# Sign Regulations in Opelousas, Louisiana

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Opelousas, Louisiana (LA)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/louisiana/opelousas
- **Data last verified:** 2025-05-08
- **Source:** [municode municipal code](https://library.municode.com/LA/Opelousas/codes/Code_of_Ordinances?nodeId=COOR_CH28TRMOVE_ARTIILISISI)

## At a glance

Opelousas, Louisiana regulates 13 sign types across 8 zoning districts. Wall Sign (Primary Band)s in the Downtown Mixed Use District (DMU) zoning district are capped at Band not higher than 18 ft or lower than 12 ft above sidewalk tall, Band of max 2 ft in height (across width of building), and Limited to width of building minus 2 ft from adjacent lot line wide, with a Not closer than 2 ft to common side lot line setback (Sec. 304.07(F)). Most commercial signs in Opelousas require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (8 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Single Family Residential District (R-1), Single and Two-Family Residential District (R-2), Mixed Housing Residential District (R-3) | 1 | Accessory structure must not exceed height restrictions of main structure (35 ft for R-1, R-2; 55 ft for R-3) | 50% of ground floor of principal structure for total accessory structures (includes all accessory structures) | — |
| Neighborhood Mixed Use District (NMU) | 2 | Must comply with 2.5 stories or 35 ft overall on structures; signage not specified | 50% of ground floor of principal structure for total accessory structures (includes all accessory structures) | — |
| Downtown Mixed Use District (DMU) | 5 | Band not higher than 18 ft or lower than 12 ft above sidewalk | 8 sq ft | — |
| General Commercial District (C-1), Large Scale Commercial District (C-2), Medical District (MED) | 2 | C-1: 72 ft, C-2: 75 ft, MED: 72 ft (building height maximums); signage height determined by Planning Commission, typically 6-20 ft for monument/pylon sign per standard practices (not specified) | Not explicitly set; signage must fit within maximum lot coverage and height for structures (C-1/C-2: 60%/75 ft; MED: 60%/72 ft) | — |
| Parks District (P) | 1 | Not specified; subject to Parks Department and Planning Commission approval. | Per existing permits and filed requests (not explicitly capped) | — |
| Light Industrial District (LI), Heavy Industrial District (HI) | 1 | LI/HI: max 75 ft per structure | Subject to max lot coverage (LI/HI: 40%) and Planning Commission approval. | — |
| Planned Unit Development District (PUD) | 1 | As established by PUD plan, subject to zoning district max unless specifically varied | As established by adopted PUD development plan, must not exceed what would be permitted in underlying zone(s) | — |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 1 | Not specified; must not exceed height of principal structure for site | Not specified; must be incidental and necessary for temporary event/use | — |

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

### Neighborhood Mixed Use District (NMU)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Wall Sign (Non-Residential) | Must comply with 2.5 stories or 35 ft overall on structures; signage not specified | Not specified in text; must be compatible with neighborhood character | — | Front: 8 ft, Side: 5 ft, Rear: 20 ft | Not specified, may be limited by gross floor area or as determined by Planning Commission | On building facade fronting primary street. Setbacks per Design Table apply. | — | 302.01(B), 302.01(C), 303.02 (Table), 303.05 |
| Accessory Sign (Residential Use) | Accessory structure must not exceed main use (max 2.5 stories or 35 ft) | 50% of ground floor of principal structure for total accessory structures (includes all accessory structures) | — | 5 ft from side/rear, not in front yard | No limit, subject to total area limits | Side or rear yard only, not in front yard. | — | 303.05, 302.02(2)(i), 303.02 (Table: NMU) |

