# Sign Regulations in Farmington, New Mexico

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Farmington, New Mexico (NM)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/new-mexico/farmington
- **Data last verified:** 2025-05-07
- **Source:** [municode municipal code](https://library.municode.com/NM/Farmington/codes/Code_of_Ordinances?nodeId=CICO_CH12EN_ART3AIPO_S12-3-12POSIPUPL)

## At a glance

Farmington, New Mexico regulates 27 sign types across 3 zoning districts. Freestanding Sign - MF (all)s in the MF (all), OP, MU, LNC, GC, CB, PIP, I zoning district are capped at 6 feet tall and 50 sq ft, with a Safe sight triangle/visibility; not in right-of-way setback (Sec. Section 5.8.5 Table (Freestanding signs); 5.8.7.A(1)). Most commercial signs in Farmington require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (3 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| All residential zones | 3 | 6 feet | 32 square feet | — |
| MF (all), OP, MU, LNC, GC, CB, PIP, I | 24 | 26 feet | 200 sq ft | — |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 6 | 6 feet | MRA: 100% wall, Principal Arterials: 60% of wall, Minor Arterials/Collector Roads: 40% of wall | — |

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements

### All residential zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Construction Sign | 5 feet | 32 square feet | — | — | — | Freestanding, on private property | — | Section 5.8.5, Table (Construction signs - Residential); 5.8.7.A(18) |
| Home Business Sign | 3 feet | 3 square feet | — | — | — | Wall or free standing on private property | — | Section 5.8.5, Table (Home business signs); 5.8.7.A(11) |
| Residential Neighborhood Identification Sign | 6 feet | 32 square feet | — | — | One per entrance | At principal entrance(s) to subdivision, mobile or manufactured home park, or multifamily development | — | Section 5.8.5, Table (Residential Neighborhood Identification Sign); 5.8.7.A(17) |

### MF (all), OP, MU, LNC, GC, CB, PIP, I

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Directory Sign (Shopping Centers) | 6 feet | 16 square feet | — | 50 ft from intersection of entrance and public right-of-way | — | At least 50 feet from intersection of entrance and public right-of-way | — | Section 5.8.5 Table (Directory signs, Shopping Centers); 5.8.7.A(9)a |
| Directory Sign (Multifamily projects, Office complexes, Business parks) | 5 feet | 12 square feet | — | — | One per parking area | Away from any public right-of-way so as not to impede traffic flow; near principal entrance to parking area | — | Section 5.8.5 Table (Directory signs, Multifamily projects, office complexes or business parks); 5.8.7.A(9)b |
| Freestanding Sign - MF (all) | 6 feet | 50 sq ft | — | Safe sight triangle/visibility; not in right-of-way | 1 per street frontage of at least 150 feet, additional for each 300 ft | On site, must comply with safe sight triangle (section 5.3.6) | — | Section 5.8.5 Table (Freestanding signs); 5.8.7.A(1) |
| Freestanding Sign - OP, MU, LNC | 10 feet | 50 sq ft | — | Safe sight triangle/visibility; not in right-of-way | 1 per street frontage of at least 150 feet, additional for each 300 ft | On site, must comply with safe sight triangle (section 5.3.6); any sign above a walkway must be 8 feet above ground | — | Section 5.8.5 Table (Freestanding signs); 5.8.7.A.b |
| Freestanding Sign - GC, CB, PIP & I | 25 feet | 200 sq ft | — | Safe sight triangle/visibility; not in right-of-way | 1 per street frontage of at least 150 feet, additional for each 300 ft | On site, must comply with safe sight triangle (section 5.3.6) | — | Section 5.8.5 Table (Freestanding signs); 5.8.7.A.c |
| Wall Sign (Nonresidential) | Shall not extend beyond the top of the wall | Max area for all wall signs on building may not exceed 1 sq ft per linear ft of building frontage | — | — | One per wall (or per occupant entrance), subject to total area limit | Building wall | — | Section 5.8.5 Table (Wall signs); 5.8.7.A(2) |
| Projecting Sign | Height of building or sign to which attached | 50 sq ft | — | Minimum 2 ft from back of curb | One per building frontage with entrance | Attached to a building or private structure, perpendicular | — | Section 5.8.5 Table (Projecting signs); 5.8.7.A(16) |
| Fuel Price Sign | Same as zoning district's freestanding sign height | 16 sq ft | — | Same as freestanding sign; not in right-of-way | 1 per street frontage | Service stations | — | Section 5.8.5 Table (Fuel price signs); 5.8.7.A(10) |

