# Sign Regulations in San Dimas, California

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

- **Jurisdiction:** San Dimas, California (CA)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/california/san-dimas
- **Data last verified:** 2025-04-10
- **Source:** [municode municipal code](https://ecode360.com/43690217#43690217)

## At a glance

San Dimas, California regulates 27 sign types across 9 zoning districts. Monument Signs - Commercial Shopping Centers in the Commercial zones zoning district are capped at 4 feet tall, 24 square feet, and 6 feet wide (Sec. § 18.152.120(B.6.a)). Most commercial signs in San Dimas require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (9 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Single-family residential zones | 3 | 18 inches for letters | 30 square feet | — |
| Multifamily residential zones | 4 | 18 inches for letters | 30 square feet | — |
| Mobile home parks | 1 | 18 inches for letters | 20 square feet | — |
| Commercial zones | 12 | 18 inches for letters | 150 square feet | — |
| Administrative-professional zones | 8 | 18 inches for letters | 75 square feet | — |
| Industrial zones | 6 | 18 inches for letters | 75 square feet | — |
| Public/semipublic zone | 1 | — | — | — |
| Historic downtown area | 6 | 12 inches | 40 square feet | — |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 6 | 12 inches for letters | 40 square feet | — |

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements (sample of 3 of 9 zones)

### Commercial zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Canopy Signs | 16 inches | — | 36 inches | — | One sign allowed | Under a canopy perpendicular to the face of a building | — | § 18.152.120(B.2) |
| Icon/Projecting Sign | — | 9 square feet | — | — | One sign allowed | In lieu of a wall sign | — | § 18.152.120(B.3) |
| Primary Wall Signs | 18 inches for letters | 150 square feet | — | — | One primary wall sign allowed | Building name where the multi-tenant building has a common or shared entry | — | § 18.152.120(B.4) |
| Secondary Wall Signs | 18 inches for letters | 100 square feet | — | — | Up to two secondary wall signs allowed | Facing or visible to either a public right-of-way or a parking area | — | § 18.152.120(B.5) |
| Monument Signs - Commercial Shopping Centers | 4 feet | 24 square feet | 6 feet | — | One monument sign allowed per street frontage | For each street frontage | — | § 18.152.120(B.6.a) |
| Monument Signs - Large Commercial Shopping Centers | 6 feet | 90 square feet | 15 feet | — | Multiple tenant signs allowed | For each street frontage | — | § 18.152.120(B.6.b) |
| On-Site Directory Signs | 5 feet | 25 square feet | — | — | One sign allowed for centers over 75,000 square feet; two signs for centers over 150,000 square feet | Commercial centers over 75,000 square feet | — | § 18.152.120(B.8) |
| Portable Signs | 4 feet | 6 square feet | 3 feet | — | One portable sign allowed | Within 10 feet of any customer entry-door | — | § 18.152.120(B.11) |

### Administrative-professional zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Window Signs | — | 20 square feet | — | — | — | Within 3 feet of a window | — | § 18.152.164(A) |
| Canopy Signs | 16 inches | — | 36 inches | — | One sign allowed | Under a canopy perpendicular to the face of a building | — | § 18.152.130(B.3) |
| Primary Wall Signs | 18 inches for letters | 75 square feet | — | — | One primary wall sign allowed | Building name where the multi-tenant building has a common or shared entry | — | § 18.152.130(B.4) |
| Secondary Wall Signs | 18 inches for letters | 60 square feet | — | — | Up to two secondary wall signs allowed | Facing or visible to either a public right-of-way or a parking area | — | § 18.152.130(B.5) |
| Monument Signs - Office/Professional Complexes | 4 feet | 20 square feet | — | — | One monument sign allowed per street frontage | For each street frontage | — | § 18.152.130(B.6) |
| Directory Signs | — | 10 square feet | — | — | — | Adjacent to a primary building entry | — | § 18.152.130(B.7) |
| Monument Sign - Educational and Religious Institutions | 6 feet | 30 square feet | — | — | One monument sign allowed; additional sign permitted with two street frontages of 500 feet or greater | Identifying the use | — | § 18.152.130(D.1) |
| Wall Sign - Educational and Religious Institutions | — | 20 square feet | — | — | One wall sign allowed | Identifying the use | — | § 18.152.130(D.2) |

