# Sign Regulations in Columbia, Indiana

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Columbia, Indiana (IN)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/indiana/columbia
- **Data last verified:** 2025-04-19

## At a glance

Columbia, Indiana regulates 23 sign types across 3 zoning districts. Standard Outdoor Advertising Structure (Billboard) - U.S. Highway 30s in the Local Business District (LB), General Business District (GB), Central Business District (CBD), Industrial Districts (I-1, I-2) zoning district are capped at 50 ft from highest point on sign to grade/street tall, 672 sq ft per face, excluding extensions, and 48 ft wide, with a Min 50 ft from public right-of-way/private roadway easement setback (Sec. § 11.12.A, B, C, H). Most commercial signs in Columbia require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (3 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Residential Districts (R-1, R-2, R-3), Agricultural Districts (A-1) | 9 | 12 ft | 50 sq ft per face | — |
| Local Business District (LB), General Business District (GB), Central Business District (CBD), Industrial Districts (I-1, I-2) | 13 | 50 ft from highest point on sign to grade/street | 672 sq ft per face, excluding extensions | — |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 1 | — | — | — |

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements

### Residential Districts (R-1, R-2, R-3), Agricultural Districts (A-1)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Identification Sign (Residential or Agricultural Use) | 12 ft | 32 sq ft | — | No sign placed upon the ground shall be located closer than 10 feet to any property line and shall meet sight triangle requirements (§ 10.03 C.). | One per perimeter street frontage | Perimeter street frontage of multi-family development, manufactured/mobile home park, single-family subdivision, or permitted nonresidential uses | — | § 11.09.A.1 |
| Church/Public/Semi-public/Park Identification Sign | 12 ft | 50 sq ft per face | — | No sign placed upon the ground shall be located closer than 10 feet to any property line and shall meet sight triangle requirements. | One per street frontage | One per street frontage | — | § 11.09.A.2 |
| Construction Sign | 12 ft | 32 sq ft | — | No sign placed upon the ground shall be located closer than 10 feet to any property line. | One per perimeter street frontage | On each perimeter street of frontage of the development | — | § 11.09.A.3 |
| Directional Sign (Residential/Agricultural) | 3.5 ft above adjacent driveway at ROW | 6 sq ft per face | — | — | Two per entry/exit | At entry/exit | — | § 11.09.A.4 & B.4 |
| Memorial or Tablet Sign | 6 ft | 6 sq ft per face | — | — | One | — | — | § 11.09.A.5, B.5 |
| Property Real Estate Sign (Residential/Agricultural) | 6 ft | 6 sq ft per face | — | — | One per lot frontage | One per lot frontage | — | § 11.09.A.6, B.6, C.3 |
| Home Occupation Wall Sign | — | 2 sq ft | — | — | One | On the dwelling adjacent to main entrance | — | § 11.09.A.9 |
| Home Occupation Yard Sign | — | 6 sq ft per face | — | — | One | Yard (if allowed with special exception) | — | § 11.09.A.9, Chapter 12 Board of Zoning Appeals |

### Local Business District (LB), General Business District (GB), Central Business District (CBD), Industrial Districts (I-1, I-2)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Pole Sign | 30 ft | 300 sq ft | — | Overhang minimum 1 ft from property line. | One per lot | On lot. Overhang minimum 1 ft from property line. Must meet sight triangle requirements. | — | § 11.10.A.1, B.1 |
| Ground-Mounted Sign | 6 ft | 300 sq ft | — | Minimum 1 ft from property line. | One per lot | On lot. Minimum 1 ft from property line. Must meet sight triangle requirements. | — | § 11.10.A.2, B.2 |
| Attached Sign (Wall-Mounted) | — | 10% of the building face area | — | — | One per side of the building | Face-mounted on building wall | — | § 11.10.A.3, B.3 |
| Under Canopy Sign | — | 2 sq ft | — | — | One | May be attached to building or canopy; minimum head clearance 8 ft. | — | § 11.10.A.5, B.5 |
| Electronic Message Center (Local/Collector street) | Must not exceed max in district (6 ft ground sign; 30 ft pole sign). | 50 sq ft | — | Must comply with underlying sign type setback requirements. | One per lot/parcel | Permitted on all road types per table | — | § 11.10.A.7, i; Table Figure 11.08 |
| Electronic Message Center (Arterial road) | Must not exceed max in district (6 ft ground sign; 30 ft pole sign). | 85 sq ft | — | — | — | On arterial roads | — | § 11.10.A.7, i; Table Figure 11.08 |
| Standard Outdoor Advertising Structure (Billboard) - U.S. Highway 30 | 50 ft from highest point on sign to grade/street | 672 sq ft per face, excluding extensions | 48 ft | Min 50 ft from public right-of-way/private roadway easement | No more than two advertising signs/group; signs may be back-to-back or V-Type (max three side-by-side displays per face, considered one sign structure) | On U.S. Highway 30; must comply with detailed locational requirements | — | § 11.12.A, B, C, H |
| Standard Outdoor Advertising Structure (Billboard) - State Road 9 | 35 ft from highest point on sign to grade/street | 300 sq ft per face | — | Min 20 ft from public right-of-way/private roadway easement | No more than two advertising signs/group; signs may be back-to-back or V-Type (max three side-by-side displays per face, considered one sign structure) | On State Road 9, north of US 30 or south of Swihart St | — | § 11.12.A, B, C, H |

