# Sign Regulations in Cleveland, Mississippi

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Cleveland, Mississippi (MS)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/mississippi/cleveland
- **Data last verified:** 2025-05-07
- **Source:** [municode municipal code](https://library.municode.com/MS/Cleveland/codes/Code_of_Ordinances?nodeId=COOR_APLADEOR_ART9SI)

## At a glance

Cleveland, Mississippi regulates 16 sign types across 7 zoning districts. Billboard Sign (Vacant Lot Only)s in the B-3 Business 3 District: Highway Commercial, M-1 Light Industrial District, M-2 Heavy Industrial District zoning district are capped at 250 sq ft, with a Setback per zoning district setback (Sec. Sec. 907 (5)). Most commercial signs in Cleveland require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (7 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| A-1 Agricultural District | 2 | 6 ft as measured from grade | 25 sq ft per side; 50 sq ft total | — |
| R-1 Residence 1 District, R-2 Residence 2 District, R-3 Residence 3 District, R-4 Residence 4 District, R-5 Multifamily Residence District, R-6 Manufactured Housing District | 3 | 6 ft as measured from grade | 25 sq ft per side; 50 sq ft total | — |
| B-1 Business 1 Neighborhood Commercial District | 4 | — | 50 sq ft (total for 2 permanent signs, all types, per lot) | — |
| B-2 Business 2 Central Business District, B-2H Business 2 Historic Crosstie Central Business District, X-1 Government District | 4 | — | 100 sq ft (total), max 2 permanent signs per lot | — |
| B-3 Business 3 District: Highway Commercial, M-1 Light Industrial District, M-2 Heavy Industrial District | 5 | — | Max 300 sq ft (or up to 500 sq ft with Board of Appeals approval). | — |
| PUD Planned Unit Development | 1 | — | — | — |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 1 | No sign shall exceed the height limit for the zoning district or 35 ft, whichever is lower. | — | — |

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements (sample of 3 of 7 zones)

### B-1 Business 1 Neighborhood Commercial District

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Exempt/No-permit Signs | — | For sale/lease: 32 sq ft | — | Min. 5 ft from street ROW | — | At least 5 ft from street right-of-way, not within public right-of-way. | — | Sec. 903 |
| All Permanent Signs (total for lot) | — | 50 sq ft (total for 2 permanent signs, all types, per lot) | — | — | 2 per lot | — | — | Sec. 905 (2) |
| Freestanding Sign (additional) | — | 32 sq ft | — | — | 1 per lot | — | — | Sec. 905 (4) |
| Permanent Price Sign (for Convenience Stores with Gasoline Pumps) | — | 16 sq ft | — | — | 1 per street frontage | 1 per street frontage | — | Sec. 905 (3) |

### B-2 Business 2 Central Business District, B-2H Business 2 Historic Crosstie Central Business District, X-1 Government District

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Exempt/No-permit Signs | — | For sale/lease: 32 sq ft | — | Min. 5 ft from street ROW | — | At least 5 ft from street right-of-way, not within public right-of-way. | — | Sec. 903 |
| All Permanent Signs (total for lot) | — | 100 sq ft (total), max 2 permanent signs per lot | — | — | 2 per lot | — | — | Sec. 906 (2) |
| Freestanding Sign (additional in B-2 & X-1) | — | 32 sq ft | — | — | 1 per lot | — | — | Sec. 906 (4) |
| Permanent Price Sign (Automobile Repair or Convenience with Gasoline in B-2, X-1) | — | 32 sq ft | — | — | 1 per street frontage | 1 per street frontage | — | Sec. 906 (3) |

### B-3 Business 3 District: Highway Commercial, M-1 Light Industrial District, M-2 Heavy Industrial District

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Exempt/No-permit Signs | — | For sale/lease: 32 sq ft | — | Min. 5 ft from street ROW | — | At least 5 ft from street right-of-way, not within public right-of-way. | — | Sec. 903 |
| All Permanent Signs (total) | — | Max 300 sq ft (or up to 500 sq ft with Board of Appeals approval). | — | — | 3 per lot | — | — | Sec. 907 (2) |
| Freestanding Sign (additional per lot) | — | 75 sq ft | — | — | 1 per lot | — | — | Sec. 907 (3) |
| Permanent Price Sign (Automobile Repair or Convenience with Gasoline) | — | 32 sq ft | — | — | 1 per street frontage | 1 per street frontage | — | Sec. 907 (4) |
| Billboard Sign (Vacant Lot Only) | — | 250 sq ft | — | Setback per zoning district | 1 billboard per vacant lot or per 1,000 linear feet | Not on any lot with business enterprise; setback by zoning district | — | Sec. 907 (5) |

