# Sign Regulations in Cedar Key, Florida

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Cedar Key, Florida (FL)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/florida/cedar-key
- **Data last verified:** 2025-03-17
- **Source:** [municode municipal code](https://library.municode.com/FL/Cedar_Key/codes/Code_of_Ordinances?nodeId=CHFOURLADECO_ARTVIIISI)

## At a glance

Cedar Key, Florida regulates 10 sign types across 7 zoning districts. Pedestrian-Oriented Sign - Sandwich Signs in the General Regulations For All Zones zoning district are capped at 3 feet tall, 12 square feet, and 2 feet wide (Sec. 4-8.04.13). Most commercial signs in Cedar Key require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (7 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Dock Street Sign District | 4 | — | 30 inch wide, 120 inch tall | — |
| SR 24 Sign District | 3 | 8 feet | 30 inch wide, 120 inch tall | — |
| Historic District | 2 | 5 feet | 15 square feet | — |
| General District | 3 | 6 feet | 30 inch wide, 120 inch tall | — |
| Residential land use districts | 2 | 5 feet | 24 square feet | — |
| Commercial District | 1 | 5 feet | 24 square feet | — |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 3 | 3 feet | 12 square feet | — |

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements (sample of 3 of 7 zones)

### SR 24 Sign District

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Permanent Ground Sign | 8 feet | 24 square feet | 6 feet | — | — | — | — | 4-8.04.07 |
| Neon Sign | — | — | — | — | Maximum of three signs with a combined maximum of nine square feet per parcel. | Displayed from within a building | — | 4-8.04.07 |
| Feather Sign | — | 30 inch wide, 120 inch tall | — | — | — | — | — | 4-8.04.07 |

### General District

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Permanent Ground Sign | 6 feet | 20 square feet | 5 feet | — | — | — | — | 4-8.04.07 |
| Neon Sign | — | — | — | — | Maximum of three signs with a combined maximum of nine square feet per parcel. | Displayed from within a building | — | 4-8.04.07 |
| Feather Sign | — | 30 inch wide, 120 inch tall | — | — | — | — | — | 4-8.04.07 |

### General Regulations For All Zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Directional Sign | — | 4 square feet | — | — | — | On all parcels | — | 4-8.04.08 |
| Pedestrian-Oriented Sign - Sandwich Sign | 3 feet | 12 square feet | 2 feet | — | One per parcel. | Commercial and mixed-use land use areas | — | 4-8.04.13 |
| Pedestrian-Oriented Sign - Message-board Sign | — | 6 square feet | — | — | One per occupancy. | On all parcels | — | 4-8.04.13 |

## Prohibited signs in Cedar Key

- It shall be unlawful to erect, cause to be erected, maintain or cause to be maintained, any sign not expressly authorized by, or exempted from, this Code.
- Signs that are in violation of the Florida Building Code.
- Any sign that, the building official has determined, does or will constitute a safety hazard.
- Blank temporary sign.
- Signs with visible moving, revolving, or rotating parts or visible mechanical movement of any description or other apparent visible movement achieved by electrical, electronic, or mechanical means.
- Signs with the optical illusion of movement by means of a design that presents a pattern capable of giving the illusion of motion or changing of copy.
- Signs with lights or illuminations that flash, move, rotate, scintillate, blink, flicker, or vary in intensity or color.
- Strings of light bulbs other than white or clear used on commercially developed parcels for commercial purposes.
- Signs, commonly referred to as wind signs, consisting of one or more banners, flags, pennants, ribbons, spinners, streamers or captive balloons or other objects or material fastened in such a manner as to move upon being subjected to pressure by wind.
- Signs that incorporate projected images, emit any sound that is intended to attract attention, or involve the use of live animals.
- Signs that emit audible sound, odor, or visible matter such as smoke or steam.
- Signs or sign structures that interfere in any way with free use of any fire escape, emergency exit, or standpipe, or that obstruct any window to such an extent that light or ventilation is reduced to a point below that required by any provision of this Code or building regulation.
- Signs that resemble any official sign or marker erected by any governmental agency, or that by reason of position, shape or color, would conflict with the proper functioning of any traffic sign or signal, or be of a size, location, movement, content, color, or illumination that may be reasonably confused with or construed as, or conceal, a traffic-control device.
- Signs that obstruct the vision of pedestrians, cyclists, or motorists traveling on or entering public streets.
- Signs, within ten feet of public rights-of-way or within 100 feet of traffic-control lights, that contain colored lights that might be confused with traffic control lights.
- Signs that are of such intensity or brilliance as to cause glare or impair the vision of any motorist, cyclist, or pedestrian using or entering a public way, or that are a hazard or a nuisance to occupants of any property because of glare or other characteristics.
- Signs that contain any lighting or control mechanism that causes unreasonable interference with radio, television or other communication signals.
- Searchlights except those used for public safety by governmental agencies.
- Signs that are painted, pasted, or printed on any curbstone, flagstone, pavement, or any portion of any sidewalk, street, or right-of-way, except house numbers, parking or locational identification numbers and traffic control signs.
- Signs placed upon benches, bus shelters or waste receptacles except as may be authorized by the City commission pursuant to F.S. § 337.407.
- Signs, other than sandwich signs authorized by this Article, erected on public property, including, but not limited to, public rights-of-way, or on private property (such as private utility poles) located on public property, other than signs erected by the governing agency for public purposes.
- Signs erected over or across any public street except as may otherwise be expressly authorized by this article.
- Vehicle signs with a total sign area on any vehicle in excess of eight square feet, when the vehicle is parked for more than 60 consecutive minutes within 100 feet of any street right-of-way, is visible from the street right-of-way that the vehicle is within 100 feet of, and is not regularly used in the conduct of the business advertised on the vehicle.
- Signs displaying copy that is harmful to minors as defined in this article.
- Portable signs as defined in this article.
- Electronic message signs as defined in this article.

## Signs exempt from permit in Cedar Key

- Signs that are not designed or located so as to be visible from any street or adjoining property.
- Traffic control signs installed by the applicable jurisdiction and that bear no commercial message.
- Signs required by federal or state statute or regulation, or local ordinance or regulation.
- Works of art that do not constitute advertising.
- Merchandise displays behind storefront windows so long as no part of the display moves or contains flashing lights.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- Building signs for any multiple occupancy complex constructed or remodeled after the effective date of this article shall conform to an approved sign format. The sign format shall be included as a submittal for authorization to erect a sign and shall be maintained on file by the City.

## 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 7 zoning districts in Cedar Key — every sign type, every field — are available with a free PermitPal account: https://app.permitpal.io/?address=Cedar+Key+FL&override=true&utm_source=landing&utm_medium=city-page&utm_campaign=city-cedar-key

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