# Sign Regulations in Statesboro, Georgia

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Statesboro, Georgia (GA)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/georgia/statesboro
- **Data last verified:** 2025-05-08
- **Source:** [municode municipal code](https://library.municode.com/ga/statesboro/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=PTIICOOR_APXAUNDECO_CH2ZO_ART2.5GEAPRE_S2.5.3SI)

## At a glance

Statesboro, Georgia regulates 16 sign types across 6 zoning districts. Monument Sign (Residential Development/Subdivision)s in the Townhouse Residential District (R-2), Medium Density Multi-Household Residential District (R-3), High Density Residential District (R-4), One-Household Residential District (R-6, R-15, R-40), R-10, R-8, R-20, R-30 zoning district are capped at 6 feet tall and 40 square feet (per development entrance sign), with a 5 feet (can be in right-of-way if part of approved landscaped entryway; otherwise 5 feet) setback (Sec. Table 2.5.3-A, Table 2.5.3-B, Sec. 2.5.3.D, 2.5.3.L). Most commercial signs in Statesboro require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (6 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Townhouse Residential District (R-2), Medium Density Multi-Household Residential District (R-3), High Density Residential District (R-4), One-Household Residential District (R-6, R-15, R-40), R-10, R-8, R-20, R-30 | 7 | 25 feet (flagpole) | 40 square feet (per development entrance sign) | — |
| Central Business District (CBD) | 8 | 25 feet (flag pole) | 100 square feet | — |
| Office and Business Office Districts (O), Mixed-Use District (MX), Light Industrial District (L-I), Highway Oriented Commercial District (HOC) | 8 | 25 feet from grade | 300 square feet per sign face; one sign per platted lot facing single direction | — |
| Planned Unit Development (PUD) | 1 | — | — | — |
| Blue Mile Overlay (BMO), Downtown Statesboro Development Authority Overlay (DSDA) | 2 | — | Max 25% of a single façade | — |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 3 | 25 ft or 40 ft (varies by sign district) | 24 sq ft or 60 sq ft (varies by sign district, see above) | — |

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

### Townhouse Residential District (R-2), Medium Density Multi-Household Residential District (R-3), High Density Residential District (R-4), One-Household Residential District (R-6, R-15, R-40), R-10, R-8, R-20, R-30

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Monument Sign (Residential Development/Subdivision) | 6 feet | 40 square feet (per development entrance sign) | — | 5 feet (can be in right-of-way if part of approved landscaped entryway; otherwise 5 feet) | 2 sign structures per entrance | Each entrance to the development or subdivision | — | Table 2.5.3-A, Table 2.5.3-B, Sec. 2.5.3.D, 2.5.3.L |
| Wall Sign | Height of building | 40 square feet | — | — | 1 per eligible building | Principal structure in a common area/facility, or building elevation with street frontage (nonresidential) | — | Table 2.5.3-A, Table 2.5.3-B, Sec. 2.5.3.D, 2.5.3.J |
| Standard Informational Sign | 3 feet (residence), Height of building (common area/facility) | 4.5 square feet (residence), 18 square feet (common area/facility) | — | — | 1 per property (residence), 1 per building | On owner's property (residence), or at common area/facility | — | Table 2.5.3-A, Table 2.5.3-B, Sec. 2.5.3.H(4) |
| Incidental Sign | — | — | — | — | — | On site as appropriate (address, traffic direction, safety) | — | Table 2.5.3-A, Sec. 2.5.3.E |
| Flag | 25 feet (flagpole) | 24 square feet | — | — | Up to 2 per property (without permit) | On property | — | Sec 2.5.3.H(1) |
| Window Sign | — | 30% of window or door pane area | — | — | — | Interior face of any window or glass door | — | Sec 2.5.3.H(2), Table 2.5.3-A |
| Temporary Sign | — | Subject to standards for comparable permanent sign type | — | — | See above | As permitted for permanent signs | — | Sec 2.5.3.H(5) |

