# Sign Regulations in Johns Creek, Georgia

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Johns Creek, Georgia (GA)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/georgia/johns-creek
- **Data last verified:** 2025-09-24
- **Source:** [municode municipal code](https://library.municode.com/GA/Johns_Creek/codes/Code_of_Ordinances?nodeId=PTIICOOR_APXAZO_ARTXXXIIISI)

## At a glance

Johns Creek, Georgia regulates 52 sign types across 8 zoning districts. Standard Informational Signs in the Commercial District (C-2), Community Business District (C-1), Mixed Use District (MIX), Town Center Business District (TC-B) zoning district are capped at 8 ft (above street level) or 4 ft above ground, whichever greater tall and One sign up to 16 sq. ft. or four aggregate of 16 sq. ft., with a At least 10 ft from private road curb setback (Sec. Sec. 33.17.5; Definitions). Most commercial signs in Johns Creek require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (8 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Agricultural District (AG-1) | 8 | 20 ft. (flagpole) | 32 sq. ft. | — |
| Single-Family Residential Districts (R-1, R-2, R-2A, R-3, R-3A, R-4A, R-4, R-5, R-5A, R-6), Townhouse Residential District (TR), Neighborhood Unit Plan District (NUP), Community Unit Plan District (CUP), Mobile Home Park District (MHP) | 9 | 20 ft. (pole) | 32 sq. ft. | — |
| Apartment District (A), Apartment Limited Dwelling District (A-L), Town Center Residential District (TC-R) | 7 | 20 ft. | 32 sq. ft. | — |
| Office and Institutional District (O-I) | 14 | 30 ft. flagpole | 100 sq. ft. per sign | — |
| Commercial District (C-2), Community Business District (C-1), Mixed Use District (MIX), Town Center Business District (TC-B) | 19 | 30 ft. flagpole | 250 sq. ft. aggregate | — |
| Light Industrial District (M-1), Industrial Park District (M-1A) | 18 | 30 ft. flagpole | 672 sq. ft. | — |
| Town Center Mixed Use District (TC-X) | 18 | 30 ft. flagpole | 150 sq. ft. | — |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 7 | 8 ft (above street level) or 4 ft above ground, whichever greater | 32 sq. ft. | — |

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements (sample of 3 of 8 zones)

### Commercial District (C-2), Community Business District (C-1), Mixed Use District (MIX), Town Center Business District (TC-B)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Freestanding Sign (<15 Acres) | 6 ft. | 32 sq. ft. | — | — | One per street frontage | Per street frontage | — | Sec. 33.26.E.1.a,c |
| Freestanding Sign (Primary Frontage >15 Acres) | 8 ft. (if sign is ≤64 sq. ft.) | 64 sq. ft. | — | — | One per frontage | Primary/secondary frontage | — | Sec. 33.26.E.1.b,c |
| Construction Sign | 8 ft. | 16 sq. ft. | — | — | One per site | On site during construction period | — | Sec. 33.26.E.6 |
| Flag | 30 ft. flagpole | 40 sq. ft. per flag | — | — | Up to 3 | On lot | — | Sec. 33.26.E.8 |
| Standard Informational Sign | 8 ft (above street level) or 4 ft above ground, whichever greater | One sign up to 16 sq. ft. or four aggregate of 16 sq. ft. | — | At least 10 ft from private road curb | One or four | Not in right-of-way; at least 10 ft from back of curb of private road | — | Sec. 33.17.5; Definitions |
| Internal Freestanding Sign (Internal Entrance Drive) | 6 ft. | 20 sq. ft. | — | At least 50 ft from exterior ROW | One per entrance drive | Next to internal entrance | — | Sec. 33.26.E.14 |
| Interior Project Directional Sign | 6 ft. | 24 sq. ft. | — | Setback from ROW is zero ft. | Two per intersection | Internal intersection (not arterial or state routes) within project | — | Sec. 33.26.E.15 |
| Accessory Freestanding Sign | 3 ft. | 4 sq. ft. | — | At least 10 ft from ROW | Up to four | On lot | — | Sec. 33.26.E.16 |

