# Sign Regulations in Franklin, North Carolina

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Franklin, North Carolina (NC)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/north-carolina/franklin
- **Data last verified:** 2025-04-19

## At a glance

Franklin, North Carolina regulates 20 sign types across 6 zoning districts. Freestanding Sign - Single Tenants in the Neighborhood Mixed Use (NMU) district, MICR zoning district are capped at 6 feet tall and 32 square feet, with a 8 feet from ROW or 10 feet from traveled street setback (Sec. § 155.11(A)(1)). Most commercial signs in Franklin require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (6 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Residential district, Residential (R) districts | 4 | 6 feet | 50% of freestanding sign area allowed for use, or for multi-tenant signs: 50% of sign area or 36 sq ft, whichever is less | — |
| Neighborhood Mixed Use (NMU) district, MICR | 5 | 10 feet | 50 square feet | — |
| Commercial (C) districts, C-2 Secondary Commercial zoning district, C-3 Highway Commercial zoning district | 8 | 18 feet | 90 square feet (C-2) / 150 square feet (C-3) | — |
| C-1 Central Commercial zoning district, Downtown commercial (C-1) district | 7 | 18 feet | 70 square feet | — |
| I-1 Industrial zoning district, Industrial (I) districts | 4 | 24 feet | 200 square feet | — |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 1 | — | See zone-specific, but not to exceed 50% of allowed freestanding sign area; 36 sq ft max for multi-tenant except theater/event in C-1 | — |

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements (sample of 3 of 6 zones)

### Neighborhood Mixed Use (NMU) district, MICR

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Attached Sign - Single Tenant | — | 12 square feet | — | — | 1 per tenant | On building | — | § 155.11(A)(1) |
| Freestanding Sign - Single Tenant | 6 feet | 32 square feet | — | 8 feet from ROW or 10 feet from traveled street | 1 per street frontage | Per street frontage | — | § 155.11(A)(1) |
| Freestanding Sign - Multiple Tenant on US or NC highways | 10 feet | 50 square feet | — | 8 feet from ROW or 10 feet from traveled street | 1 per street frontage | Per street frontage on highway | — | § 155.11(A)(1) |
| Attached Sign - Multiple Tenant on US or NC highways | — | — | — | — | — | On building wall of multiple tenant development with highway frontage | — | § 155.11(A)(1) |
| ECMS (Window) | — | 6 square feet | — | — | — | Behind a street-fronting window; if no ECMS used on freestanding sign | — | § 155.11(C)(3) |

### Commercial (C) districts, C-2 Secondary Commercial zoning district, C-3 Highway Commercial zoning district

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Freestanding Sign - Multiple Tenant | 18 feet | 90 square feet (C-2) / 150 square feet (C-3) | — | 8 feet from ROW or 10 feet from traveled street | 1 per street frontage | 1 per street frontage; 2nd frontage must be at least 100 ft and have an entrance | — | § 155.11(B)(1) |
| Temporary Banner | — | 32 square feet | — | — | 1 per establishment per permit | On premises | — | § 155.11(B)(1)(a),(b) |
| Portable Sign (Illuminated, Temporary) | — | 32 square feet | — | — | 1 per establishment per permit | On premises | — | § 155.11(B)(1)(b) |
| Freestanding Sign - Single-Tenant | 18 feet | 50 square feet | — | 8 feet from ROW or 10 feet from street | 1 per street frontage | 1 per street frontage, 2nd street frontage must be at least 100 ft and have entrance | — | § 155.11(B)(2) |
| Attached Sign (Wall) | — | — | — | — | — | On building wall | — | § 155.11(B)(2) |
| ECMS (Freestanding) | — | 50% of freestanding sign face area allowed (multi-tenant: 50% of area or 36 sq ft, whichever is less) | — | — | 1 per sign | On freestanding on-premises business identification sign | — | § 155.11(C)(1) |
| ECMS (Window) | — | 6 square feet | — | — | — | Behind a street-fronting window; if no ECMS on freestanding sign | — | § 155.11(C)(3) |
| ECMS (Motor Fuel Pump Canopy) | — | Up to 50% of the allowable signage for such structure | — | — | — | On the canopy structure | — | § 155.11(C)(3) |

