# Sign Regulations in Safety Harbor, Florida

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Safety Harbor, Florida (FL)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/florida/safety-harbor
- **Data last verified:** 2026-01-28
- **Source:** [municode municipal code](https://library.municode.com/fl/safety_harbor/codes/land_development_code?nodeId=ARTXIISIRE)

## At a glance

Safety Harbor, Florida regulates 44 sign types across 6 zoning districts. On-site Directional Sign (Exempt unless illuminated)s in the General Regulations For All Zones zoning district are capped at 3 ft tall and 3 sq ft per face, with a ≥2 ft from right-of-way setback (Sec. § 200.00(A)(12)). Most commercial signs in Safety Harbor require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (6 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 17 | 8 ft | ≤50% of window area per frontage | — |
| Residential Districts (E-1, R-1, RS-60, R-2, RS-50, R-2B, R-3, RM, R-6) | 4 | 8 ft | 30 sq ft per face | — |
| Nonresidential zones (GO, C-1, C-1A, FBI, M-1, M-3) | 11 | Top of sign not above roofline nor more than 25 ft above grade | Up to 60 sq ft (with possible increase up to 120 sq ft if conditions met) and within 20% of facade | — |
| Restricted Commercial District (C-1A) | 1 | 3.5 ft (standard) | 2 ft wide × 3.5 ft high (standard); During Main Street closures: up to 25 in × 45 in for intersection signs | — |
| Community Redevelopment District (CRD) | 6 | ≤25 ft above grade and below roofline | Per §209.02(B) | — |
| Hospital Facilities District (HF) | 7 | 25 ft | 500 sq ft per face | — |

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

### General Regulations For All Zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Interior Electronic Reader Board/LED Sign (Small, Exempt) | — | 4 sq ft | — | — | 1 per address | Interior, within 2 ft of window, visible from exterior | — | §§ 200.00(A)(8); 201.00(A)(3)-(4) |
| On-site Directional Sign (Exempt unless illuminated) | 3 ft | 3 sq ft per face | — | ≥2 ft from right-of-way | Up to 2 per driveway | On and pertaining to a parcel of private property | — | § 200.00(A)(12) |
| Public/Semi-Public Off-site Permanent Directional Sign (Exempt) | — | 4 sq ft per face | — | Comply with zoning setbacks if on private property | — | Within 2,500-ft radius of destination; permitted in right-of-way | — | § 200.00(A)(17) |
| Construction Sign (Temporary, Exempt) | 6 ft | Residential zones: 16 sq ft per street frontage per site; Nonresidential zones: 32 sq ft per site | — | — | — | On active construction site with valid building permit | — | § 212.03 |
| Temporary Signs (General) | — | Each individual sign ≤4 sq ft | — | — | ≤5 per address | All districts | — | §§ 212.01–212.02; 212.04(A)(6) |
| Grand Opening/New Business/Promotional Sign (Temporary) | 8 ft | 32 sq ft aggregate (including banners) | — | ≥5 ft from all property lines | — | On-site | — | § 212.04(A)(1)-(8) |
| Real Estate Sign (Residential Districts) (Exempt) | 6 ft | 6 sq ft | — | — | 1 per street frontage | On-site where property is for sale, rent, or lease | — | § 212.05(A)(1)-(8) |
| Real Estate Sign (Nonresidential & Other Properties) (Exempt) | — | Properties <2 acres: 16 sq ft; Properties ≥2 acres: 32 sq ft | — | — | 1 per street frontage | On-site where property is for sale, rent, or lease | — | § 212.05(A)(6)-(8) |

### Nonresidential zones (GO, C-1, C-1A, FBI, M-1, M-3)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Freestanding Sign - Pole-Mounted | Along arterial roadway: 15 ft; Along all other roads: 12 ft | 16/32/48/64 sq ft per face (per frontage length); shopping center exception 120/100 sq ft | — | Outside required visibility triangle; ≥5 ft from all property lines | 1 per street frontage per parcel | On-site, one per street frontage per parcel | — | § 209.01(A)-(E),(G) |
| Freestanding Sign - Monument | Along arterial roadway: 10 ft; Along all other roads: 8 ft | 16/32/48/64 sq ft per face; shopping center exception 120/100 sq ft | — | Outside required visibility triangle; ≥5 ft from all property lines | 1 per street frontage per parcel | On-site, one per street frontage per parcel | — | §§ 198(CC); 209.01(C)-(F) |
| Wall Sign | — | Up to 60 sq ft (with possible increase up to 120 sq ft if conditions met) and within 20% of facade | — | — | Per establishment; aggregate area limited by facade | On side(s) of building facing a public street, sidewalk, or alley, or providing a customer entrance. On multitenant parcels, one wall sign may be on a side wall with exposure to a public way. | — | § 209.02(A)-(D) |
| Projecting Sign (Substitute for Freestanding Sign) | Top of sign not above roofline nor more than 25 ft above grade | 8 sq ft per face | — | — | 1 (only when substituting for a freestanding sign) | Attached to building; may project over pedestrian way (clearance required) | — | § 209.03(A)(1)-(4) |
| Awning Sign | — | Awning copy area up to 9 sq ft | — | — | 1 per establishment | On awning | — | § 210.00(A)(1),(3)-(6) |
| Gasoline Price Sign | — | 9 sq ft per face (if separate freestanding price sign) | — | ≥5 ft from abutting street right-of-way (if separate sign) | 1 per street frontage | At gasoline service stations; one per street frontage; not closer than 5 ft to street right-of-way | — | § 211.01(A)-(C) |
| Menu Sign - Drive-through | — | 40 sq ft | — | ≥25 ft from right-of-way or residential zoning | 1 per drive-through lane | One per drive-through service lane | — | § 211.03(A) |
| Menu Sign - Walk-up | — | 9 sq ft (aggregate) | — | — | 1 | At walk-up service area | — | § 211.03(B) |

