# Sign Regulations in Sandersville, Georgia

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Sandersville, Georgia (GA)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/georgia/sandersville
- **Data last verified:** 2025-05-08
- **Source:** [municode municipal code](https://library.municode.com/GA/Sandersville/codes/Code_of_Ordinances?nodeId=TIT8PLDE_CH4ZO_ARTESIRE)

## At a glance

Sandersville, Georgia regulates 21 sign types across 5 zoning districts. Ground Signs in the A-1 agricultural district (A-1), R-1 single-family residential district (R-1), R-2 single-family residential district (R-2), R-3 multi-family residential district (R-3), R-4 manufactured home community district (R-4) zoning district are capped at 5 ft tall and 16 sq ft per sign face; max total 32 sq ft, with a At least 10 ft from public right-of-way or curb; all setbacks of chapter apply. setback (Sec. Sec. 8-4-84(b)(1), 8-4-85(c), 8-4-88). Most commercial signs in Sandersville require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (5 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| A-1 agricultural district (A-1), R-1 single-family residential district (R-1), R-2 single-family residential district (R-2), R-3 multi-family residential district (R-3), R-4 manufactured home community district (R-4) | 4 | 6 ft | 32 sq ft per sign | — |
| C-1 central business district (C-1), C-2 general commercial district (C-2), I-O institutional/office district (I-O) | 10 | 25 ft (C-1, I-O), 35 ft (C-2, or 40 ft if US/state highway frontage) | 300 sq ft per face; total max 600 sq ft | — |
| I-1 light industrial district (I-1), I-2 heavy industrial district (I-2) | 6 | 35 ft | 300 sq ft per face; total 600 sq ft for both faces | — |
| PUD zoning district (PUD) | 2 | 5 ft | 16 sq ft per face; total max 32 sq ft | — |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 2 | — | — | — |

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements (sample of 3 of 5 zones)

### A-1 agricultural district (A-1), R-1 single-family residential district (R-1), R-2 single-family residential district (R-2), R-3 multi-family residential district (R-3), R-4 manufactured home community district (R-4)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Ground Sign | 5 ft | 16 sq ft per sign face; max total 32 sq ft | — | At least 10 ft from public right-of-way or curb; all setbacks of chapter apply. | 2 double-faced signs per lot (total 4 faces if each sign is double-faced) | On lot. Must comply with setbacks and not overhang right-of-way. | — | Sec. 8-4-84(b)(1), 8-4-85(c), 8-4-88 |
| Window Sign | — | 8 sq ft (total, both signs) | — | — | 2 per lot | Within windows facing exterior | — | Sec. 8-4-84(b)(2) |
| Entrance Sign (Subdivision/Development) | 6 ft | 32 sq ft per sign | — | Setback from right-of-way equal to sign height + 1 ft; cannot block traffic sight lines. | 2 per subdivision development | At entrance to subdivision/development | — | Sec. 8-4-84(b)(4), 8-4-85(a)(3) |
| Home Occupation Sign | — | 2 sq ft | — | — | 1 per home occupation | Attached to principal building | — | Sec. 8-4-51(3) |