### Central Business District (CBD)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Freestanding Sign (Monument) | 8 feet | 60 square feet | — | 2 feet minimum | 1 per road frontage | 1 per road frontage | — | Table 2.5.3-E |
| Wall Sign | Building elevation height (1 story); 24 ft (2+ stories) | 100 square feet | — | — | 1 per eligible building | On building façade | — | Table 2.5.3-E; Sec 2.5.3.L; Sec 2.5.3.N |
| Projecting/Canopy Sign | Min clearance bottom of sign to grade: 9 ft | Included in applicable wall sign area cap | Max projection from building: 3 ft | — | — | Perpendicular to façade; must not block pedestrian movement | — | Table 2.5.3-E; Sec 2.5.3.L |
| Suspended Sign | — | Included in wall sign area cap | — | — | — | Under canopies or awnings in pedestrian zone | — | Table 2.5.3-A; Table 2.5.3-E |
| Portable Sign (A-frame/Sandwich Board) | 5 feet | 5 feet in height x 2 feet in width max | 2 feet | — | 1 per public street frontage | Within 1 foot of business entrance, can be on public right-of-way/sidewalk if not within 3 feet of curb; must not impede traffic | — | Sec 2.5.3.H(3) |
| Flag | 25 feet (flag pole) | 24 square feet | — | — | Up to 2 per property (without permit) | On property | — | Sec. 2.5.3.H(1) |
| Banner/Temporary Sign | — | Subject to limits for permanent sign type | — | — | — | Per permitted sign location | — | Sec. 2.5.3.H(5); Table 2.5.3-A |
| Window Sign | — | 30% of window or door pane area | — | — | — | Interior face of any window or glass door | — | Sec 2.5.3.H(2) |

### Office and Business Office Districts (O), Mixed-Use District (MX), Light Industrial District (L-I), Highway Oriented Commercial District (HOC)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Freestanding Sign (Monument) | 8 feet (Sign District 3); 20 feet on highway frontage (Sign District 2); 8 feet on local street (Sign District 2) | 90 square feet (Sign District 3); 200 square feet (Sign District 2 if on Veterans Memorial Pkwy or Hwy 80) | — | 5 feet minimum | 1 per road frontage; up to 2 | 1 per road frontage; up to 2 signs total | — | Table 2.5.3-C, Table 2.5.3-D, Table 2.5.3-A |
| Wall Sign | Building elevation height | Up to 150 sq ft (SD2 individual lot), up to 60 sq ft/planned development, up to 50 sq ft (SD3 individual lot), see formula | — | — | See respective maximum | On building façade, by street/road frontage/elevation | — | Table 2.5.3-C, Table 2.5.3-D |
| Projecting/Canopy Sign | Minimum clearance to grade: 9 ft | Included in wall sign area total | Max projection: 3 ft | — | — | Façade perpendicular | — | Table 2.5.3-C, Table 2.5.3-D |
| Banner/Temporary Sign | — | Same as permanent sign | — | — | — | Per permanent sign allowance/location | — | Sec 2.5.3.H(5) |
| Billboard | 25 feet from grade | 300 square feet per sign face; one sign per platted lot facing single direction | — | 20 ft min, 100 ft max from ROW | 1 per platted lot | Sign District 2 only, subject to spacing/location restrictions | — | Sec 2.5.3.H(6) |
| Flag | 25 ft (SD3/4); 40 ft (SD2) | 24 sq ft (SD3); 60 sq ft (SD2) | — | — | Up to 2 without permit | On property | — | Sec 2.5.3.H(1) |
| Window Sign | — | 30% of any window or door pane area | — | — | — | Face of window or door pane | — | Sec 2.5.3.H(2) |
| Incidental Sign | — | — | — | — | — | On site as appropriate | — | Table 2.5.3-A; Sec 2.5.3.E |

