# Sign Regulations in Macon, Georgia

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Macon, Georgia (GA)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/georgia/macon
- **Data last verified:** 2026-04-27
- **Source:** [municode municipal code](https://library.municode.com/ga/macon-bibb_county/codes/comprehensive_land_development_resolution?nodeId=CH25SI)

## At a glance

Macon, Georgia regulates 59 sign types across 11 zoning districts. Temporary Sign (Nonresidential)s in the Agricultural District (A) zoning district are capped at 8 feet (freestanding) tall, 32 square feet (one sign); 16 square feet (others), and 3 feet (feather flags) wide, with a As required; 2 ft ROW setback (Sec. Section 25.04[4](b)). Most commercial signs in Macon require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (11 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Residential Districts (RR, R-1AAAA, R-1AAA, R-1AA, R-1A, R-1, R-2A, R-2, R-3, MHR) | 14 | 25 feet (flagpole) | 50 square feet | — |
| Historic Residential Districts (HR-1, HR-2, HR-3, HBH) | 15 | 25 feet (flagpole) | 35 square feet (flagpole up to 29 feet); 70 square feet (flagpole over 29 feet) | — |
| Historic Commercial District (HC), Historic Planned Development (HPD) | 16 | 25 feet (flagpole) | 80 square feet | — |
| Agricultural District (A) | 19 | 70 feet | 672 square feet | — |
| Planned Development Single Use District (PDS, nonresidential), Planned Development Mixed-Use District (PDM, nonresidential areas) | 19 | 70 feet | 672 square feet | — |
| Special Commercial District (SC) | 19 | 70 feet | 672 square feet | — |
| Central Business District (CBD-1, CBD-2) | 15 | 50 ft pole | 320 sq ft | — |
| Neighborhood Commercial District (C-1) | 15 | 50 ft | 320 sq ft | — |
| General Commercial District (C-2), Highway Commercial District (C-4), Wholesale and Light Industrial District (M-1), Heavy Industrial District (M-2, M-3) | 19 | 70 | 672 | — |
| Neighborhood Convenience Center District (C-5) | 15 | 50 ft pole | 320 sq ft | — |

_1 additional zoning district is covered in PermitPal (free account)._

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

### Agricultural District (A)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Temporary Sign (Nonresidential) | 8 feet (freestanding) | 32 square feet (one sign); 16 square feet (others) | 3 feet (feather flags) | As required; 2 ft ROW | Up to 3 per lot | On lot or parcel | — | Section 25.04[4](b) |
| Temporary Sign (Abutting Interstate) | 12 feet (freestanding) | 64 square feet | — | As required; 2 ft ROW | Up to 3 per lot | Facing interstate | — | Section 25.04[4](c) |
| Freestanding Sign (Multifamily Developments and Entrances to Residential Subdivisions) | 10 feet | 32 square feet | — | District setbacks; 2 ft ROW | 1 | Freestanding or building | — | Section 25.06[3](d)(1) |
| Freestanding Sign (Businesses, Schools, Places of Assembly) | 25 feet | 200 square feet | — | District setbacks; 2 ft ROW | 1 per street frontage | Freestanding | — | Section 25.06[3](d)(2)(i)(AA) |
| Freestanding Sign (Business Parks) | 25 feet | 320 square feet | — | District setbacks; 2 ft ROW | 1 per street frontage | Freestanding | — | Section 25.06[3](d)(3)(i)(AA) |
| Miscellaneous Sign (Driveway) | 2.5 feet | 8 square feet | — | Within setback | 2 per driveway | Entrance/exit driveways | — | Section 25.06[5](a) |
| Miscellaneous Sign (Principal Building) | 8 feet | 32 square feet | — | Beyond setback | 1 per building | On principal building | — | Section 25.06[5](b)(i) |
| Drive-Through Sign | 8 feet | 32 square feet (individual); 64 square feet aggregate per lane | — | District; 2 ft ROW | Up to 2 per lane, max 4 per establishment | At drive-through lanes | — | Section 25.06[5](b)(iii) |

