# Sign Regulations in Douglasville, Georgia

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Douglasville, Georgia (GA)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/georgia/douglasville
- **Data last verified:** 2025-05-07
- **Source:** [municode municipal code](https://library.municode.com/GA/Douglasville/codes/Code_of_Ordinances?nodeId=PTIICO_APXAUNDEOR_ART7SI)

## At a glance

Douglasville, Georgia regulates 15 sign types across 11 zoning districts. Freestanding Signs in the Historic District (Commercial uses) zoning district are capped at 6 ft. tall and 75 sq. ft., with a See Sec. 7.06.D; minimum 12 ft from curb or edge of street, 10 ft from side/rear, not within required landscape strip setback (Sec. Table 7-1; Sec. 7.03, Sec. 7.04, Sec. 7.08.A.1). Most commercial signs in Douglasville require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (11 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Historic District (Commercial uses) | 5 | 30 in. | 75 sq. ft. | — |
| Historic District | 1 | — | 25% of wall area facing street | — |
| Single- or Two-Family Residential Districts, Single- or Two-Family Residential Uses, Residential Districts | 4 | 12 ft. | 48 sq. ft. | — |
| Non-residential Uses within Residential Districts | 1 | 12 ft. | 16 sq. ft. | — |
| Multi-family Districts | 1 | 20 ft. | 75 sq. ft. | — |
| Commercial District, Highway Commercial Districts, Commercial Districts Single Use, Nonresidential Zoning Districts | 4 | 20 ft. | 100 sq. ft. per sign | — |
| Industrial Districts, Industrial Districts Single Use | 4 | 20 ft. | 200 sq. ft. per sign | — |
| Planned Centers | 5 | 25 ft. | 300 sq. ft. | — |
| Office, Commercial or Industrial Park | 1 | 25 ft. | 48 sq. ft. | — |
| Planned Unit Development (PUD), Master Planned Development | 1 | — | — | — |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 3 | 100 ft. | 672 sq. ft. | — |

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements (sample of 3 of 11 zones)

### Historic District (Commercial uses)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Freestanding Sign | 6 ft. | 75 sq. ft. | — | See Sec. 7.06.D; minimum 12 ft from curb or edge of street, 10 ft from side/rear, not within required landscape strip | 1 per lot | 1 per lot | — | Table 7-1; Sec. 7.03, Sec. 7.04, Sec. 7.08.A.1 |
| Projecting Sign | — | 12 sq. ft. (also may be up to 25% of wall facing street, but not smaller than 10% of wall facing street) | 4 inches thick (min 1 inch thick), projects max 42 inches outward, extends max 4 ft from bldg, min 6 in. from building | Min 8 ft above sidewalk, walkway, or driveway under sign; min 25 ft from another projecting sign on same site/building | 1 per tenant, 1 per building frontage | Attached to first story of building facing street; or hung from eaves/soffit (min 15 ft from interior lot line); not in right of way | — | Sec. 7.09.a(4)-(7); Table 7-2; Sec. 7.05.B |
| Wall, Awning, Under-Canopy, Permanent Window Sign | — | Per sign: n.a. (total capped by wall area) | — | — | 1 per tenant | Wall/awning/window facing street; as attached | — | Table 7-2; Sec. 7.05.B; Sec. 7.09(a)(1); Sec. 7.09.a.7 |
| Under-Canopy Sign | — | 12 sq. ft. | — | If over sidewalk/walkway, min 8 ft clearance | 1 per tenant | Under canopy | — | Table 7-2; Sec. 7.09.4 |
| A-Frame Sign (Sandwich Board) | 30 in. | 6 sq. ft. | — | — | — | On/adjacent to sidewalk, base within 18 in. of façade; in central business district may be on public right-of-way; elsewhere, must be on private property. | — | Sec. 7.10.C.3 |

### Single- or Two-Family Residential Districts, Single- or Two-Family Residential Uses, Residential Districts

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Freestanding Sign | 6 ft. | 6 sq. ft. | — | As per Sec. 7.06.D: min 12 ft from curb/edge of pavement, 10 ft side/rear | 1 per lot | 1 per lot | — | Table 7-1; Table 7-2; Sec. 7.09 |
| Wall Sign | — | 16 sq. ft. | — | — | 1 per lot | On building, street facing wall | — | Table 7-2, Note 4 |
| Yard Sign | 3 ft. | 4.5 sq. ft. | — | — | 1 (except unlimited during election) | On residential properties | — | Sec. 7.08.H |
| Monument Entrance Sign | 12 ft. | 48 sq. ft. | — | — | 2 per entrance drive | 2 per entrance drive to subdivision/development | — | Table 7-1, Note 3 |

