# Sign Regulations in Whitesburg, Georgia

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Whitesburg, Georgia (GA)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/georgia/whitesburg
- **Data last verified:** 2025-05-09
- **Source:** [municode municipal code](https://library.municode.com/GA/Whitesburg/codes/Code_of_Ordinances?nodeId=PTIICOOR_CH32ZO_ARTXISI)

## At a glance

Whitesburg, Georgia regulates 31 sign types across 9 zoning districts. Monument Signs in the Limited Commercial (LC), General Commercial (GC) zoning district are capped at 6 feet tall and 32 square feet, with a 10 feet from pavement but must be outside the right-of-way setback (Sec. Sec. 32-311; Sec. 32-313(a)(1)(b) and (b)-(c)). Most commercial signs in Whitesburg require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (9 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Rural Development (RD), Single-Family Residential (R40), Planned Residential Development (PRD30) | 4 | 20 feet (pole height) | 40 square feet | — |
| Limited Commercial (LC), General Commercial (GC) | 18 | District max building height or 65 feet for Interstate lots (Sec. 32-314) | 200 square feet (except up to 400 sq ft for interstate-adjacent lots per special exception) | — |
| General Industry (GI) | 5 | 6 feet | 150 square feet (or 10% of wall area, whichever is less) | — |
| Historic Neighborhood Overlay District | 1 | — | — | — |
| Watershed Protection Overlay | 1 | — | — | — |
| Flood Hazard District (FH) | 1 | — | — | — |
| Chattahoochee River Corridor Protection District (CRCP) | 1 | — | — | — |
| Municipal Wellhead Protection District (MWP) | 1 | — | — | — |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 7 | 3 feet | 16 square feet | — |

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements (sample of 3 of 9 zones)

### Limited Commercial (LC), General Commercial (GC)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Flag | 20 feet (pole height) | 40 square feet | — | — | Not specified | On property | — | Sec. 32-311, note (3) |
| Permanent Subdivision Sign | 6 feet | 16 square feet per sign | — | — | Maximum two per entrance | At major entrances, in authorized easement, not public right-of-way | — | Sec. 32-311, note (7) |
| Monument Sign | 6 feet | 32 square feet | — | 10 feet from pavement but must be outside the right-of-way | 1 per 200 feet of street frontage (Sec. 32-312(b)) | On property, minimum 10 feet from pavement, not within right-of-way | — | Sec. 32-311; Sec. 32-313(a)(1)(b) and (b)-(c) |
| Freestanding Sign | 6 feet | 32 square feet | — | 10 feet from pavement but must be outside right-of-way | 1 per 200 feet of street frontage (Sec. 32-312(b)) | On property, minimum 10 feet from pavement, not within right-of-way | — | Sec. 32-311; Sec. 32-313(a)(1)(b) and (b)-(c) |
| Wall Sign | — | 75 square feet (or 10% of wall area, whichever is less) | — | — | 1 per street frontage per business establishment (Sec. 32-312(c)) | On building wall (including window & door areas as wall area) | — | Sec. 32-311; Sec. 32-313(a)(2) |
| Window Sign | — | 6 square feet | — | — | 1 per street frontage per business | In window, visible from exterior | — | Sec. 32-311, note (8); Sec. 32-312(d) |
| Directory Sign | — | 6 square feet | — | — | 1 per lot with multiple establishments | On property of multi-establishment lots | — | Sec. 32-311, note (2); Sec. 32-312(f); Sec. 32-313(a)(3) |
| Billboard/Outdoor Advertising Sign | District max building height or 65 feet for Interstate lots (Sec. 32-314) | 200 square feet (except up to 400 sq ft for interstate-adjacent lots per special exception) | — | At least 10 feet from property/right-of-way and meets setbacks/buffers | 1 per 1,000 feet on same side of street | On property, must meet zoning/building/setback requirements and not closer than 10 feet from property/right-of-way | — | Sec. 32-311, note CUS; Sec. 32-314(a)-(b) |

### General Industry (GI)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Monument Sign | 6 feet | 50 square feet | — | 10 feet from pavement but must be outside right-of-way | 1 per 200 feet (Sec. 32-312(b)) | On property, minimum 10 feet from pavement, not within right-of-way | — | Sec. 32-313(a)(1)(c)-(b) |
| Freestanding Sign | 6 feet | 50 square feet | — | 10 feet from pavement but must be outside right-of-way | 1 per 200 feet (Sec. 32-312(b)) | On property, minimum 10 feet from pavement, not within right-of-way | — | Sec. 32-313(a)(1)(c)-(b) |
| Wall Sign | — | 150 square feet (or 10% of wall area, whichever is less) | — | — | 1 per street frontage per business establishment | On building wall (including window & door areas as wall area) | — | Sec. 32-313(a)(2) |
| Billboard/Outdoor Advertising Sign | — | Not allowed | — | — | — | — | — | Sec. 32-311 (Billboards N in GI) |
| All other sign types listed for LC/GC | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Sec. 32-311; For each sign type cross-reference with LC/GC table values. |