## Prohibited signs in Statesboro

- Animated signs are prohibited in all zoning districts.
- Beacons are prohibited in all zoning districts.
- Signs attached to, drawn or painted on trees, rocks, or utility poles are prohibited.
- Air and gas filled devices are prohibited.
- Strings of light not permanently mounted to a rigid background are prohibited as signs.
- Fluttering ribbons or pennants other than permitted flags are prohibited.
- Signs may not be constructed, erected, or maintained that use the words 'Stop,' 'Emergency,' or 'Danger,' or emergency colors of red, blue, or amber, in a manner that implies danger or emergency, or that mimic official traffic-control signs/devices.
- Roof signs are prohibited.
- Illuminated signs are prohibited from projecting direct rays onto lots other than where the illumination occurs.
- Signs displaying any obscene message or obscenity as defined by U.S. Supreme Court decisions are prohibited.
- Spectacular signs or devices are prohibited.
- Signs attached to, painted on, or otherwise positioned in/on any vehicle or truck that is located in view of the street right-of-way for a period of time that indicates the vehicle is used for displaying the sign, except as allowed for temporary events.
- Signs prohibited in public rights-of-way, except as specifically exempted or authorized by the city.
- Extrusions beyond the face of billboards, excluding aprons, are prohibited.
- Signs may not be constructed, erected, replaced, modified, changed by panels, relocated or structurally altered without a permit unless specifically exempted.
- No conforming sign may be erected on a business premises that also maintains an existing nonconforming sign, until the nonconforming sign has been removed.
- No signs may be allowed within the public right-of-way or other public property except governmental, utility, or specifically permitted portable signs.
- Changeable copy signs may not display transitions such as dissolving, fading, scrolling or other similar actions; only instant/static changes are allowed.
- Changeable copy signs may not change messages more frequently than every 8 seconds.
- No billboard may be placed within 500 feet of any public park, playground, recreation area, forest, university, school, scenic area, or cemetery.
- No billboard may be within 1,000 feet of another billboard, regardless of jurisdiction.
- Billboards may not be placed in or obstruct the view of a designated historical site, or within 500 feet of such district or site, or within a Downtown Statesboro Development Authority (DSDA) overlay.
- Subdivision of a parcel containing a billboard is prohibited unless the lot is large enough to encompass the entire fall zone of the billboard.
- No sign may be constructed or maintained which casts light or glare that creates off-site spillover causing a safety or traffic hazard.
- No sign may be constructed, erected, or maintained in a manner that would obstruct the vision clearance at corners, curb cuts, or railroad crossings.
- Aerial laser, rope lighting, and searchlight-style lighting, and any lighting producing more than 200,000 lumens or 2,000,000 candelas in any direction are prohibited as sign illumination.
- Signs may not be constructed of materials that do not withstand winds of 105 miles per hour or are not in accordance with standard building codes.
- Billboards, stanchion, and roof signs are prohibited in residential districts.
- No sign shall be constructed or altered on a lot before construction of the principal building except as specifically allowed.
- No rubbish, salvage, junk, or miscellaneous refuse may be openly stored in a way that causes a public nuisance or depresses property values, including sign-related materials.
- No posting or attachment of signs to private property without the owner's written permission.
- All signs must be maintained in good structural and aesthetic condition; damaged/dilapidated signs must be removed.
- Nonconforming signs, once removed, may not be replaced by new nonconforming signs.
- Nonconforming signs may not be renovated so that noncompliance remains post-renovation.
- Unsafe or dangerous signs must be removed or brought into compliance.

## Signs exempt from permit in Statesboro

- Public notices or warnings required by law, regulation, or ordinance are exempt from sign permit requirements.
- Seasonal or holiday lights and decorations are exempt from sign permit requirements.
- Official traffic control signs and devices meeting Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices standards are exempt.
- Incidental signs on private property directing traffic, such as 'Stop' or 'Yield,' that meet Georgia DOT standards are exempt.
- Address numerals not exceeding four inches (residential) or eight inches (nonresidential) are exempt.
- Signs authorized by the City of Statesboro or other public agencies for official purposes are exempt.
- Any sign exempt from permit requirements in the table of sign types is exempt if conforming to placement and dimension standards.
- Security lighting controlled and activated by a motion sensor for ten minutes or less is exempt from lighting standards.
- Lighting for pools used at night, underwater lighting for pools/fountains, temporary holiday lighting, and outdoor light fixtures burning fossil fuels are exempt from lighting standards.
- Street lighting in public rights-of-way is exempt from outdoor lighting standards.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- A permit is required for the erection, construction, replacement, modification, relocation, or structural alteration of any sign except those specifically exempted.
- Sign permit applications require detailed illustrations/designs/location for each sign; each sign on a lot requires a separate application and fee.
- Permanent signs (including changeable copy signs and illuminated signs) must meet design, construction, and dimensional standards and be approved before construction.
- Applications for large-scale or special signs not allowed by right (e.g. billboards, special exceptions, variances) must follow the variance or special use permit processes including public notice and hearing as described in 2.7.4 and 2.7.5.
- If a sign permit is denied, the applicant may appeal to the mayor and city council.
- Work begun before permit issuance is subject to double permit fees.
- No sign permit will be issued and no sign may be maintained in violation of the provisions of this zoning ordinance.
- Sign permits are required for temporary signs or banners (other than standard informational residential signs); such permits are time-limited and regulated annually.
- Sign plan submittals (for special use or special administrative permit reviews, e.g. variances, overlays, PUD, or solar energy systems) may require site plans, illustrations, mitigation plans, and details as described in Article 2.7 – Administration and Procedures.
- Master sign plans are not expressly required or defined in the given ordinance text, but multi-tenant developments and developments with more than one building must comply with aggregate sign area and maximums per lot, and each sign requires an individual permit as per Table 2.5.3-A and Section 2.7.2.
- Planned Unit Development (PUD) and overlays may alter sign standards, but all such modifications must be included within the proposed site plan and described in applications subject to planning commission and council review.
- Appeals and variances for signage, if sought, require public notice, record submission, and a public hearing, as per general zoning variance procedures.
- Signage in overlays such as DSDA or BMO is subject to both base district standards and any additional overlay-specific requirements; plans may need specific review if a variance is requested.

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

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