# Sign Regulations in Boulder, Colorado

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Boulder, Colorado (CO)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/colorado/boulder
- **Data last verified:** 2025-10-30
- **Source:** [municode municipal code](https://library.municode.com/co/boulder/codes/municipal_code?nodeId=TIT9LAUSCO_CH9DEST_9-9-21SI)

## At a glance

Boulder, Colorado regulates 13 sign types across 6 zoning districts. Freestanding Signs in the Downtown, Mixed Use, and Business - Transitional Districts (BMS, BT-1, BT-2, MU, DT) zoning district are capped at 25 feet tall and 100 square feet, with a No setback required in BMS, DT, and MU-1 districts setback (Sec. (d)(6)). Most commercial signs in Boulder require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (6 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Residential and Agricultural Districts (RR, RE, RL, RM, RMX, RH, A) | 3 | 7 feet | 32 square feet | Yes |
| Public District (P) | 2 | 7 feet | 16 square feet per face | No |
| Downtown, Mixed Use, and Business - Transitional Districts (BMS, BT-1, BT-2, MU, DT) | 8 | 25 feet | 150 square feet | Yes |
| Business - Community, Business - Commercial Services, Business - Regional, and Industrial Districts not in the B.V.R.C. (BC-1, BC-2, BCS, BR-1, BR-2, IS-1, IS-2, IG, IM, IMS) | 5 | No part above 25 ft above grade (except as permitted on parapet) | Max 150 sq ft | — |
| Boulder Valley Regional Center and Regional Business Districts (BR-1) | 6 | 25 feet | 150 square feet | Yes |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 3 | — | — | Yes |

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

### Downtown, Mixed Use, and Business - Transitional Districts (BMS, BT-1, BT-2, MU, DT)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Awning Sign | — | 150 square feet | — | — | — | Attached to a marquee or canopy over an entry to the building | Yes | (d)(1) |
| Banner | 20 feet | 50 square feet | — | — | 1 per use | Business or industrial zoning district | Yes | (d)(2) |
| Freestanding Sign | 25 feet | 100 square feet | — | No setback required in BMS, DT, and MU-1 districts | 1 per street frontage | Adjacent to street frontage | Yes | (d)(6) |
| Projecting Sign | — | 24 square feet | — | May not project beyond the minimum required building setback line | 1 per ground level tenant | Projecting over private property | Yes | (d)(10) |
| Suspended Sign | — | 10 square feet | — | — | — | Attached to an architectural projection | Yes | (d)(13) |
| Wall Sign | — | — | — | — | — | On a face of a building | Yes | (d)(14) |
| Noncommercial Nonresidential Sign | — | — | — | — | — | — | No | (d)(8) |
| Construction Site Sign | 7 feet | 16 square feet per face | — | Exempt from setback requirements | 1 per street frontage | Displayed only on the property to which the sign pertains | No | (c)(1)(A) |

### Business - Community, Business - Commercial Services, Business - Regional, and Industrial Districts not in the B.V.R.C. (BC-1, BC-2, BCS, BR-1, BR-2, IS-1, IS-2, IG, IM, IMS)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Freestanding Sign | Varies by setback (see 9-9-21(d)(6)); generally lesser of 25 ft or 1.25x building height. | Max sign area: 100 sq ft; max sign face: 50 sq ft (unless otherwise specified) | — | 10 ft for signs ≤7 ft; 25 ft for signs >7 ft; not less than 25 ft from adj. residential zone line. | 1 per street frontage | 1 per street frontage | — | 9-9-21(e)(2) Table 9-9; 9-9-21(d)(6) |
| Projecting Sign | Up to 12 ft above sidewalk or up to roof line; min 8 ft above sidewalk | Max 18 sq ft over public property; 24 sq ft over private property | — | — | 1 per ground level tenant | On exterior wall | — | 9-9-21(d)(10) |
| Wall Sign | No part above 25 ft above grade (except as permitted on parapet) | Based on percentage formula above | Max length 70% of wall/leased space width. | — | No strict limit | On exterior walls | — | 9-9-21(d)(14) |
| Awning Sign | See 9-9-21(d)(1) | Max 150 sq ft | — | — | No strict limit | On awning/marquee/canopy | — | 9-9-21(d)(1) |
| Banner | 20 ft incl appurtenance | 50 sq ft | — | — | 1 | On premises | — | 9-9-21(d)(2) |

### Boulder Valley Regional Center and Regional Business Districts (BR-1)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Awning Sign | — | 150 square feet | — | — | — | Attached to a marquee or canopy over an entry to the building | Yes | (d)(1) |
| Freestanding Sign | 25 feet | 100 square feet | — | Varies with setback; see paragraph (d)(6) of this section | 1 per street frontage | Adjacent to street frontage | Yes | (d)(6) |
| Projecting Sign | — | 24 square feet | — | May not project beyond the minimum required building setback line | 1 per ground level tenant | Projecting over private property | Yes | (d)(10) |
| Wall Sign | — | — | — | — | — | On a face of a building | Yes | (d)(14) |
| Noncommercial Nonresidential Sign | — | — | — | — | — | — | No | (d)(8) |
| Construction Site Sign | 7 feet | 16 square feet per face | — | Exempt from setback requirements | 1 per street frontage | Displayed only on the property to which the sign pertains | No | (c)(1)(A) |

## Prohibited signs in Boulder

- No person shall display, construct, erect, alter, use, or maintain any sign in the City except in conformance with the provisions of this section.
- No person shall display, alter, use, maintain, or enlarge any legal, nonconforming sign except in conformity with the provisions of this section.
- No person shall perform or order the performance of any act contrary to the provisions of this section or fail to perform any act required by the provisions of this section.
- No person shall display, construct, erect, alter, or relocate any sign without first applying to the city manager and obtaining a permit under this section.
- No person shall erect, install, post, display, or maintain any of the following signs: Animal, Flashing, Height, High Window, Illuminated, Illusion, Moving, Non-Appurtenant or Off-Premises, Obstructing, Projected Image, Roof, Sound, String of Lights, Traffic Vision Obstruction, Unsafe, Vehicular, Wind, Bicycles.

## Signs exempt from permit in Boulder

- Construction site signs not exceeding sixteen square feet erected by a licensed construction contractor on property on which it is working.
- Up to three different flags per property, subject to specific restrictions.
- One garage sale sign per property in an agricultural or residential district for a period not to exceed ten consecutive days and not more than twice in a calendar year.
- One lost animal sign per property placed on private property with the permission of the owner for a period not to exceed ten consecutive days.
- Noncommercial signs that do not identify or advertise a product, service, or business or impede traffic safety.
- Private traffic directional signs guiding or directing vehicular or pedestrian traffic onto or off of a property or within a property that do not exceed three square feet per face in area and six feet in height.
- One temporary, non-illuminated real estate sign per property or per dwelling unit street frontage.
- Signs required or specifically authorized for a public purpose by any federal, state, or city law.
- Residential wind signs in a residential or an agricultural zone.
- Utility warning signs not exceeding sixteen square feet erected by a public utility within a utility easement on property on which it is working.
- Vehicular signs if not prohibited by this section.
- Non-illuminated window signs of no more than four square feet in area and placed no more than twenty-five feet above finished grade.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- The owner of a multi-tenant or multiple use property or an agent of the owner shall apply for all sign permits for the property or shall develop a plan for apportioning permitted sign area among tenants and file such plan with the city manager.
- If a condition of site review development approval requires a uniform sign program, the owner or developer of the site review development shall submit a uniform sign program to the city manager for approval prior to the issuance of any sign permits within the planned unit development.

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

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