### Planned Development Single Use District (PDS, nonresidential), Planned Development Mixed-Use District (PDM, nonresidential areas)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Temporary Sign (Nonresidential) | 8 feet (freestanding) | 32 square feet (one sign); 16 square feet (others) | 3 feet (feather flags) | As required in the district; 2 feet from public right-of-way | Up to 3 per lot | On lot or parcel | — | Section 25.04[4](b) |
| Temporary Sign (Abutting Interstate) | 12 feet (freestanding) | 64 square feet | — | As required in the district; 2 feet from public right-of-way | Up to 3 per lot | Facing interstate | — | Section 25.04[4](c) |
| Freestanding Sign (Multifamily Developments and Entrances to Residential Subdivisions) | 10 feet | 32 square feet | — | As required in the district; 2 feet from public right-of-way | 1 | Freestanding or building | — | Section 25.06[3](d)(1) |
| Freestanding Sign (Businesses, Schools, Places of Assembly) | 25 feet | 200 square feet | — | As required in the district; 2 feet from public right-of-way | 1 per street frontage | Freestanding | — | Section 25.06[3](d)(2)(i)(AA); Section 25.06[4] |
| Freestanding Sign (Business Parks) | 25 feet | 320 square feet | — | As required in the district; 2 feet from public right-of-way | 1 per street frontage | Freestanding | — | Section 25.06[3](d)(3)(i)(AA); Section 25.06[4] |
| Miscellaneous Sign (Driveway) | 2.5 feet | 8 square feet | — | Within minimum setback from right-of-way | 2 per driveway | At entrance or exit driveways | — | Section 25.06[5](a) |
| Miscellaneous Sign (Principal Building) | 8 feet | 32 square feet | — | Farther from street than minimum setback for principal buildings | 1 per principal building | On principal building | — | Section 25.06[5](b)(i) |
| Drive-Through Sign | 8 feet | 32 square feet (individual); 64 square feet aggregate per lane | — | As required in the district; 2 feet from public right-of-way | Up to 2 per lane, max 4 per establishment | At drive-through lanes | — | Section 25.06[5](b)(iii) |

### Special Commercial District (SC)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Temporary Sign (Nonresidential) | 8 feet (freestanding) | 32 square feet (one); 16 square feet (others) | 3 feet (feather flags) | District; 2 ft ROW | Up to 3 | On lot or parcel | — | Section 25.04[4](b) |
| Temporary Sign (Interstate Abutting) | 12 feet | 64 square feet | — | District; 2 ft ROW | Up to 3 | Facing interstate | — | Section 25.04[4](c) |
| Freestanding Sign (Multifamily/Subdivision) | 10 feet | 32 square feet | — | District; 2 ft ROW | 1 | Freestanding/building | — | Section 25.06[3](d)(1) |
| Freestanding Sign (Businesses/Schools/Assembly) | 25 feet | 200 square feet | — | District; 2 ft ROW | 1 per frontage | Freestanding | — | Section 25.06[3](d)(2)(i)(AA); 25.06[4] |
| Freestanding Sign (Business Parks) | 25 feet | 320 square feet | — | District; 2 ft ROW | 1 per frontage | Freestanding | — | Section 25.06[3](d)(3)(i)(AA); 25.06[4] |
| Miscellaneous Sign (Driveway) | 2.5 feet | 8 square feet | — | Within setback | 2 per driveway | Driveways | — | Section 25.06[5](a) |
| Miscellaneous Sign (Principal Building) | 8 feet | 32 square feet | — | Beyond setback | 1 per building | Building | — | Section 25.06[5](b)(i) |
| Drive-Through Sign | 8 feet | 64 sq ft aggregate per lane | — | District; 2 ft ROW | 2 per lane, max 4 est | Drive-through lanes | — | Section 25.06[5](b)(iii) |

## Prohibited signs in Macon

- Any sign painted on or attached to natural features such as trees, rocks, utility poles and fence posts.
- Any sign or sign structure which by reason of its size, location, coloring or illumination impedes the vision of drivers, or obstructs or detracts from the visibility of any traffic control sign or device on public streets and roads.
- Any sign which obstructs free ingress or egress from a building, door, window, fire escape, or other exit way required by any government agency or code regulating public safety.
- Any sign that imitates traffic control signs (but is not one) or creates a safety risk to the traveling public.
- Any roof sign.
- Portable signs, except for A-frame or T-frame signs that meet the requirements of Section 25.04[6].
- Pennants and streamers.
- Any signs on or over public property except where specifically allowed by the entity with control over such property and except for projection signs in the central business districts which may overhang public sidewalks, provided that no traffic hazard is created thereby and subject to disapproval by the entity with control over such sidewalks.
- Any billboard greater than six hundred seventy-two (672) square feet in size, and/or, if freestanding, any sign greater than seventy (70) feet in height except pursuant to Section 25.06[4]; and any sign (other than a billboard) larger than two hundred (200) square feet, except as allowed under Section 25.06.
- Animated signs.
- Inflatable devices.
- Signs using audio capabilities.
- Flags, except as allowed under Section 25.04[3].
- Temporary signs, except as allowed under Section 25.04[4].
- Permanent signs located on property used for residential purposes where a single-family dwelling or two-family dwelling (duplex) is located, except as allowed under Section 25.04[5].

