# Sign Regulations in Helena, Montana

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Helena, Montana (MT)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/montana/helena
- **Data last verified:** 2025-04-19

## At a glance

Helena, Montana regulates 31 sign types across 8 zoning districts. Billboard Sign (I-15 Corridor)s in the B-2, CLM, M-I zoning district are capped at 30 ft tall, 432 sf, and 48 ft wide, with a 20 ft from property lines setback (Sec. 11-23-11.E.1, F, G, H). Most commercial signs in Helena require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (8 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 8 | — | 6 sf | — |
| R-1, R-2, R-3 | 8 | 6 ft | 40 sf (per building façade) | — |
| R-4, R-O, R-U | 11 | 24 ft | 40 sf | — |
| B-1 | 11 | 30 ft | 40 sf | — |
| B-2, CLM, M-I | 18 | 34 ft | 432 sf | — |
| PLI | 10 | 24 ft | 120 sf | — |
| Airport | 10 | 24 ft | 120 sf | — |
| DT, TR | 1 | — | — | — |

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

### R-4, R-O, R-U

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Common Sign | 24 ft | 40 sf | — | — | 1 | 1 per lot/tract/parcel held in common ownership; as part of a Planned Sign Program element. | — | 11-23-9.A |
| Freestanding Sign | 18 ft | 32 sf | — | — | 1 | At least 8' above ground level or monument or suspended sign style | — | 11-23-9.B |
| Monument Sign | 6 ft | 32 sf | — | — | 1 | — | — | 11-23-9.F.4 |
| Incidental Major Sign | 8 ft | 32 sf | — | — | — | — | — | 11-23-9.C |
| Wall Sign | — | 40 sf (per façade) | — | — | — | On building façade | — | 11-23-9.I, 11-23-5 Table 1, Table 3 |
| Marquee/Awning Sign | — | Aggregated with wall signage requirements; not to exceed 30% ground floor elevation | — | — | — | Ground floor only | — | 11-23-9.E, 11-23-5 Table 1, Table 3 |
| Roof Sign | — | Aggregated with and may not exceed wall sign maximums | — | — | — | In place of primary wall sign where permitted | — | 11-23-9.H, 11-23-5 Table 1, Table 3 |
| Window Sign | — | Up to 25% of window area per elevation | — | — | — | Ground floor windows only | — | 11-23-9.J, 11-23-5 Table 1, Table 3 |

### B-1

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Common Sign | 30 ft | 40 sf | — | — | 1 | 1 per lot/tract/parcel held in common ownership; as part of Planned Sign Program. | — | 11-23-9.A, 11-23-5 Table 2, Table 3 |
| Freestanding Sign | 24 ft | 32 sf | — | — | 1 | At least 8' above ground level or monument or suspended sign | — | 11-23-9.B, 11-23-5 Table 2, Table 3 |
| Monument Sign | 6 ft | 32 sf | — | — | 1 | — | — | 11-23-9.F.4, 11-23-5 Table 2, Table 3 |
| Incidental Major Sign | 8 ft | 32 sf | — | — | — | — | — | 11-23-9.C, 11-23-5 Table 2, Table 3 |
| Wall Sign | — | 15% of façade or 60 sf (whichever is greater, per façade) | — | — | — | On building façade | — | 11-23-9.I, 11-23-5 Table 1, Table 3 |
| Marquee/Awning/Canopy Sign | — | Aggregated with wall signage requirements; not to exceed 30% of ground floor elevation of building. | — | — | — | Ground floor only | — | 11-23-9.E, 11-23-5 Table 1, Table 3 |
| Roof Sign | — | Aggregated with and may not exceed wall sign maximums | — | — | — | In place of primary wall sign where permitted | — | 11-23-9.H, 11-23-5 Table 1, Table 3 |
| Window Sign | — | Up to 25% of the window area per elevation exempt; otherwise aggregated with wall sign requirements | — | — | — | Ground floor windows only | — | 11-23-9.J, 11-23-5 Table 1, Table 3 |

