# Sign Regulations in Elyria, Ohio

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Elyria, Ohio (OH)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/ohio/elyria
- **Data last verified:** 2025-04-11
- **Source:** [amlegal municipal code](https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/elyria/latest/elyria_oh/0-0-0-74214)

## At a glance

Elyria, Ohio regulates 10 sign types across 11 zoning districts. Subdivision Identification Signs in the Residential Districts zoning district are capped at 6 feet tall and 32 square feet per sign face, 64 square feet total, with a 5 feet from the right-of-way setback (Sec. 1174.07 B1).

## Sign rules by zoning district (11 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 1 | — | — | — |
| Residential Districts | 3 | 6 feet | 32 square feet per sign face, 64 square feet total | — |
| Downtown Commons Area | 4 | 9 feet | 125 square feet | — |
| Professional Office District (POD) | 2 | 5 feet | 20 square feet per sign face, 32 square feet total | — |
| B-N District | 3 | 9 feet | 32 square feet per sign face | — |
| Business-Downtown District (B-D) | 2 | 9 feet | 48 square feet | — |
| Business-General (B-G), Business-Automotive (B-AO), Light-Industrial (L-I), Heavy-Industrial (H-I), and Special-Industrial Districts (S-I) | 2 | 9 feet | 48 square feet per sign face, 64 square feet total | — |
| Highway Overlay District | 1 | 50 feet | 200 square feet per face, 400 square feet total | — |
| COS District (Conservation Open Space) | 2 | 6 feet | 32 square feet per sign face, 64 square feet total | — |

_2 additional zoning districts are covered in PermitPal (free account)._

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

### Residential Districts

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Subdivision Identification Sign | 6 feet | 32 square feet per sign face, 64 square feet total | — | 5 feet from the right-of-way | One | Private property at the dedicated street entrance, no closer than 5 feet from the right-of-way | — | 1174.07 B1 |
| Institutional Sign | 6 feet | 32 square feet per sign face, 64 square feet total | — | 5 feet from the right-of-way | One | Same lot to which it is an accessory use, no closer than 5 feet from the right-of-way | — | 1174.07 B2 |
| Multi-household Dwelling or Boarding House Sign | 6 feet | 32 square feet per sign face, 64 square feet total | — | 5 feet from the right-of-way | One | Dedicated street entrance, no closer than 5 feet from the right-of-way | — | 1174.07 B3 |

### Downtown Commons Area

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Ground Mounted Sign | 9 feet | 48 square feet | — | — | One per premises | Per premises | — | 1174.08 B1 |
| Wall Sign | — | 125 square feet | — | — | Two per tenant space | Per tenant space | — | 1174.08 B2 |
| Under-Canopy Sign | — | 4 square feet | — | — | One per tenant space | Per tenant space | — | 1174.08 B3 |
| Projecting Sign | — | 3 square feet per sign face | — | — | One per tenant space | Per tenant space | — | 1174.08 B4 |

### B-N District

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Institutional Sign | 6 feet | 32 square feet per sign face | — | 5 feet from the right-of-way | One | Same lot to which it is an accessory use, no closer than 5 feet from the right-of-way | — | 1174.10 B1 |
| Business Sign | 9 feet | 30 square feet per sign face, 60 square feet total | — | 5 feet from the right-of-way | One | Same lot to which it is an accessory use, no closer than 5 feet from the right-of-way | — | 1174.10 B2 |
| Wall Sign | No higher than the wall on which it is erected | 30 square feet per sign face | — | — | One per tenant space | Per tenant space | — | 1174.10 B2 |

## Prohibited signs in Elyria

- No sign shall be erected unless it is in compliance with the regulations of this chapter.
- No sign shall obstruct or interfere with traffic or traffic visibility, or resemble or imitate signs or signals erected by the City or other governmental agency for the regulation of traffic or parking.
- No sign, whether freestanding, ground mounted or attached to a building or other structure, may project over any public street, sidewalk or other public right-of-way, except as expressly permitted in this chapter.
- No sign, with the exception of governmental signs, shall be placed, displayed or erected in the public right-of-way or on public property without written approval from the Safety-Service Director.
- No snipe signs shall be placed, erected or displayed within the City.
- No light source for illuminated signs shall be of such brightness as to constitute a hazard to pedestrian or vehicular traffic.
- No sign shall be erected or placed on any property without the consent of the owner.
- No sign shall be placed where it blocks or impedes sight lines for any person, pedestrian or operator of a vehicle on a public right-of-way, driveway or sidewalk.
- No sign shall imitate or resemble official traffic or governmental signs or signals.
- No sign shall be erected so as to have less than eight (8) feet of vertical clearance between such sign and the public sidewalk or public right-of-way.

## Signs exempt from permit in Elyria

- Official, Federal, State or local government signs, flags, emblems, and historical markers.
- Holiday or special event decorations subject to the provisions of this chapter.
- Public notices or information signs identifying telephones, rest rooms and similar facilities, not to exceed two (2) square feet per sign face.
- Incidental signs.
- Any sign relating to an emergency which poses an imminent threat to human life or property.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- A variance from the strict application of the provisions of this chapter may be granted by the Board of Zoning Appeals in regard to any sign if the Board finds that requiring strict compliance with the provisions of this chapter may impose undue hardship.
- All other signs shall be permitted in a large planned commercial development only by a special variance granted by the Planning Commission after full consideration of the proponent's special variance request.

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

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