# Sign Regulations in San Leandro, California

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

- **Jurisdiction:** San Leandro, California (CA)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/california/san-leandro
- **Data last verified:** 2025-04-10
- **Source:** [municode municipal code](https://ecode360.com/44061754#44061754)

## At a glance

San Leandro, California regulates 10 sign types across 6 zoning districts. Freestanding Signs in the B-TOD, CC, CN, CS, DA-1, DA-2, DA-3, DA-4, DA-6, NA-1, NA-2, SA-1, SA-2, SA-3, IL, IG, IP, IT Districts zoning district are capped at Varies by district tall and 64 square feet, with a No closer than ten feet to the curb setback (Sec. § 4.12.112D). Most commercial signs in San Leandro require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (6 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 8 | 30 feet | 32 square feet per frontage | — |
| RD, RO, RS Districts | 3 | — | 24 square feet | — |
| RM District | 3 | — | 12 square feet | — |
| B-TOD, CC, CN, CS, DA-1, DA-2, DA-3, DA-4, DA-6, NA-1, NA-2, SA-1, SA-2, SA-3, IL, IG, IP, IT Districts | 3 | Varies by district | 64 square feet | — |
| CR, OS, PD, PS Districts | 2 | — | As prescribed by use permit | — |
| P District | 2 | 5 feet | 40 square feet per frontage | — |

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements (sample of 3 of 6 zones)

### General Regulations For All Zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Wall Sign | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | § 4.12.112B |
| Window Sign | — | 25% of the window area | — | — | Two per ground floor establishment | First or second floor façade | — | § 4.12.112C |
| Freestanding Sign | — | — | — | No closer than ten feet to the curb | — | Within landscaped area | — | § 4.12.112D |
| Projecting Sign | 30 feet | Varies by district | — | Set back five feet from an interior property line | — | Public right-of-way | — | § 4.12.112E |
| Construction Sign | — | 32 square feet per frontage | — | — | One per frontage | Construction site | — | § 4.12.112G |
| Real Estate Sign | — | Varies by frontage | — | — | One per listing broker per frontage | Per frontage | — | § 4.12.112H |
| Temporary Political Sign | — | 16 square feet | — | — | — | Anywhere in the City | — | § 4.12.112I |
| Temporary Sign | — | — | — | — | — | On site | — | § 4.12.112K |

### RD, RO, RS Districts

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Wall Sign | — | 24 square feet | — | — | — | Permitted nonresidential uses | — | § 4.12.112A |
| Construction Sign | — | 8 square feet | — | — | One per frontage | Construction site | — | § 4.12.112G |
| Real Estate Sign | — | 6 square feet | — | — | One per listing broker per frontage | Per frontage | — | § 4.12.112H |

### B-TOD, CC, CN, CS, DA-1, DA-2, DA-3, DA-4, DA-6, NA-1, NA-2, SA-1, SA-2, SA-3, IL, IG, IP, IT Districts

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Wall Sign | — | — | — | — | — | On premises | — | § 4.12.112A |
| Freestanding Sign | Varies by district | 64 square feet | — | No closer than ten feet to the curb | One per frontage | On premises | — | § 4.12.112D |
| Real Estate Sign | — | Varies by frontage | — | — | One per listing broker per frontage | Per frontage | — | § 4.12.112H |

## Prohibited signs in San Leandro

- Canvas signs, banners, pennants, streamers, balloons or other temporary or wind signs except as provided in Subsection K.1 or E.8.
- Mobile, A-frame, and portable signs except as provided in Subsection K.3.
- Roof or canopy signs extending to a height more than four feet above the roofline.
- Signs which resemble any official marker erected by the City, State, or any governmental agency, or which, 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.
- Signs which produce odor, sound, smoke, fire, or other such emissions.
- Window or contiguous window panes covered by paper, painted or other signs which exceed 25 percent of the total area of that window at any time.
- A vehicle or equipment stored with mast arms in an elevated position with intent to advertise.
- Abandoned signs.
- Cabinet Signs.
- Signs with exposed raceways.
- No sign shall be affixed to any vehicle or trailer on a public street or public or private property unless the vehicle or trailer is intended to be used in its normal business capacity and not for the sole purpose of attracting business.
- No sign shall be erected within an airport approach zone, airport turning zone, or airport transition zone designated by the Oakland Airport Land Use Commission (ALUC), such that it would project above the approach surface, conical surface, or the transitional surface designated by the ALUC; make it difficult for flyers to distinguish between airport lights and others; result in glare; impair visibility; or otherwise interfere with or endanger the landing, take off, or maneuvering of aircraft.

## Signs exempt from permit in San Leandro

- Official notices of any court, public body, or officer.
- Notices posted by a utility or other quasi-public agent in the performance of a public duty or by any person giving due legal notice.
- Street address numbers.
- Public transit seating signs and public information, directional, and warning signs erected by a public agency.
- District identification signs approved by the Zoning Enforcement Official and names of buildings, dates of erection, monumental citations, commemorative tablets, and the like made an integral part of the structure.
- One construction sign per frontage with a maximum sign area of 32 square feet located on a construction site during the course of construction.
- On-premises parking and other directional signs, not exceeding one double-faced sign per entrance, not exceeding four square feet in area and five feet in height or ten square feet if more than 100 feet from a public way.
- Signs manufactured as a standard, integral part of a mass-produced product accessory to a commercial or public or semipublic use, including telephone booths, vending machines, automated teller machines, and gasoline pumps.
- Credit card, trading stamp, or trade association signs not exceeding one-half square foot each.
- One governmental flag of any governmental agency per occupancy.
- Signs within a building not visible from a public street and window signs not to exceed 25 percent of the visible area of a window.
- Holiday lights and displays not advertising a product or sale, erected no sooner than 45 days before the holiday and removed within 14 days following the holiday.
- Nameplates not over two square feet in area, displaying the name and profession of the occupant of the building and/or the address.
- Older signs that are viewed as having historical significance and that are valued by the community may be considered exempt from these regulations.
- Except as otherwise specifically set forth herein, the regulations of this chapter do not apply to official traffic or government signs; signs that are not visible from a public right-of-way or area readily accessible to the public; product dispensers and point-of-purchase displays; scoreboards on athletic fields; gravestones; barber poles; religious symbols; commemorative plaques; the display of street numbers; or any display or construction not defined as a sign in Section 1.12.108 Definitions.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- No sign or sign area permitted on one frontage shall be transferred to another frontage except in accord with a Master Sign Plan prepared pursuant to Section 4.12.120 Master Sign Programs and Sign Exceptions.
- Master Sign Programs Required. Any development that will have/has: (a) either three or more nonresidential occupants, or occupying two acres or more; and (b) requires Site Plan Approval as per the requirements of Chapter 5.12 Site Plan Approval, shall submit a Master Sign Program application. Such plan must be approved by the Zoning Enforcement Official prior to issuance of any permit for signs. Each new tenant would have to meet the requirements of the new Master Sign Program.
- Exceptions May be Proposed. Any sign application, including both individual sign applications and Master Sign Programs, may propose exceptions from the standards of this chapter (i.e., an individual sign or sign program that would exceed the size and height limitations of Section 4.12.112 Regulations for On-Premises Signs). Exceptions approved as part of a Master Sign Program will apply to the signage of subsequent tenants.

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

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