### Downtown Mixed Use District (DMU)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Wall Sign (Primary Band) | Band not higher than 18 ft or lower than 12 ft above sidewalk | Band of max 2 ft in height (across width of building) | Limited to width of building minus 2 ft from adjacent lot line | Not closer than 2 ft to common side lot line | Not specified; limited by wall band and max letter/logo size. | Within specified horizontal band on facade. | — | 304.07(F) |
| Blade Shop Sign | Sign bottom at least 10 ft above sidewalk | 6 sq ft (max visual area if rectangular); company name/logo limited to half of sign area | 3 ft horizontal | As above | 1 per business frontage, in addition to wall signage | Projecting from facade, hung from awning/overhang | — | 304.07(F)(6) |
| Plaque Sign (Cornice/Parapet or Under Eaves) | Must be in cornice/parapet or under eaves, above upper story windows | 8 sq ft | — | — | 1 per building | In cornice/parapet or under eaves, above upper story windows. | — | 304.07(F)(4) |
| Awning Lettering | Awning min 10 ft above sidewalk; max depth to curb; min 6 ft depth | — | — | — | Per awning | Vertical fabric edge of awning/overhang | — | 304.07(G) |
| Address Sign | 6-10 ft above grade; max 6 in tall letters | — | — | — | 1 per entrance | At street entry door | — | 304.07(F)(5) |

### General Commercial District (C-1), Large Scale Commercial District (C-2), Medical District (MED)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Freestanding Sign | C-1: 72 ft, C-2: 75 ft, MED: 72 ft (building height maximums); signage height determined by Planning Commission, typically 6-20 ft for monument/pylon sign per standard practices (not specified) | Not explicitly set; signage must fit within maximum lot coverage and height for structures (C-1/C-2: 60%/75 ft; MED: 60%/72 ft) | — | See above by district. Corner lot: Take street vision triangle into account. | Limited by maximum lot coverage and as determined by Planning Commission | On commercial parcel, must observe front and side setbacks (C-1: 15 ft front, 5 ft side; C-2: 20 ft front, 30 ft side; MED: 15 ft front, 30 ft side) | — | 303.02, 303.07(C), 303.05(C),(F) |
| Wall Sign | Cannot exceed highest part of roofline. Building maximum height: C-1: 72 ft, C-2: 75 ft, MED: 72 ft | Not specified; must be accessory to permitted principal use. | — | None, but sign must not project into public right of way unless permitted by Planning Commission. | Not specified, subject to architectural and lot coverage limitations | On principal structure wall, facing street or major entry. | — | 303.02, 303.07(C),(G), 303.05(C),(F) |

## Prohibited signs in Opelousas

- No wall, fence, sign, structure, display of merchandise, or plant growth may be placed or maintained so that it obstructs sight lines at elevations between 2.5 feet and 8 feet above the road within the clear vision triangle (Article 303.04.A).
- No commercial banners are permitted in a residential Zoning District, including temporary use situations (Article 302.01.D.c.iii).
- Billboards, marquees, any kind of animation, roof signs, and signs painted on the exterior walls of buildings are prohibited in DMU district (Article 304.07.F.7).
- No flashing, traveling, animated, or intermittent lighting shall be visible from the exterior of any building, whether temporary or long-term (Article 304.07.F.7 and H.1.e).
- Roll-down security gates and doors are prohibited in DMU (Article 304.07.E.3.d.iii).

## Signs exempt from permit in Opelousas

- Historic structures and historic facades in the DMU Zoning District that are being preserved are exempt from minimum parking requirements and certain requirements of the Building Envelope Standards (Article 304.02.E.3).
- Chimneys, spires, flag poles, cooling towers, elevator bulkheads, fire towers, penthouses, stacks, tanks, water towers, transmission towers, or essential mechanical appurtenances may be erected to any height not prohibited by other laws or ordinances (Article 303.03.A).

## Sign plan & submission notes

- A Planned Unit Development (PUD) application requires a conceptual plan which must include a master plan detailing types, quantities, maximum square footage allotments for all signs proposed, including illustrations of proposed sign types (Article 308.04.B.14).
- Development Plans (for PUDs) require submission of detailed signage information along with other site improvements (Article 308.04.C.2.b).
- All new construction and covered renovations in DMU affecting visible portions of a structure must be reviewed by the Planning Commission prior to issuance of building permits (Article 304.07.A.1).

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

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