Sign Regulations in Commerce City, Colorado
Commerce City, Colorado has specific sign regulations covering 33 sign types across 9 zoning districts. Regulated sign types include Pedestrian Canopy Sign, Display Sign - Vehicle-Oriented, Freestanding Monument Sign (< 2 Acre Site). Height restrictions apply. Permits are required for most commercial signs. Use PermitPal to get instant access to the complete regulations.
Data last verified: May 7, 2025
Sign Regulation Overview for Commerce City, Colorado
Sample Sign Requirements in Commerce City
| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Setback |
|---|---|---|---|
| Freestanding Sign (Subdivision Entrance) | 6 ft. | 50 sq. ft./sign | 10 ft. from ROW, 5 ft. from curb/sidewalk if on median |
| Wall Sign (Residential - Subdivisions, Multi-family, Mobile Home Park) | Located in signable area of wall; 20 ft. max. for multi-story buildings | 50 sq. ft./street frontage | — |
| Freestanding Sign (Residential - Institutional Use) | 6 ft. | 50 sq. ft. | 10 ft. |
* Sample data shown. Actual requirements may vary by zone. Use PermitPal for complete, location-specific regulations.
Sign Types Covered
33
- Pedestrian Canopy Sign
- Display Sign - Vehicle-Oriented
- Freestanding Monument Sign (< 2 Acre Site)
- Freestanding Monument Sign (2—10 Acre Site)
- +2 more types
Zoning Districts
9
Different zoning districts with specific sign regulations
Data Includes
- Permit requirements
- Height restrictions
- Illumination rules
Official Resources for Commerce City
Other Cities in Colorado
Frequently Asked Questions
In Commerce City, wall signs can be up to Located in signable area of wall; 20 ft. max. for multi-story buildings and monument signs are limited to 6 ft.. Height limits vary by zoning district and sign type. Use PermitPal to get exact requirements for your specific location.
To get a sign permit in Commerce City, submit an application to the local building or planning department with sign dimensions, location, and design specifications. Our data confirms permits are required for most commercial signs. Processing typically takes 1-4 weeks. PermitPal helps you identify specific requirements and prepare complete applications.
In Commerce City, regulated sign types include Pedestrian Canopy Sign, Display Sign - Vehicle-Oriented, Freestanding Monument Sign (< 2 Acre Site), Freestanding Monument Sign (2—10 Acre Site), and 2 more types. Most commercial signs require permits. Temporary signs and certain small signs may be exempt. Use PermitPal for specific exemptions.
In Commerce City, monument signs typically require a 10 ft. from ROW, 5 ft. from curb/sidewalk if on median setback from property lines. Setbacks may increase near residential zones or intersections. Wall signs attached to buildings generally don't have setback requirements. Use PermitPal for location-specific setback data.
Digital and LED signs in Commerce City are regulated with specific requirements for brightness, animation, and message duration. Commerce City has documented illumination rules in our database. Use PermitPal to see the exact requirements for electronic message centers.
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Commerce City, Colorado Sign Rules at a Glance
Commerce City, Colorado regulates 33 sign types across 9 zoning districts. Freestanding Monument Sign (< 2 Acre Site)s in the CommercialSingle Tenant Building, CommercialSingle Tenant zoning district are capped at 6 ft. tall and 32 sq. ft., with a 10 ft. setback (Sec. Sec. 21-8425, Table VIII-6b.). Most commercial signs in Commerce City require a permit.
