# Sign Regulations in Bayfield, Colorado

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Bayfield, Colorado (CO)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/colorado/bayfield
- **Data last verified:** 2025-02-28
- **Source:** [municode municipal code](https://library.municode.com/CO/Bayfield/codes/Land_Use_Code?nodeId=ART7OTREST_S7-27SIRE)

## At a glance

Bayfield, Colorado regulates 7 sign types across 3 zoning districts. Instructional Signs in the Residential zoning district are capped at 6 ft. tall and 2 sq. ft. (Sec. Sec. 7-27, G, b, 1-3). Most commercial signs in Bayfield require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (3 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Residential | 5 | 8 ft. | 60 sq. ft. | Yes |
| Nonresidential | 6 | 10 ft. | 60 sq. ft. for single business, 150 sq. ft. for multiple businesses | Yes |
| Mill Street (MS) Zoning District | 2 | 10 ft. | 60 sq. ft. for single business, 150 sq. ft. for multiple businesses | Yes |

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements

### Residential

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Instructional Sign | 6 ft. | 2 sq. ft. | — | — | Minimum needed to serve intended purpose | Not specified | No | Sec. 7-27, G, b, 1-3 |
| Temporary Sign | 6 ft. | 4 sq. ft. | — | — | 5 signs per lot | Set back at least 5 ft. from the right-of-way | No | Sec. 7-27, G, c, 1-4 |
| Window Sign | 8 ft. | 4 sq. ft. | — | — | 1 sign per building for single-family, 1 sign per unit for multiple-family | In the window of a dwelling unit | No | Sec. 7-27, G, d |
| Building Sign | 6 ft. | 36 sq. ft. or 25% of signable area | — | — | 1 sign per building | On walls, awnings, canopies, or parapets | Yes | Sec. 7-27, G, e, 1-3 |
| Freestanding Sign | 6 ft. | 60 sq. ft. | — | — | 1 sign per lot, or 1 per street frontage if multiple buildings | Set back 10 ft. from right-of-way, 15 ft. from abutting property line | Yes | Sec. 7-27, F, 1-6 |

### Nonresidential

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Building Sign | 10 ft. | 36 sq. ft. or 25% of signable area | — | — | 1 per business | On walls, awnings, canopies, or parapets | Yes | Sec. 7-27, H, a, 1-3 |
| Freestanding Sign | 10 ft. | 60 sq. ft. for single business, 150 sq. ft. for multiple businesses | — | — | 1 sign per building or per street frontage | Set back 10 ft. from right-of-way, 5 ft. from abutting property line | Yes | Sec. 7-27, H, b, 1-5 |
| Instructional Sign | 6 ft. | 6 sq. ft. | — | — | Minimum needed to serve intended purpose | Not specified | No | Sec. 7-27, H, e, 1-3 |
| Temporary Sign | 8 ft. | 32 sq. ft. | — | — | 3 signs per property | Not specified | No | Sec. 7-27, H, f, 1-3 |
| Banner Sign | — | 50 sq. ft. | — | — | 1 sign per property | Attached to building or secured | No | Sec. 7-27, H, g, 1-2 |
| Window Sign | 1 story | 25% of window area or 36 sq. ft., whichever is less | — | — | 1 per window | In the display windows of a business use | No | Sec. 7-27, H, Window signs, 1-2 |

### Mill Street (MS) Zoning District

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Freestanding Sign | 10 ft. | 60 sq. ft. for single business, 150 sq. ft. for multiple businesses | — | — | 1 sign per building or per street frontage | Set back 2 ft. from right-of-way | Yes | Sec. 7-27, H, b, 2, a |
| Sandwich Board Sign | Not specified | Not specified | — | — | Not specified | On sidewalks during hours of operation | No | Sec. 7-27, H, f, 3 |

## Prohibited signs in Bayfield

- Any sign not expressly allowed by this section or not in conformance with its requirements is prohibited.
- No sign or sign structure shall be placed on private or public property without the written consent of the owners or agents thereof.
- Billboards.
- Signs incorporating any flashing or moving illumination or with illumination that periodically varies in intensity or color, or signs which have any visible moving part, visible revolving parts or visible mechanical movement of any description or other apparent visible movement achieved by electrical pulsations, by actions or normal wind currents, including but not limited to promotional balloons and the like.
- Signs with light sources not shielded such that the bulbs, floodlights or tubes are visible off the property on which the signs are located.
- Any sign that violates any provision of this section or constitutes a hazard to public safety, health or welfare.
- Signs that, by reason of size, location, coloring or manner of illumination or movement, obstruct the vision of drivers when traveling on a roadway, leaving a roadway or entering a roadway.
- Any sign that obstructs free ingress to or egress from a fire escape, door, window or other required exit, or that obstructs property ventilation or lighting.
- Abandoned signs.
- Searchlights, pennants and spinners.
- Roof signs or any signs which project above a building wall or parapet.
- Signs in the public right-of-way, except those erected by the town or a licensee of the town or the state in accordance with the current Uniform Manual on Traffic Control Devices.
- Center pole-mounted signs.
- Portable signs, except as expressly permitted in subsections (E) and subsections (G)(c), and (H)(f) of this section.
- Signs with exposed cables or electrical mountings, unless the Building Official finds that unusual construction problems exist necessitating such cables or mountings.
- Permanent freestanding signs on residential lots, except as expressly permitted in subsection (G)(f) below.
- Signs using any sound- or noise-making or -transmitting device.
- Projecting signs that project from the corner of a building.
- Signs with more than one face where the faces meet at an angle shall be no greater than zero degrees (otherwise referred to as 'V'-shaped signs), excluding temporary sandwich boards.
- Neon signs.

## Signs exempt from permit in Bayfield

- Signs not exceeding three square feet in area that are customarily associated with residential uses, such as property identification names and numbers, signs on mailboxes or newspaper tubes and signs posted on private property warning the public against trespassing or danger from animals.
- Signs required or specifically authorized for a public purpose by any law, statute or ordinance, which may be of any type, number, area, height above grade, location, illumination or animation authorized by the law, statute or ordinance under which the signs are erected.
- Official signs erected by state or local governments or their contractors or public utility companies to facilitate the construction, maintenance or operation of transportation facilities or to warn of dangerous or hazardous conditions, including signs indicating the presence of underground cables, gas lines and similar devices.
- Memorial signs or tablets, names of buildings and dates of erection when cut into any masonry surface or inlaid so as to be part of the building, provided that such signs do not exceed six square feet in sign area.
- Flags of any nation or government or displaying a noncommercial message, provided that such flags do not exceed 40 square feet and do not extend over a public right-of-way when unfurled.
- Architectural features of buildings or works of art, if such features or works of art do not contain letters, trademarks, moving parts or lights and do not display a commercial message.
- Any traffic control sign, such as 'STOP' or 'YIELD,' located on public or private property that meets applicable governmental standards pertaining to such signs and does not display a commercial message.
- Name plate signs of not more than two square feet in area which are fastened directly to a building and do not project from the face of the building.
- National holiday and community special event decorations that do not display a commercial message.
- Signs on athletic fields and scoreboards intended for viewing on the property upon which the scoreboard is located.
- Signs located inside buildings which are not placed there for the purpose of being visible to and read from the outside of the building.

## Full detail

Complete sign requirements for Bayfield, including every field PermitPal tracks for each sign type, are available with a free PermitPal account: https://app.permitpal.io/?address=Bayfield+CO&override=true&utm_source=landing&utm_medium=city-page&utm_campaign=city-bayfield

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