### General Regulations For All Zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Temporary Signs (Banners, Pennants, Certain Yard/Grand Opening, Event) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | § 11.11 |

## Prohibited signs in Columbia

- Any sign erected in a location prohibited by this chapter.
- Any sign erected in a public easement or right-of-way.
- Any sign erected so as to prevent free ingress to or egress from any door or window, or any other exit way required by the building or fire codes.
- Any sign attached to any public utility pole, tree, fire hydrant, curb, sidewalk, or other surface located on public property.
- Any sign erected where it obstructs the view of an authorized traffic sign, signal, or traffic-control device, or obstructs vision of the public right-of-way to a vehicle operator.
- Any on-premises sign advertising an article, product, or service not offered on the premises, unless it qualifies as a standard outdoor advertising structure or billboard.
- Any sign or advertising device such as banners, pennants, streamers, wind-operated devices, fluttering signs, pinwheels, A-frames, or other portable signs of like nature, except as allowed in § 11.11.
- Off-site or off-premises signs, except as allowed in this section.
- Signs that display flashing, intermittent, or animated lighting or illumination, or any illumination which simulates or displays motion, except for permitted electronic message centers.
- Portable signs, signs not permanently affixed to the ground.
- Signs with characters, cartoons, or statements, words, or pictures of obscene, indecent, prurient, or immoral character.
- Signs or illumination from signs that create a traffic hazard to operators of motor vehicles by direct or reflected light.
- Signs erected in violation of the requirements of this ordinance or any previous ordinance.
- Signs projecting over lot lines or city/county public right-of-way.
- Signs not maintained in a safe, presentable, and good condition.

## Signs exempt from permit in Columbia

- Flags of any nation, state, county, city, or other governmental unit and any not-for-profit organization.
- Temporary decorations or displays celebrating occasions of patriotic, religious, or local holidays or events.
- Official traffic, fire, and police signs, signals, devices, and markings of the state, county, or city.
- Nonilluminated directional or informational signs of a public nature.
- Political signs or signs announcing political candidates or issues, provided they are removed within ten days after the election.
- Residential garage, patio, or yard sale signs not exceeding six square feet, located upon the premises where the sale is taking place.
- Property real estate signs not exceeding six square feet in area on each street frontage of a lot, not exceeding six feet in height, and not illuminated.
- Bulletin boards not over 32 square feet for public, charitable, or religious institutions on their premises, not exceeding 12 feet in height, illumination by constant light only.
- Memorial signs or tablets, names of buildings, and date of erection when cut into masonry or constructed of bronze or other incombustible materials.
- Professional name plates, occupational signs, and home occupation signs not exceeding two square feet in area, wall-mounted and unlit, adjacent to the main entrance of the building.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- It shall be unlawful to commence or proceed with construction, alteration, or erection of any sign or sign structure without first obtaining a sign permit from the Planning and Building Department.
- The Department shall not approve plans or issue permits for any sign until plans have been inspected in detail and found to be in conformance with the ordinance.
- For standard outdoor advertising structures (billboards), the application must be accompanied by a set of plans, to scale, approved and sealed by a licensed engineer, and a site plan, also to scale, showing the proposed location and distances as specified.
- A representation of the proposed billboard sign, to scale, including dimensions, must also be provided with the application.
- There shall be a separate sign permit for each project site where signs are to be constructed, altered or erected.
- Any appeals or requests for variances go before the Board of Zoning Appeals.
- Directory signs for buildings with multiple occupancies may substitute for pole signs subject to review and approval by the Board of Zoning Appeals as to height and overall square footage.

## Full detail

Complete sign requirements for Columbia, including every field PermitPal tracks for each sign type, are available with a free PermitPal account: https://app.permitpal.io/?address=Columbia+IN&override=true&utm_source=landing&utm_medium=city-page&utm_campaign=city-columbia

---

PermitPal — AI sign code research. Full HTML page: https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/indiana/columbia