Detailed Sign Ordinance Requirements for Commerce City, Colorado
Sign Rules by Zoning District in Commerce City (9 zones)
| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residential, Subdivisions, Multi-family, Mobile Home Park | 6 | Located in signable area of wall; 20 ft. max. for multi-story buildings | 50 sq. ft./sign | — |
| CommercialSingle Tenant Building, CommercialSingle Tenant | 11 | 20 ft. | 200 sq. ft. | — |
| CommercialMulti Tenant Building, CommercialMulti Tenant | 10 | 20 ft. | 200 sq. ft. | — |
| Industrial, Industrial/Other Use, Industrial/Other | 8 | 20 ft. | 200 sq. ft. | — |
| Non-Residential, Non-Residential Zone | 9 | 20 ft. | 200 sq. ft. | — |
| Institutional, Institutional Use | 7 | 20 ft. | 200 sq. ft. | — |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 3 | 10 ft. | 50 sq. ft. | — |
| 2 more zones in PermitPal — start free | ||||
Zone-by-Zone Sign Requirements in Commerce City(sample of 3 of 9 zones)
CommercialSingle Tenant Building, CommercialSingle Tenant
| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Premium Details(Illumination, Size Formula, Permit Requirements, Additional Requirements — available with a free PermitPal account) | Ordinance Citation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Awning Sign | 15 ft. or below 2nd story, whichever is less | 50% of area of awning face | — | — | 1 per awning face | 1 per awning face | — | Unlock | Sec. 21-8405, Table VIII-2. |
| Pedestrian Canopy Sign | 15 ft. or below 2nd story, whichever is less | 50% of area of canopy face | — | — | 1 per primary entry | 1 per primary entry | — | Unlock | Sec. 21-8410, Table VIII-3 a. |
| Display Sign - Wall Mounted | 7 ft. | 3 sq. ft. | — | — | 1 per building | 1 per building, must be within 10 feet of front entrance | — | Unlock | Sec. 21-8420, Table VIII-5a. |
| Display Sign - Vehicle-Oriented | 7 ft. | 1st drive-thru sign: 30 sq. ft.; 2nd drive-thru sign: 16 sq. ft. | — | — | 2 per drive-thru | 2 per drive-thru (only if a drive-thru is expressly authorized) | — | Unlock | Sec. 21-8420, Table VIII-5b. |
| Freestanding Monument Sign (< 2 Acre Site) | 6 ft. | 32 sq. ft. | — | 10 ft. | 1 | — | — | Unlock | Sec. 21-8425, Table VIII-6b. |
| Freestanding Monument Sign (2—10 Acre Site) | 8 ft. | 60 sq. ft. | — | 10 ft. | 1 | — | — | Unlock | Sec. 21-8425, Table VIII-6b. |
| Freestanding Monument Sign (> 10 Acre Site) | 20 ft. | 100 sq. ft./street frontage | — | 25 ft. | 1 per street frontage, max 2 | 1 per street frontage, max 2, identical design | — | Unlock | Sec. 21-8425, Table VIII-6b. |
| Wall Sign - Cabinet | Located in signable area of wall; 20 ft. max. for multi-story buildings | 100 sq. ft. | — | — | Interior lots: 2; Corner lots: 3 | Interior lots: 2 max.; Corner lots: 3 max. | — | Unlock | Sec. 21-8445, Table VIII-10b and general standards. |
CommercialMulti Tenant Building, CommercialMulti Tenant
| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Premium Details(Illumination, Size Formula, Permit Requirements, Additional Requirements — available with a free PermitPal account) | Ordinance Citation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Awning Sign | 15 ft. or below 2nd story, whichever is less | 50% of area of awning face | — | — | 1 per awning face/tenant | 1 per awning face/tenant | — | Unlock | Sec. 21-8405, Table VIII-2. |
| Pedestrian Canopy Sign | 15 ft. or below 2nd story, whichever is less | 50% of area of canopy face | — | — | 1 per primary entry | 1 per primary entry | — | Unlock | Sec. 21-8410, Table VIII-3a. |
| Display Sign - Wall Mounted | 7 ft. | 3 sq. ft. | — | — | 1 per tenant | 1 per tenant, must be within 10 feet of front entrance | — | Unlock | Sec. 21-8420, Table VIII-5a. |
| Display Sign - Vehicle-Oriented | 7 ft. | 1st drive-thru sign: 30 sq. ft.; 2nd drive-thru sign: 16 sq. ft. | — | — | 2 per drive-thru | 2 per drive-thru (only if drive-thru is expressly authorized) | — | Unlock | Sec. 21-8420, Table VIII-5b. |
| Freestanding Monument Sign (< 2 Acre Site) | 6 ft. | 32 sq. ft. | — | 10 ft. | 1 | — | — | Unlock | Sec. 21-8425, Table VIII-6b. |
| Freestanding Monument Sign (2—10 Acre Site) | 8 ft. | 60 sq. ft. | — | 10 ft. | 1 | — | — | Unlock | Sec. 21-8425, Table VIII-6b. |
| Freestanding Monument Sign (> 10 Acre Site) | 20 ft. | 100 sq. ft./street frontage | — | 25 ft. | 1 per street frontage, max 2 | 1 per street frontage, max 2, identical design | — | Unlock | Sec. 21-8425, Table VIII-6b. |
| Wall Sign - Cabinet | Located in signable area of tenant wall; 20 ft. max. for multi-story buildings | 100 sq. ft. | — | — | Interior lots: 2; Corner lots: 3 | Interior lots: 2 max.; Corner lots: 3 max. | — | Unlock | Sec. 21-8445, Table VIII-10b and general standards. |
