# Sign Regulations in Centerville, Ohio

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Centerville, Ohio (OH)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/ohio/centerville
- **Data last verified:** 2025-09-23
- **Source:** [amlegal municipal code](https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/centerville/latest/centerville_oh_udo/0-0-0-3844)

## At a glance

Centerville, Ohio regulates 19 sign types across 11 zoning districts. Ground Sign or Projecting Sign (Permanent)s in the Office-Service District (O-S), Neighborhood Business District (B-1), General Business District (B-2), Light Industrial District (I-1), Office Planned Development (O-PD), Business Planned Development (B-PD), Industrial Planned Development (I-PD), Office-Flex (OF) zoning district are capped at 6 ft at minimum setback; +1 ft per every add'l 5 ft setback, up to max 16 ft tall and 64 sq ft (sign area), 32 sq ft (sign face), with a Setback determined per location, height increases per additional setback setback (Sec. 9.51(G)(2)). Most commercial signs in Centerville require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (11 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Agricultural District (A), Undeveloped Agricultural Land | 1 | 6 ft | Max 64 sq ft | — |
| One-Family Residential District (R-1a, R-1b, R-1c, R-1d, R-1e), Residential Planned Development (R-PD), Neighborhood Residential (NR), Residential Conservation (RC), Lifestyle Community (LC) | 4 | 6 ft | 15 sq ft | — |
| Two-Family Residential District (R-2) | 4 | 6 ft | 15 sq ft | — |
| Multi-Family Residential District (R-3) | 3 | 6 ft | 64 sq ft (sign area), 32 sq ft (sign face) | — |
| Office-Service District (O-S), Neighborhood Business District (B-1), General Business District (B-2), Light Industrial District (I-1), Office Planned Development (O-PD), Business Planned Development (B-PD), Industrial Planned Development (I-PD), Office-Flex (OF) | 6 | 6 ft at minimum setback; +1 ft per every add'l 5 ft setback, up to max 16 ft | 64 sq ft (sign area), 32 sq ft (sign face) | — |
| Architectural Preservation District (APD) | 6 | 6 ft | 36 sq ft per sign | — |
| Floodplain District (FP), Wireless Telecommunications District (WTC), Corporate Business (CB), Community Center (CC), Neighborhood Center (NC) | 1 | — | — | — |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 3 | 3 ft (if within 25 ft of right-of-way), otherwise 8 ft | 60 sq ft | — |
| Neighborhood Residential (NR), Residential Conservation (RC), Lifestyle Community (LC) | 4 | 6 ft | 15 sq ft | — |
| Community Center (CC), Neighborhood Center (NC) | 1 | — | — | — |
| Corporate Business (CB) | 1 | — | — | — |

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements (sample of 3 of 11 zones)

### One-Family Residential District (R-1a, R-1b, R-1c, R-1d, R-1e), Residential Planned Development (R-PD), Neighborhood Residential (NR), Residential Conservation (RC), Lifestyle Community (LC)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Wall Sign | — | 2 sq ft | — | — | 1 per dwelling unit | On dwelling unit | — | 9.51(F)(1)(c) |
| Ground Sign (Neighborhood Identification) | 6 ft | 15 sq ft | — | — | 1 per entrance | Entrance to neighborhood, fronting on thoroughfare | — | 9.51(F)(1)(b)(ii) |
| Ground Sign (Temporary - Garage Sale) | 4 ft | 12 sq ft | — | — | — | Outside public right-of-way | — | 9.51(F)(1)(d) |
| Real Estate Sign (Temporary) | 4 ft | 12 sq ft (sign area), 6 sq ft (sign face) | — | — | 1 per lot frontage | Ground or wall sign | — | 9.51(D)(21)(b)(ii) |

### Office-Service District (O-S), Neighborhood Business District (B-1), General Business District (B-2), Light Industrial District (I-1), Office Planned Development (O-PD), Business Planned Development (B-PD), Industrial Planned Development (I-PD), Office-Flex (OF)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Ground Sign or Projecting Sign (Permanent) | 6 ft at minimum setback; +1 ft per every add'l 5 ft setback, up to max 16 ft | 64 sq ft (sign area), 32 sq ft (sign face) | — | Setback determined per location, height increases per additional setback | 1 | Outside public right-of-way, with required landscape | — | 9.51(G)(2) |
| Wall Sign (Permanent) | — | — | — | — | Max 3 per frontage | On building wall | — | 9.51(G)(3) |
| Ground Sign (Temporary) | 6 ft | 32 sq ft (sign area), 16 sq ft (sign face) | — | — | 1 per premises | Outside public right-of-way | — | 9.51(G)(4)(a) |
| Wall Sign (Temporary) | — | 40 sq ft | — | — | 1 per frontage per quarter | Building wall | — | 9.51(G)(4)(b) |
| Electronic Message Center (EMC) Ground or Wall Sign | — | 24 sq ft per side (EMC portion) | — | — | — | Non-residential zoning districts, frontage of thoroughfare street only | — | 9.51(G)(1)(c) |
| Real Estate Sign (Temporary) | 6 ft | Varies by frontage | — | — | 1 per lot frontage | Ground sign | — | 9.51(D)(21)(b)(iii) |