### C-1 central business district (C-1), C-2 general commercial district (C-2), I-O institutional/office district (I-O)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Ground Sign (Individual Use, <10,000 sq ft building) | 25 ft (C-1, I-O), 35 ft (C-2, or 40 ft if US/state highway frontage) | 100 sq ft per face; total 200 sq ft for all faces | — | At least 10 ft from public right-of-way/curb; no encroachment; all setbacks apply. | 1 double-faced sign per lot | On lot, must comply with setback (see below) | — | Sec. 8-4-84(c)(1), 8-4-85(a), 8-4-86(a), 8-4-88 |
| Ground Sign (Individual Use, >10,000 sq ft building) | 25 ft (C-1, I-O), 35 ft (C-2, or 40 ft if US/state highway frontage) | 200 sq ft per face; total max 400 sq ft for all faces | — | 10 ft minimum from right-of-way | 1 double-faced sign per lot | On lot | — | Sec. 8-4-84(c)(1) |
| Ground Sign (Individual Use, >100,000 sq ft building) | 25 ft (C-1, I-O), 35 ft (C-2, or 40 ft if US/state highway frontage) | 300 sq ft per face; total max 600 sq ft | — | 10 ft minimum from right-of-way | 1 double-faced sign per lot | On lot | — | Sec. 8-4-84(c)(1) |
| Wall Sign (All Buildings) | — | Up to 200 sq ft (total, all wall signs per lot, 4 signs max, each up to 50 sq ft) for bldg <10,000 sq ft; up to 250 sq ft (total wall, 4 signs max) for bldg >10,000 sq ft; up to 300 sq ft (total wall, 4 signs max, no single sign over 250 sq ft) for bldg >100,000 sq ft | — | — | 4 per lot | On walls of principal building | — | Sec. 8-4-84(c)(3) |
| Entrance Sign (Development) | 6 ft | 32 sq ft per sign | — | Minimum: height of sign + 1 ft from right-of-way | 2 per development | At entrance to development | — | Sec. 8-4-84(c)(4), 8-4-85(a)(3) |
| Ground Sign (Planned Center <50,000 sq ft) | 25 ft (C-1/I-O), 35 ft (C-2, or 40 ft if US/state highway frontage) | 200 sq ft per face; total 400 sq ft for both faces | — | 10 ft minimum from right-of-way | 1 double-faced sign per planned center | At planned center, complies with setbacks | — | Sec. 8-4-84(d)(1) |
| Ground Sign (Planned Center >50,000 sq ft) | 25 ft (C-1/I-O), 35 ft (C-2, or 40 ft if US/state highway frontage) | 300 sq ft per face; total 600 sq ft for both faces | — | 10 ft minimum from right-of-way | 1 double-faced sign per center | At planned center | — | Sec. 8-4-84(d)(1) |
| Entrance Sign (Planned Center) | 10 ft | 50 sq ft per sign | — | Sign height + 1 ft from right-of-way | 2 per planned center | At entrance to planned center | — | Sec. 8-4-84(d)(4), 8-4-85(a)(3) |

### I-1 light industrial district (I-1), I-2 heavy industrial district (I-2)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Ground Sign (Individual Use, <50,000 sq ft building) | 35 ft | 300 sq ft per face; total 600 sq ft for both faces | — | At least 10 ft from public right-of-way/curb; all setbacks of chapter apply. | 1 double-faced sign per lot | On lot, must comply with setbacks | — | Sec. 8-4-84(e)(1), 8-4-85(a) |
| Ground Sign (Planned Center) | 35 ft | 300 sq ft per face; total 600 sq ft for both faces | — | 10 ft minimum from right-of-way | 1 double-faced sign per planned center | At planned center | — | Sec. 8-4-84(f)(1) |
| Wall Sign (Individual Use) | — | Up to 200 sq ft (total on all walls) for buildings up to 50,000 sq ft; up to 300 sq ft total for buildings over 50,000 sq ft; no single sign over 200 sq ft | — | — | — | On building walls | — | Sec. 8-4-84(e)(3) |
| Wall Sign (Planned Center) | — | — | — | — | 4 per business | On walls of each business in planned center | — | Sec. 8-4-84(f)(3) |
| Window Sign | — | — | — | — | — | Windows facing road frontage | — | Sec. 8-4-84(e)(2), (f)(2) |
| Entrance Sign (Individual Use or Planned Center) | 10 ft | 50 sq ft per sign | — | At least sign height + 1 ft from right-of-way | 2 per lot or planned center | At entrance | — | Sec. 8-4-84(e)(4), (f)(4), 8-4-85(a)(3) |