Non-Residential, Non-Residential Zone
| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Premium Details(Illumination, Size Formula, Permit Requirements, Additional Requirements — available with a free PermitPal account) | Ordinance Citation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Directional Sign | 4 ft. | 4 sq. ft. | — | — | 6 per building | Near site entries, internal auto/pedestrian circulation, building entries, seating areas, sidewalk intersections | — | Unlock | Sec. 21-8415, Table VIII-4. |
| Freestanding Sign (Institutional Use - Non-Residential Zone < 2 Acres) | 6 ft. | 32 sq. ft. | — | 10 ft. | 1 | — | — | Unlock | Sec. 21-8425, Table VIII-6 c. |
| Freestanding Sign (Institutional Use - Non-Residential Zone 2-10 Acres) | 8 ft. | 60 sq. ft. | — | 10 ft. | 1 | — | — | Unlock | Sec. 21-8425, Table VIII-6 c. |
| Freestanding Sign (Institutional Use - Non-Residential Zone >10 Acres) | 20 ft. | 100 sq. ft./street frontage | — | 25 ft. | 1 per street frontage, max 2 | 1 per street frontage, max 2, identical design | — | Unlock | Sec. 21-8425, Table VIII-6 c. |
| Wall Sign (Institutional Use - Non-Residential Zone) - Cabinet | Located in signable area of wall; 20 ft. max. for multistory buildings | 100 sq. ft. | — | — | Interior lots: 2; Corner lots: 3 | Interior lots: 2 max.; Corner lots: 3 max. | — | Unlock | Sec. 21-8445, Table VIII-10c. |
| Wall Sign (Institutional Use - Non-Residential Zone) - Individual Letter | Located in signable area of wall; 20 ft. max. for multistory buildings | 200 sq. ft. | — | — | Interior lots: 2; Corner lots: 3 | Interior lots: 2 max.; Corner lots: 3 max. | — | Unlock | Sec. 21-8445, Table VIII-10c. |
| Kiosk | 10 ft. | 50 sq. ft. | — | — | 2 per building | 2 per building | — | Unlock | Sec. 21-8430, Table VIII-7. |
| Marquee Sign | Roofline or below 2nd story, whichever is less | 32 sq. ft./side | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | Unlock | Sec. 21-8435, Table VIII-8. |
PermitPal covers all 9 zoning districts in Commerce City — full sign requirements for every zone, plus illumination rules, size formulas, and permit requirements for every sign type — with a free account.
See all 9 zones for Commerce City — start freeProhibited Signs in Commerce City
- No sign permit shall be issued for any permanent sign on private property without written consent of the property owner or the owner's authorized agent.
- All permanent signs shall meet the City's sight triangle visibility requirements.
- Only freestanding monument signs are permitted. Freestanding pole signs are prohibited.
- Combinations of cabinet and individual letter wall signs shall not be permitted, except that a cabinet-style logo not exceeding 9 square feet may be added to individual letter wall signs.
- Wall signs may not be located on the rear of buildings which abut a residential zone district or property.
- Permanent window signs shall not be displayed in windows above the ground floor level.
- Permanent window signs shall not be animated.
- Permanent, temporary, or a combination of such window signs shall not cover more than 25 percent of any individual window area.
- No awnings with signs shall extend above the roof line of any building, or the first story, whichever is less.
- No sign mounted to an awning shall project beyond, above or below the face of the awning.
- No sign mounted to a pedestrian canopy shall project beyond or below the face of the canopy.
- The sign on top of a pedestrian canopy does not extend more than two (2) feet above the top of the canopy, or extend above the nearest roofline, whichever is less.
- No sign mounted to a vehicular canopy shall project beyond, above or below the face of the canopy.
- Projecting signs over public right-of-way shall also require a right-of-way permit.
Exempt Signs in Commerce City
- These regulations do not authorize the installation of awnings, canopies, kiosks, or marquees with or without signs without obtaining any necessary building permits in compliance with the city's applicable building and zoning codes.
- Temporary window signs are not taken into account when determining the maximum permitted number and area of permanent signs, unless otherwise specified or regulated in this land development code.
Sign Plan & Submission Notes for Commerce City
- No reference is made in this division to any requirement for a master sign plan, sign plan, or variance meeting for permanent signs. Standards and requirements are based on sign type, use, and zone as listed in the respective sections and tables.
Source: municode municipal code