# Sign Regulations in Sunny Isles Beach, Florida

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Sunny Isles Beach, Florida (FL)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/florida/sunny-isles-beach
- **Data last verified:** 2025-05-08
- **Source:** [municode municipal code](https://library.municode.com/FL/Sunny_Isles_Beach/codes/Code_of_Ordinances?nodeId=PAII_CH227SITEPO)

## At a glance

Sunny Isles Beach, Florida regulates 18 sign types across 3 zoning districts. Development Identification Signs in the Residential Zoning District zoning district are capped at 8 ft (minimum pedestal height 2 ft) tall and 48 sq ft, with a 6 ft from right-of-way, 15 ft from side property line setback (Sec. § 265-55.A). Most commercial signs in Sunny Isles Beach require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (3 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Residential Zoning District | 4 | 8 ft (minimum pedestal height 2 ft) | 48 sq ft | — |
| Nonresidential Districts, Town Center, Mixed-Use Resort District | 10 | 15 ft (10 ft for freestanding retail); minimum pedestal height 2 ft. Pedestal max 50% of total sign height | For up to 200 ft frontage: 1 sq ft per lineal ft up to 35 sq ft; over 200 ft frontage: 1 sq ft per lineal ft up to 75 sq ft | — |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 5 | Residential (≤4 units): 4-10 in high; Residential (>4 units): ≥10 in high; Nonresidential: ≥10 in high | — | — |

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements

### Residential Zoning District

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Development Identification Sign | 8 ft (minimum pedestal height 2 ft) | 48 sq ft | — | 6 ft from right-of-way, 15 ft from side property line | One per street frontage | One per street frontage. Setback 6 ft from right-of-way, 15 ft from side property line. Must meet sight safety triangle requirements. | — | § 265-55.A |
| Changeable Copy Sign (Monument) - Schools, Religious, Public Institutions | 8 ft (minimum pedestal height 2 ft) | 32 sq ft | — | 6 ft from right-of-way, 15 ft from side property line | One per street frontage | In lieu of permitted monument sign | — | § 265-55.A(8) |
| Directional Sign | 3 ft | 4 sq ft each | — | 6 ft from right-of-way, 15 ft from side property line | One per vehicular access point | One per vehicular access point. Setback: 6 ft from right-of-way, 15 ft from side property line. | — | § 265-55.B |
| Services Identification Signage | 8 ft | 32 sq ft | — | 6 ft from right-of-way, 15 ft from side property line | One per multifamily structure | One per multifamily structure. Setback: 6 ft from right-of-way, 15 ft from side property line. | — | § 265-55.C |

### Nonresidential Districts, Town Center, Mixed-Use Resort District

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Monument Sign (Nonresidential / Town Center / Mixed-Use Resort) | 15 ft (10 ft for freestanding retail); minimum pedestal height 2 ft. Pedestal max 50% of total sign height | 78 sq ft (nonresidential, Town Center, Mixed-Use Resort); 48 sq ft for freestanding commercial signs | — | 6 ft from right-of-way, 20 ft from side property line | One per parcel (additional sign in specified cases) | One per parcel. For parcels with 300 ft+ street frontage and >1 two-way access: one additional sign. In Mixed-Use Resort District: 1 per principal building with >1 access. Setback: 6 ft from right-of-way, 20 ft from side property line. | — | § 265-56.A |
| Wall Sign (Office) | — | For up to 200 ft frontage: 1 sq ft per lineal ft up to 35 sq ft; over 200 ft frontage: 1 sq ft per lineal ft up to 75 sq ft | — | — | One per wall face, or two for walls over 80 ft | Permitted only on buildings where majority of first floor is in retail use or facades abutting street/pedestrian plaza. | — | § 265-56.B(2)(a); § 265-58J |
| Wall Sign (Retail) | — | For up to 200 ft frontage: 1 sq ft per lineal ft up to 35 sq ft; over 200 ft frontage: 1 sq ft per lineal ft up to 75 sq ft | — | — | One per tenant, second sign per corner or through-store | Retail tenants, majority of first-floor retail or wall abuts street/pedestrian plaza. | — | § 265-56.B(2)(b); § 265-58J |
| Wall Sign (Office/Hotel/Retail, 1st-4th floors) | — | 1 sq ft per lineal foot of building frontage up to 100 sq ft | — | — | One per building; corner/through-store: second sign (restriction applies) | Signs located between 1st and 4th floors; corner/through-store: additional sign (max 50% area of primary, not on same elevation) | — | § 265-56.C |
| Wall Sign (Office/Hotel, 4+ Stories) | — | 1.5 sq ft per lineal foot of building frontage up to 150 sq ft | — | — | Two per building (one per elevation) | Signs located on 4th floor and above; two per building (one per elevation) | — | § 265-56.D |
| Canopy Sign | — | 4 sq ft | — | — | One per establishment | One per establishment, mounted under pedestrian shelter canopy in multitenant center. | — | § 265-56.E |
| Directory Sign | — | 32 sq ft (complex name/address max 50% of base height) | — | — | One per multitenant center | One per multitenant center. On building wall or freestanding within internal courtyard. | — | § 265-56.G |
| Directional Sign | 3 ft | 6 sq ft | — | — | To be approved as part of site plan | Number per City Manager/site plan approval | — | § 265-56.I |