### Light Industrial District (M-1), Industrial Park District (M-1A)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Billboard | 20 ft. | 672 sq. ft. | — | 35 ft from ROW; 500 ft from residential/other billboards | See spacing requirements | State primary/national highway, within industrial district | — | Sec. 33.26.F.1 |
| Freestanding Sign (≤500 ft. frontage) | 8 ft. (may be 10 ft. on arterial streets) | 32 sq. ft. | — | — | One per street frontage | Per street frontage | — | Sec. 33.26.F.2.a,c |
| Freestanding Sign (501-1000 ft. frontage) | 8 ft. (may be 10 ft. on arterial streets) | 64 sq. ft. | — | — | One per street frontage | Per street frontage | — | Sec. 33.26.F.2.b,c |
| Freestanding Sign (>1000 ft. frontage; not spin/outparcel) | 8 ft. (may be 10 ft. on arterial streets) | 72 sq. ft. | — | — | One per street frontage | Per street frontage | — | Sec. 33.26.F.2.c |
| Standard Informational Sign | 8 ft (above street level) or 4 ft above ground, whichever greater | One sign up to 16 sq. ft. or four aggregate of 16 sq. ft. | — | At least 10 ft from private road curb | One or four | Not in right-of-way; at least 10 ft from back of curb of private road | — | Sec. 33.17.5; Definitions |
| Internal Freestanding Sign (Internal Entrance Drive) | 6 ft. | 20 sq. ft. | — | At least 50 ft from exterior ROW | One per entrance drive | Adjacent to internal entrance drive(s) | — | Sec. 33.26.F.14 |
| Interior Project Directional Sign | 6 ft. | 24 sq. ft. | — | Setback from ROW is zero ft. | Two per intersection | Internal intersection (not arterial or state routes) within project | — | Sec. 33.26.F.15 |
| Accessory Freestanding Sign | 3 ft. | 4 sq. ft. | — | At least 10 ft from ROW | Up to four | On lot | — | Sec. 33.26.F.16 |

### Town Center Mixed Use District (TC-X)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Freestanding Sign | 8 ft. | 42 sq. ft. (regular); 64 sq. ft. (primary entrance with 500 ft+ frontage); 48 sq. ft. if on brick/stone wall ≥30 ft. | — | Conform with City sight distance; see Article XI Section 113-128.(6) | 2-5, depending on structure size | Per street frontage; up to two for master planned development | — | Sec. 33.26.G.1 |
| Freestanding Sign (Outparcel) | 6 ft. | 32 sq. ft. | — | — | One per outparcel/frontage | Each outparcel | — | Sec. 33.26.G.1.e |
| Projecting Sign | Min 7 ft, max 12 ft above sidewalk | 10 sq. ft. | — | — | One per ground floor tenant; two for corner tenant | At ground floor or corner tenant; on building | — | Sec. 33.26.G.4 |
| Flag | 30 ft. flagpole | 40 sq. ft. per flag | — | — | Up to 4 | On lot | — | Sec. 33.26.G.10 |
| Construction Sign | 8 ft. | 42 sq. ft. | — | — | One per road frontage (project) | Confined to construction site | — | Sec. 33.26.G.11 |
| Standard Informational Sign | 8 ft (above street level) or 4 ft above ground, whichever greater | One sign up to 16 sq. ft. or four aggregate of 16 sq. ft. | — | At least 10 ft from private road curb | One or four | Not in right-of-way; at least 10 ft from back of curb of private road | — | Sec. 33.17.5; Definitions |
| Street Pole Banner | Pole max 20 ft.; lowest edge at least 8 ft above grade | 12.5 sq. ft. | 3 ft. | — | Max two per pole | On street pole (not in ROW; not on traffic/pedestrian signal pole); only for overall development branding | — | Sec. 33.26.G.14 |
| Directory Sign (Master Planned Development) | 10 ft. | 32 sq. ft. | — | — | One per frontage | Per road frontage | — | Sec. 33.26.G.15 |

