# Sign Regulations in Seward, Nebraska

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Seward, Nebraska (NE)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/nebraska/seward
- **Data last verified:** 2025-04-21
- **Source:** [ecode360 municipal code](https://ecode360.com/30972402#30972402)

## At a glance

Seward, Nebraska regulates 14 sign types across 4 zoning districts. Outdoor Advertising Sign (Permitted Along Highways)s in the AG District, C-2 District, I-1 District, I-2 District zoning district are capped at 35 ft tall and 500 sq ft (Sec. § 410-35.13A-E). Most commercial signs in Seward require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (4 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| CBD District | 5 | — | See Table 35C for zone-specific maximum area. | — |
| AG District, C-2 District, I-1 District, I-2 District | 6 | 35 ft | 500 sq ft | — |
| Residential zoning district (RR through R-4 and RM Districts) | 5 | 3 ft | <50 sq ft | — |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 7 | 3 ft | 50 sq ft (nonresidential), 6 sq ft (residential) | — |

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements (sample of 3 of 4 zones)

### CBD District

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Wall Sign | — | See Table 35C for zone-specific maximum area. | — | — | Subject to total sign area limits in Table 35C. | Attached to and parallel with a building wall. May encroach on public right-of-way by 18 inches if on front property line (CBD only). | — | § 410-35.4A(1)-(5), Table 35C, § 410-35.5A, § 410-35.7 |
| Projecting Sign | — | Subject to overall sign area limits in Table 35C. | — | — | See Table 35D for maximums. | Projecting from building face. | — | § 410-35.4B, Table 35C, § 410-35.7 |
| Awning Sign | — | Area restrictions per above formulas. | — | — | Combined as wall sign area | Attached to exterior wall of building. | — | § 410-35.4D |
| Pole Sign | — | See Table 35C area limits. | — | — | See Table 35D | Freestanding; clearance standards apply. | — | § 410-35.4C |
| Electronic Information Sign | — | See Table 35C area limits. | — | — | Counts toward sign area and number limits. | As allowed, subject to underlying sign type siting requirements. | — | § 410-35.4E, Table 35B, Table 35C |

### AG District, C-2 District, I-1 District, I-2 District

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Outdoor Advertising Sign (Permitted Along Highways) | 35 ft | 500 sq ft | — | — | Counts as detached sign; not in addition to zone sign count. | Parcel must abut NE Highway 15 or US Highway 34. | — | § 410-35.13A-E |
| Wall Sign | — | See Table 35C for respective zone | — | — | As per Table 35D. | Attached/parallel to building wall. | — | § 410-35.4A, Table 35C |
| Awning Sign | — | — | — | — | Counts to total area, per Table 35C | On awning attached to building wall | — | § 410-35.4D, Table 35B |
| Projecting Sign | — | See Table 35C for respective zone | — | — | As per Table 35D | From building; clearances: 12 ft (sidewalk), 18 ft (driveway), 15 ft (parking/intersection) | — | § 410-35.4B |
| Pole Sign | — | As per Table 35C | — | — | See Table 35D | Freestanding | — | § 410-35.4C |
| Electronic Information Sign | — | As per Table 35C | — | — | Counts toward area/number for property | On property where permitted | — | § 410-35.4E |

### General Regulations For All Zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Wall Sign (General) | — | Varies by district (Table 35C). | — | — | Subject to sign budget/limits | Parallel to wall | — | § 410-35.4A; Table 35C, Table 35B, § 410-35.5A, § 410-35.7 |
| Temporary Sign | — | 50 sq ft (nonresidential), 6 sq ft (residential) | — | 2 ft behind sidewalk/6 ft from curb | — | 2 ft behind sidewalk/6 ft from curb, not in ROW, not attached to buildings or poles, not on trees/utilities. May be placed on City property with permission. | — | § 410-35.3E |
| Awning Sign | — | — | — | — | — | On awning attached to building wall | — | § 410-35.4D |
| Projecting Sign | — | See Table 35C and Table 35D for sign area and number for each district | — | — | — | Projecting from building face | — | § 410-35.4B |
| Directional Sign | 3 ft | 4 sq ft | — | — | Limit of one per specified location | Driveways/access points and internal decision points: one per location | — | § 410-35.3D(9) |
| Temporary Banner/Street Banner | — | — | — | — | — | On street (if approved) | — | § 410-35.3D(1) |
| Integral Sign / Building Marker | — | — | — | — | — | On/part of building (engraved, bronze, etc) | — | § 410-35.3D(3) |

