# Sign Regulations in Leawood, Kansas

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Leawood, Kansas (KS)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/kansas/leawood
- **Data last verified:** 2025-03-28
- **Source:** [municode municipal code](https://www.leawood.org/DocumentCenter/View/567/Leawood-Development-Ordinance-PDF#page=140)

## At a glance

Leawood, Kansas regulates 19 sign types across 8 zoning districts. Garage Multi-tenant Wall Signs in the MXD zoning district are capped at 12 ft. tall, 300 sq.ft., and 30 ft. wide (Sec. 16-4-6.13). Most commercial signs in Leawood require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (8 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Planned Districts | 2 | — | 200 sq. ft. | — |
| Commercial Districts | 2 | — | 200 sq. ft. | — |
| RP-45, R-1, RP-1, RP-2, RP-3, RP-4 | 1 | — | As approved by the Governing Body | — |
| SP-4 | 2 | — | 200 sq. ft. | — |
| SP-CR, SPANCR | 4 | 6 ft. | 200 sq. ft. | — |
| SD-CR | 3 | 7 ft. | 52 sq. ft. for non-digital screens, 30 sq. ft. for digital screens | — |
| MXD | 7 | 12 ft. | 300 sq.ft. | — |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 2 | 5 ft. | 16 sq. ft. per sign | — |

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements (sample of 3 of 8 zones)

### SP-CR, SPANCR

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Wall Sign / Canopy Sign / Awning Sign | — | 200 sq. ft. | — | — | 2 (1 per tenant façade) | Below eave or parapet | — | 16-4-6.13 |
| Monument Sign | — | 50 sq. ft., including base | — | — | None | Commercial development, or retail or service business | — | 16-4-6.13 |
| Directional Sign | — | 6 sq. ft. | — | — | 2 | — | — | 16-4-6.13 |
| Directory Sign | 6 ft. | 18 sq.ft. | — | — | 1 per 5 acres, not to exceed 6 total | Outside of all structure setbacks and sight triangles | — | 16-4-6.13 |

### SD-CR

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Drive-Thru Menu Board | 7 ft. | 52 sq. ft. for non-digital screens, 30 sq. ft. for digital screens | — | — | 1 per drive-thru lane, not to exceed 2 total | Adjacent to and oriented toward the drive-thru lane | — | 16-4-6.13 |
| Pre-Order Menu Board | 7 ft. | 15 sq. ft. including base for digital screens | — | — | 1 per drive-thru lane, not to exceed 2 total | Adjacent to and oriented toward the drive-thru lane | — | 16-4-6.13 |
| Stand Alone Drive-Thru Order Confirmation Display | — | 3.5 sq.ft. | — | — | 1 per drive-thru lane, not to exceed 2 total | — | — | 16-4-6.13 |

### MXD

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Parking Garage Development Identification Wall Sign | 9 ft. | 300 sq.ft. | — | — | 1 per façade that fronts onto a public arterial or collector street | Facades of parking garages directly adjacent and parallel to a public arterial or collector street | — | 16-4-6.13 |
| Garage Multi-tenant Wall Sign | 12 ft. | 300 sq.ft. | 30 ft. | — | 1 per parking garage | Facades of parking garages directly adjacent and parallel to a public arterial or collector street | — | 16-4-6.13 |
| Parking Garage Entry Wall Sign | 5 ft. | 120 sq.ft. | — | — | 1 per parking garage entrance | Directly above and within 2 ft. of the entrances of parking garages | — | 16-4-6.13 |
| Blade Sign on Parking Garage | — | 48 sq.ft. | — | — | 1 per parking garage entrance | Adjacent to entrances of parking garages | — | 16-4-6.13 |
| Tenant Wall Sign / Canopy Sign / Awning Sign | — | 200 sq. ft. | — | — | 2 with a maximum of 1 per facade | Below eave or parapet on façade of leased space | — | 16-4-6.13 |
| Tenant Blade Sign | 4 ft. | 6 sq.ft. | — | — | 2 with a maximum of 1 per façade | Front facades of leased tenant spaces | — | 16-4-6.13 |
| Development Monument Sign | 6 ft. | 50 sq.ft. | 10 ft. | — | 1 sign for each 1,500 ft. of frontage, not to exceed 2 per street frontage | Street frontages along arterial and collector streets | — | 16-4-6.13 |

