# Sign Regulations in Cordele, Georgia

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Cordele, Georgia (GA)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/georgia/cordele
- **Data last verified:** 2025-05-07
- **Source:** [municode municipal code](https://library.municode.com/GA/Cordele/codes/Code_of_Ordinances?nodeId=PTIICOCI_APXAZO_ARTIXSI)

## At a glance

Cordele, Georgia regulates 13 sign types across 6 zoning districts. Ground Signs in the Residential - Single Family, Low Density District (R-12), Residential - Single Family, Medium Density District (R-7.5S), Residential - Single Family/Two Family, Medium Density District (R-7.5), Residential - Multi-family District (R-4) zoning district are capped at 6 ft. tall and 16 sq. ft., with a 10 feet from right-of-way setback (Sec. Sec 960.2, Table: Allowable Signs in Residential and Mixed Use Zones). Most commercial signs in Cordele require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (6 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Residential - Single Family, Low Density District (R-12), Residential - Single Family, Medium Density District (R-7.5S), Residential - Single Family/Two Family, Medium Density District (R-7.5), Residential - Multi-family District (R-4) | 4 | 6 ft. | 20 sq. ft. | — |
| Office & Institutional District (OI), Neighborhood Commercial District (NC), Central Business District (CBD) | 5 | 30 ft. | Up to 600 sq. ft., but subject to 20%/25%/total per building wall formulas | — |
| General Commercial District (GC), Highway Commercial District (HC), Light Industrial District (LI), Heavy Industrial District (HI), Park, Education, and Health District (PEH), Public Works District (PW) | 6 | 30 ft. | Up to 600 sq. ft. subject to per wall surface percentage | — |
| Planned Development Districts (PD) | 3 | 6 ft. | 40 sq. ft. | — |
| Floodplain Overlay District (FP) | 1 | — | — | — |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 3 | Freestanding solar panels: 25 ft from grade; mounted panels: 8 ft above apex of structure or max district building height | See formula | — |

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

### Residential - Single Family, Low Density District (R-12), Residential - Single Family, Medium Density District (R-7.5S), Residential - Single Family/Two Family, Medium Density District (R-7.5), Residential - Multi-family District (R-4)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Wall Sign | No higher than top of wall | 16 sq. ft. | — | — | 1 per building | Per building | — | Sec 960.2, Table: Allowable Signs in Residential and Mixed Use Zones |
| Ground Sign | 6 ft. | 16 sq. ft. | — | 10 feet from right-of-way | 1 per building | Per building | — | Sec 960.2, Table: Allowable Signs in Residential and Mixed Use Zones |
| Freestanding Sign (Temporary) | 6 ft. | 20 sq. ft. | — | 10 feet from right-of-way | 1 per lot | 1 per lot | — | Sec 960.2, Table: Allowable Signs in Residential and Mixed Use Zones |
| Portable Sign (Temporary) | 6 ft. | 20 sq. ft. | — | 10 feet from right-of-way | 1 per lot | 1 per lot | — | Sec 960.2, Table: Allowable Signs in Residential and Mixed Use Zones |

### Office & Institutional District (OI), Neighborhood Commercial District (NC), Central Business District (CBD)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Freestanding Sign | 30 ft. | 100 sq. ft. | — | 10 feet from right-of-way | 1 per building | 1 per building | — | Sec 960.2, Table: Allowable Signs in Central Business District, Neighborhood Commercial, and Office/Professional District |
| Projecting Sign | Shall not extend above roofline a distance greater than the height of the roof above ground; minimum height above sidewalk is 10 ft. | 20 sq. ft. | — | — | 1 per building | 1 per building | — | Sec 960.2, Table: Allowable Signs in Central Business District, Neighborhood Commercial, and Office/Professional District |
| Wall Sign | No higher than top of wall | Up to 600 sq. ft., but subject to 20%/25%/total per building wall formulas | — | — | Up to 5 per building | Up to 5 per building | — | Sec 960.2, Table: Allowable Signs in Central Business District, Neighborhood Commercial, and Office/Professional District |
| Freestanding Sign (Temporary) | 6 ft. | 25 sq. ft. | — | 10 feet from right-of-way | 1 per business | 1 per business | — | Sec 960.2, Table: Allowable Signs in Central Business District, Neighborhood Commercial, and Office/Professional District |
| Portable Sign (Temporary) | 6 ft. | 25 sq. ft. | — | 10 feet from right-of-way | 1 per business | 1 per business | — | Sec 960.2, Table: Allowable Signs in Central Business District, Neighborhood Commercial, and Office/Professional District |

