# Sign Regulations in Chardon, Ohio

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Chardon, Ohio (OH)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/ohio/chardon
- **Data last verified:** 2025-04-11
- **Source:** [amlegal municipal code](https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/chardon/latest/chardon_oh/0-0-0-10902)

## At a glance

Chardon, Ohio regulates 6 sign types across 8 zoning districts. Wall Signs in the Nonresidential Districts zoning district are capped at 4 ft. for letters, numbers, or characters tall, Varies by zone, and 90% of tenant space width wide, with a None specified setback (Sec. 1149.09(a)(1), 1149.09(b)(4)). Most commercial signs in Chardon require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (8 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Nonresidential Districts | 4 | 6 ft. | 40 sq. ft. for building-attached, 6 sq. ft. for freestanding | — |
| Original Chardon Historic District | 4 | 6 ft. | 40 sq. ft. for building-attached, 6 sq. ft. for freestanding | — |
| Residential Districts (R-1, R-2, R-3, R-4, PRD) | 4 | 6 ft. | 24 sq. ft. | — |
| C-2 Commercial Districts | 4 | 6 ft. | 40 sq. ft. for building-attached, 6 sq. ft. for freestanding | — |
| C-3 Traditional Classic Commercial | 4 | 6 ft. | 40 sq. ft. for building-attached, 6 sq. ft. for freestanding | — |
| C-4 General Commercial | 4 | 6 ft. | 40 sq. ft. for building-attached, 6 sq. ft. for freestanding | — |
| Industrial District | 4 | 6 ft. | 40 sq. ft. for building-attached, 6 sq. ft. for freestanding | — |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 1 | — | — | — |

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

### Nonresidential Districts

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Wall Sign | 4 ft. for letters, numbers, or characters | Varies by zone | 90% of tenant space width | None specified | Unlimited, subject to area restrictions | Primary or secondary frontage of tenant space | — | 1149.09(a)(1), 1149.09(b)(4) |
| Freestanding Sign | 6 ft. | 32 sq. ft. (plus 1 sq. ft. for every 5 ft. of lot frontage >200 ft.) | — | Equal to height of sign from ROW, 10 ft. from side lot line | 1 per lot, additional for large lots | Landscaped area, not on sidewalks or parking lots | — | 1149.09(c)(1) |
| Sandwich Board Sign | 3 ft. | 6 sq. ft. | 2 ft. | Not specified | 1 per business | Adjacent to building | — | 1149.09(d)(6) |
| Temporary Sign | 6 ft. | 40 sq. ft. for building-attached, 6 sq. ft. for freestanding | — | 5 ft. from ROW, 10 ft. from side lot line | 1 per developed commercial property | No closer than 5 ft. from ROW, 10 ft. from side lot line | — | 1149.09(d) |

### Original Chardon Historic District

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Wall Sign | 4 ft. for letters, numbers, or characters | Varies by zone | 90% of tenant space width | None specified | Unlimited, subject to area restrictions | Primary or secondary frontage of tenant space | — | 1149.09(a)(1), 1149.09(b)(4) |
| Freestanding Sign | 6 ft. | 32 sq. ft. (plus 1 sq. ft. for every 5 ft. of lot frontage >200 ft.) | — | Equal to height of sign from ROW, 10 ft. from side lot line | 1 per lot, additional for large lots | Landscaped area, not on sidewalks or parking lots | — | 1149.09(c)(1) |
| Sandwich Board Sign | 3 ft. | 6 sq. ft. | 2 ft. | Not specified | 1 per business | Adjacent to building | — | 1149.09(d)(6) |
| Temporary Sign | 6 ft. | 40 sq. ft. for building-attached, 6 sq. ft. for freestanding | — | 5 ft. from ROW, 10 ft. from side lot line | 1 per developed commercial property | No closer than 5 ft. from ROW, 10 ft. from side lot line | — | 1149.09(d) |

### C-2 Commercial Districts

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Wall Sign | 4 ft. for letters, numbers, or characters | Varies by zone | 90% of tenant space width | None specified | Unlimited, subject to area restrictions | Primary or secondary frontage of tenant space | — | 1149.09(a)(1), 1149.09(b)(4) |
| Freestanding Sign | 6 ft. | 32 sq. ft. (plus 1 sq. ft. for every 5 ft. of lot frontage >200 ft.) | — | Equal to height of sign from ROW, 10 ft. from side lot line | 1 per lot, additional for large lots | Landscaped area, not on sidewalks or parking lots | — | 1149.09(c)(1) |
| Sandwich Board Sign | 3 ft. | 6 sq. ft. | 2 ft. | Not specified | 1 per business | Adjacent to building | — | 1149.09(d)(6) |
| Temporary Sign | 6 ft. | 40 sq. ft. for building-attached, 6 sq. ft. for freestanding | — | 5 ft. from ROW, 10 ft. from side lot line | 1 per developed commercial property | No closer than 5 ft. from ROW, 10 ft. from side lot line | — | 1149.09(d) |

## Prohibited signs in Chardon

- A sign on or over any public sidewalk, street, or other public property or within any public easement or right-of-way except as otherwise permitted in this Code
- Roof Signs
- Electronic message board signs placed outdoors shall be prohibited
- Billboards/off-premises signs
- Flags intended for advertising or commercial purposes
- Flashing, moving, blinker, racer type, intermittent, rotating, moving, animated, or revolving signs, whirligig devices, inflatable signs and tethered balloons, pennants, ribbons, streamers, spinners, exposed light bulbs, strings of lights not permanently mounted to a rigid background, and other similar types of attention-getting devices, except as provided in Section 1149.09 (d)
- Merchandise, equipment, products, vehicles or other items not themselves for sale and placed for attention getting, identification or advertising purposes
- Signs mounted on mobile platforms or trailers, with either fixed or movable letters, lighted or unlighted
- Pole signs
- Temporary signs placed in the public right-of-way not installed by a government agency for public safety, notification or identification
- Swooper and feather flag type signs
- Wind tubes, wind dancers, inflatable characters or similar type sign
- Signs attached to natural vegetation
- Temporary signs within the park area on Chardon Square shall be subject to such time limitations and pursuant to such conditions as the City Manager may require

## Signs exempt from permit in Chardon

- Public Signs. A public regulation and information sign, municipal and traffic signs, and a sign displaying a public notice or warning required by federal, state, or local law, ordinance, or regulation
- Building Marker, cornerstones, or building plaques
- Flags of any nation, government or non-commercial organizations
- Window sign, provided it does not exceed fifty percent (50%) of the window
- A work of art that does not display a commercial message
- A religious symbol that does not display a commercial message
- A decorative religious display and other holiday lights or decorations containing no commercial message when displayed during the appropriate time of the year
- Signs conforming to the Ohio Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices and other government signs for traffic control, public safety and other regulatory purposes
- Incidental Signs located on walls and up to three freestanding signs per property

## Sign plan & submission notes

- Sign Concept Plan. For multi-tenant buildings and development projects with multiple buildings, the Planning Commission may approve the location, size, color, and style of each tenant sign when the Planning Commission reviews the development plans for new buildings.
- An overall sign plan may be submitted by a property owner for consideration of a unique or creative sign proposal that deviates from the requirements of this Chapter.
- A proposed sign that is not in compliance with the requirements in this Chapter may be reviewed by the Planning 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 8 zoning districts in Chardon — every sign type, every field — are available with a free PermitPal account: https://app.permitpal.io/?address=Chardon+OH&override=true&utm_source=landing&utm_medium=city-page&utm_campaign=city-chardon

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