## Prohibited signs in Johns Creek

- Balloons (except as explicitly allowed), pennants, streamers, feather signs, or air or gas filled figures.
- Signs consisting in whole or in part of a series, line, or row of lights, whether supported or connected by cables or wires or other physical means, within one hundred fifty (150) feet of a street and visible therefrom (except white string lights, or colored string lights/decorations in Nov-Jan, are exempted; string lights may not outline building elements or be placed on tree/groundcover in commercial property landscape strips).
- Promotional beacons, search lights or laser lights or images.
- Signs which emit audible sound.
- Signs in a public right-of-way, other than those belonging to a government, public service agency, or railroad.
- Signs mounted or located on a tree, utility pole, or other similar structure.
- Roof signs and signs which extend vertically above any portion of a roof or parapet of the applicable wall.
- Portable signs (except sidewalk/sandwich signs), including signs attached to any parked vehicle or trailer so as to be visible from a public right-of-way, except as explicitly allowed.
- Signs which depict obscene material.
- Signs which advertise an activity which is illegal under federal, state or local laws.
- Signs not in good repair, in violation of codes, or containing or exhibiting broken panels, visible rust, visible rot, damaged support structures, or missing letters.
- Abandoned signs.
- Animated signs, flashing signs, electronic signs, and changeable copy signs (except as explicitly allowed and those belonging to a government entity).
- Signs which contain or are an imitation of an official traffic sign or signal or contain the words 'stop,' 'go,' 'slow,' 'caution,' 'warning,' or similar words in such a manner as to resemble official traffic control signs.
- Cabinet signs.
- Signs that block free ingress or egress from any door, window, or fire escape.
- Signs or any part thereof, except authorized traffic signs, located in any government right-of-way.
- No sign may be located any closer than twenty (20) feet to an intersection as measured from the intersection of the two (2) rights-of-way.
- Signs not set back at least ten (10) feet from the right-of-way or twenty (20) feet from the edge of pavement if a private street, and no sign shall project over the right-of-way (unless otherwise noted).
- Freestanding signs not a minimum of twenty-five (25) feet from an intersection as measured from the edge of pavement and not a minimum of 35 feet from any other freestanding signs.
- Signs that have nails, tacks, or wires protruding from them.
- Signs constructed or maintained in violation of applicable City building, safety, or electrical codes.
- Signs not maintained in good repair or that become dilapidated.
- LED, string, or similar lighting outlining windows, doors, or other building features.
- Obstructing police/safety vision into premises with window signs, after written notice.

## Signs exempt from permit in Johns Creek

- Numerals displayed for the purpose of identifying property location not to exceed eight (8) inches in height.
- Flags provided that the height of the pole, size and number of flags permitted conform to the applicable zoning district.
- Window signs meeting the standards of this Ordinance.
- Door signs not to exceed two (2) square feet in size and not more than one (1) sign per door.
- Standard informational signs in all districts.
- Banners during the months of May and June as identified in relevant sections.
- Sidewalk or sandwich signs located within ten (10) feet of a Place of Business's entrance.
- Balloons, a maximum of two (2) cubic feet each and up to five (5) per lot, for a maximum of two weeks following a business's opening or while a business has an approved event permit.
- Signs which are not visible from a public right-of-way or from neighboring properties shall not be subject to the standards of this Article.
- Out of store marketing devices (for signage on device itself, up to 8 feet in height, no illumination except intrinsic, no permit required).
- Street pole banners in master planned mixed-use developments meeting specific material/size/location requirements (do not require a permit).
- Interior project directional/wayfinding/street signs in master-planned mixed-use developments (do not require a permit, must not be visible from public right-of-way).
- Interior electronic information signs in master-planned mixed-use developments (not visible from public right-of-way; restrictions apply).

## Sign plan & submission notes

- Except where specifically not required by the standards of this Article, it shall be unlawful for any person to post, display, materially change, or erect a sign in the City without first having obtained a sign permit.
- Applications for sign permits must include a site plan to scale showing the property, proposed sign location(s), distances from boundaries, and all existing structures or buildings.
- Signs which incorporate electricity require an electrical permit.
- Certain variances (for setback, building material, sign style, or height only) may be granted by the Board of Zoning Appeals under demonstrated hardship according to specified procedures.
- Any application meeting the standards of this Article will be granted; non-compliant applications will be denied.
- Suspension or revocation of a permit for due cause (i.e., violation of standards) is subject to a public hearing.
- Each master planned development proposing Interior Project Directional Signs must submit a uniform design, including sign locations, materials, and elevations for the entire development to the Director for review and approval.
- Directory signs, accessory signs, and other supplemental signs are generally allowed in master-planned developments but may require a uniform sign plan/design or Director's approval.
- Permit applications are to be filed electronically on the City's online permitting system.
- Nonconforming signs may remain only as allowed, but cannot be structurally altered except to increase conformity.
- Certain signage allocations (such as for master planned mixed-use developments) require a uniform design or sign plan approval by the Director.
- Variance requests and appeals follow the procedures for Zoning Appeals outlined in the Johns Creek 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 8 zoning districts in Johns Creek — every sign type, every field — are available with a free PermitPal account: https://app.permitpal.io/?address=Johns+Creek+GA&override=true&utm_source=landing&utm_medium=city-page&utm_campaign=city-johns-creek

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