### General Commercial District (GC), Highway Commercial District (HC), Light Industrial District (LI), Heavy Industrial District (HI), Park, Education, and Health District (PEH), Public Works District (PW)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Freestanding Sign | 30 ft. | 100 sq. ft. | — | 10 feet from right-of-way | 1 per building | 1 per building | — | Sec 960.2, Table: Allowable Signs in GC, HC, LI, HI, PEH, PW |
| Projecting Sign | Shall not extend above roofline greater than the height of roof above ground; min 10 ft above sidewalk. | 20 sq. ft. | — | — | 1 per building | 1 per building | — | Sec 960.2, Table: Allowable Signs in GC, HC, LI, HI, PEH, PW |
| Wall Sign | No higher than top of wall | Up to 600 sq. ft. subject to per wall surface percentage | — | — | Up to 5 per building | Up to 5 per building | — | Sec 960.2, Table: Allowable Signs in GC, HC, LI, HI, PEH, PW |
| Roof Sign | 20 ft. above roof | 50 sq. ft. | — | — | 1 per building | 1 per building | — | Sec 960.2, Table: Allowable Signs in GC, HC, LI, HI, PEH, PW |
| Freestanding Sign (Temporary) | 6 ft. | 25 sq. ft. | — | 10 feet from right-of-way | 1 per business | 1 per business | — | Sec 960.2, Table: Allowable Signs in GC, HC, LI, HI, PEH, PW |
| Portable Sign (Temporary) | 6 ft. | 25 sq. ft. | — | 10 feet from right-of-way | 1 per business | 1 per business | — | Sec 960.2, Table: Allowable Signs in GC, HC, LI, HI, PEH, PW |

## Prohibited signs in Cordele

- No sign shall display intermittent lights resembling the flashing lights customarily used in traffic signals or in police, fire, ambulance, or rescue vehicles, nor shall any sign use the words 'stop,' 'danger,' or any other word, phrase, symbol, or character in a manner that might mislead or confuse any automobile or other vehicular driver.
- No sign whatsoever, whether temporary or permanent, except traffic signs and signals and information signs erected by a public agency, are permitted within any street or highway right-of-way or on public property. No sign shall be placed so it will cause danger, either by obscuring a view, or otherwise interfere with the flow of traffic.
- No advertising structure shall be erected, constructed or maintained so as to obstruct any fire escape, or any window, or door, or openings used as a means of ingress and/or egress for fire fighting purposes, or so as to prevent free passage from one part of a roof to any other part thereof; no roof sign shall be installed within five (5) feet of a parapet wall; no sign shall be attached in any form, shape, or manner to a fire escape or be so placed as to interfere with any opening required for legal ventilation.
- Signs shall not be painted on or attached to trees, fence posts, light standard, telephone, telegraph or other utility poles. Signs painted on or attached to rocks or other natural features or painted on the roof of buildings shall be prohibited.
- No sign shall be posted or placed on any property belonging to another without the written consent of the owner thereof.
- Fluttering ribbons, streamers, pennants, ribbons or other similar devices shall not be constructed, posted or erected in any district. Exceptions include flags and buntings exhibited to commemorate patriotic holidays, and banners announcing charitable or civic events.
- No red, green, or yellow illuminated sign shall be permitted within three hundred (300) feet of any traffic light.
- Off-premises roof and wall signs are prohibited in all districts.
- No illuminated signs are allowed within fifty (50) feet of any residential district or dwelling.
- No sign that has exposed neon tubes or other exposed tubes containing luminescent gas shall be used outside a building.
- No sign may be erected or maintained with exposed electrical wires.
- Strings of bulbs are not permitted, except as part of a holiday celebration. In addition, strings of clear bulbs may be permitted to decorate trees provided that such display does not interfere with neighboring land uses.
- No sign shall be illuminated between the hours of 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. unless the premises on which it is located is open for business.
- No persons(s) shall artificially increase the maximum height of a sign by altering the grade at the base of the sign by any means.

