# Sign Regulations in Whiteville, North Carolina

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

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

## At a glance

Whiteville, North Carolina regulates 15 sign types across 5 zoning districts. Electronic Business Identification Signs in the B-3, I-1, I-2 zoning district are capped at 40 ft tall and 30 sq ft (unless special use, per § 155.066), with a At least 10 ft from any right-of-way or property line; at least 50 ft from any street intersection setback (Sec. § 155.140). Most commercial signs in Whiteville require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (5 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 10 | — | 32 sq ft | — |
| RA-20 | 1 | 40 ft | 30 sq ft (unless special use, per § 155.066) | — |
| B-3, I-1, I-2 | 4 | 50 ft | 300 sq ft (per sign) | — |
| B-1, B-2, B-4, O&I | 3 | 40 ft | 300 sq ft (per sign) | — |

_1 additional zoning district is covered in PermitPal (free account)._

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements (sample of 3 of 5 zones)

### General Regulations For All Zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Temporary Real Estate Sign (Residential) | — | 10 sq ft | — | At least 10 ft from any public right-of-way or property line; at least 50 ft from any road intersection (§ 155.137) | One per lot per street frontage | Per residential lot; one sign per street frontage if property faces more than one street | — | § 155.136(A) |
| Temporary Real Estate Sign (Commercial/Industrial/Tract >= 5 acres) | — | 32 sq ft | — | At least 10 ft from any public right-of-way or property line; at least 50 ft from any road intersection (§ 155.137) | One per property per street frontage | Per property; one sign per street frontage if property faces more than one street | — | § 155.136(A) |
| Temporary Construction Site Sign | — | 32 sq ft | — | At least 10 ft from any public right-of-way or property line; at least 50 ft from any road intersection (§ 155.137) | One | On site during construction | — | § 155.136(B) |
| Direction or Information Sign (Public/Quasi-public) | — | 32 sq ft | — | At least 10 ft from any public right-of-way or property line; at least 50 ft from any road intersection (§ 155.137) | — | Public/quasi-public locations | — | § 155.136(C) |
| Fence Wrap (Construction Site) | — | — | — | — | — | Affixed to perimeter fencing at construction site | — | § 155.133(F) |
| Identification Sign (Property Number/Occupant/Other, non-commercial) | — | 1 sq ft | — | — | — | Premises | — | § 155.133(A) |
| Government/Legal/Official Sign (Flags, Insignias, Notices, Directional) | — | — | — | — | — | As required by governmental bodies | — | § 155.133(B)(C) |
| Tobacco Warehouse/Prize House Directional Sign | — | 6 sq ft | 18 inches by 4 ft | — | — | Public place; subject to not obstructing pedestrians/vehicles or driver vision | — | § 155.159 |

### B-3, I-1, I-2

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Business Identification Sign | 40 ft | 300 sq ft (per sign) | — | At least 10 ft from any right-of-way or property line; at least 50 ft from any street intersection | — | — | — | § 155.139 |
| Electronic Business Identification Sign | 40 ft | 30 sq ft (unless special use, per § 155.066) | — | At least 10 ft from any right-of-way or property line; at least 50 ft from any street intersection | One per property | Premises | — | § 155.140 |
| Outdoor Advertising Sign | 50 ft | 300 sq ft per copy area (2 sides allowed, calculated separately) | — | At least 20 ft from any right-of-way or property line; at least 50 ft from any right-of-way intersection | — | Not within 100 ft of any residential structure or zone, 50 ft from any permanent nonresidential structure | — | § 155.141 |
| Mural Sign | — | — | — | — | — | Building wall | — | § 155.157 |

### B-1, B-2, B-4, O&I

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Business Identification Sign | 40 ft | 300 sq ft (per sign) | — | At least 10 ft from any right-of-way or property line; at least 50 ft from any street intersection | — | — | — | § 155.139 |
| Electronic Business Identification Sign | 40 ft | 30 sq ft (unless special use, per § 155.066) | — | At least 10 ft from any right-of-way or property line; at least 50 ft from any street intersection | One per property | Premises | — | § 155.140 |
| Mural Sign | — | — | — | — | — | Building wall | — | § 155.157 |

