# Sign Regulations in Rolesville, North Carolina

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Rolesville, North Carolina (NC)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/north-carolina/rolesville
- **Data last verified:** 2025-05-08
- **Source:** [municode municipal code](https://library.municode.com/NC/Rolesville/codes/Unified_Development_Ordinance?nodeId=PTIIUNDEOR_ART11SIST)

## At a glance

Rolesville, North Carolina regulates 18 sign types across 3 zoning districts. Freestanding Signs in the Business Districts (O&P, C, C-O, C-W, I, I-W, R&PUD (non-residential uses)) zoning district are capped at 12 feet tall and 80 square feet, with a Not less than 5 feet from street right-of-way; outside of vehicular site triangles setback (Sec. Section 11.3.1, Table (Business Districts); Footnotes 1a-f; Section 11.3.3 Table). Most commercial signs in Rolesville require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (3 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Residential Districts (R-40W, R-80W, R-IS, R-I, R-ID, R-II, R-IID, R&PUD (residential uses), UMH, R-MH) | 4 | 8 feet | 32 square feet | — |
| Business Districts (O&P, C, C-O, C-W, I, I-W, R&PUD (non-residential uses)) | 9 | Bottom of sign maximum 18 inches below bottom of canopy face | 120 square feet | — |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 5 | Bottom of sign maximum 18 inches below bottom of canopy face | 72 square feet | — |

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements

### Residential Districts (R-40W, R-80W, R-IS, R-I, R-ID, R-II, R-IID, R&PUD (residential uses), UMH, R-MH)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Freestanding Sign (on single-family lots) | 4 feet | 8 square feet | — | — | 1 | On residential single-family lots | — | Section 11.3.1, Table (Residential Zones), and footnotes 1a-d |
| Freestanding Sign (other permissible uses) | 4 feet | 32 square feet | — | — | 1 | On lots with permissible non-single-family residential uses | — | Section 11.3.1, Table (Residential Zones), and footnotes 1a-d |
| Wall Sign | — | 24 square feet | — | — | 1 | On building wall. No projection above roofline except for parapet walls. No projection more than 18 inches from building wall. | — | Section 11.3.1, Table; Footnote 2 and 3 |
| Residential Development Entrance Sign | 8 feet | 32 square feet | — | — | 1 | At residential development entrance | — | Section 11.3.1, Table (Residential Zones) 'Signs located at Residential Development Entrances' |

### Business Districts (O&P, C, C-O, C-W, I, I-W, R&PUD (non-residential uses))

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Freestanding Sign | 12 feet | 80 square feet | — | Not less than 5 feet from street right-of-way; outside of vehicular site triangles | 1 per street frontage, 2 maximum | One per street frontage, two maximum per lot | — | Section 11.3.1, Table (Business Districts); Footnotes 1a-f; Section 11.3.3 Table |
| Freestanding Sign (Multi-tenant Building, development up to 100,000 sq ft) | 12 feet | 100 square feet | — | Not less than 5 feet from street right-of-way; outside of vehicular site triangles | 1 per street frontage, 2 maximum | 1 per street frontage, 2 maximum | — | Section 11.3.2, Table |
| Freestanding Sign (Multi-tenant Building, development over 100,000 sq ft) | 15 feet | 120 square feet | — | Not less than 5 feet from street right-of-way; outside of vehicular site triangles | 2 per street frontage, 3 maximum | 2 per street frontage, 3 maximum | — | Section 11.3.2, Table |
| Wall Sign (Building up to 100,000 sq ft) | — | Greater of 60 sq ft or 10% of frontage wall area | — | — | — | Affixed to building wall or canopy; uniform vertical and horizontal location encouraged | — | Section 11.3.1 (Wall), 11.3.2, Table; Footnotes 2, 3; 11.3.3 (Wall Signs) |
| Wall Sign (Building over 100,000 sq ft) | — | Greater of 60 sq ft or 7% of frontage wall area | — | — | — | Affixed to building wall or canopy; uniform vertical and horizontal location encouraged | — | Section 11.3.1 (Wall), 11.3.2, Table; Footnotes 2, 3; 11.3.3 (Wall Signs) |
| Wall Sign (Multi-tenant Building, up to 100,000 sq ft including canopy face) | — | Greater of 60 sq ft or 10% of frontage wall area | — | — | — | Affixed to building wall or canopy; uniform vertical and horizontal location encouraged | — | Section 11.3.2, Table; Footnotes 2, 3; 11.3.3 (Wall Signs) |
| Wall Sign (Multi-tenant Building, over 100,000 sq ft including canopy face) | — | Greater of 60 sq ft or 10% of frontage wall area | — | — | — | Affixed to building wall or canopy; uniform vertical and horizontal location encouraged | — | Section 11.3.2, Table; Footnotes 2, 3; 11.3.3 (Wall Signs) |
| Canopy Under Hang Sign (Multi-tenant Building) | Bottom of sign maximum 18 inches below bottom of canopy face | 4 square feet | — | — | 1 per business | Under canopy in multi-tenant buildings | — | Section 11.3.2, Table |