### Industrial zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Window Signs | — | 40 square feet | — | — | — | Within 3 feet of a window | — | § 18.152.164(A) |
| Primary Wall Signs | 18 inches for letters | 75 square feet | — | — | One primary wall sign allowed | Building name where the multi-tenant building has a common or shared entry | — | § 18.152.140(B.3) |
| Secondary Wall Signs | 18 inches for letters | 60 square feet | — | — | Up to two secondary wall signs allowed | Facing or visible to either a public right-of-way or a parking area | — | § 18.152.140(B.4) |
| Monument Signs - Industrial Complexes | 4 feet | 25 square feet | — | — | One monument sign allowed per street frontage | For each street frontage | — | § 18.152.140(B.5) |
| Directional Signs | — | 20 square feet | — | — | — | Related to the location of the building and facilities on the premises | — | § 18.152.140(B.2) |
| Portable Signs | 4 feet | 6 square feet | 3 feet | — | One portable sign allowed | Within 10 feet of any customer entry-door | — | § 18.152.140(B.6) |

## Prohibited signs in San Dimas

- No sign shall obstruct any window to such an extent that light or ventilation is reduced to a point below that required by any law or ordinance.
- No sign or structure shall be erected in such a manner that any portion of its surface or supports shall be within six feet of overhead electric conductors which are energized in excess of seven hundred fifty volts.
- Off-premises human-mounted commercial signs, off-premises hand-held commercial signs and off-premises commercial signs mounted to any vehicle or trailer are prohibited.
- No sign, including the illumination thereof, shall be animated or so designed or operated as to flash, scintillate or in any way simulate motion other than: time and temperature signs, barber pole signs and electronic message boards.
- No beacons shall be allowed in the city.
- No person shall paint, mark, paste, fasten or in any manner affix or cause to be painted, marked, pasted, fastened or in any manner affixed to or on any curb, street, sidewalk, street sign post, or to or on any sign erected for the purpose of directing or warning traffic, or to or on any telephone, telegraph or electric light pole, or to or on any tree or shrub in any park, public street, alley, parkway or sidewalk any sign, poster or advertisement of any kind without first obtaining a written permit from the city council.
- No person shall exhibit, post or display upon any sign or billboard, any statement, words or signs of any obscene nature; or any picture, illustration or delineation of any human figure in such detail as to offend public morality or decency; or lewd, lascivious act, matter or thing of an obscene nature; or any murder, suicide, robbery, holdup, shooting, stabbing, clubbing or beating of any human being, where any such act is shown in gruesome detail.
- No person shall scatter, daub or leave any paint, paste, glue or other substance used for painting or fixing advertising matter upon any public street or sidewalk, or scatter or throw or permit to be scattered or thrown any bills, wastepaper, paper, cloth or materials of whatsoever kind removed from billboards, on any public street or on private property.

## Signs exempt from permit in San Dimas

- Official notices issued by any court or public body or officer.
- Notices posted by any public officer in performance of a public duty or by any person giving legal notice.
- Directional, warning or informational structures required by or authorized by law or by federal, state, county or city officials.
- A structure erected near a city or county boundary which contains the name of such city or county and the names of, or any other information regarding, civic, fraternal or religious organizations located therein.
- Flags of the United States, state of California or other government shall be permitted; however, in no case shall more than three such flags be permitted on any one property.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- No person shall install or construct a sign or implement a sign program until a sign plan or sign program has been reviewed and approved by the development plan review board.
- Prior to installation of any sign, a sign program shall be submitted to the development plan review board for review and approval.
- A master sign program is required for multiple-tenant complexes.

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

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