### Hospital Facilities District (HF)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Campus Entry Sign (Mease Drive Entrance) | 25 ft | 500 sq ft per face | — | — | 1 | Adjacent to the Mease Drive entrance | — | § 207.00(C)(1)(a) |
| Outparcel Identification Sign (McMullen Booth Road Frontage) | 12 ft | 140 sq ft | — | — | 1 per outparcel | On each outparcel fronting McMullen Booth Road | — | § 207.00(C)(1)(b) |
| Main Building Entrance Identification Sign | 8 ft | 100 sq ft per face | — | — | 1 | In front of the main hospital building entrance | — | § 207.00(C)(1)(c) |
| Freestanding Directory Sign (At Building Entrances) | 11 ft | 75 sq ft | — | — | 1 per building entrance | At each building entrance | — | § 207.00(C)(1)(d) |
| Directional Sign (Driveway Entrances from Mease Drive) | 8 ft | 60 sq ft per face | — | — | 1 per driveway entrance | At each driveway entrance from Mease Drive | — | § 207.00(C)(2)(a) |
| Directional Sign (Internal Drive Aisles) | 6 ft | 40 sq ft | — | — | As needed (no specific numeric cap provided) | Along internal drive aisles within vehicular use area | — | § 207.00(C)(2)(b) |
| Wall Sign (Building Identification/Naming) | — | Up to 300 sq ft per building face; limited to 5% of facade area | — | — | Per building face (limited by area) | On building faces for identification/naming | — | § 207.00(C)(3) |

## Prohibited signs in Safety Harbor

- Abandoned signs.
- Animated signs.
- Exterior electronic reader board or LED signs.
- Interior electronic reader board or LED signs, except interior signs that meet Section 200(A)(8) (max 4 sq ft, within 2 ft of window, stationary text, 24-hour dwell time, one per address).
- Festoons, searchlights, twirling signs, pennants, balloons, inflatable objects, and flags/banners that do not meet applicable code provisions.
- Snipe signs.
- Flashing signs.
- Revolving or rotating signs.
- Multi-prism or 3-dimensional signs.
- Portable signs, including A-frame or sandwich board signs, except where expressly allowed in this Article.
- Off-site signs, including billboard signs.
- Beacon lights.
- Vehicle or trailer signs when used exclusively to display a sign.
- Signs that imitate or resemble official traffic or government signs and signals.
- Roof signs.
- Any sign that obstructs firefighting equipment or presents a fire hazard.
- Any sign that obstructs a window, door, or other opening used for required ingress/egress for fire escape purposes.
- Any sign that obstructs openings required for proper light and ventilation.
- Any sign that emits audible sound, vapor, smoke, odor, particles, or gaseous matter.
- Any sign that violates community standards for obscenity.
- Signs attached or painted to piers or seawalls, except warning signs.
- Pavement markings, except customary traffic markings.
- Any sign that obstructs, conceals, hides, or otherwise obscures any official traffic or government sign, signal, or device.
- Any sign with unshielded illumination that produces glare or is a hazard or nuisance to motorists or occupants of adjacent properties.
- Unless otherwise provided by law, any sign in or upon any river, bay, or other body of water within the City.
- Any sign that presents a potential traffic or pedestrian hazard, including signs that obstruct visibility.
- Signs erected upon or projecting over City property or public rights-of-way (including sidewalks), except government signs by the City or as otherwise expressly allowed by this Article (e.g., certain signs in the Community Redevelopment District).
- Window signage that exceeds allowable area or any window signage displayed in residential zones.
- Any sign not specifically permitted by this Article.
- No floodlights may be used to illuminate a sign if they shine directly onto adjacent property.
- No sign may reflect or emit a glaring light that impairs the vision of users of a public right-of-way; illuminated signs may not exceed one foot-candle of illumination measured four feet from the sign.
- No sign or obstruction of vision is allowed between 2 feet and 8 feet above grade within the required visibility triangle (except poles up to 4 inches in diameter with City Engineer approval).
- No signs (except permitted seasonal, commemorative, special event, or government signs) may be erected or displayed on any shrub, rock formation, utility pole, fire hydrant, light standard, bridge, or other signs/sign supports; no signs may be erected, displayed, or attached on any tree.
- Nonconforming signs: may not be changed to or replaced with another nonconforming sign (including changing the sign face, except on changeable copy signs and billboards), structurally altered to extend useful life, expanded, increased in height, relocated, or otherwise modified to increase the degree of nonconformity.

