# Sign Regulations in Cocoa, Florida

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Cocoa, Florida (FL)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/florida/cocoa
- **Data last verified:** 2025-03-17
- **Source:** [municode municipal code](https://library.municode.com/FL/Cocoa/codes/Code_of_Ordinances?nodeId=PTIICO_CH3ADSI)

## At a glance

Cocoa, Florida regulates 7 sign types across 6 zoning districts. Ground Sign/Freestandings in the Residential District (RA, RR-1, RR-2, RU-1-7-a, RU-1-7, RU-1-10, RU-2-10, RU-2-15, RU-2-25, R-P) zoning district are capped at 15 feet tall and 30 square feet, with a Minimum setback of 5 feet from front and side property lines. setback (Sec. Table I, Sec. 3-23). Most commercial signs in Cocoa require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (6 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Residential District (RA, RR-1, RR-2, RU-1-7-a, RU-1-7, RU-1-10, RU-2-10, RU-2-15, RU-2-25, R-P) | 3 | 35 feet | 100 square feet | — |
| Commercial District (C-N, C-G, CBD, C-P, C-W) | 3 | 35 feet | 100 square feet | — |
| Industrial District (M-1, M-2) | 3 | 35 feet | 100 square feet | — |
| Urban Mixed Development District (UMD) | 3 | 35 feet | 150 square feet | — |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 2 | 8 feet | 32 square feet | — |
| Central Business District | 2 | 4 feet | 6 square feet | — |

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

### Residential District (RA, RR-1, RR-2, RU-1-7-a, RU-1-7, RU-1-10, RU-2-10, RU-2-15, RU-2-25, R-P)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Ground Sign/Freestanding | 15 feet | 30 square feet | — | Minimum setback of 5 feet from front and side property lines. | One per 100 feet of street frontage. | — | — | Table I, Sec. 3-23 |
| Attached Sign | — | — | — | — | One per apartment complex or business establishment on an interior lot or one sign facing each thoroughfare on a corner lot. | On building walls | — | Table I, Sec. 3-23 |
| Entrance Sign | 35 feet | 100 square feet | — | — | Two per entrance. | At entrances | — | Table I, Sec. 3-23 |

### Commercial District (C-N, C-G, CBD, C-P, C-W)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Ground Sign/Freestanding | 15 feet | 30 square feet | — | Minimum setback of 5 feet from front and side property lines. | One per 100 feet of street frontage. | — | — | Table I, Sec. 3-23 |
| Attached Sign | — | — | — | — | One per apartment complex or business establishment on an interior lot or one sign facing each thoroughfare on a corner lot. | On building walls | — | Table I, Sec. 3-23 |
| Entrance Sign | 35 feet | 100 square feet | — | — | Two per entrance. | At entrances | — | Table I, Sec. 3-23 |

### Industrial District (M-1, M-2)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Ground Sign/Freestanding | 15 feet | 30 square feet | — | Minimum setback of 5 feet from front and side property lines. | One per 100 feet of street frontage. | — | — | Table I, Sec. 3-23 |
| Attached Sign | — | — | — | — | One per apartment complex or business establishment on an interior lot or one sign facing each thoroughfare on a corner lot. | On building walls | — | Table I, Sec. 3-23 |
| Entrance Sign | 35 feet | 100 square feet | — | — | Two per entrance. | At entrances | — | Table I, Sec. 3-23 |

## Prohibited signs in Cocoa

- Animated or flashing signs, except as otherwise authorized by this chapter.
- Exposed electrical discharge lighting (neon or fluorescent) is strictly prohibited within residential districts, except for delivery, entrance, and exit signs at multi-family complexes.
- Signs which constitute a traffic hazard or detriment to traffic safety.
- Obscene, indecent, or immoral signs.
- Signs overhanging or infringing upon the right-of-way of any street, road, or public right-of-way, except as specifically provided by these regulations.
- Signs erected on public property, unless otherwise authorized by these regulations.
- Signs so located as to prevent free ingress or egress from any door, passable window or fire escape.
- Permanent, temporary, portable or movable displays of merchandise located on any street, sidewalk, alley or right-of-way are prohibited, except when expressly permitted as part of a special event.
- Signs on or attached to utility poles or trees, shrubs or plants.
- Outline or strip lights on corners, eaves, ridges, facias, or other portions of buildings or structures.
- Window signs that obscure more than twenty (20) percent of the total transparent area of any window.
- Roof signs.
- Off-premises or off-site signs, except as authorized by this chapter.
- Temporary signs, except as authorized under this chapter.
- Air inflated devices, except as may be permitted by the City Code.
- Attraction-getting devices, except when expressly permitted as part of a special event.
- Signs on vehicles, subject to specific exceptions.

## Signs exempt from permit in Cocoa

- Professional name plates not exceeding four (4) square feet in area, except in single-family residential districts.
- One non-illuminated reader board or identification sign for each street frontage for public, charitable or religious institutions located on the premises of said institutions and not exceeding twelve (12) square feet in total area.
- Occupational signs denoting only the name, street number, and business of an occupant in a commercial building, or public institutional building, which do not exceed four (4) square feet in area except in single family residential districts.
- Memorial signs or tablets, names of building and date of erection when cut into any masonry surface or when constructed of bronze or other noncombustible materials which do not exceed four (4) square feet in area.
- Nonadvertising direction signs or symbols located on and pertaining to a parcel of private property, not to exceed four (4) square feet in sign surface area.
- Legal notices, identification, informational or directional.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- The property owner provides the city council a plan showing the design, dimensions and location of the sign and the reasons why the additional signage should be allowed under this subparagraph.
- No sign shall be approved for use unless it has been inspected by the department issuing the permit and it found to be in compliance with all other applicable codes and ordinances, including the building code, electrical code and zoning ordinance.

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

---

PermitPal — AI sign code research. Full HTML page: https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/florida/cocoa