# Sign Regulations in Jefferson City, Missouri

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Jefferson City, Missouri (MO)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/missouri/jefferson-city
- **Data last verified:** 2025-01-22
- **Source:** [municode municipal code](https://library.municode.com/mo/jefferson_city/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=CD_ORD_CH3ADSI)

## At a glance

Jefferson City, Missouri regulates 5 sign types across 7 zoning districts. Sandwich Board Signs in the C-O, C-1, C-2, M-1, M-2 zoning district are capped at 4 ft tall, 4 ft tall, 3 ft wide, and 3 ft wide (Sec. Sec. 3-6.B.1.c.i). Most commercial signs in Jefferson City require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (7 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| C-O, C-1, C-2, M-1, M-2 | 3 | 50 ft | 300 sq ft total, 200 sq ft per sign | — |
| C-3 | 3 | 20 ft | 200 sq ft total, 100 sq ft per sign | — |
| RU, RC, RS-1, RS-2, RS-3, RS-4, RD, RA-1, RA-2 | 2 | 20 ft | 24 sq ft (churches and apartments) | — |
| N-O | 1 | — | 4 sq ft | — |
| MU-1 | 2 | 20 ft | 24 sq ft | — |
| PUD | 1 | — | — | — |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 1 | — | 24 sq ft (schools) | — |

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

### C-O, C-1, C-2, M-1, M-2

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Building Mounted Sign | 50 ft | 300 sq ft total, 200 sq ft per sign | — | — | — | Primary and secondary facades | — | Sec. 3-5.A.1.a-i |
| Freestanding Sign | 32 ft (C-2, M-1, M-2), 10 ft (C-1, C-O) | 200 sq ft | — | — | 1 per property frontage | Property frontage | — | Sec. 3-5.A.2.a-e |
| Sandwich Board Sign | 4 ft | 4 ft tall, 3 ft wide | 3 ft | — | 1 per entrance | Within 15 ft of business entrance | — | Sec. 3-6.B.1.c.i |

### C-3

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Building Mounted Sign | 20 ft | 200 sq ft total, 100 sq ft per sign | — | — | — | Primary and secondary facades | — | Sec. 3-5.B.1.a-i |
| Freestanding Sign | 10 ft | 100 sq ft | — | — | 1 per property frontage | Property frontage | — | Sec. 3-5.B.2.a-d |
| Sandwich Board Sign | 4 ft | 4 ft tall, 2 ft wide | 2 ft | — | 1 per property | Within 15 ft of building entrance | — | Sec. 3-6.B.1.c.ii |

### RU, RC, RS-1, RS-2, RS-3, RS-4, RD, RA-1, RA-2

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Building Mounted Sign | 20 ft | 12 sq ft | — | — | 1 per use | On building | — | Sec. 3-5.C.1.a-b |
| Freestanding Sign | 10 ft | 24 sq ft (churches and apartments) | — | — | 1 per use | On property | — | Sec. 3-5.C.1.b-c |

## Prohibited signs in Jefferson City

- Sign placed on right-of-way without permissive use of right-of-way or other proper approval, excluding governmental signs and traffic signs.
- Off-premise sign unless in conformity with chapter 3, article II, of the City Code.
- Flashing sign.
- Advertising device, such as streamers and wind operated devices.
- Paper poster applied directly to a wall, pole, fence or building surface.
- Sign painted directly on a wall, fence or building surface.
- Portable or temporary sign other than those specifically permitted herein.
- Sign which imitates or appears to imitate any official traffic sign or device or which appears to regulate or direct the movement of traffic or which interferes with the proper operation of any traffic sign or signal.
- Sign placed on areas of public ownership including street right-of-way and public sidewalks, except that a projecting sign may extend no more than 12 inches from a building over a public sidewalk.
- Any sign on which the illuminating or lighting device is so placed as to reflect or shine directly into the adjacent highway or street in such a manner as to hamper the vision of a motor vehicle operator thereon.
- Animated, moving or rotating sign.
- Roof sign when the roof sign is not contained within the silhouette of the building.
- Flag displayed on roof mounted flagpole, unless in conformance with subsection 3-7.B.6.d regarding roof mounted signs in the C-3 zoning district and other regulations within this chapter concerning flags.
- Beacon.
- Advertising flag, such as swooper flag, feather flag, and teardrop flag.
- Inflatable display, except that inflatable devices are permitted in the RS, RD, and RA zoning districts during the period from November 1 to January 31.
- Abandoned sign. Signs advertising business activities that no longer take place on the premises shall be removed within 90 days of the cessation of the business. Sign structures need not be removed if maintained and not displaying an abandoned sign.
- Abandoned sign structures.
- Any sign unlawfully installed, erected, or maintained.

## Signs exempt from permit in Jefferson City

- Governmental signs and legal notices.
- Historical markers.
- Holiday decorations which would not otherwise meet the definition of any type of sign set forth herein.
- Incidental signs that are attached to a building or window and do not exceed one square foot.
- Interior signs not visible from the exterior of a building.
- Warning signs that are posted on private property and do not exceed three square feet in area.
- Traffic control signs that do not exceed three square feet in area.
- Signs preempted from regulation by state or federal law.

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

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