## Prohibited signs in Whiteville

- No sign shall be erected or continued that obstructs the sight distance at intersections or along a public right-of-way.
- No sign shall be erected or continued that would tend by its location, color, or nature to be confused with or obstruct the view of traffic signs or signals, or would be confused with a flashing light of an emergency vehicle.
- No sign shall be erected or continued which might be confused with traffic directional signals and signs such as 'stop', 'go', 'slow', 'danger', and the like.
- No sign shall be attached to or painted on any telephone pole, light pole, telegraph pole or other human-made objects not intended to support a sign or any tree, rock or other natural objects.
- No sign shall be erected, hung, or structurally altered without a permit, except those specifically exempted.
- No sign shall be supported from any point outside the property line.
- No sign shall be so erected, hung, or attached so as to obstruct any window, door, fire escape, balcony, platform, stairway, ladder, stack, vent pipe or ingress to or egress from any building, or so as to hinder the placing of ladders against the building by the Fire Department, or within five feet of the adjoining property, if the sign protrudes more than one foot over the street.
- It is unlawful to affix any sign to any pole, fence, wall, or other structure, or on a street sign or the poles supporting street signs, without permission from the owner or person having charge thereof.
- No person shall construct, erect, install, maintain, or use any sign, signboard or other advertising device over any street, alley, sidewalk or other public way or place in the city without first obtaining a permit.
- No sign shall be placed upon a pole or other structure which supports any wire for the transmission of electrical current for power, lights, communication or any other purpose, except by permission of the owner of the pole or structure.
- No sign shall be constructed, erected, installed or maintained so that it is a hazard to persons or property lawfully using public streets, alleys, sidewalks, or other public ways.
- No sign shall interfere with passage or access, such as passage of motor carriers using service entrances of commercial establishments.
- 'Children at Play' and 'Deaf Child' signs are prohibited on city-owned streets.
- No video displays or audio speakers are permitted on electronic signs.
- The displaying of videos is prohibited on electronic signs.
- No audio speakers or any form of pyrotechnics are permitted on electronic signs.

## Signs exempt from permit in Whiteville

- Signs not exceeding one square foot in area and bearing only property numbers, post office box numbers, names of occupants of premises or other identification of premises not having commercial connotations.
- Flags and insignias of any government displayed in connection with commercial promotion.
- Legal notices, identification, information or directional signs erected or required by governmental bodies.
- Integral, decorative or architectural features of buildings, except letters, trademarks, moving lights or moving parts.
- Signs directing and guiding traffic and parking on private property, but bearing no advertising matter.
- Fence wraps displaying signage when affixed to perimeter fencing at a construction site are exempt from zoning regulation pertaining to signage under this chapter until the certificate of occupancy is issued for the final portion of any construction at that site or 24 months from the time the fence wrap was installed, whichever is shorter.
- One sign not to exceed three square feet in area may be permitted for each parcel of property without the payment of the permit fee and without the insurance or bond otherwise required, but a permit shall still be required.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- Applications for a sign permit must be accompanied by a plan showing area, size, layout, design, illumination method, location relative to property lines and zoning boundaries, and other information as required by the Planning Director.
- The Planning Director may require additional information in the application as necessary to determine compliance.
- For construction, erection, installation, maintenance, or use of any marquee or canopy over any street, alley, sidewalk, or public way, a permit is required, the application for which must include location, materials, method of construction, owner's consent (if applicable), and a hold harmless covenant.
- Mural signs require approval by the Planning Board and City Council as to content, palette, execution, placement, and size.
- Outdoor advertising signs approved after June 12, 2018 must submit a landscape plan consisting of ground cover, shrubs, trees, or other permanent vegetation that will effectively screen the sign’s base.
- Permit required for all signs except as specifically listed in exemptions. A permit application must include detailed construction and safety information.
- No reference found to a master sign plan requirement or sign plan for a group of signs (such as for a shopping center) in this ordinance.
- For business identification signs, mural signs, and electronic business/religious institution identification signs, a permit application and possibly additional documentation/certification (e.g., illumination certification) are required.
- All signs must comply with the North Carolina State Building Code and National Electric Code.

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

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