### General Regulations For All Zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Building Marker | — | 3 square feet | — | — | One per building | Permanently affixed to a building wall | — | Section 5.8.5 Table (Building markers); 5.8.7.A(7) |
| Incidental Sign | 3 feet (freestanding version) | 3 sq ft | — | — | — | On site or on buildings | — | Section 5.8.5 Table (Incidental signs); 5.8.7.A(13) |
| Political Sign | 6 feet | 32 sq ft | — | — | — | Private property (with owner permission); city right-of-way/easement with permission | — | Section 5.8.5 Table (Political signs); 5.8.7.A(16) |
| Temporary Sign | — | — | — | — | — | Attached to building or freestanding | — | Section 5.8.5 Table (Temporary Signs); 5.8.7.A(18); 5.8.7.A(19) |
| Yard Sale Sign | — | 8 sq ft total (4 sq ft per side) | — | — | One on premise, one off premise | One on premise and one off-premise (public right-of-way); must be professionally produced | — | Section 5.8.5 Table (Yard Sale signs); 5.8.7.A(18) |
| Murals | — | MRA: 100% wall, Principal Arterials: 60% of wall, Minor Arterials/Collector Roads: 40% of wall | — | — | — | Side and rear walls (MRA); side walls (arterials/collectors) | — | Section 5.8.8 (Murals) |

## Prohibited signs in Farmington

- All signs not expressly permitted under Section 5.8 or exempt from regulation are prohibited.
- Any sign that copies or imitates an official sign or purports to have official status is prohibited.
- Signs, other than official government signs, located within public rights-of-way or easements, public parks, or public properties are prohibited, except for those permitted by the city manager or designee.
- Beacons are prohibited.
- Windblown devices (not otherwise allowed) are prohibited.
- Flashing signs are prohibited.
- Moving signs are prohibited.
- Any sign on or extending above the roofline is prohibited.
- Any sign attached to an accessory structure, except an incidental sign if legible from the public right-of-way or other property, is prohibited.
- Any other attention-attracting device (except those permitted and compliant with standards) is prohibited.
- Any unofficial sign attached to or affixed to utility poles, light poles, rocks, trees, or other natural features is prohibited.
- Mobile signs are prohibited, except on licensed food trucks.
- Graffiti on public property is prohibited.

## Signs exempt from permit in Farmington

- Any public notice or warning required by a valid and applicable federal, state, or local law, regulation, or ordinance.
- Traffic control signs and devices installed by city or state agencies on public or private property or rights-of-way.
- Any sign inside a building that is not attached to a window or door.
- Signs that are not visible beyond the boundaries of the lot or parcel on which they are located or from any public rights-of-way.
- Any sign inside an athletic field or other enclosed outdoor space, where the sign is not legible from ground level and not visible from public right-of-way beyond the lot line.
- Holiday decorations displayed between November 15 and January 15.
- Flags used as political or religious symbols.
- Flags used solely for decoration and not containing any copy or logo.
- Window signs.
- Balloons and/or other gas-filled objects located in any zoning district that do not exceed 20 feet in height from the ground and do not contain or display any logo and are used solely for decorative purposes.
- Temporary signs on private property.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- A sign permit is required for all persons erecting, hanging, installing, or otherwise placing signs in the city, except where otherwise expressly provided or where only the changeable copy is changed, or the sign is cleaned, painted, repainted, or for normal maintenance and repair.
- Approval from the Planning Division is required for certain sign types as indicated in the sign table (Section 5.8.5), such as awning signs, banners, building markers, directory signs, feather/flag/pennant signs, suspended signs, and temporary signs.
- A Building Permit is required for certain sign types as indicated in the sign table, including free standing signs, fuel price signs, off-site signs and billboards, programmable (digital) signs, and projecting signs.
- For awning signs mounted on multi-tenant buildings, the awning sign must comply with the approved master sign program in color, size, material, and letter style.
- A master sign program may be required for multi-tenant buildings, particularly for awning signs, to ensure compliance in color, size, material, and letter style.
- The sign ordinance refers to Section 8.4 (Sign Permits) for permitting procedures.

## Full detail

Complete sign requirements for Farmington, including every field PermitPal tracks for each sign type, are available with a free PermitPal account: https://app.permitpal.io/?address=Farmington+NM&override=true&utm_source=landing&utm_medium=city-page&utm_campaign=city-farmington

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