# Sign Regulations in East Cleveland, Ohio

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

- **Jurisdiction:** East Cleveland, Ohio (OH)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/ohio/east-cleveland
- **Data last verified:** 2025-04-11
- **Source:** [amlegal municipal code](https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/eastcleveland/latest/eastcleveland_oh/0-0-0-6576)

## At a glance

East Cleveland, Ohio regulates 8 sign types across 4 zoning districts. Temporary Signs in the Residential and Park Districts zoning district are capped at 4 ft tall and 12 sq ft, with a 20 ft from sidewalk setback (Sec. § 1151.06(f)). Most commercial signs in East Cleveland require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (4 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Residential and Park Districts | 3 | 6 ft | 12 sq ft | — |
| Commercial and Special Districts | 3 | 16 ft | 150 sq ft | — |
| S1 Mixed Use District | 1 | 8 ft | 36 sq ft per face | — |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 2 | — | 10 sq ft | — |

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements (sample of 3 of 4 zones)

### Residential and Park Districts

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Construction Sign | 6 ft | 12 sq ft | — | — | 1 per zoning lot | — | — | § 1151.06(g) |
| Directional Sign | 4 ft | 4 sq ft per face | — | — | — | — | — | § 1151.04 |
| Temporary Sign | 4 ft | 12 sq ft | — | 20 ft from sidewalk | 1 per event type (e.g., 'for sale', 'yard sale') | Yard signs must be set back at least 20 feet from the nearest edge of the sidewalk. | — | § 1151.06(f) |

### Commercial and Special Districts

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Commercial Identification Sign | — | 150 sq ft | — | — | — | — | — | § 1151.06(e) |
| Freestanding Sign | 16 ft | 36 sq ft per face | — | 80 ft from S1 District boundary | 1 per zoning lot | Not to project into public right-of-way. | — | § 1151.06(c) |
| Window Sign | — | 20 sq ft | — | — | — | First floor windows only, not higher than 15 ft above grade. | — | § 1151.06(e)(5) |

### General Regulations For All Zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Instructional Sign | — | 10 sq ft | — | — | — | Within 25 ft of street or not visible from street. | — | § 1151.03(e) |
| Nameplate | — | 2 sq ft | — | — | 1 per dwelling unit or address | Near main entrance. | — | § 1151.04 |

## Prohibited signs in East Cleveland

- Prohibit all signs not expressly permitted by this Zoning Code.
- No signs shall be permitted in the public right-of-way, except for specific exemptions.
- Any sign installed or placed on public property, except in conformance with the requirements, shall be forfeited to the public and subject to confiscation.
- No flashing or moving parts shall be permitted for any sign or advertising display within the city except when conditionally permitted as part of a marquee sign.
- No paper posters shall be applied directly to the wall or building or pole or other support.
- Letters or pictures in the form of advertising that are printed or painted directly on the wall of a building are prohibited, except for window signs and conditionally permitted murals.
- No sign or advertising device shall be permitted which, by color, location or design, resembles or conflicts with traffic-control signs or devices.
- Pennants, banners, streamers, whirling devices, bare strings of light bulbs, balloons and other similar devices are prohibited except for banners and pennants when part of public information signs installed by the city.

## Signs exempt from permit in East Cleveland

- Public signs erected by or on behalf of a governmental body, when approved by the city.
- Bus stop signs erected by a public transit company.
- Informational signs of a public utility regarding its poles, lines, pipes or facilities.
- Awning, marquee and projecting signs projecting over a public right-of-way in conformity with specific conditions.
- Instructional signs which are clearly intended for instructional purposes and meet specific size and location criteria.
- Nameplates, when they are separate from identification signs, are located near the main entrance, are wall or window signs and only contain the street number and name of the establishment.
- Permanent window signs which occupy less than 10% of the window area.
- Religious and other holiday lights and decorations containing no commercial message are exempt from the above regulations and shall be permitted during the appropriate time of year.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- No projecting sign shall be constructed, erected or maintained on any lot in the city except when approved as part of a projecting sign plan.
- In a commercial or special district, a majority of business property owners of six or more contiguous zoning lots or the owner(s) of zoning lots which comprise a minimum of six store fronts may file with the Planning Commission and the Architectural Board of Review a Projecting Sign Plan for such zoning lots.

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

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