## Prohibited signs in Sandersville

- No sign shall be placed or maintained within the City except in conformity with this article (Sec. 8-4-83(a)).
- No sign may contain messages that depict obscenity, sexual conduct, or sexually explicit nudity as defined by Georgia law (Sec. 8-4-83(b)).
- Signs in excess of 15 feet in height must be constructed according to plans approved by a state registered professional engineer (Sec. 8-4-86(a)).
- Signs which contain or imitate an official traffic sign or signal are prohibited (Sec. 8-4-86(b)).
- No sign or sign structure may obstruct fire escapes, ventilation, or doors, or be attached to a fire escape (Sec. 8-4-86(c)).
- No sign or sign structure above a height of three (3) feet shall be maintained within fifteen (15) feet of the intersection of the right-of-way lines of two (2) streets, or of a street intersection with a railroad right-of-way (Sec. 8-4-86(d)).
- No sign shall obstruct the view of vehicles entering a roadway (Sec. 8-4-86(e)).
- All signs and supports must be kept in good repair; unused sign structures must be removed within 10 days after written notification or 30 days after a sign is no longer used (Sec. 8-4-86(f)).
- The City may remove any sign in violation of the article or posing an immediate safety threat on public property without notice (Sec. 8-4-86(g)).
- Roof signs (signs mounted above or projecting above the roof-line) are prohibited (Sec. 8-4-87(1)).
- Rotating signs are prohibited (Sec. 8-4-87(2)).
- Signs with more than two sides are prohibited (Sec. 8-4-87(3)).
- Except where expressly permitted, changing copy, moving signs, or signs with moving parts are prohibited (including animated signs, fluttering ribbons, trivision-type signs, or LED/EVMC signs with content that changes more than once daily, etc) (Sec. 8-4-87(4)).
- A-frame, sandwich-type, sidewalk, or curb signs are prohibited except in DDA area (Sec. 8-4-87(5)).
- Swinging or projecting signs are prohibited except in DDA area (Sec. 8-4-87(6)).
- Portable signs (mobile, trailer) are prohibited (Sec. 8-4-87(7)).
- No sign or sign structure shall encroach on or overhang the public right-of-way or any other person's property (Sec. 8-4-85(a)(3)).
- No portion of a sign may be located closer than ten (10) feet from the back of the curb of a public roadway or edge of the pavement if no curb (Sec. 8-4-85(a)(3)).
- No sign may be illuminated in a way that glares, blinds, or adversely affects traffic or adjacent properties, or exceeds 0.5 footcandles at any residential property line or 2 footcandles at any public right-of-way (Sec. 8-4-85(c)(7)).
- Signs located in residential districts shall not be illuminated between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. (Sec. 8-4-85(c)(1)).
- No external or internal illumination that causes confusion with, or distraction from, any traffic signal or safety device shall be permitted (Sec. 8-4-85(c)(2)).

## Signs exempt from permit in Sandersville

- Any sign not visible from the public right-of-way is not restricted or regulated by this article ('internal signs') (Sec. 8-4-84(h)).
- Any sign located at an outdoor event facility, open to the general public (such as a ball field, racetrack, or amphitheater), and mounted on internal-facing walls of the facility, is exempt from maximum number and square footage restrictions (Sec. 8-4-84(i)).
- Permit not required for signs 4 square feet or less unless otherwise specified (Sec. 8-4-88(a)).
- Flags (mounted to a pole from one side and not otherwise animated) are regulated as signs but not prohibited under animated/portable sign bans (Sec. 8-4-83(d), Sec. 8-4-87(4)).
- Utility poles, lighting standards, traffic and street signs, and trees with branches trimmed to a certain height are exempt from intersection visibility restrictions (Sec. 8-4-23).
- Nonconforming signs that were legal at the time of ordinance adoption may remain, subject to restrictions/regulations in Sec. 8-4-89.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- A permit is required for any sign larger than four (4) square feet, except as specifically exempted (Sec. 8-4-88(a)).
- A permit application must include a site plan drawn to scale showing the location of the sign on the lot, including setbacks (Sec. 8-4-88(c)(1)d).
- All signs in excess of fifteen (15) feet in height must present engineered construction plans approved by a state-registered professional engineer (Sec. 8-4-88(c)(1)g; Sec. 8-4-86(a)).
- PUD (Planned Unit Development) districts: A 'sign plan' for any commercial portion of a PUD must be made part of the PUD application process and approved during the rezoning process (Sec. 8-4-84(g)).
- Parties are advised to consult with the zoning administrator to avoid erecting noncompliant signs (Sec. 8-4-88(b)).
- Permit applications for conforming signs require information about type, value, zoning designation, a scale site plan, area calculations, owner information and consent, and engineering plans if over 15 feet in height (Sec. 8-4-88(c)(1)).
- Issuance of a permit does not create a vested right if the sign is later determined not to comply (Sec. 8-4-88(b), (4)).

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

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