# Sign Regulations in St. James, North Carolina

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

- **Jurisdiction:** St. James, North Carolina (NC)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/north-carolina/st-james
- **Data last verified:** 2025-04-20

## At a glance

St. James, North Carolina regulates 23 sign types across 3 zoning districts. Cemetery Directional/Informational Signs in the General Regulations For All Zones zoning district are capped at 10 ft. tall and 6 sq. ft., with a Min 5 ft from property lines setback (Sec. § 11.5.12). Most commercial signs in St. James require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (3 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 19 | 10 ft. | 32 sq. ft. | — |
| EPUD, SBR-6000, R-20, R-15, R-10, MR, MR-CD | 1 | 8 ft. | 64 sq. ft. | — |
| CI, CLD, NC EPUD | 3 | Not to extend above the parapet or 50 ft, whichever is less (also: 9 ft max typical, see special cases) | 96 sq. ft. | — |

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements

### General Regulations For All Zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| On-Premises Fuel Price Sign | 9 ft. | 15 sq. ft. | — | — | 1 per side of lot fronting a street | Affixed to permitted freestanding identification sign, canopy support (at gasoline pumps), or building wall. | — | § 11.5.8 |
| Cemetery Directional/Informational Sign | 10 ft. | 6 sq. ft. | — | Min 5 ft from property lines | 1 per public road access | Adjacent to each public road accessing a cemetery. Min 5 ft from all property lines, not in sight triangle. | — | § 11.5.12 |
| Temporary Personal Property and Real Estate Sign (Residential) | — | 6 sq. ft. | — | Behind right-of-way line | 1 per frontage, 2 on corner; 3 off-premises | On property being advertised, behind street right-of-way line. | — | § 11.6.1 |
| Temporary Personal Property and Real Estate Sign (Nonresidential) | — | 32 sq. ft. | — | Behind right-of-way line | 1 per frontage, 2 on corner; 3 off-premises | On property being advertised, behind street right-of-way line. | — | § 11.6.1 |
| Temporary Agricultural Product Sign (On-Premises) | — | 32 sq. ft. | — | Off street right-of-way. | 1 | On-premises, off street right-of-way. | — | § 11.6.3 |
| Temporary Agricultural Product Sign (Off-Premises) | — | 4 sq. ft. | — | Off street right-of-way. | Max 2, more with approval | Off street right-of-way. | — | § 11.6.3 |
| Yard Sale Sign (On-premises) | — | 2 sq. ft. | — | Off street ROW | 1 per yard sale | On premises, off street right-of-way. | — | § 11.6.6 |
| Yard Sale Sign (Off-premises) | — | 2 sq. ft. | — | Off street ROW | 3 per yard sale | Off premises, off street right-of-way. | — | § 11.6.6 |

### EPUD, SBR-6000, R-20, R-15, R-10, MR, MR-CD

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Freestanding Sign (Neighborhood Entry/Monument) | 8 ft. | 64 sq. ft. | — | See General Provisions: at least 5 feet behind ROW | 2 per neighborhood | At neighborhood entry or major entrances. | — | § 11.6.7 and Table; § 11.2 for permit |

### CI, CLD, NC EPUD

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Wall Sign | Not to extend above the parapet or 50 ft, whichever is less (also: 9 ft max typical, see special cases) | — | — | — | 1 per building (multi-tenant: 1 per tenant for 3 stories or less) | Affixed to building wall. | — | § 11.6.7 Table & Notes; § 11.2 for permit; § 11.6.7.B for wall requirements |
| Freestanding Sign (Major Entrance/Multiple Tenants) | — | 96 sq. ft. | — | — | 1 per major entrance / multi-tenant building | At major entrance into development and buildings with multiple tenants. | — | § 11.6.7 Table |
| Human Sign | — | — | — | — | 1 per improved lot | Outside the NCDOT right-of-way. | — | § 11.6.7 Table & Notes |