## Prohibited signs in Seward

- Signs or sign structures which resemble, imitate, simulate, or conflict with traffic control signs or devices included in the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, which otherwise mislead or confuse persons traveling on public streets, which create a traffic hazard, or which violate any applicable state statutes.
- Signs which contain or consist of balloons, posters, pennants, ribbons, streamers, spinners, or other similarly moving devices, except as specifically provided in this section.
- Such devices (balloons, posters, pennants, ribbons, streamers, spinners, or other similarly moving devices), when not part of any sign, are also prohibited.
- Signs which create a safety hazard by obstructing the clear view of pedestrians or vehicles, or which obscure official signs or signals.
- Signs on public property not approved by the City.
- No flashing, blinking, or rotating lights shall be permitted for either permanent or temporary signs.
- No sign shall be permitted to have any part of which moves by any mechanical means.
- Off-premises signs painted on building walls (painted wall signs).
- Above-peak roof signs.
- No sign may project into or be placed within a vision clearance triangle defined by § 410-32.4F.
- Signs shall not be erected, placed, maintained, converted, enlarged, reconstructed or structurally altered which do not comply with all regulations of this chapter.
- It is unlawful to post, tack, or fasten any sign, poster, advertisement, or banner to poles, structures, fixtures, or equipment of the municipal electrical system without written permission from the Light Commissioner.
- It is unlawful for any person to fail, neglect, or refuse to comply with posted official signs, signals, or mechanical devices regulating traffic.
- It is unlawful for any person to, without lawful authority, attempt to or in fact willfully or maliciously deface, injure, remove, obstruct, knock down or interfere with any official traffic sign or signal.
- It is unlawful for any person to maintain or display upon or in view of any street any unofficial sign, signal, or device which purports to be, is an imitation of, or resembles an official traffic sign or signal or which hides from view or interferes with the effectiveness of any official sign or signal.
- Temporary signs are prohibited in any public right-of-way or property, including streets, sidewalks, parks, and public facilities.
- Temporary signs shall not be attached to any building, sign pole or light pole on public or private property; or public utility poles or trees on either public or private property.
- All signs must be maintained in a good state of repair.

## Signs exempt from permit in Seward

- Street banners, provided that specific approval is granted under regulations established by the City Council.
- Public signs: signs of a noncommercial nature and in the public interest, erected by or upon the order of a public officer in the performance of public duty, such as safety signs, danger signs, trespassing signs, traffic signs, memorial plaques, signs of historical interest and similar signs, including signs designating hospitals, libraries, schools, and other institutions or places of public interest or concern.
- Integral signs: names of buildings, dates of erection, monumental citations, commemorative tablets and similar signs when carved into stone, concrete, or other building materials, or made of bronze, aluminum, or other permanent construction and made an integral part of the structure to which they are attached.
- Window signs displayed inside of a window or within a building (with the note that neon window signs shall be permitted only in districts where neon signs are permitted).
- Works of graphic art painted or applied to building walls that contain no advertising or business identification messages.
- Residential signs not to exceed six square feet in area.
- Neighborhood or subdivision identification signs under 50 square feet.
- Signs that are not visible from a public right-of-way, private way, or court, or from a property other than that on which the sign is installed.
- Directional signs, provided that such signs do not exceed four square feet in maximum size or three feet in height, are limited to one sign at each driveway/access point with a public street, and one sign at any critical decision point internal to a development.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- A sign permit, approved by the Building Official, is required before the erection, construction, alteration, placing, or locating of all signs conforming with this chapter, except for repainting without changing permanent wording, composition, or colors; or for nonstructural repairs.
- A copy of plans and specifications must be submitted to the Building Official for each sign regulated by this chapter. These plans must show details sufficient for the Building Official to determine compliance.
- When requested by the Building Official, the applicant must furnish a certification of the structural integrity of the sign and its installation by a registered professional engineer with specialization in structures.
- For projects with an overall site area in excess of six acres, an applicant may submit a sign master plan detailing the size, location, and design of all signs on the site. The sign master plan may adjust the strict application of these standards but must clarify the exact nature of the adjustments. Such a plan must be approved by the City Council after review and recommendation by the Planning Commission, following the PUD District review process.

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

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