## Signs exempt from permit in Safety Harbor

- Bench and bus shelter signs when approved by the City Commission pursuant to F.S. 337.407(2)(a); identification of the transit company or its route schedule does not require approval.
- Government signs.
- Warning signs up to 6 square feet.
- Murals, statues, paintings, designs, or other decorative features without any text or commercial imagery (no drawings/imagery of onsite products/services, business name, trademark, logo, or other commercial imagery).
- Construction signs per Section 212.03 (on a site with a valid building permit; max 16 sq ft per street frontage in residential zones and 32 sq ft in nonresidential zones; max height 6 ft; removed before Certificate of Occupancy or after 90 days of inactivity).
- One non-illuminated real estate sign per parcel per street frontage per Section 212.05 (subject to size/height limits and removal timelines).
- Window signs in nonresidential zones not exceeding 50% of total window area per building frontage, within two feet of the window and visible from the exterior, and not including electronic reader board or LED signs.
- Interior electronic reader board or LED signs that are a maximum of 4 square feet, within two feet of a window and visible from the exterior, with stationary text only and a minimum dwell time of 24 hours; one sign is exempt per address.
- Signs incorporated on machinery, equipment, or vehicles at the manufacturer’s or distributor’s level identifying or advertising only the product/service dispensed or carried; and signs customarily affixed to vending machines, newspaper racks, telephone booths, gasoline pumps, taxi cabs, buses, or other public transportation when in normal service.
- Interior signs displayed inside a building and not visible from a public street.
- Addressing numbers displayed in accordance with Pinellas County requirements.
- Up to two on-site directional signs per driveway (max 3 square feet per face and 3 feet in height; may be within 2 feet of right-of-way if compliant and visibility is maintained); if illuminated, a permit is required.
- One identification sign, professional name plate, or occupational sign for each multifamily establishment up to 2 square feet in aggregate sign area, denoting only the complex name and street/number.
- Government/public/religious flags (limited to 3 per parcel).
- One corporate/company logo flag per parcel.
- Commemorative signs erected by the City.
- Public/semi-public off-site permanent directional signs for quasi-public or non-profit uses (max 4 square feet per face; must be within 2,500 feet of the served property; may be located in the right-of-way).
- One professionally designed hanging sign up to 6 square feet, on a single post up to 4 inches in diameter and a maximum height of 6 feet, adequately secured at least 18 inches into the ground, on non-residential parcels inside the Community Redevelopment District with no other freestanding signs on site.
- For multitenant non-residential parcels where individual suites/offices have primary entrances not visible from a street or have secondary public entrances: one identification sign or professional name plate up to 2 square feet per such entrance.
- Signs with a non-commercial message not exceeding 2 square feet in area, limited to a maximum of 4 signs per parcel or site.
- Temporary signs are generally exempt from permit requirements (Section 212.01), subject to size/quantity limits (each sign up to 4 square feet; no more than 5 temporary signs per address; placement/duration limits apply); however, temporary signs for grand openings, new businesses, specials, or promotions require a permit under Section 212.04 and are limited to 14 days within a three-month period.
- Open house signs (as temporary signs) are permitted on days when an open house is held, subject to Section 212.06 (max 6 sq ft, one per street frontage, no illumination, off-site directional signs not in the public right-of-way).

## Sign plan & submission notes

- Sign permits are required for all signs unless specifically exempt (Sections 197.00 and 199.01).
- Permit application submittals must include: site plan; elevation drawings of the proposed sign; identification of type, height, area and location of all existing signs on the parcel; lot and building frontages; engineered plans and stress calculations where required; electrical permit information for illuminated signs; owner/lessee consent affidavit; and any required FAA/other governmental approvals (Section 199.02).
- Separate permits are required for structural repairs to signs; simple non-structural maintenance does not require a permit (Section 199.01(E)).
- Temporary sign permits are required for grand opening/new business/promotional signs (Section 212.04).
- A-frame/sandwich board signs placed in the public right-of-way require a temporary sign permit, indemnification, and proof of liability insurance; permits are valid for one year (Section 211.05(12)-(16)).
- No master sign plan requirement is stated in the provided ordinance text.
- Variances: The Board of Appeals may grant variances for sign area, setback/location (not affecting the visibility triangle), and height where needed to clear obstructions; variances cannot authorize prohibited sign types, increase the number of allowable signs, or change permitted sign types; variances are not allowed for nonconforming/obsolete/abandoned signs, to modify definitions, or where tree removal would be required (Sections 213.00–213.02).

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

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