### General Regulations For All Zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Address Number Sign | Residential (≤4 units): 4-10 in high; Residential (>4 units): ≥10 in high; Nonresidential: ≥10 in high | — | — | — | — | Clearly visible from streets, alleys, waterways | — | § 265-53.B |
| Safety Sign | — | — | — | — | — | As appropriate | — | § 265-53.A |
| Handicapped Parking/Access Sign | — | — | — | — | — | As required by federal/state law | — | § 265-53.C |
| Traffic Control Sign | — | — | — | — | — | As provided in the Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices | — | § 265-53.D |
| Parking Sign (General Public) | — | — | — | Within 5 ft of property line | — | Within 5 ft of property line at primary vehicular entrance drives | — | § 265-53.E |

## Prohibited signs in Sunny Isles Beach

- A sign that covers, interrupts or disrupts the major architectural features of a building.
- Abandoned signs or signs that relate to a discontinued business or service.
- All signs located on or over public property or right-of-way, except those installed by governmental agencies or banners attached to publicly approved pole brackets for special event purposes only.
- Animated signs, except a television or computer monitor installed in the window sign area.
- Any sign placed on or attached to utility poles except for the purpose of utility identification.
- Any signs that could be confused with traffic signals or traffic signs.
- Any signs that constitute a safety hazard. Signs that obstruct any window, door, fire escape, stairway or opening intended to provide light, air, ingress or egress for any building that would cause a violation of the City's Building Code.
- Attention-getting devices or signs that emit sound, vapor, smoke, or moving signs that revolve, rotate, flash, etc., except for visual equipment within the maximum permitted window sign area, such as a touch-screen computer.
- Balloon signs and pennants, streamers, except where allowed for government purposes and public purposes, including signs for special events as approved by the City.
- Bare bulb signs.
- Billboards, other than those lawfully existing on the effective date of these LDRs and protected by F.S. § 479.15(2).
- Box/cabinet wall signs utilizing internal illumination, excepting box/cabinet wall signs comprised of boxes with cabinets consisting of individual letters or where each box/cabinet consists of an individual letter or where the individual letters are translucent and the sign face is opaque.
- Buntings.
- Bus bench/shelter signs.
- Changeable copy signs, except as specifically permitted under this chapter.
- Signs erected or painted on fences or wall enclosures, except as specifically permitted in this chapter.
- Marquee signs, except as specifically permitted in this chapter.
- Murals, except as specifically permitted in this chapter.
- Neon signs (other than reverse channel, wall and pedestrian signs, where permitted) including exposed neon building trim.
- Off-premises signs except as permitted herein.
- Painted wall signs except for pedestrian signs, where permitted.
- Parapet signs, except that 50% of that portion of a sign located in an area with a parapet may extend above the roofline.
- Any signs illuminated from outside the boundaries of the sign unless the source of illumination is not visible from any abutting right-of-way or any adjacent property.
- Pole signs.
- Portable signs, except as specifically permitted under this chapter.
- Projecting signs, except canopy signs.
- Pylon signs.
- Roof signs, except where the sign is permanently attached to a parapet or upper walls of a building for support.
- Service station pump island banners or advertising or promotional signs.
- Signs attached to trees or other vegetative landscaping material.
- Signs placed on awnings, shades, canvas or other similar structures, except as specifically permitted.
- Signs with raceways.
- Snipe signs.
- Swinging/hanging signs, except for City-sponsored banners and pedestrian signs.
- Vehicle signs when used for advertising purposes at a given location or site in addition to or in lieu of temporary or other signs permitted under this chapter.
- Inflatable signs.
- Any vehicle sign affixed to a vehicle that remains stationary for a period in excess of 24 hours.

