# Sign Regulations in Lexington, North Carolina

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Lexington, North Carolina (NC)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/north-carolina/lexington
- **Data last verified:** 2025-04-01
- **Source:** [municode municipal code](https://library.municode.com/NC/Lexington/codes/Unified_Development_Ordinance?nodeId=S6SIRE)

## At a glance

Lexington, North Carolina regulates 15 sign types across 6 zoning districts. Ground Mounted Signs in the Commercial Building zoning district are capped at 8 feet tall and 32 square feet per sign, with a Minimum separation of 100 feet setback (Sec. Section 6J - Commercial Building). Most commercial signs in Lexington require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (6 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Traditional Neighborhood and Suburban Neighborhood Districts | 3 | 4 feet | 4 square feet | — |
| Commercial Building | 3 | 8 feet | 100 square feet | — |
| Mixed Use District and Uptown District | 8 | 20 feet | 75 square feet per sign | — |
| Business District and Industrial District | 8 | 50 feet | 200 square feet | — |
| Conditional Zoning District | 1 | — | — | — |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 2 | 8 feet | 32 square feet | — |

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

### Commercial Building

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Building Sign | — | 100 square feet | — | — | Not applicable | Allowed square footage may be applied to other sides of the building | — | Section 6J - Commercial Building |
| Ground Mounted Sign | 8 feet | 32 square feet per sign | — | Minimum separation of 100 feet | 1 per street front | Shall not interfere with vehicular sight distance | — | Section 6J - Commercial Building |
| Window/Door Sign | — | 16 square feet | — | — | Not applicable | Allowed square footage may be applied to other sides of the building | — | Section 6J - Commercial Building |

### Mixed Use District and Uptown District

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Building Sign | — | — | — | — | No more than three sign areas | Centered over the storefront or business opening | — | Section 6J - Mixed Use District and Uptown District |
| Projection Sign | — | — | — | — | — | Minimum of seven feet above ground | — | Section 6J - Mixed Use District and Uptown District |
| Window/Door Sign | — | 16 square feet | — | — | Not applicable | Directly affixed to or painted onto the glass | — | Section 6J - Mixed Use District and Uptown District |
| Ground Mounted Sign for Freestanding Commercial Building | 8 feet | 32 square feet per sign | — | Minimum separation of 50 feet | One permitted per street front | Minimum separation of 50 feet between any other ground mounted sign for the same business or on the same parcel | — | Section 6J - Mixed Use District and Uptown District |
| Ground Mounted Sign for Group Development | 20 feet | 75 square feet per sign | — | Minimum separation of 200 feet from any other electronic changeable copy sign | One permitted per street front | Minimum separation of 50 feet between any other ground mounted sign for the same business or on the same parcel | — | Section 6J - Mixed Use District and Uptown District |
| Sidewalk Sign | — | 6 square feet per side | — | — | Minimum number of three tenants/units/businesses/buildings | A continuous 5-foot wide clearance along the sidewalk shall be maintained | — | Section 6J - Mixed Use District and Uptown District |
| Shingle Sign | — | 6 square feet | — | — | One per establishment | Under awning, but at least seven feet above ground at lowest point | — | Section 6J - Mixed Use District and Uptown District |
| Menu (Food/Service) | — | 2 square feet | — | — | One | May be posted in a window, or within a cabinet or protective covering on the exterior wall of a restaurant | — | Section 6J - Mixed Use District and Uptown District |

### Business District and Industrial District

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Building Sign | 24 inches up to 30 feet from back of curb and 36 inches more than 30 from back of curb | — | — | Minimum separation of 200 feet from any other electronic changeable copy sign | No more than three sign areas | Allowed square footage may be applied to other sides of the building | — | Section 6J - Business District and Industrial District |
| Ground Mounted Sign for Freestanding Commercial Buildings and Group Development | 20 feet | 50 square feet each for parcels with 100 feet or less of public street frontage, and up to 75 square feet each for parcels with more than 100 feet of public street frontage | — | Minimum separation of 200 feet from any other electronic changeable copy sign | 1 per business development or group | Must not interfere with vehicular sight distance | — | Section 6J - Business District and Industrial District |
| Window/Door Sign | — | — | — | — | Not applicable | Allowed square footage may be applied to other sides of the building | — | Section 6J - Business District and Industrial District |
| Shingle Sign | — | 6 square feet per side | — | — | 1 per business | Under the low cornice immediately above the first floor storefront | — | Section 6J - Business District and Industrial District |
| Sidewalk Sign | — | 6 square feet per side | — | — | Each business with a public or private sidewalk of at least 8 feet in width may contain one sidewalk sign | A continuous 5-foot wide clearance along the sidewalk shall be maintained | — | Section 6J - Business District and Industrial District |
| High Rise Sign | 50 feet | 200 square feet | — | Minimum separation of 1,000 feet from any other electronic changeable copy sign | 1 | Permitted only for development on lots contiguous to Interstate right-of-way | — | Section 6J - Business District and Industrial District |
| Marquee | — | Up to 25% of the front of the theater may be covered | — | — | Not applicable | — | — | Section 6J - Business District and Industrial District |
| Menu (Food/Service) | — | 2 square feet | — | — | One | May be posted in a window, or within a cabinet or protective covering on the exterior wall of a restaurant | — | Section 6J - Business District and Industrial District |

## Prohibited signs in Lexington

- Contemporary materials such as plastic and vinyl are not permitted.
- Abandoned sign.
- Awning sign, vertical.
- Balcony sign.
- Banners.
- Billboard sign.
- Blinking/flashing sign.
- Canopy sign.
- Chimney sign.
- Decorative flags.
- Dilapidated signs.
- Merchandise sign.
- Moving signs.
- Neon outlining.
- Off-premise signs.
- Portable signs.
- Right-of-way sign.
- Roof signs.
- Streamers.
- Vehicular sign.
- Windsock.

## Signs exempt from permit in Lexington

- Signs not legible from a public right-of-way or adjacent property.
- Identification and directional signs erected by, or on behalf of, a governmental entity/agency.
- Signs supported or sponsored by a governmental entity for community enhancement and historic recognition.
- Government-sponsored announcements or events.
- Other signs required, or specifically allowed, by a federal, state, or local law.
- Safety or warning signs that solely provide warnings, or control the movement or direction of vehicular and pedestrian traffic.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- An administrative development approval (sign permit) is required for the erection, painting, installation, or application of certain types of signs.
- Signage shall be included within the development proposals and shall be approved with the conditional zoning.

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

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