## Signs exempt from permit in Macon

- Window signs or any signs or displays on the inside of a building, regardless of whether such signs or displays are visible from outside the building.
- Any sign or notice posted, erected by, or at the direction of, county, state, or federal government.
- Flags, subject to the following requirements: (a) In residential and historic districts, flagpoles shall not exceed twenty-five (25) feet in height; (b) In nonresidential districts that are non-historic, flagpoles shall not exceed fifty (50) feet in height; (c) Each lot or parcel may have a maximum of two flagpoles, with up to two flags on each pole; (d) On flagpoles up to twenty-nine (29) feet in height, flags may be a maximum of thirty-five (35) square feet; and (e) On flagpoles more than twenty-nine (29) feet in height, flags may be up to a maximum of seventy (70) square feet.
- Temporary signs for each lot or parcel, subject to the following requirements: (a) In all residential districts and historic districts (and on any property used for a single family dwelling or duplex regardless of the district), up to three temporary signs, with the maximum height of such signs that are freestanding being three (3) feet and the maximum size of any such signs being five (5) square feet, provided that, where the use is multifamily residential or at the entrance to a residential subdivision, the maximum height of any such sign that is freestanding shall be eight (8) feet and the maximum size of any such sign shall be twenty (20) square feet. (b) In commercial, industrial, agricultural and PDM (nonresidential areas only) districts (but excluding historic districts and properties used as single family dwellings or duplexes), up to three temporary signs, provided that the maximum height of such signs that are freestanding shall be eight (8) feet and the maximum size of temporary signs shall be thirty-two (32) square feet for one such sign and sixteen (16) square feet for the others, and provided further that any such signs that are feather flags may be a maximum of twelve (12) feet high and no more than three (3) feet in width. (c) Notwithstanding the above, in all commercial, industrial, agricultural, and PDM (nonresidential areas only) districts, on all properties abutting an interstate highway where the signs face the interstate, the maximum height of temporary signs that are freestanding shall be up to twelve (12) feet and the maximum size of temporary signs shall be up to sixty-four (64) square feet. (d) Notwithstanding the above, any temporary sign that is a banner shall be allowed in addition to other temporary signs, subject to the following requirements: (i) The banner shall be attached only to a building wall, and shall not extend above the building wall. (ii) The banner shall not exceed twenty-four (24) square feet in area. (iii) The banner shall not be attached to, or between, telephone poles, fences, fence poles, utility poles, public or private light poles, trees, vehicles, or any other apparatus other than a building wall. (iv) The banner shall not be placed on the roof of any building. (v) The banner shall be maintained in a neat and attractive condition. (vi) Banners shall be allowed only on nonresidential properties. (vii) The banner shall extend no more than twenty-four (24) inches from (but not above) a building wall. (viii) Only one banner per establishment shall be allowed.
- Permanent (i.e., non-temporary) signs located on property used for residential purposes where a single-family dwelling or two-family dwelling (duplex) is located, up to one (1) sign per residential unit, with each sign being up to two (2) square feet in size and, if freestanding, up to three (3) feet in height.
- A-frame and T-frame signs, on property with commercial uses only, which meet the following requirements: (a) are non-illuminated; (b) do not exceed eight (8) square feet in size; (c) number no more than one (1) per establishment; (d) are not in a parking lot or driveway; and (e) either: (i) meet any setback requirements for structures on the property they are located, or (ii) are within ten (10) feet of a building wall.
- Any sign as to which regulation under this Resolution is prohibited under state or federal law, or elsewhere in this Resolution, shall be exempt from regulation under this Resolution to the extent of such prohibition.
- Signs located on public property (regulations do not apply).

## Sign plan & submission notes

- No permit for a sign located in a planned development district created after January 10, 2006, shall be issued unless and until the Commission has approved a master signage plan for such district.
- A master signage plan shall contain: (a) An accurate site plan at a scale the zoning enforcement officer may reasonably require; (b) Computation of maximum sign area, maximum size of individual signs, height of signs and location of freestanding signs; (c) An accurate location of each sign on the site plan and/or facade of proposed buildings; and (d) A detailed description of lighting and materials.
- The master signage plan may contain such other restrictions as the Commission determines to be necessary to enhance the visual environment and public safety.
- The master signage plan may be amended by the applicant after review and approval by the Commission of the proposed amended changes.
- No sign shall be erected, placed, painted or maintained that is not in conformance with the master signage plan.
- In reviewing any master signage plan for approval, the Commission shall not consider the content of any sign.

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

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