# Sign Regulations in Salinas, California

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Salinas, California (CA)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/california/salinas
- **Data last verified:** 2025-05-08
- **Source:** [municode municipal code](https://library.municode.com/CA/Salinas/codes/Code_of_Ordinances?nodeId=PTIITHCO_CH21EADSI)

## At a glance

Salinas, California regulates 5 sign types across 17 zoning districts. Monument Signs in the Mixed Use District (MU, MX, MAF, NU (VC)) zoning district are capped at 8 ft tall and 32 sq ft per sign face, per street frontage; if more than 250 feet street frontage, one additional monument sign allowed per 250 lineal feet (Sec. Sec. 37-50.620, Table 37-50.170, 37-50.620(c)). Most commercial signs in Salinas require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (17 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Agricultural District (A) | 2 | 5 ft | 20 sq ft per street frontage for sites with 20+ dwelling units or nonresidential uses; 4 sq ft for all other uses | — |
| Residential Low Density District (R-L, R-L-5.5) | 2 | 5 ft | 20 sq ft per street frontage for multifamily 20+ units or nonresidential uses; 4 sq ft for all other residential uses | — |
| Residential Medium Density District (R-M, R-M-3.6, R-M-2.9) | 2 | 5 ft | 20 sq ft per street frontage for multifamily 20+ units or nonresidential uses; 4 sq ft for all other residential uses | — |
| Residential High Density District (R-H) | 2 | 5 ft | 20 sq ft per street frontage for multifamily 20+ units or nonresidential uses; 4 sq ft for all other residential uses | — |
| Mixed Use District (MU, MX, MAF, NU (VC)) | 2 | 8 ft | 32 sq ft per sign face, per street frontage; if more than 250 feet street frontage, one additional monument sign allowed per 250 lineal feet | — |
| Commercial District (C, CR, CT) | 2 | 20 ft (CR, CT); IBP is 15 ft; monument signs 8 ft | 50 sq ft per sign face, one per site; or two monument signs not exceeding 32 sq ft per sign face; if more than 250 ft of street frontage, can add one additional monument sign per extra 250 ft | — |
| Commercial Office District (CO, CO/R) | 2 | 6 ft (CO); 5 ft (CO/R) | .50 sq ft per lineal foot of occupancy frontage; minimum 10 sq ft | — |
| Industrial District (I, IG, IGC, IBP) | 2 | 20 ft; IBP 15 ft; monument signs 8 ft | 50 sq ft per sign face, one per site; or two monument signs not exceeding 32 sq ft per sign face; if more than 250 ft of street frontage, can add an additional monument sign for each 250 ft | — |
| Public/Semipublic District (PS) | 2 | 8 ft | .50 sq ft per lineal foot of occupancy frontage | — |
| Parks District (P) | 2 | 8 ft | .50 sq ft per lineal foot of occupancy frontage | — |
| Open Space District (OS) | 2 | 8 ft | .50 sq ft per lineal foot of occupancy frontage | — |
| New Urbanism Districts (NU, NU (NE, NG-1, NG-2, VC, NI)) | 2 | 8 ft | .50 sq ft per lineal foot of occupancy frontage | — |
| Central City Overlay District (Downtown Core Area) | 2 | 20 ft; or 8 ft monument | 50 sq ft per sign face, one per site (C); or two monument 32 sq ft per face; underlying regulations apply | — |
| Gateway Overlay District | 2 | Monument signs: 8 ft; highway signs: 50 ft (with CUP) | Monument signs per base district; highway sign: up to 125 sq ft per face and max 50 ft in height with conditional use permit (see highway sign section) | — |
| Focused Growth Overlay District | 2 | Per base district/overlay/8 ft monument/50 ft highway sign | Per base district (monument/other as specified); highway sign possible within 660 ft of US 101 (CUP required) | — |
| Airport (AR) Overlay District | 2 | Subject to AR overlay height restrictions | Per underlying district maximum | — |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 1 | Temporary real estate and open house sign: 6 ft (real estate), 4 ft (open house). Construction sign: 8 ft. | Per Table 37-50.160: A and NU (NI) 32 sq ft; R-L, R-M, NU (NE, NG-1): 8 sq ft; R-H, NU (NG-2), CO/R, CO, P, OS, PS: 16 sq ft; CR, CT, MAF, MX, NU (VC), IGC, IBP, IG: 32 sq ft. Temporary construction sign: 64 sq ft, 8 ft high. | — |