### C-1 Central Commercial zoning district, Downtown commercial (C-1) district

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Freestanding Sign (Multiple Tenant) | 18 feet | 70 square feet | — | 8 feet from ROW or 10 feet from traveled portion of street | 1 per street frontage | 1 per street frontage (see additional requirements for frontage requirement) | — | § 155.11(B)(1) |
| Temporary Banner | — | 32 square feet | — | — | 1 per establishment per permit | On premises | — | § 155.11(B)(1)(a) |
| Portable Sign (Illuminated, Temporary) | — | 32 square feet | — | — | 1 per establishment per permit | On premises | — | § 155.11(B)(1)(b) |
| Attached Sign (Wall) | — | — | — | — | — | On building wall | — | § 155.11(B)(2) |
| ECMS (Theater/Event Facility Sign - Attached) | — | — | — | — | — | Attached to building for theaters or event facilities | — | § 155.11(C)(2) |
| ECMS (Theater/Event Facility Sign - Freestanding) | — | — | — | — | — | Freestanding, if location allows for a freestanding sign per district standards | — | § 155.11(C)(2) |
| ECMS (Window) | — | 6 square feet | — | — | — | Behind a street-fronting window if no ECMS is used on a freestanding sign | — | § 155.11(C)(3) |

## Prohibited signs in Franklin

- Any non-governmental sign that resembles a public safety warning or traffic sign.
- Signs, whether temporary or permanent, within any public street or highway right-of-way or placed upon a utility pole, except as provided for governmental signage, public utility informational signs, certain projecting/awning/suspended signs, and festival/event signs (when permitted). Unauthorized signs in the right-of-way are subject to confiscation.
- Flashing signs.
- Roof signs.
- Any sign or sign structure which does not conform to building codes or creates an unsafe distraction for motor vehicle operators or obstructs the view of motorists entering a public roadway.
- Abandoned signs, where the business or activity referenced has ceased for 180 or more days.
- New off-premises advertising signs following the adoption of this chapter.
- Portable signs, except as allowed elsewhere in the ordinance.
- Signs on fences except public-owned ball field advertising/sponsorship fence signs, and except delivery directional signage in an I-1 zoning district.
- No political sign shall be closer than three feet from the edge of the pavement of the road.
- No sign shall obscure motorist visibility at an intersection.
- No political sign shall be higher than 42 inches above the edge of the pavement of the road when in right of way.
- No political sign shall be larger than 864 square inches or six square feet when in road right of way.
- No political sign shall be permitted in the right of way of a fully controlled access highway.
- No person may, for the purpose of increasing or enhancing the visibility of any sign, damage, trim, destroy or remove any trees, shrubs or other vegetation located within a public right-of-way of any road or highway, except as required by the North Carolina Department of Transportation.
- No person shall place, maintain, or display upon or in view of any highway any unauthorized sign, signal, marking, or device which purports to be or is in imitation of or resembles an official traffic-control device or which attempts to direct traffic or obscures/inhibits any official traffic-control device or railroad sign or signal.
- No person shall place or maintain upon any highway any traffic sign or signal bearing any commercial advertising.
- Placing, constructing or installing a banner or sign over a street or roadway is unlawful except as permitted under special events provisions (§ 155.16).
- No banner or sign over street/roadway shall be anchored to an electric power pole except as permitted by the power company.

## Signs exempt from permit in Franklin

- Signs not visible from beyond the boundaries of the property on which they are located.
- Signs of a governmental body, including traffic warning or regulatory signs and devices, governmental building identification, directional, information, and welcome signs.
- Trade names and graphics located on gas pumps, newspaper, soft drink and similar vending devices.
- Flags or insignia of any governmental, non-profit, or business organization.
- Seasonal/holiday signs and decorations associated with a national or religious holiday.
- Warning of danger signs posted by utility or construction companies.
- Signs painted on or attached to licensed operational vehicles used in the normal day-to-day operations of the business indicating the name of the business, unless the primary use of the vehicle is for the display of signs.
- Signs required by law, statute, or ordinance.
- No trespassing, no loitering and similar private warning signs.
- Incidental signs.
- Special event signs and special event directional signs related to events sponsored by non-profit organizations, provided they are removed within three days of the end of the event.
- Political signs, provided they are removed within three days after the election. (Compliant political signs are allowed 30 days prior to early voting and must be removed ten days after election days.)
- Construction site identification signs.
- Signs painted on or displayed in windows.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- All signs erected, placed, posted, attached, painted or otherwise made visible from adjacent property or right-of-way require a sign permit except as exempted or not requiring a permit by the ordinance.
- Permit applications shall be accompanied by a sketch of the proposed sign to scale and a general sketch of the proposed placement of the sign on the parcel.
- All new signs, except those exempted (§ 155.09), require a sign permit prior to being located or erected.
- Special events banners (over streets/roadways) require a separate permit from the Town Planner (§ 155.16).
- If a sign permit is denied, the decision can be appealed to the Board of Adjustment as provided in the ordinance.
- There is no mention of a master sign plan or sign plan requirement, nor is a variance or special meeting expressly required, but nonconforming signs and appeals are handled through the Board of Adjustment.

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

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