# Sign Regulations in Fremont, Nebraska

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Fremont, Nebraska (NE)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/nebraska/fremont
- **Data last verified:** 2025-05-08
- **Source:** [municode municipal code](https://library.municode.com/ne/fremont/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=CD_ORD_CH11UNDECO_ART8SIDE_S11-820SI)

## At a glance

Fremont, Nebraska regulates 26 sign types across 12 zoning districts. Freestanding Signs in the Residential District (R, SR, AR, UR, MH) zoning district are capped at 5 ft. tall and 12 sq. ft.; Subdivision/park identification: 50 sq. ft., with a 5 ft. from all property lines setback (Sec. Table 11-825.02.01.; Sec. 11-825.02.C.). Most commercial signs in Fremont require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (12 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Residential District (R, SR, AR, UR, MH) | 6 | 12 ft. | 32 sq. ft. | — |
| Suburban Commercial District (SC) | 9 | 38 ft. | 162 sq. ft. | — |
| General Commercial District (GC) | 8 | 60 ft. | 450 sq. ft. | — |
| Downtown Commercial District (DC) | 5 | 16 ft. | 50 sq. ft. | — |
| Business Park District (BP) | 3 | 48 ft. | 253 sq. ft. | — |
| Light Industrial District (LI) | 4 | 66 ft. | 450 sq. ft. | — |
| General Industrial District (GI) | 5 | 66 ft. | 450 sq. ft. | — |
| Aviation District (AV) | 3 | 48 ft. | 253 sq. ft. | — |
| Campus/University District (CU) | 2 | 26 ft. (25-35 mph); 38 ft. (40-50 mph) | 72 sq. ft. (25-35 mph); 162 sq. ft. (40-50 mph); see Table 11-825.02.02. | — |
| Parks and Open Space District (PO) | 2 | 5 ft. | 12 sq. ft. | — |
| Port Authority District (PA) | 2 | 30 ft. | 112 sq. ft. | — |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 2 | — | Not more than 50% of sign area (total area of sign controlled by sign type) | — |

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements (sample of 3 of 12 zones)

### Residential District (R, SR, AR, UR, MH)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Wall Sign | — | As above (capped by frontage length) | — | — | 1 per building/tenant | Each exterior business wall enclosing such business with a public entrance, facing a public street ROW, or abutting a parking lot with a parking module width of 55 ft. or more | — | Table 11-825.01.01.; Sec. 11-822.A; Sec. 11-825.01.B.2. |
| Projecting Sign | 12 ft. | 6 sq. ft. | — | — | 1 per primary building/tenant entrance (UR only) | Attached to building elevation of primary entrance (UR only) | — | Table 11-825.01.01. |
| Freestanding Sign | 5 ft. | 12 sq. ft.; Subdivision/park identification: 50 sq. ft. | — | 5 ft. from all property lines | 1 per lot/tract, with additional signs for >1 street frontage or >300 ft. increments (per frontage) | 1 per lot or tract. If property has more than one street frontage or more than 300 ft. of frontage, additional signs allowed accordingly. | — | Table 11-825.02.01.; Sec. 11-825.02.C. |
| Off-Premise Directional Sign for Religious, Educational, Governmental, or Non-Profit Entities | 5 ft. | 32 sq. ft. | — | 5 ft. from property line | 1 | Abutting a Highway | — | Table 11-825.02.01. |
| Banner (Temporary) | — | 12 sq. ft. for agricultural use; 32 sq. ft. for multifamily/institutional (not allowed for single-family, manufactured housing, mobile home, or commercial use of the same); 12 sq. ft. for recreation/amusement uses | — | — | 1 per building/unit frontage | On building/unit or permanent sign structure; if freestanding, must relate to the same use/property | — | Table 11-826.01.01. |
| Freestanding/Portable Sign (Temporary) | — | 6 sq. ft. | — | 2 ft. from property line | 1 per lot or tract | Per lot or tract, minimum 2 ft. from property lines | — | Table 11-826.01.01. |