### General Regulations For All Zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Freestanding Sign (Subdivision entrance or multi-tenant sign) | 12 feet for pole sign (min 7-ft base); 8 feet for monument | 72 square feet | — | Outside of vehicular site triangles; no less than 5 feet from street right-of-way | 1 per exterior road frontage, 2 maximum | Subdivision entrance or as multi-tenant sign; 1 per exterior road frontage, 2 maximum | — | Section 11.3.4, Table and Footnotes |
| Freestanding Monument Sign (individual parcel/lease lot) | 6 feet | 60 square feet | — | Outside of vehicular site triangles; no less than 5 feet from street right-of-way | 1 per parcel or lease lot | Individual parcels or lease lots in non-residential subdivision | — | Section 11.3.4, Table and Footnotes |
| Wall Sign (Including canopy face, subdivision or non-residential use) | — | Greater of 60 sq ft or 10% of frontage wall area | — | — | — | Uniform vertical positions; centered or one side of storefront; canopy face allowed | — | Section 11.3.4, Table; Footnotes 2, 3; 11.3.5 |
| Canopy Sign | Bottom of sign maximum 18 inches below bottom of canopy face | 4 square feet | — | — | 1 per business | Under canopy | — | Section 11.3.4, Table |
| Wall-Mounted Banner | — | 50% of total allowed wall sign area for banners; total of all banners plus permanent signs must not exceed total allowed wall sign area | — | — | — | Wall-mounted, systematically affixed | — | Section 11.3.1, Table footnote 3 |

## Prohibited signs in Rolesville

- No freestanding sign (temporary or permanent) shall encroach into any right-of-way, except as permitted by an encroachment agreement or other license executed by the governmental authority having control of such right-of-way.
- Poles and other supporting structures shall not be internally illuminated.
- No sign may project more than 18 inches from the building wall.
- No wall sign shall project above the roofline, except for parapet walls.
- Freestanding signs must be securely fastened to the ground so that there is virtually no danger that the sign may be moved by wind or other forces of nature and cause injury to persons or property.
- Wall-mounted banners and permanent wall signs combined shall not exceed the total wall sign area allowed in Section 11.3.
- Garish color schemes are not allowed.

## Signs exempt from permit in Rolesville

- Wall-mounted banners do not require issuance of a building permit, provided all other conditions of Section 11.3 are met.
- Roof surfaces constructed at an angle of 75 degrees or more from horizontal are regarded as wall space for purposes of signage requirements.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- All applications for a freestanding sign permit must be accompanied by an engineer's sealed footing drawing and calculations.
- A sketch plan of the landscaped area with the name, quantity, and spacing of plants must be presented to the Planning Director as part of applying for a sign permit for a permanent freestanding sign.
- A pattern or scheme for colors is required (for commercial/multitenant and non-residential subdivisions).

## Full detail

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

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