## Prohibited signs in Cleveland

- No sign shall display intermittent lights resembling the flashing lights customarily used in traffic signals or in police, construction, fire, ambulance, or rescue vehicles, or use the words 'stop', 'danger', or any other word, phrase, symbol, or character that might mislead or confuse a vehicle driver.
- No sign is permitted within any street or highway right-of-way, whether temporary or permanent, except traffic signs and signals and information signs erected by a public agency; any sign installed or placed on public property is subject to confiscation.
- Signs painted on or attached to trees, fence posts, and telephone or other utility poles, or painted on or attached to rocks or other natural features or painted on the roofs of buildings are prohibited.
- Roof signs—any signs erected or constructed wholly upon and over the roof of any building and supported solely on the roof structure—are prohibited.
- Adult Oriented Signs—any sign that depicts or describes 'specified sexual activities' or 'specified anatomical areas' shall not be permitted in locations where the sign messages can be seen or read from any public right of way or any adjacent property.
- No sign shall be erected so as to obstruct any fire escape, required exit, window, or door opening intended as a means of egress.
- No sign shall be erected which interferes with any opening required for ventilation.
- Signs must not create visibility (sight) obstructions for safety and security.
- Signs must be constructed of durable materials, maintained in good condition, and not permitted to become dilapidated. Any sign or outdoor advertising not conforming to building and electrical codes must not be repaired and must be removed if the cost to repair exceeds fifty percent of the original cost of the sign.
- Sign illumination must not be objectionable to surrounding areas and must not be cast into any residential district or in the eyes of automobile drivers.
- No signs shall exceed the height limit of the district in which they are located or thirty-five (35) feet, whichever is lower.
- No portion of any sign shall be located closer than five (5) feet from any street right-of-way line or property line, and signs must not be located within any sight distance area for vehicular traffic safety.
- Window signs must be located and attached on the inside of the window and must not obstruct public view for security reasons.
- Temporary signs must not be installed on any utility poles or traffic signs and must be installed on the same property as the business being advertised.
- Billboard signs are not permitted in the B-1, B-2, B-2H, or X-1 Districts.
- No sign may be altered or changed in a manner that increases its noncompliance with the sign regulations of the applicable zoning district.

## Signs exempt from permit in Cleveland

- Flags and insignia of any government, except when displayed in connection with commercial promotion.
- Legal notices, identification information, historical markers, or directional signs erected by governmental bodies.
- Integral decorative, memorial, or architectural features of buildings, except trademarks.
- Signs directing and guiding traffic and parking on private property, but bearing no advertising matter, shall not exceed six (6) square feet in area and must maintain applicable setback requirements.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- A permit is required for the erection, alteration, or reconstruction of any sign unless otherwise noted in the ordinance.
- Signs for multi-family dwellings, group dwellings, manufactured housing (R-6), and for buildings other than dwellings in residential districts require review by the Board of Appeals before erection (with area limits provided).
- Subdivision entrance signs and landscape plans for subdivisions or planned unit developments, including entrances, landscaped buffer areas, medians, and streetscaping, require submission and approval as part of a development plan.
- Fences, signs, and landscaping requirements for multi-family, commercial, and industrial uses in relevant zoning districts require approval as part of the development plan process.
- For projects in specific zoning districts (R-5, R-6, B-1, B-2, B-2H, B-3, M-1, M-2, X-1, PUD, and non-residential special exception uses), a development plan is required for the construction and installation of signs (see Article 5, Section 509.1, and Article 10).
- Sign regulations, including amount, type, location, size, and lighting source, are a required component of the development plan and may be conditioned during approval by the Plan Review Committee.
- Continuing maintenance of signage and compliance with the approved development plan is required; all private improvements depicted on the approved development plan, including signage, must be maintained by the applicant and/or subsequent owners.

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

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