## Signs exempt from permit in Cordele

- Official signs of a non-commercial nature and in the public interest, erected by or on the order of a government or a public officer in the performance of his duty, such as safety signs, danger signs, trespassing signs, traffic and street signs, memorial plaques, signs of historical interest, and the like.
- Signs bearing only property identification numbers and names, post office box numbers, names of occupants of the premises on which the signs are located, or other identification of premises not of a commercial nature, provided such signs are not illuminated and do not exceed two (2) signs per zoning lot nor two (2) square feet in area.
- Temporary non-illuminated real estate signs pertaining only to the sale, rental, or lease of the premises on which said signs are located, provided such signs do not exceed one sign per street frontage. Said sign shall not exceed nine (9) square feet in area per display surface for property zoned residential and shall not exceed twenty (20) square feet per display surface for property zoned non-residential. Such signs shall not be located on any public right-of-way and shall be removed within the (10) days after the subject lot or building is rented, leased, or sold.
- Construction site identification signs whose message is limited to project name, identification of architects, engineers, contractors, and other individuals or firms involved with the construction, the name of the building, the intended purpose of the building, and the expected completion date, provided such signs do not exceed one sign per construction site and nine (9) square feet in area in residential districts and twenty (20) square feet in non-residential districts, and further provided that such signs are not erected prior to issuance of the Building Permit for the structure on the lot, and are removed within ten (10) days of issuance of a Certificate of Occupancy.
- Legal notices and official notices issued by any court, public agency, or officer.
- On-premises directional signs on private property establishing safe and convenient ingress, egress and internal circulation for traffic and parking, provided there are no more than 8 such signs per site; that signs are not illuminated or are indirectly illuminated; that such signs are no more than 3 feet in height, with no more than four (4) square feet in area of display surface. Such signs shall not advertise any business, service or product and shall not be allowed on any public right-of-way.
- Temporary political signs advertising candidates or issues, provided such signs do not exceed one sign per road frontage, per candidate, may be placed on any one (1) premises. Such signs shall not exceed six (6) square feet in area of display surface, may not be erected prior to sixty (60) days before the date of the appropriate election, and shall be removed within ten (10) days after the final election including runoffs which the sign is intended to influence. Before any political sign is erected, the permission of the owner and/or agent of the owner of the property upon which the sign is proposed to be erected shall be obtained.
- Signs announcing yard or garage sales, provided such signs do not exceed one (1) sign per site of such sale. Such sign shall not exceed four (4) square feet in area and may be posted two (2) days prior to sale and shall be removed the day after the sale.
- Memorial signs or tablets, and names and construction dates of buildings when cut into any masonry surface.
- Temporary signs pertaining to drives or events of civic, philanthropic, educational, or religious organizations provided such signs do not exceed four (4) square feet in area, do not exceed one sign per intersection, are not posted within a public right-of-way and are posted not more than two (2) days before said event and removed the day after the event.
- Off-premises non-illuminated school, hospital, or other quasi-public signs not exceeding four (4) square feet in area; provided that no such sign shall be allowed on any public right-of-way.
- Signs stating that a business other than a home occupation is open, provided that there is no more than one such sign per business establishment, and provided that such sign does not exceed two (2) square feet in display area.
- On-premises sign attached to the outside wall of any business establishment, which are designed to identify services rendered, products sold, or activities conducted on the premises, provided not more than two (2) such signs shall be affixed to any wall on the business establishment and further provided that the total of such signs shall not exceed one percent (1%) of the total area of the wall on which they are affixed.
- On-premises no trespassing, no hunting, and similar public notice type signs less than six (6) square feet in area, provided no such signs shall be allowed on any public right-of-way.
- Non-illuminated signs for Residential Business when affixed to the front wall of a residential structure or on a freestanding post announcing the operation of a permitted or approved Residential Business, provided that there shall be no more than one (1) sign per Residential Business, and further provided that such sign shall not exceed four (4) square foot in area and is mounted against the wall of the principal building at maximum height not to exceed the lintel of the primary entrance of the residence.
- On-premises temporary signs relating to the initial opening or final closing of a business or service in commercial and industrial districts only, provided that such signs shall not exceed thirty-two (32) square feet in area and shall not be closer than ten (10) feet to the pavement of any street or on any public right-of-way. Such signs shall be permitted for a maximum period of two (2) weeks for initial opening signs and four (4) weeks for final closing signs, after which they shall be removed.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- Except as specifically excluded from the provisions of this Article, a sign permit shall be required prior to the erection, alteration, reconstruction, or display of any sign within the City of Cordele, issued by the Chief Codes Official.
- Sign permit applications must include detailed plans, specifications, dimensions, materials, illumination, letter sizes, colors, support systems, location, and other information as required.
- For any sign greater than thirty (30) feet in height, the permit application must include a complete set of plans signed, sealed, and dated by a licensed architect or professional engineer.
- All required land use permits and Conditional Use Permits must be obtained prior to the issuance of a sign permit or Building Permit.
- Signs exceeding size or other quantitative limits indicated in the allowable sign tables require a Conditional Use Permit from the Board of Zoning Appeals.
- Temporary commercial/promotional signs may be approved through permit for up to four (4) weeks; use for a period longer than four (4) weeks requires a Conditional Use Permit.
- Any request for a variance from sign requirements is considered by the Board of Zoning Appeals, with required public notice and hearing.
- The City may require additional studies, reports, certifications, or approvals for signs in conjunction with major developments or special cases to ensure compliance with the 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 Cordele — every sign type, every field — are available with a free PermitPal account: https://app.permitpal.io/?address=Cordele+GA&override=true&utm_source=landing&utm_medium=city-page&utm_campaign=city-cordele

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