### Suburban Commercial District (SC)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Wall Sign | — | — | — | — | 1 per building | Each exterior business wall enclosing the business, subject to additional conditions | — | Table 11-825.01.02. |
| Awning or Canopy Sign | — | 5 sq. ft. | — | — | 1 per awning/canopy | Per awning or canopy | — | Table 11-825.01.02. |
| Freestanding Sign (adjacent to 25-35 mph roadways) | 26 ft. | 72 sq. ft. | — | 5 ft. from property line | 1 per frontage, plus additional for each 300 ft. | Per property; see frontage rules for additionals | — | Table 11-825.02.02. |
| Freestanding Sign (adjacent to 40-50 mph roadways) | 38 ft. | 162 sq. ft. | — | 5 ft. from property line | 1 per frontage, plus additional for each 300 ft. | As above | — | Table 11-825.02.02. |
| Temporary - Banner | — | 32 sq. ft. | — | — | 1 per lot/tract | Attached to building/unit or sign structure, or as a freestanding temporary sign on same property | — | Table 11-826.01.02. |
| Temporary - Flag Sign | 18 ft. | 3.5 ft. width, up to 18 ft. height | 3.5 ft. | — | 1 per 50 ft. of frontage, max 2 at a time | 1 per 50 ft. of frontage | — | Table 11-826.01.02. |
| Temporary - Freestanding/Portable Sign | — | 32 sq. ft. | — | 2 ft. from property line | 1 per lot or tract | Per lot or tract, at least 2 ft. from property lines | — | Table 11-826.01.02. |
| Temporary - Light/Support Pole Sign | Height of building | 6 sq. ft. per sign | — | — | 2 banners per pole | Private property under same ownership | — | Table 11-826.01.02. |

### General Commercial District (GC)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Wall Sign | — | — | — | — | 1 per tenant frontage, additional wall signs as per rules | Each exterior business wall enclosing the business, as per rules | — | Table 11-825.01.02. |
| Neon Sign (Window) | — | 6 sq. ft. | — | — | 1 per building/tenant frontage | On or inside window | — | Table 11-825.01.02. |
| Directory or Window Sign | — | — | — | — | 2 per tenant frontage | On windows | — | Table 11-825.01.02. |
| Freestanding Sign (adjacent to 25-35 mph roadways) | 30 ft. | 112 sq. ft. | — | 5 ft. from property line | 1 per frontage/each 300 ft. | Per property, increased allocation for >300 ft. of frontage, per frontage | — | Table 11-825.02.02. |
| Freestanding Sign (adjacent to 40-50 mph roadways) | 48 ft. | 253 sq. ft. | — | 5 ft. from property line | 1 per frontage/each 300 ft. | As above | — | Table 11-825.02.02. |
| Freestanding Sign (adjacent to 55+ mph roadways) | 60 ft. | 450 sq. ft. | — | 5 ft. from property line | 1 per frontage/each 300 ft. | As above | — | Table 11-825.02.02. |
| Flag and Flagpole | 45 ft. | 60 sq. ft. | — | — | 1 per lot | 1 per lot | — | Table 11-825.02.02. |
| Projection Sign | — | 24 sq. ft. | — | — | 1 per facade | Per facade | — | Table 11-825.01.02. |

