# Sign Regulations in Susanville, California

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Susanville, California (CA)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/california/susanville
- **Data last verified:** 2025-04-10
- **Source:** [municode municipal code](https://ecode360.com/44219982#44219982)

## At a glance

Susanville, California regulates 10 sign types across 9 zoning districts. Freestanding Sign (100+ feet street frontage)s in the C-1 Retail Commercial District zoning district are capped at 15 feet tall and 100 square feet (50 square feet per face if double-faced), with a 12 feet setback (Sec. § 17.128.060B.1). Most commercial signs in Susanville require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (9 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| R-1 Low Density Residential District, R-2 Medium Density Residential District, R-3 High Density Residential District | 1 | 42 inches (6 feet if located 35 feet or more from the center of a driveway or a curb return at a street intersection) | 50 square feet (25 square feet per face if double-faced) | — |
| C-1 Retail Commercial District | 4 | 42 inches (6 feet if located 35 feet or more from the center of a driveway or a curb return at a street intersection) | 100 square feet (50 square feet per face if double-faced) | — |
| C-2 General Commercial District, C-3 Commercial-Light Manufacturing District, M General Industrial District | 4 | 42 inches (6 feet if located 35 feet or more from the center of a driveway or a curb return at a street intersection) | 150 square feet (75 square feet per face if double-faced) | — |
| A Agricultural District | 1 | 12 feet | 20 square feet | — |
| U Unclassified District | 1 | — | — | — |
| OS Open Space District | 1 | 12 feet | 20 square feet | — |
| PD Planned Development District | 1 | — | — | — |
| I Institutional District | 4 | 42 inches (6 feet if located 35 feet or more from the center of a driveway or a curb return at a street intersection) | 100 square feet (50 square feet per face if double-faced) | — |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 3 | — | 5 feet in length and 1 foot in height | — |

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

### C-1 Retail Commercial District

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Building Sign | — | — | — | — | — | On building | — | § 17.128.060A |
| Freestanding Sign (100+ feet street frontage) | 15 feet | 100 square feet (50 square feet per face if double-faced) | — | 12 feet | One per zone lot | On-site, within a landscaped island | — | § 17.128.060B.1 |
| Ground Sign (<100 feet street frontage) | 42 inches (6 feet if located 35 feet or more from the center of a driveway or a curb return at a street intersection) | 50 square feet (25 square feet per face if double-faced) | — | — | One per zone lot | On-site | — | § 17.128.060B.2 |
| Projecting Sign | — | 36 square feet (18 square feet per face maximum) | — | — | One per zone lot if no freestanding or ground sign is present | On building | — | § 17.128.060C |

### C-2 General Commercial District, C-3 Commercial-Light Manufacturing District, M General Industrial District

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Building Sign | — | — | — | — | — | On building | — | § 17.128.070A |
| Freestanding Sign (100+ feet street frontage) | 15 feet | 150 square feet (75 square feet per face if double-faced) | — | 12 feet | One per zone lot, additional if 300 feet of street frontage | On-site, within a landscaped island | — | § 17.128.070B.1 |
| Ground Sign (<100 feet street frontage) | 42 inches (6 feet if located 35 feet or more from the center of a driveway or a curb return at a street intersection) | 50 square feet (25 square feet per face if double-faced) | — | — | One per zone lot | On-site | — | § 17.128.070B.2 |
| Projecting Sign | — | 30 square feet (15 square feet per face maximum) | — | — | One per zone lot if no freestanding or ground sign is present | On building | — | § 17.128.070C |

### I Institutional District

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Building Sign | — | — | — | — | — | On building | — | § 17.128.120A |
| Freestanding Sign (100+ feet street frontage) | 15 feet | 100 square feet (50 square feet per face if double-faced) | — | 12 feet | One per zone lot | On-site, within a landscaped island | — | § 17.128.120B.1 |
| Ground Sign (<100 feet street frontage) | 42 inches (6 feet if located 35 feet or more from the center of a driveway or a curb return at a street intersection) | 50 square feet (25 square feet per face if double-faced) | — | — | One per zone lot | On-site | — | § 17.128.120B.2 |
| Projecting Sign | — | 30 square feet (15 square feet per face maximum) | — | — | One per zone lot if no freestanding or ground sign is present | On building | — | § 17.128.120C |

## Prohibited signs in Susanville

- No blinking, flashing, rotating, revolving or animated signs, or signs that change color or intensity or emit odors, fluids, noise, smoke, etc., shall be permitted on the exterior of any building.
- No red, green or amber lights or illuminated signs may be placed in such positions that they could reasonably be expected to interfere with or be confused with an official traffic control device or traffic signal or official directional guide signs.
- Roof signs shall not be permitted in any zone.
- There shall be no lighted, freestanding sign within 50 feet of a residential district.
- No sign shall be permitted in or over a public right-of-way without first obtaining an encroachment permit.

## Signs exempt from permit in Susanville

- Any public notice or warning required by a valid and applicable federal, state or local law, regulation or ordinance.
- Window signs may be permitted in any commercial or industrial district without a sign permit if the signs are placed entirely within the building.
- Works of art that do not include a commercial message, such as a mural on the side of a building.
- Holiday lights and decorations, including decorations on windows, are not construed as signs.
- Incidental and traffic control signs on private property, such as stop, yield, and similar signs, the face of which meets city standards and which contain no commercial message of any sort.
- Building address markers or name of property owners or tenants.
- Real estate signs for sale or lease of residential property are permitted uses provided there are not more than two signs per zone lot, each sign not to exceed six square feet in area and not more than six feet in height.
- Real estate signs for sale or lease of industrial or commercial property are permitted provided there are not more than one sign per street frontage not to exceed 32 square feet in area to advertise the sale, lease or rent of such property.
- Contractor or construction sign: one directory sign shall be permitted on the construction site for all contractors not exceeding 32 square feet unless legally required by government contracts to be larger.
- Future tenant identification signs may be placed on vacant or developing property to advertise the future use of the property.
- Signs of public utility companies indicating danger or which serve as an aid to public safety, or which show locations of underground facilities or public telephones.
- Safety Signs on Construction Sites.
- Sandwich board signs two feet wide by three feet in height or less.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- Exceptions may be made to the size, height, location and numbers of signs as specified in any district, or this section, if a use permit is approved by the planning commission.

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

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