## Prohibited signs in Leawood

- Signs which are attached to any tree, fence, branch, another sign, or utility pole when such sign is located on public property, including right-of-way.
- Signs other than those specifically allowed by this Ordinance that are capable of being carried, wheeled or moved from one location to another.
- Attention-attracting devices not specifically allowed by this Ordinance.
- Flashing or blinking signs.
- Neon window signs.
- Electronic display signs, with the exception of drive-thru menu boards, order confirmation displays, and pre-order menu boards.
- Strings of light bulbs except when used for decorative purposes during a holiday season and not in excess of 7.5 watts.
- Roof signs.
- Rotating signs.
- Animated signs.
- Digital readout signs, with the exception of drive-thru menu boards, order confirmation displays, and pre-order menu boards.
- Changeable copy signs, with the exception of drive-thru menu boards, drive-thru order confirmation displays, and pre-order menu boards.
- Signs painted directly on exterior walls or surfaces.
- Signs whose source of illumination is visible from off site.
- Any sign within the public right-of-way, or on other public property, not authorized by the Governing Body.
- Any sign which displays obscene matter.
- Pole signs.
- Any sign that blocks the clear sight triangle of an intersection.
- Real estate advertisements and signs not fairly and truthfully imparting to the public accurate information in regard to zoning classification and Comprehensive Plan information.
- Signs displayed with twirlers, flags, balloons or other paraphernalia.
- Illuminated signs with exposed incandescent bulbs or exposed incandescent fluorescent tubes.
- Signage associated with a drive-thru other than as explicitly permitted within this ordinance.
- Signs which have been allowed to fall into a state of disrepair, without a clean and neat appearance.
- Signs which are applied or affixed to a sidewalk, crosswalk, curb, curbstone, lamppost, hydrant, tree, shrub, tree stake or guard, railroad trestle, electric light or power or telephone or telegraph pole, or wire appurtenance thereof or upon any fixture of the fire alarm or police alarm system or upon any lighting system, public bridge, street sign or traffic sign.
- Signs placed at intersections of any street in such a manner as to obstruct free and clear vision; or any location where, by reason of the position, shape or color, the sign may interfere with, obstruct the view of, or be confused with any authorized traffic sign, signal or device; or which makes use of the words 'stop,' 'look,' 'drive-in,' 'danger,' or any other word, phrase, symbol or character in such manner as to interfere with or mislead or confuse traffic.
- Signs placed in the sight triangle of any roadway corner.
- Box signs, 'cut-sheet,' or other sign types where the entire sign surface is illuminated, with the exception of drive-thru menu boards, order confirmation displays, and pre-order menu boards.
- Permanent signs which identify phone numbers, product, or any other specific information about the tenant beyond the name of the tenant.

## Signs exempt from permit in Leawood

- Any sign erected by the City, County, State or Federal government including street markers and traffic signs.
- Any sign necessary for public safety erected by utility companies within their respective easements.
- Any sign specifically required by the building codes, Leawood Development Ordinance or Subdivision Regulations of the City of Leawood.
- Maintenance of signs.
- Temporary signs.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- No permit shall be issued for an individual sign unless and until Sign Development Standards have been submitted to and approved by the Governing Body after recommendation by the Planning Commission.
- The Final Development Plan shall include the Sign Development Standards and be approved as part of the Final Development Plan.
- No permit shall be issued for an individual sign in a planned district unless and until Sign Development Standards for the development have been submitted to the Governing Body for approval after recommendation by the Planning Commission and the sign is otherwise in conformance with the Standards and with this Ordinance.
- In the event any ambiguity exists as to whether a sign conforms to either the City approved Sign Development Standards for the applicable development or the sign requirements of this Ordinance, or the Director otherwise denies the request for permit, then the applicant may apply for sign approval by the Governing Body after recommendation of the Planning Commission.

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

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