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

### Mixed Use District (MU, MX, MAF, NU (VC))

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Wall Sign | — | 1.00 sq ft per lineal foot of occupancy frontage; minimum 15 sq ft | — | — | — | Building wall, occupancy frontage; within blade/awning allowances | — | Sec. 37-50.620, Table 37-50.170, 37-50.620(b), 37-50.640 |
| Monument Sign | 8 ft | 32 sq ft per sign face, per street frontage; if more than 250 feet street frontage, one additional monument sign allowed per 250 lineal feet | — | — | One per street frontage; one extra per 250 additional lineal feet | On site, in permitted landscape area, 10 ft from curb; see freestanding sign rules | — | Sec. 37-50.620, Table 37-50.170, 37-50.620(c) |

### Commercial District (C, CR, CT)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Wall Sign | — | 1.25 sq ft per lineal foot of occupancy frontage; minimum 15 sq ft | — | — | — | Building wall, occupancy frontage; within blade/awning allowances | — | Sec. 37-50.620, Table 37-50.170, 37-50.620(b), 37-50.640 |
| Freestanding Sign | 20 ft (CR, CT); IBP is 15 ft; monument signs 8 ft | 50 sq ft per sign face, one per site; or two monument signs not exceeding 32 sq ft per sign face; if more than 250 ft of street frontage, can add one additional monument sign per extra 250 ft | — | — | 1 freestanding or 2 monument; extra monument for every additional 250 ft (max as per code) | On site, must meet landscape, setback, location rules; not within 10 ft of curb; not over public way | — | Sec. 37-50.620, Table 37-50.170, 37-50.620(c) |

### Industrial District (I, IG, IGC, IBP)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Wall Sign | — | 1.25 sq ft per lineal foot of occupancy frontage; minimum 15 sq ft | — | — | — | Building wall, occupancy frontage; blade/awning rules | — | Sec. 37-50.620, Table 37-50.170 |
| Freestanding Sign | 20 ft; IBP 15 ft; monument signs 8 ft | 50 sq ft per sign face, one per site; or two monument signs not exceeding 32 sq ft per sign face; if more than 250 ft of street frontage, can add an additional monument sign for each 250 ft | — | — | 1 freestanding or 2 monument; extra monument for every 250 additional ft | On site, in permitted landscaped area; 10 ft from curb | — | Sec. 37-50.620, Table 37-50.170 |

## Prohibited signs in Salinas

- Signs that resemble any official marker erected by the city, state, or any governmental agency, or that, by reason of position, shape, color, or illumination would conflict with the proper functioning of any traffic sign or signal or would be a hazard to vehicular or pedestrian traffic are prohibited.
- Signs which produce odor, sound, smoke, fire, or other such emissions are prohibited.
- Animated signs, flashing signs, moving signs, or rotating signs are prohibited, except as otherwise allowed in this division.
- Window signs that exceed twenty-five percent of the visible window glass panel area of a window are prohibited.
- Off-site advertising signs are prohibited except as provided for in Section 37-50.630: Off-site sign regulations.
- Signs advertising commercial uses, day care homes, residential care facilities, and similar uses on sites where the principal use is a residential dwelling unit are prohibited unless otherwise allowed in accordance with state law.
- Canvas signs (excluding awning signs), banners, pennants, flags, streamers, balloons, or other temporary or wind signs are prohibited except as otherwise provided in Sections 37-50.580, 37-50.620, and 37-50.630.
- Mobile, A-frame, and portable signs are prohibited except as provided in Section 37-50.580.
- Roof or canopy signs extending above a building roof are prohibited, except that with approval of a master sign plan, a wall sign may be architecturally integrated into a sloping roof fascia or mansard roof.
- No sign shall be affixed to any vehicle or trailer on a public right-of-way or public or private property unless the vehicle or trailer is currently and regularly being used in its normal business capacity and is not for the sole purpose of attracting business.
- At street intersections, no sign shall create a visual obstruction within a vertical space between three feet and ten feet above the adjacent curb and within twenty-five feet of intersection of street rights-of-way.
- No sign shall be erected, constructed, displayed, or structurally altered without a sign permit, unless otherwise exempt by this division.
- No sign shall be placed in such a way as to violate visibility at street corners and driveways (driveway and corner visibility regulations apply).