## Prohibited signs in St. James

- Signs may not be located within a required clear sight triangle.
- Signs may not obstruct the view of pedestrians, bicyclists, and/or motorists using any street or right-of-way or approaching any street intersection.
- Signs interfering with the effectiveness of or obscuring any traffic sign, device, or signal are prohibited.
- Any sign located so as to deny a visual access to an existing sign.
- Any sign located outdoors which interferes with free passage from or obstructs any fire escape, downspout, window, door, stairway, ladder, or opening intended as a means of ingress or egress, or providing light or air.
- Any sign (other than a government sign) placed on any curb, sidewalk, post, pole, hydrant, bridge, tree, or other surface and located in, over, or across any street or right-of-way.
- Animated, moving, or motion signs are prohibited, including flashing signs, signs with flashing or reflective disks, flashing lights or lights of changing intensity or color, or signs with electrically scrolled messages and oscillating signs. (Exception: government and public educational facility signs, and portions displaying time/temperature, if compliant with all other requirements.)
- Windblown or inflated signs are prohibited, including fluttering, spinning, windblown, or inflated devices, pennants, propeller discs, flags, or banners, which do not conform to the requirements of the ordinance. (Exception: temporary feather flags at commercial properties during business hours.)
- Temporary, nonpermanent signs, including overhead streamers, are not permitted in any zoning district unless otherwise specified.
- Portable or moveable signs considered temporary signs are prohibited (for example, a sign on wheels).
- Off-premises signs designed to be visible from a road designated as a scenic byway by the state's Department of Transportation are prohibited.
- Roof signs (signs erected or maintained in whole or in part upon or over the roof or parapet of a building) are prohibited.
- Signs that display or advertise an illegal activity in the state are prohibited.
- Signs may not be placed in a location that prevents or restricts access to any firefighting assets, such as fire hydrants, suppression connections, or other devices marked for fire protection.
- Signs identifying residential properties as model or speculative homes are prohibited.

## Signs exempt from permit in St. James

- Freestanding/monument directional non-commercial signs erected by local government, or by an agent of such, on public or private lands with written consent and maintained by the town or its agent are specifically excluded from these regulations and height and area restrictions.
- Government signs: Any temporary or permanent sign erected and maintained by a federal, state, or local government, or governmental entity that does not display a commercial message.
- Grave markers that are noncommercial in nature that meet the standards of a permitted cemetery.
- Flags of standard government size that meet height and area limitations.
- Integral decorative or architectural features of buildings and works of art, so long as such features or works do not contain letters, trademarks, or moving parts.
- On-premises instructional signs giving information or direction for the public's convenience and necessity, not exceeding six square feet in area and four feet in height.
- Identification signs for residential uses, not to exceed four square feet.
- Campaign/political signs, not to exceed four square feet, only during specified periods before and after an election, and not illuminated.
- On-premises fuel price signs meeting specified area, height, and placement criteria.
- Traffic control signs on private property (specialty signs in subdivisions, commercial developments, or PUDs) meeting detailed standards.
- Bulletin boards for noncommercial places of public assembly (e.g., church, school, library), up to 32 square feet and six feet high.
- On-premises directional signs, not involving advertising, conforming to area, location, and separation requirements.
- Cemetery directional/informational signs up to six square feet and ten feet high, with copy limited to the cemetery name and a directional arrow, meeting setback and visibility requirements.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- It is unlawful to construct, enlarge, modify, move, or replace any sign without first obtaining a zoning permit per Article 4.12.1.
- Sign permit applications must include a site plan, diagram, or aerial photo of the property showing accurate placement of proposed signs, including setbacks, structures, access easements, adjacent streets, right-of-ways, and other relevant site information.
- Scaled drawings of sign plans and specifications are required, including details of dimensions, materials, copy, and size (for wall signs, include the dimensions of the building wall, location and size of existing wall signs).
- Any information required by the UDO Administrator to ensure compliance must be provided with the sign plan, and all signs must comply with the International Building Code (NC amendments).
- Signs for multi-tenant buildings or special circumstances (e.g., movie theaters with changeable copy wall signs exceeding maximum sign area) require specific approval by the UDO Administrator, potentially as part of a master sign plan.
- A nonconforming use certificate is required for all nonconforming signs.
- If applying for a new sign permit on a property with nonconforming signs, a sign plan/application must address nonconformities and may require the removal or bringing into compliance of nonconforming signs.

## Full detail

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

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