## Prohibited signs in Fremont

- Signs that are a traffic hazard because they simulate or imitate (in size, color, lettering, or design) any traffic sign or signal, or signs located in such a manner as to obstruct or otherwise interfere with a driver's view of approaching, merging or intersecting traffic.
- Signs encroaching upon or overhanging public right-of-way, except as specifically allowed elsewhere in the code.
- No sign attached to any utility pole, light standard, street tree, or any other public facility located within the public right-of-way.
- Animated or moving signs that are visible from public rights-of-way, including any moving, swinging, rotating, flashing, blinking, scintillating, fluctuating, or similar movements, except as allowed in changeable copy message centers.
- Portable signs except as allowed for temporary signs.
- Signs attached to or placed on a vehicle or trailer parked on public or private property with the primary purpose of displaying signs, or used primarily as static displays, advertising a product or service, or utilized as storage, shelter or distribution points for commercial products or services.
- Signs which contain or consist of balloons (including inflatable or may be inflated signs), posters, pennants, ribbons, streamers, spinners, or other similarly moving devices.
- Off premise signs, except as allowed in the section for off-premises electronic changeable message advertising signs.
- Outdoor advertising signs, except as specifically permitted.
- Signs not expressly permitted in the code.
- Signs obstructing building ingress or egress, including doors, egress windows, and fire escapes.
- Signs obstructing features necessary for public safety, including standpipes and fire hydrants.
- Signs obstructing required sight distance triangles.
- Signs posted, installed, or mounted on trees or shrubs.
- Signs posted, installed, or mounted on utility poles.
- Signs posted, installed, or mounted on utility cabinets (except those required for public safety or identification by the utility provider).
- Signs located in or over public rights-of-way, except as specifically exempted for certain governmental or district signs.
- Signs located where there is less clearance from authorized communication or energized electrical power lines than allowed by law.
- Signs located within easements for access, drainage, or utilities.
- Signs not constructed of weather-resistant materials.
- Signs that violate adopted building and electrical codes.
- Signs that are not maintained (poor state of repair, peeling finishes, running colors not part of original design, rust, corrosion, mineral deposits, not level, etc.).
- Signs that do not display a message for more than 90 days (considered abandoned).
- Prohibited lighting elements on signs, including uncovered glare, exposed strip lighting or neon used to outline buildings unless seasonal, and beacons or searchlights.

## Signs exempt from permit in Fremont

- Any public purpose/safety sign and any other notice or warning required by federal, state, or local law, regulation, or resolution.
- Works of art that do not include a commercial message.
- Signs that are not visible from a public roadway and not intended to be visible to and readable from the public way or from adjacent property.
- Incidental building markers, provided they are less than two square feet in area, containing no commercial message.
- Religious and other holiday lights and decorations, containing no commercial message, and displayed only during the appropriate time of year.
- Flags of the United States, the state, foreign nations having diplomatic relations with the United States, and any other flag adopted or sanctioned by an elected legislative body of competent jurisdiction, flown in accordance with protocol established by Congress; any flag not meeting these conditions is considered a sign and is regulated as such.
- Freestanding/portable signs provided they meet all freestanding/portable sign regulations set forth in the specific tables for permissible temporary sign types.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- Approval of a sign plan (also called 'sign plan' or 'master sign plan') is permitted as an alternative to strict compliance, by Planning Commission approval, where it results in a substantially improved, comprehensive, and unified proposal compared to strict compliance with sign regulations.
- A sign plan is required/set out for unified developments (e.g., shopping centers, office or industrial parks), including all tenants and lots; plans must show sign locations, heights, dimensions, materials, colors, illumination, a design theme, illustrative examples, and demonstrate improvement to aesthetics without adverse impact to adjacent properties.
- The sign plan may allow deviation from types, numbers, area, and materials/illumination standards (except prohibited signs or sign elements), but must meet approval criteria including unified theme, public safety, and neighborhood character.
- The Planning Commission may impose reasonable conditions on a sign plan to ensure compliance with the ordinance standards.
- Setbacks for detached signs may deviate through the sign plan process if public safety or utility easements are unaffected.
- Any signage approved under a sign plan will require applications for individual sign permits based on compliance with the approved sign plan.
- All existing nonconforming signs on-site must be brought into conformance with the approved sign plan.
- The process for approval of a sign plan requires submittal of design details and is intended to allow more flexibility provided aesthetic and public welfare objectives are met.

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

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