | Awning or canopy face | — | Sec. 9-4.2906(h) |
| Suspended Sign | — | Included in sign area formula | — | — | — | Suspended under awning or canopy | — | Sec. 9-4.2906(i) |
| Temporary Signs (Business) | — | — | — | — | — | Interior/exterior window (painted allowed on exterior) | — | Sec. 9-4.2906(f) |

## Prohibited signs in Pacifica

- No person shall erect, construct, maintain, paste, paint, print, nail, tack, or otherwise fasten any card, banner, handbill, poster, sign advertisement, or notice of any kind, or cause or suffer the same to be done, on any curbstone, lamp post, pole, bench, hydrant, bridge, wall, tree, sidewalk, or structure in, upon, or across any public street, alley, place, or property, except as may be required or permitted by ordinance or law.
- Signs, advertising structures, or merchandise displays placed upon or attached to the ground on any portion of the public street, sidewalk, right-of-way, except as permitted by Chapter 2 of Title 7.
- Snipe signs or sniping (affixing of advertising to a building, structure, or other surface without the consent of the owner or responsible person with control of the premises, excluding authorized public officers or required legal notices).
- Animated, moving, or flashing signs.
- Vehicle display signs.
- Banners, pennants, searchlights, twirling signs, balloons, or other inflatable figures displayed for commercial purposes, except at the opening of a new business or special events with prior approval and subject to time limits.
- Signs emitting audible sounds, odors, or visible matter.
- Sandwich boards, A-frames, or portable or wheeled signs, unless used for real estate purposes.
- Any sign which utilizes visible guy wires, angle irons, and iron frame structures, unless construction is otherwise impossible.
- Roof signs.
- Off-site signs (billboards), except real estate A-frames, subdivision signs, and other signs permitted by State law.
- Signs which have a design or lighting that might be mistaken for a traffic light or signal or are located so as to obstruct the view of, or conflict with, vehicular or pedestrian travel or with any traffic sign, signal, or control device.

## Signs exempt from permit in Pacifica

- Automotive service station gasoline price signs shall require the approval of the Planning Administrator and must not exceed the minimum standards set forth by the State.
- Barber poles shall require the approval of the Planning Administrator.
- Bulletin boards not exceeding sixteen (16) square feet and requiring approval of the Planning Administrator.
- Construction signs (temporary) not exceeding thirty-two (32) square feet and limited to one per site; must be removed when the final occupancy permit is granted.
- Development project signs (temporary) not exceeding thirty-two (32) square feet, located on the property, and requiring approval of the Planning Administrator.
- On-site directional signs limited to four (4) square feet and four (4) feet high (wall-mounted signs no higher than 8 feet); require approval of the Planning Administrator.
- Incidental signs not exceeding five (5) square feet per entrance.
- Interior signs (not visible from public property or right-of-way).
- Historical markers, with approval of Planning Administrator.
- Holiday decorations commonly associated with any national, local, or religious holiday, displayed for not more than forty-five (45) consecutive days or no more than ninety (90) days in one year.
- Nameplates not exceeding one square foot.
- National or State flags (not illuminated, limited to 35 feet flagpole height and 2 flagpoles per site).
- Political signs (see specific standards at Sec. 9-4.2906(k)).
- Public notices (signs posted by a public officer or for legal notice, warning, or informational purposes as required or authorized by law).
- Public service information signs, with approval of Planning Administrator.
- Real estate signs (limited to one per property, 6 square feet max, must be on the offered property and removed within 30 days after sale/rental/lease; real estate A-frames also allowed off-site with daily removal).
- Temporary signs (see Sec. 9-4.2906(f)).
- Special events signs (see Sec. 9-4.2903(f)).
- Signs erected by a public agency (e.g., street, traffic, directional, and warning signs).

## Sign plan & submission notes

- A multi-unit development (commercial or residential) is required to have an approved master sign program (Sec. 9-4.2907(a)).
- For existing commercial multi-unit developments with lawfully existing signs on June 10, 1987, a master sign program is not required unless and until one or more signs requires replacement, remodeling, or is otherwise subject to conformance under Sec. 9-4.2911(b); at such time, the whole development must present a master sign program for approval.
- Applications for master sign program approval are filed as described in Sec. 9-4.2905; the Planning Administrator may approve a program if consistent with this article, although Commission-approved programs may not be changed without Commission approval.
- Each sign in the master sign program must be compatible in character and quality of design with other signs in the program (Sec. 9-4.2907(c)).
- No more than one freestanding sign is allowed per multi-unit development, unless the Commission finds more are necessary, and Commission approval is required for such determinations.
- A freestanding sign or signs within a multi-unit development are subject to the basic numerical/area limits, but additional sign area may be allowed for multi-unit developments per Sec. 9-4.2907(f).
- An individual sign greater than 150 square feet requires Commission review and approval (Sec. 9-4.2906(a)(6)).
- The Planning Administrator may refer any sign permit application to the Commission at their discretion (Sec. 9-4.2905(e)).

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

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