## Signs exempt from permit in Salinas

- Traffic, danger, emergency, or other municipal signs.
- Official notices of any court, public body, utility, or public or quasi-public agent or officer, or any person giving legal notice as required by law.
- Any signage required by state or federal law or local ordinance to be affixed to a vehicle.
- Street address numbers.
- Monumental citations, commemorative tablets, and the like made an integral part of the structure, and not exceeding twenty square feet in sign area.
- Temporary on-site barricades and other signs within commercial and industrial districts that inform the public of potential hazards resulting from construction or remodeling activities occurring on the same site as the temporary barricades are located (must be removed at completion).
- One temporary construction sign with a maximum sign area of sixty-four square feet per street frontage and not exceeding eight feet in height located on a construction site during the course of construction and which is removed prior to final occupancy.
- One temporary on-site real estate sign per street frontage that advertises the sale, lease, or rental of a structure or land, per Table 37-50.160. Must be removed within fifteen days following the sale, lease, or rental.
- One temporary on-site open house sign, not exceeding six square feet in area. If freestanding, maximum four feet in height, erected only on the day of public showing.
- Two temporary off-site directional open house signs per parcel being offered for sale, only on the day(s) the property is available for public showing, not exceeding six square feet each, not located on walls/fences/utility poles/etc.
- On-site parking and other directional signs, not exceeding one double-faced sign per entrance and not exceeding six square feet in total area and four feet in height or ten square feet if more than one hundred feet from a public way; must be non-advertising.
- One on-site official state inspection sign constructed of permanent material per type of inspection, located flat against the wall, not exceeding four square feet.
- Signs manufactured as standard, integral part of products (e.g., telephone booths, vending machines, ATMs, gasoline pumps) accessory to commercial or public/semipublic use.
- Credit card, trading stamp, or trade association signs not exceeding one-half square foot each.
- Governmental flags of any governmental entity.
- Signs located within the interior of buildings and structures (including enclosed malls) that are not visible from the outside of such building or structure.
- Window signs not exceeding twenty-five percent of the visible area of a window in C, PS, MU, NU (VC), or I zoning district.
- Holiday lights and displays not advertising a product or sale, erected no sooner than forty-five days before the holiday and removed within fourteen days after.
- Non-helium-filled balloons of a nonadvertising nature and not exceeding two feet in any dimension, used for decorative purposes for not more than twenty days during a calendar year.
- Plaque signs not exceeding one square foot in area.
- Temporary noncommercial message signs, not exceeding thirty-two square feet, on private property or public right-of-way for up to ninety days prior to an election; must be removed within ten days after the election (or after cancellation/postponement).
- Works of art containing no advertising matter.
- Temporary signs and banners for noncommercial promotion of civic, charitable, religious, educational, or service organizations (limits on area and time apply by zone).
- Two on-site freestanding or wall menu/pre-menu board signs not exceeding fifty square feet in total area and eight feet in height for commercial drive-through or drive-in uses.
- One on-site two-sided, pedestrian oriented, blade sign not exceeding four square feet per sign face, subject to city planner approval and building code.
- One wall-mounted single-sided, pedestrian oriented business directory sign not exceeding four square feet may be permitted per building access frontage.
- Awning signs affixed to the flap of the awning not exceeding four square feet in area. If no flap, sign may be located on lowest ten inches of awning.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- A sign permit is required before erecting, constructing, displaying, or structurally altering any sign unless otherwise exempt. The sign permit must be approved by the city planner.
- A master sign plan is required for any site having two or more nonresidential tenants prior to issuance of any sign permit.
- The city planner may require submittal of a master sign plan prior to approval of a sign permit.
- A master sign plan may include deviations from the standards of this article provided the total sign area does not exceed the area otherwise permitted, unless consistent with the highway signing plan.
- A master sign plan may be part of a site plan review, a conditional use permit, or a planned unit development. If the application requires approval by the planning commission or city council, that authority may approve the master sign plan in lieu of the city planner.
- Findings for approval of a sign permit or master sign plan must include compliance with permitted zoning, proportionality, compatibility, illumination standards, public interest, and sign design standards.
- The city planner may allow exceptions to sign regulations as part of a master sign plan, or where signs would be consistent with Section 37-50.620(h): Highway Signs, or for better integration with architecture or historic character.
- No sign permit is required for exempt signs, but they must still comply with prohibited sign locations.

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

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