# Sign Regulations in Tarboro, North Carolina

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Tarboro, North Carolina (NC)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/north-carolina/tarboro
- **Data last verified:** 2025-04-01
- **Source:** [municode municipal code](https://library.municode.com/NC/Tarboro/codes/Code_of_Ordinances?nodeId=PTIICOOR_APXBUNDEOR_CH10SI)

## At a glance

Tarboro, North Carolina regulates 11 sign types across 8 zoning districts. Wall Signs in the Central Business District (CBD) zoning district are capped at No sign may extend above the building roofline tall and 30% of the total surface area of the wall (Sec. Sec. 10.10.3.A). Most commercial signs in Tarboro require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (8 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Residential Development (RD, GR3, GR5, GR10, MHP) | 2 | 6 feet | 16 square feet | — |
| Office Institutional (OI) | 4 | See 10.10.3.B | 200 square feet | — |
| Central Business District (CBD) | 6 | 20 feet | 300 square feet | — |
| Neighborhood Business (NB) | 5 | 35 feet | 250 square feet | — |
| Highway Business (HB) | 6 | 35 feet | 250 square feet | — |
| Light Industrial (LI) | 4 | 35 feet | 250 square feet | — |
| Heavy Industrial (HI) | 4 | 35 feet | 250 square feet | — |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 3 | — | 16 square feet | — |

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements (sample of 3 of 8 zones)

### Central Business District (CBD)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Wall Sign | No sign may extend above the building roofline | 30% of the total surface area of the wall | — | — | N/A | Attached to or painted on a wall or building | — | Sec. 10.10.3.A |
| Projecting Sign | See 10.10.3.B | 6 square feet | — | — | 1 | Attached to and supported by a building | — | Sec. 10.10.3.B |
| Awning/Canopy Sign | — | 50% of the awning area | — | — | 1 | Integrated into storefront awnings | — | Sec. 10.10.3.D |
| Ground Sign | 20 feet | 300 square feet | — | — | 1 | Freestanding, attached to a contiguous structural base or planter box | — | Sec. 10.10.5 |
| Time and Temperature Sign | 8 feet | 12 square feet | — | — | 1 | Incorporated into a permitted wall or freestanding sign | — | Sec. 10.10.6.A |
| Electronic Message Board Sign | — | 50% of the primary sign area | — | — | 1 | Incorporated into a permitted wall or freestanding sign | — | Sec. 10.10.6.B |

### Neighborhood Business (NB)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Wall Sign | No sign may extend above the building roofline | 30% of the total surface area of the wall | — | — | N/A | Attached to or painted on a wall or building | — | Sec. 10.10.3.A |
| Projecting Sign | See 10.10.3.B | 6 square feet | — | — | 1 | Attached to and supported by a building | — | Sec. 10.10.3.B |
| Awning/Canopy Sign | — | 50% of the awning area | — | — | 1 | Integrated into storefront awnings | — | Sec. 10.10.3.D |
| Ground Sign | 35 feet | 250 square feet | — | — | 1 | Freestanding, attached to a contiguous structural base or planter box | — | Sec. 10.10.5 |
| Time and Temperature Sign | 8 feet | 12 square feet | — | — | 1 | Incorporated into a permitted wall or freestanding sign | — | Sec. 10.10.6.A |

### Highway Business (HB)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Wall Sign | No sign may extend above the building roofline | 30% of the total surface area of the wall | — | — | N/A | Attached to or painted on a wall or building | — | Sec. 10.10.3.A |
| Projecting Sign | See 10.10.3.B | 6 square feet | — | — | 1 | Attached to and supported by a building | — | Sec. 10.10.3.B |
| Awning/Canopy Sign | — | 50% of the awning area | — | — | 1 | Integrated into storefront awnings | — | Sec. 10.10.3.D |
| Ground Sign | 35 feet | 250 square feet | — | — | 1 | Freestanding, attached to a contiguous structural base or planter box | — | Sec. 10.10.5 |
| Time and Temperature Sign | 8 feet | 12 square feet | — | — | 1 | Incorporated into a permitted wall or freestanding sign | — | Sec. 10.10.6.A |
| Electronic Message Board Sign | — | 50% of the primary sign area | — | — | 1 | Incorporated into a permitted wall or freestanding sign | — | Sec. 10.10.6.B |

## Prohibited signs in Tarboro

- Off-Premises Signs: All off-premises signs unless specifically allowed elsewhere in this Ordinance are prohibited.
- Animated/Flashing Signs: Except as otherwise approved for time and temperature signs, signs displaying blinking, flashing, or intermittent lights, animation, and moving parts or signs giving the illusion of movement are prohibited.
- Signs Resembling Governmental Signs: Any sign that imitates an official governmental sign or violates the laws of the State of North Carolina relating to outdoor advertising are prohibited.
- Signs Resembling Traffic Signals: Any sign which by color, location, or nature may be confused with official highway signs, warning signs, traffic signals, or other regulatory devices.
- Signs Resembling Traffic Signals: Any sign that uses the words 'STOP', 'SLOW', 'CAUTION', 'DANGER', or any word which is likely to be confused with traffic directional and regulatory signs.
- Signs Resembling Traffic Signals: Any sign located in a manner which might constitute a traffic hazard.
- Signs on Roadside Appurtenances: Signs attached to or painted on utility poles, telephone poles, trees, parking meters, bridges, overpasses, rocks, other signs, benches, refuse containers, etc., unless specifically allowed elsewhere in this Ordinance.
- Pennants, Streamers, Balloons: Signs containing or consisting of pennants, balloons, ribbons, streamers, or spinners.
- Signs Obstructing Access: Any sign that obstructs free ingress or egress from a driveway or required window, door, fire escape, stairway, ladder, or other required opening.
- Signs Installed on Public Property: Any sign installed or placed on public property or within a public right-of-way, including any sign held or otherwise displayed upon a person.

## Signs exempt from permit in Tarboro

- Signs bearing only property identification numbers and names, post office box numbers, or other identification of premises not of a commercial nature, provided that such signs are not illuminated and do not exceed two signs per parcel and do not exceed two square feet in area per display surface.
- Flags and insignia of a government when not displayed in connection with a commercial promotion.
- Legal notices, identification and informational signs, and traffic directional or regulatory signs erected by, or on behalf of, a governmental body.
- Memorial signs or tablets, and names and construction dates of buildings when cut into a masonry surface.
- Signs directing and guiding traffic and parking on private property on which the signs are located, provided that such signs are not illuminated, or are indirectly illuminated, bear no advertising matter, and do not exceed four square feet in area per display surface.
- Political signs not located on any tree, utility pole, publicly-owned property or within a public street right-of-way, except within NCDOT right-of-way according to the standards of NCGS § 136-32.
- Official signs of a noncommercial nature erected by public utilities.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- Except as provided in § 10.6 or elsewhere in this Chapter, it shall be unlawful for any person to erect, construct, enlarge, move, or replace any sign without first obtaining a permit from the Town of Tarboro. Sign permits shall be submitted and reviewed in accordance with the procedure outlined in Chapter 15 of this Ordinance.
- Temporary signs may be located on private property with an approved zoning permit issued in accordance with the standards of Chapter 15 of this Ordinance.

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

---

PermitPal — AI sign code research. Full HTML page: https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/north-carolina/tarboro