### B-2, CLM, M-I

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Common Sign (B-2) | 34 ft | 200 sf | — | — | 1 | 1 per lot/tract/parcel held in common ownership; Planned Sign Program required | — | 11-23-9.A, 11-23-5 Table 2, Table 3 |
| Common Sign (CLM) | 34 ft | 200 sf | — | — | 1 | 1 per lot/tract/parcel held in common ownership; Planned Sign Program required | — | 11-23-9.A, Table 2, Table 3 |
| Common Sign (M-I) | 34 ft | 300 sf | — | — | 1 | 1 per lot/tract/parcel held in common ownership; Planned Sign Program required | — | 11-23-9.A, Table 2, Table 3 |
| Freestanding Sign (B-2) | 34 ft | 150 sf | — | — | 1 | At least 8' above ground level or monument/suspended style | — | 11-23-9.B, Table 2, Table 3 |
| Freestanding Sign (CLM) | 34 ft | 150 sf | — | — | 1 | At least 8' above ground level or monument/suspended style | — | 11-23-9.B, Table 2, Table 3 |
| Freestanding Sign (M-I) | 34 ft | 250 sf | — | — | 1 | At least 8' above ground level or monument/suspended style | — | 11-23-9.B, Table 2, Table 3 |
| Billboard Sign (I-15 Corridor) | 30 ft | 432 sf | 48 ft | 20 ft from property lines | 2 faces per supporting structure | Located in I-15 interstate corridor; must face/interact with interstate | — | 11-23-11.E.1, F, G, H |
| Billboard Sign (Non-Interstate Primary System) | 30 ft | 300 sf | 24 ft | 20 ft from property lines | 2 faces per supporting structure | On B-2, CLM, M-I properties along Federal-aid primary under Highway Beautification Act, not in interstate corridor. | — | 11-23-11.E.2, F, G, H |

## Prohibited signs in Helena

- Signs and sign face types that are not listed as permitted within a district are prohibited.
- Signs may not be erected in such a manner that they obstruct or create a hazard by blocking clear view of vehicular, bicycle, or pedestrian traffic or obstruct the view of any traffic control device.
- No sign or its illumination may interfere with traffic safety or simulate emergency services.
- Signs may not be placed on or extend into any public rights-of-way except as outlined in §§11-23-1F1 and 11-23-1J, nor be affixed to any post, tree, or pole located in any public right-of-way or upon any city owned property, including signs held by a person, except for signs placed by authorized agents of the city or as permitted by Title 7, Chapter 13.
- No sign may be constructed or erected that resembles any official marker erected by the city, state, or any governmental agency, or that would conflict with the proper functioning of any traffic sign or signal.
- Off-premise signs are prohibited, except for billboards (where permitted by §11-23-11), signs placed by local authority in the public right-of-way, and certain signs in PLI zones for specified uses.
- The following sign types are expressly prohibited: Animated signs; balloons; bench signs; on-premise canopy signs; portable signs; powered, air-activated devices; reflective or mirrored signs; vehicle signs that are on-premise and not involved in regular operations of the advertised business or used off-premise for explicit advertising functions; signs projected onto walls or structures by projector, laser, or other devices.

## Signs exempt from permit in Helena

- Ghost signs do not require a permit and are not included in calculating allowable signage for a property.
- House numbers and street names used for property identification for emergency services and mail delivery are exempt.
- Public interest signs erected by or on the order of a public officer in the performance of their duty (e.g., public notices, safety signs, danger signs, trespassing signs, traffic and street signs, wayfinding signs, memorial plaques, and signs of historical interest) are exempt.
- Any sign internal to a development not intended to be visible from the right-of-way or neighboring property is exempt.
- Canopy signs for the duration of a temporary event are exempt.
- One under-marquee or under-awning sign per business, under six square feet in size and bottom edge at least eight feet above grade, is exempt where allowed.
- Feather flags are permitted in specified zoning districts (R-4, R-O, B-1, B-2, CLM, PLI) at a rate of one per primary structure and an additional flag per 200 linear feet of frontage beyond the first 100 feet.
- Temporary signs are allowed without a permit provided they are not illuminated, not erected in a permanent manner, and comply with the specified zoning requirements for size, height, and quantity.
- Incidental minor signs are exempt.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- A planned sign program is required to receive sign permits for any business or group of business uses on a parcel or group of parcels greater than 2 acres with common access and parking.
- The administrator may approve a Planned Sign Program, which provides for flexible application of sign regulations and can grant deviations for incidental signs, additional freestanding signs, common signs, and increased wall signage (see §11-23-10).
- Certain sign types (e.g., common signs, incidental major signs) in specific zones require approval as part of a Planned Sign Program as indicated in Table 2 and Table 3.
- Applications for sign permits or variances must be made on forms provided by the administrator and must be complete to be considered valid.
- Variance requests to general sign regulations must be heard in a public hearing before the governing body as described in §11-23-1C1b.
- Each permit application must be accompanied by the appropriate fee.

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

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