### Planned Centers

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Freestanding Sign | 25 ft. | 300 sq. ft. | — | Sec. 7.06.D | 1 per 300 ft. street frontage | Street frontage | — | Table 7-1; Sec. 7.13 |
| Monument Entrance Sign | 25 ft. | 48 sq. ft. | — | — | 2 per entrance drive | At entrances to planned center | — | Table 7-1 |
| Wall Sign | — | 200 sq. ft. per sign | — | — | 1/tenant/wall (exceptions for large tenants) | Building wall facing street | — | Table 7-2 |
| Under-Canopy or Projecting Sign | — | 6 sq. ft. | — | — | 1 per tenant per wall | Under canopy or projecting from tenant wall facing street | — | Table 7-2 |
| Canopy Sign | — | 9 sq. ft. | — | — | 1 per canopy face | Canopy face | — | Table 7-2 |

## Prohibited signs in Douglasville

- Animated signs are prohibited.
- Signs that are painted on or attached to trees, fence posts, utility poles, rocks or other natural features are prohibited.
- Signs that are dilapidated or in such condition as to create a hazard, nuisance or to be unsafe are prohibited.
- Signs containing obscene messages, as obscenity is defined by federal and Georgia law, are prohibited.
- Signs obstructing any fire escape, window, door, or opening usable for fire prevention/suppression, or that prevent free passage or interfere with ventilation are prohibited.
- Signs placed on vehicles not regularly used in the normal course of business and parked to attract attention to a business location are prohibited.
- Any sign placed in the public right-of-way is prohibited (with exceptions for governmental/emergency/utility signs).
- Signs posted on private property without the permission of the property owner are prohibited.
- Roof signs are prohibited.
- Signs imitating public warnings or traffic control devices are prohibited.
- Signs emitting smoke or sound detectable on any traveled road by a person of normal hearing are prohibited.
- Signs erected within the railroad right-of-way, except for official railroad signs, are prohibited.
- Signs must not be illuminated between 11:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. except for the open business hours or if employees are on premises.
- No sign may have exposed electrical wires.
- Strings of bulbs are not permitted except during the winter holiday period of November 1 through January 5.
- No yard sign may be illuminated, contain fluorescent or Day-Glo colors/ink, or contain extrusions beyond a rectangular face.
- Any sign that threatens or impairs pedestrian, bicyclist or motorist safety is prohibited.
- Any sign that unreasonably impairs the visibility of existing signs on adjacent property is prohibited.
- Illumination devices resembling or distracting from traffic control signs/signals are prohibited.
- Illuminated signs are not allowed within 100 feet of any residential zoning district or single/two-family dwelling.
- No temporary sign shall be placed within the right-of-way of any street.
- No temporary sign shall be illuminated.
- No building, freestanding or monument sign can be erected, reconstructed, expanded or replaced without a permit unless specifically exempted.

## Signs exempt from permit in Douglasville

- Window displays of goods available on a site and temporary window signs are exempt from permitting.
- Brand names or logos on products, product containers, or product dispensers that are an integral part of the product or packaging are exempt from permitting.
- Property address numerals not exceeding four inches in height in residential districts and eight inches in height in non-residential districts are exempt from permitting.
- Holiday decorations and displays erected during the winter holiday period from November 1 through January 5 are exempt from permitting.
- Incidental signs are exempt from permitting.
- Yard signs on residential properties meeting the standards of the article are exempt from permitting.
- Yard signs on non-residential properties meeting the standards of the article are exempt from permitting.
- Temporary window signs meeting the standards of the article are exempt from permitting.
- Public and private recreational signs meeting the standards of the article are exempt from permitting.
- Routine maintenance of a sign, repainting, repairs or cleaning, including replacement of the sign face, provided no structural change is made, is exempt from permitting and fee (applies to sign owner; change of sign owner requires a new permit).
- No permit or fee is required for the erection of yard signs meeting the standards of this article.
- No permit or fee is required for the erection of temporary window signs.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- A uniform sign plan is required for any planned center (such as a shopping center with three or more establishments) before any signs for the planned center or the center's tenants may be erected.
- The uniform sign plan governs placement and design of all signs within the planned center and must be submitted to and approved by the director.
- An application for a planned center or for any commercial or industrial use having more than 100,000 square feet of gross floor area must be accompanied by a uniform sign plan consistent with the standards of section 7.13.
- All tenants of a planned center must comply with the approved uniform sign plan.
- For properties or individual development projects within a planned unit development (PUD) or master planned development, sign regulations established as part of zoning approval must be followed; if none, article 7 provisions apply.
- For projecting and most other permanent signs, a sign permit application with a site plan and other documentation is required—sign permit approval must occur before building permit issuance.
- Sign permit applications may be denied or conditioned and appeals can be made to the city council; variances from sign regulations are not permitted.

## 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 11 zoning districts in Douglasville — every sign type, every field — are available with a free PermitPal account: https://app.permitpal.io/?address=Douglasville+GA&override=true&utm_source=landing&utm_medium=city-page&utm_campaign=city-douglasville

---

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