## Signs exempt from permit in Sunny Isles Beach

- Safety signs.
- Address numbers, subject to size and visibility restrictions.
- Handicapped parking and handicapped access signs in accordance with state handicapped parking and Federal Disabilities Act access requirements.
- Traffic control signs.
- Parking signs for general public use (not assigned or tenant only) to identify parking lots or garages, subject to placement requirements.
- Government instructional signs.
- Temporary holiday decorations, provided they carry no advertising matter, are not in place more than 45 days and are removed 14 days after the holiday ends.
- No-trespassing and no-dumping signs not to exceed two square feet in sign area and not to exceed four per lot.
- Permitted flags.
- Nameplate signs in residential districts when letters for said signs do not exceed two square feet in sign area.
- Nameplate signs in nonresidential districts on the rear of the building with sign area not in excess of three square feet and with letters not exceeding three inches in height.
- Signs of a noncommercial nature erected by public utilities.
- Signs indicating the availability of accommodation in hotels, motels, etc., when sign area does not exceed three square feet and all provisions of the chapter are complied with.
- Changes of copy in permitted changeable copy sign.
- Painting, repainting, cleaning and other normal maintenance and repair of an approved sign or sign structure, unless a structural alteration is made.
- Memorial tablets or signs, and historic markers erected by duly constituted and authorized public authorities. Such signs may be located off site.
- Small signs displayed on site for the direction or convenience of the public, such as signs which direct traffic or identify the location of rest rooms, public telephones, freight entrances or parking areas or limitations on the use of drive-through windows. No such sign shall exceed two square feet in area or be located closer than five feet to any lot line.
- Small signs placed by a public utility showing the location of underground facilities. No such sign shall exceed two square feet in area.
- Signs located on site warning the public against fishing, trespassing, dangerous animals, swimming or the like (not to exceed two square feet in area, posted at approximate eye level, not closer than five feet to any street line).

## Sign plan & submission notes

- All signs in multitenant projects shall be subject to a uniform sign plan which must be approved by the City Commission.
- Uniform sign plan for multitenant projects must specify uniformity in illumination, materials, fabrication, sign area, font style, and color. Logos on signs are limited to 10% of text area and text is limited to business trade name or franchise name with limited additional text.
- Sign landscaping for detached and freestanding signs must be shown on a site plan or survey submitted for approval with the sign permit application.
- Directional signs in nonresidential, Town Center, and Mixed-Use Resort Districts to be approved as part of site plan; if not approved as part of site plan, permit is required.
- Variance from sign ordinance requirements requires filing a variance application with the Development Services Department and a public hearing before the City Commission.
- Permit applications for all but exempt signs must include a plan or design showing sign area, height, face, letters, colors, materials, lighting, and location on the property.

## Full detail

Complete sign requirements for Sunny Isles Beach, including every field PermitPal tracks for each sign type, are available with a free PermitPal account: https://app.permitpal.io/?address=Sunny+Isles+Beach+FL&override=true&utm_source=landing&utm_medium=city-page&utm_campaign=city-sunny-isles-beach

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