# Sign Regulations in Cambridge, Ohio

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Cambridge, Ohio (OH)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/ohio/cambridge
- **Data last verified:** 2025-04-11
- **Source:** [amlegal municipal code](https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/cambridge/latest/cambridg_oh/0-0-0-77841)

## At a glance

Cambridge, Ohio regulates 9 sign types across 7 zoning districts. Freestanding Signs in the RM Residential Medical, OMC Office/Medical/Commercial, GSC General/Service Commercial District zoning district are capped at 15 feet tall and 30 square feet, with a 10 feet from public right-of-way setback (Sec. § 155.2307(A)(1)). Most commercial signs in Cambridge require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (7 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 4 | — | 25 square feet | — |
| Downtown Historical District | 4 | — | 10 square feet | — |
| Residentially Zoned Area (SF-1, SF-2, RM, MF) | 1 | 2 feet | 4 square feet | — |
| NC Neighborhood Commercial District | 3 | 15 feet | 15 square feet | — |
| CBD Central Business District | 3 | — | 20 square feet | — |
| RM Residential Medical, OMC Office/Medical/Commercial, GSC General/Service Commercial District | 3 | 40 feet | 80 square feet | — |
| CI Community Industrial District | 2 | 15 feet or maximum height of building | 100 square feet | — |

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements (sample of 3 of 7 zones)

### General Regulations For All Zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Wall Sign | — | 25 square feet | — | — | — | Building wall facing street, parking lot, or service drive | — | § 155.1609(A) |
| Ground Sign | — | — | — | — | — | On lot | — | § 155.1609(B) |
| Window Sign | — | 10 square feet | — | — | — | Ground level windows | — | § 155.1609(C) |
| Projecting Nameplate | — | — | — | — | — | Major street frontage | — | § 155.1609(D) |

### NC Neighborhood Commercial District

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Wall Sign | — | — | — | — | 1 per business | Building wall | — | § 155.2305(A)(1) |
| Freestanding Sign | 15 feet | 15 square feet | — | — | 1 per building | Per building | — | § 155.2305(A)(2) |
| Projecting Sign | — | 15 square feet | — | — | 1 per business | Per business | — | § 155.2305(A)(4) |

### RM Residential Medical, OMC Office/Medical/Commercial, GSC General/Service Commercial District

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Freestanding Sign | 15 feet | 30 square feet | — | 10 feet from public right-of-way | 1 per building | Per building | — | § 155.2307(A)(1) |
| Highway Sign | 40 feet | 80 square feet | — | 10 feet from public right-of-way | 1 per property | Within 500 feet of limited access highway | — | § 155.2307(A)(2) |
| Wall Sign | — | — | — | — | 3 per building | Building wall | — | § 155.2307(A)(3) |

## Prohibited signs in Cambridge

- No person shall place any sign, display, advertisement, or other object which would obscure vision or hinder traffic within any public street, alley, highway, sidewalk, or curb lawn.
- No sign or signboard shall be erected that obstructs free access to or egress from any building or that obstructs any opening required for ventilation.
- No sign or signboard shall be erected so as to create a traffic hazard by obstructing the view of traffic at an intersection, curve, or bend, or by obstructing or confusing the view of traffic lights, railroad crossing lights, or warning signals.
- No permit will be issued for the installation of any new sign, the base of which is located between the sidewalk and curb or on city property.
- Billboard signs are prohibited in all zoning districts.
- No sign shall be permitted to encroach on public right-of-way with the exception of projecting signs or wall signs which project from the wall more than six inches and are attached to a building.
- No signs are permitted on the rear of a commercial or industrial building unless the sign is intended to direct pedestrian or vehicular traffic in the parking area while on the same premises.
- No illumination involving movement or causing the illusion of movement by reason of the lighting arrangement or other services shall be permitted which may cause confusion or hazard to traffic or conflict with traffic control signs or lights.
- No sign shall contain or consist of banners, pennants, ribbons, streamers or similar moving devices.

## Signs exempt from permit in Cambridge

- Official governmental signs and notices are exempt from provisions of this chapter.
- Bulletin boards for churches, schools, community, or other public, semi-public, or nonprofit institution shall be permitted without a sign permit, provided they do not exceed 30 square feet of announcement area.
- Permanent subdivision signs built at the entrance to a housing development, constructed of brick, stone, or other durable material and not causing any obstruction of driver vision at an intersection shall be permitted without a permit, provided that the sign is no taller than five feet.
- Signs clearly in the nature of decorations customarily associated with any national, local, or religious holiday, to be limited to 60 days in any one year and to be displayed not more than 60 consecutive days.
- Political signs or posters concerning candidates for elective office, public issues and similar matters to be decided by public election, to be displayed beginning no more than 45 days prior to election and to be removed no later than seven days after such election.
- Signs that indicate the sale, development, rental or lease of a particular structure or land area, to be limited in size to six square feet, with one sign allowed per street front.
- Exterior signs that are limited in size to 25% of the window area, or ten square feet, whichever is less and which are either not illuminated or are illuminated only from a concealed light source.
- Nameplates, provided that the nameplate does not exceed 1½ square feet, and is flush to building, and material must be appropriate to face of building.
- A sign which advertises the sale of personal property such as a garage, yard, porch or moving sale sign provided that it is limited to one sign, not greater than four square feet in size and which sign is located on the sale premises for a time period not greater than two consecutive days.
- Construction signs which display the identification of the construction project, including identification of the contractors, architects and other construction principals provided that such construction sign conforms to the size requirements of the zoning district in which it is located and is removed upon the completion of construction or the commencement of occupancy, whichever event occurs first.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- Any sign covered by this chapter that would exceed these restrictions or any additional sign requested above the number permitted shall require a variance from the Planning and Zoning Commission.
- When a structure contains more than one business establishment or when the owners of two or more contiguous lots voluntarily agree to develop common signage, a common signage plan may be submitted and approved.
- All applications for a sign variance shall be made directly to the Planning Commission upon forms as prescribed by the Commission.

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

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