### General Regulations For All Zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Temporary Construction/Home Improvement Sign (Residential) | — | 6 square feet | — | — | 1 per lot | On property where work is performed | — | Sec. 32-307(1)-(2) |
| Temporary Construction/Home Improvement Sign (Commercial/Industrial) | — | 16 square feet | — | — | 1 per lot | On property where work is performed | — | Sec. 32-307(1) |
| Temporary Subdivision Identification Sign | — | 16 square feet per surface | — | — | 1 per principal entrance, max 2 | At entrance to subdivision | — | Sec. 32-307(3) |
| Temporary Real Estate Sign (Residential) | — | 6 square feet | — | — | 1 per street frontage | On subject property | — | Sec. 32-307(4)a |
| Temporary Real Estate Sign (Commercial) | — | 16 square feet | — | — | 1 per street frontage | On subject property | — | Sec. 32-307(4)b |
| Garage/Yard Sale or Estate Sale Sign | — | 4 square feet | — | — | 1 per sale | On property of sale | — | Sec. 32-307(6)-(7) |
| General Temporary Sign (All Zones) | 3 feet | 4 square feet | — | — | 1 per lot (+ political signs at election time) | On lot | — | Sec. 32-307(8)b-c |

## Prohibited signs in Whitesburg

- No sign shall be erected, placed, established, painted, created, or maintained in the city except in conformance with the standards, procedures, exemptions, and other requirements of the sign ordinance.
- All signs not expressly permitted under the sign article or exempt from regulation are prohibited.
- Prohibited sign types include: animated signs; beacons; pennants; portable signs; roof signs or signs projecting above the roof line; strings of lights not permanently mounted to a rigid background (except certain holiday lights); inflatable signs or displays and tethered balloons; flashing or intermittent lighted signs (other than time and temperature signs); streamers; banners except as permitted; and illuminated marquee, illuminated canopy, or illuminated projecting signs.
- No sign shall be erected in the public right-of-way except as specifically permitted.
- No sign permit of any kind shall be issued for a proposed sign unless it is consistent with the requirements of the sign ordinance.
- No sign shall be constructed, placed, erected, or modified on a zoned lot requiring a building permit without first obtaining a sign permit.
- No sign may be installed, created, or erected in a way that is inconsistent with any plan or permit governing such sign or the zoned lot on which it is located.
- It is a violation to fail to remove any sign installed, created, or erected in violation of the sign ordinance or for which the building permit has lapsed.
- Continued violation of sign provisions is a separate violation for each day.
- Signs installed or placed on public property not in compliance shall be forfeited to the public and subject to confiscation, and costs of removal are recoverable from the person responsible.
- No permanent subdivision sign shall be erected or maintained by the city (must be private responsibility and not on public right-of-way).
- No sign shall be permitted at intersections of streets or streets and railroad rights-of-way within a designated vision clearance triangle.
- No roof signs or signs projecting above the roof line of a structure are allowed.
- No more than one building, freestanding, or monument sign per lot or per specified street frontage, as indicated by zoning district and type.

## Signs exempt from permit in Whitesburg

- Any public notice or warning required by valid and applicable federal, state, or local law, regulation, or ordinance.
- Any sign inside a building, not attached to a window or door, that is not legible from a distance of more than three feet beyond the lot line of the zoned lot.
- Works of art that do not include a commercial message.
- Holiday lights and decorations with no commercial message, between November 1 and January 15.
- Traffic control signs on private property, meeting DOT standards and containing no commercial message.
- Certain permanent public signs or emergency signs in the public right-of-way erected by governmental bodies, public utilities, or contractors (including legal notices, bus stop signs, public utility informational signs, and certain awning/suspended signs).
- Federally licensed amateur radio antennas under 70 feet in height (with respect to special use permit requirements for antennas and towers).

## Sign plan & submission notes

- A permit system is used for most permanent signs, including a requirement to obtain a sign permit before construction, placement, erection, or modification of signs that require a building permit.
- Signs identified with letter 'S' in the sign type tables require a sign construction permit with submitted detailed drawings including dimensions, design, structure, and location. One application and permit may include multiple signs on the same zoning lot.
- Signs identified with letter 'P' are allowed without a sign permit.
- Permanent subdivision signs require an acceptable privately maintained easement for signage and no city maintenance, with requirements on size, height, and lighting.
- Each zoning district and sign type combination specifies whether a permit is needed; compliance with both type and dimension/location is required.
- Any sign permit application denied by the building official may be appealed to the planning commission; such appeals are placed on the next regular meeting agenda for a decision.
- Some sign types or locations (e.g., billboards) require approval as a conditional use subject to section 32-562 and a sign permit.
- Special exception permits are required for certain outdoor advertising (billboard) signs adjacent to federal interstate highways, with additional dimensional and location requirements.
- Sign plans must be consistent with all requirements of the ordinance; no permit shall be issued for nonconforming signs.

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

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