### Architectural Preservation District (APD)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Ground Sign (Permanent) | 6 ft | 16 sq ft (face area) | — | — | 1 | On premises, not in right-of-way | — | 9.51(H)(5)(a) |
| Wall Sign (Permanent) | — | 36 sq ft per sign | Overall width not to exceed 60% of wall | — | 2 per business | Front facade or facade adjacent to public park/parking lot | — | 9.51(H)(5)(b) |
| Projecting Sign | Cannot extend above top of 2nd story window | Incl. in Wall Sign max area | — | — | Included in max 2 wall/projecting signs per business | Front facade or facade adjacent to public park/parking lot; cannot project into public right-of-way | — | 9.51(H)(5)(b) |
| Daily Display Sign (Temporary) | 4 ft | 6 sq ft | — | — | 1 per business | Near front porch/stoop, out of right-of-way, not conflicting with pedestrian/vehicular path | — | 9.51(H)(5)(c) |
| Ground Sign (Temporary) | 6 ft | 12 sq ft | — | — | 1 per business (in lieu of daily display sign) | Outside public right-of-way | — | 9.51(H)(5)(c)(viii) |
| Wall Sign (Temporary) | — | 12 sq ft | — | — | 1 per business (in lieu of daily display sign) | Building wall | — | 9.51(H)(5)(c)(viii) |

## Prohibited signs in Centerville

- Any sign or part thereof erected within or above a public right-of-way is prohibited, including commercial, non-commercial, and political signs.
- Any sign erected at or near intersections that obstructs vision, is confusing to traffic, or uses the words 'stop', 'look', 'danger', or similar in a misleading way is prohibited.
- Any sign mounted onto, above, or incorporated into the roof of any building is prohibited unless specifically permitted.
- Any lighter-than-air or inflatable sign on, attached, or tethered to premises, structures, or vehicles is prohibited except balloons up to 24 inches at certain dwellings.
- Any sign utilizing artificial illumination devices that interfere with vision off-premises is prohibited.
- Any sign using fixed or mobile beacon, strobe light, searchlight, signaling light, or spotlight to attract unusual attention off-premises is prohibited.
- Any sign or part thereof utilizing flame as a source of light is prohibited.
- Any sign with an energized lamp bulb where the bulb surface is directly visible off-premises is prohibited.
- Any sign conveying misleading or unlawful commercial information is prohibited.
- Any sign conveying visual information that is obscene, indecent, or immoral is prohibited.
- Vehicle mounted signs are prohibited.
- Signs in dangerous or defective condition are prohibited and must be removed or repaired.
- The sign face of permanent signs may not be constructed with non-durable materials such as vinyl, PVC, corrugated plastic, paper, cardboard, plywood, particle board, or foam; exceptions only by City Planner approval.
- Any temporary sign with illumination is prohibited.
- Electronic message centers are prohibited for temporary signs and signs in the Architectural Preservation District (APD).
- Temporary signs with motion, visible moving, revolving, rotating parts, mechanical movement, or non-constant visual image are prohibited.
- Permanent signs with external visible moving, revolving, rotating parts, or non-constant visual image are prohibited, except a permanent sign may have internal rotation that does not extend beyond the sign area when in motion.
- Any sign with more than one internally illuminated window sign per window is prohibited (window signs).
- Any wall sign masking or interrupting major architectural features is prohibited.
- Ground signs on individual lots in single or two-family residential districts are prohibited.
- Projecting signs in single or two-family residential districts are prohibited.
- A permanent sign that is not maintained in a safe or presentable condition is prohibited.
- All commercial signs must pertain to the premises on which they are located.

## Signs exempt from permit in Centerville

- Window signs located inside or behind a window in commercial or industrial buildings are exempt from all provisions except the prohibited signs section, provided not more than 25% of the window area is devoted to signage.
- A balloon up to, but not exceeding, 24 inches in any dimension at single-family, two-family, or 3-4 family dwellings is exempt if not displayed with any other sign.
- Non-commercial flags, limited to three per premises and with a maximum sign face area of 60 square feet per flag, are exempt.
- A property owner may install an American Flag in the public right-of-way adjacent to their property in accordance with Ohio Revised Code 723.012 ('Installation of flagpole in sidewalk').
- Directional signs meeting specific size, height, and location criteria are permitted in addition to other signs and are exempt from general ground sign setback provisions.
- Temporary real estate signs in residential and non-residential districts and on undeveloped/agricultural land are exempt from sign permit requirements if they meet size, location, and duration restrictions.
- Temporary signs for new businesses that have received a zoning certificate and building occupancy permits are permitted for 30 days (once per premise, within six months of opening); no permit required.
- Temporary signs during construction (one ground, projecting, or wall sign) are permitted without a permit until business commencement.
- Daily display signs in APD are permitted without sign permit for businesses, subject to size and display hour restrictions.
- Temporary ground signs advertising garage sales or non-commercial events are permitted in residential zones for limited durations and sizes.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- A Zoning Permit (and in some cases a Zoning Certificate) is required for erection, construction, relocation, or alteration of any sign unless exempted by the City Development Department.
- Plans for neighborhood identification signs (ground signs in residential districts) including location, fences, walls, earth mounds, and landscaping must be submitted for approval prior to construction.
- Splitting a ground sign into two signs for multi-family residential developments requires a Zoning Certificate and submission of plans for approval including all landscaping, fences, walls, or earth mounds.
- Exchange of permitted ground sign for a wall sign in business/industrial/non-residential districts requires sign permit before installation.
- Site plan for zoning must be approved by the City before a sign permit may be issued for wall signs on overhanging roof surfaces.
- Temporary sign requests exceeding allowed durations for business/industrial/non-residential uses may be approved by Planning Commission.
- Plans for ground signs in the APD and signs using non-standard materials or illumination must be submitted to the Board of Architectural Review for approval under Design Review Criteria.
- Use of translucent sign materials in APD requires conditional approval from the Board of Architectural Review.
- Internally illuminated wall signs in APD require Board of Architectural Review approval considering character, scope, scale, and historical significance.
- For construction of permanent signs in APD, plans (type, size, height, number, placement, materials, illumination) must complement architecture as reviewed by Board of Architectural Review.
- Approvals for signs in APD: see Section 5.09 of the UDO, which references Master Sign Plans and variance meetings as required.

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

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