# Sign Regulations in Fairborn, Ohio

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Fairborn, Ohio (OH)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/ohio/fairborn
- **Data last verified:** 2025-04-11
- **Source:** [amlegal municipal code](https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/fairborn/latest/fairborn_oh/0-0-0-9870)

## At a glance

Fairborn, Ohio regulates 7 sign types across 4 zoning districts. Monument Sign (Nonresidential Uses)s in the Residential Districts (C, SR, UER, MDR, MHP) zoning district are capped at 8 feet tall and 36 square feet, with a 10 feet from adjacent lot lines and right-of-way setback (Sec. 1131.08(c)). Most commercial signs in Fairborn require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (4 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Planned Unit Development Districts (PUD) | 1 | — | — | — |
| Residential Districts (C, SR, UER, MDR, MHP) | 3 | 8 feet | 36 square feet | — |
| Nonresidential Districts | 3 | 10 feet at minimum setback, up to 16 feet with additional setback | 50% of window area; 25% in DC District | — |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 1 | — | — | — |

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

### Planned Unit Development Districts (PUD)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| General Sign Regulations | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1131.07 |

### Residential Districts (C, SR, UER, MDR, MHP)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Wall Sign (Individual Dwellings) | — | 2 square feet for dwellings with up to four units; 6 square feet for dwellings with five or more units | — | — | One per individual lot | Mounted flush to the façade of the principal dwelling | — | 1131.08(a) |
| Wall Sign (Entrances) | 6 feet | 36 square feet | — | — | Two wall signs or one permanent monument sign per entrance | At entrances to subdivisions or multi-family dwelling developments | — | 1131.08(b) |
| Monument Sign (Nonresidential Uses) | 8 feet | 36 square feet | — | 10 feet from adjacent lot lines and right-of-way | One per lot, additional allowed if frontage exceeds 750 feet | On a lot containing a nonresidential use | — | 1131.08(c) |

### Nonresidential Districts

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Window Sign | — | 50% of window area; 25% in DC District | — | — | — | On windows | — | 1131.09(c) |
| Building Sign | — | — | — | — | No maximum number, but total square footage must comply | On principal structures | — | 1131.09(d) |
| Monument Sign | 10 feet at minimum setback, up to 16 feet with additional setback | 50 square feet | — | 5 feet from residential lot line if not illuminated; 25 feet if illuminated; 10 feet from right-of-way | One per lot, additional allowed under specific conditions | On lots with a minimum of 50 feet of lot frontage | — | 1131.09(e) |

## Prohibited signs in Fairborn

- Any sign that obstructs or interferes with fire ingress or egress from any door, window, or fire escape, or that obstructs or interferes with traffic or traffic visibility, or resembles or imitates signs or signals erected by the City or other governmental agency.
- A sign located in any other location that creates a hazard in the opinion of the Zoning Administrator or the City Engineer.
- Windblown devices.
- Helium, gas, or other air or gas filled balloons, signs, or similar inflatable devices located on, attached to, or anchored by structures, vehicles, the ground, or anything connected to or on the ground.
- Signs that employ any parts or elements which revolve, rotate, whirl, spin or otherwise make use of motion to attract attention. This shall not include changeable copy signs as allowed in this chapter.
- Signs with moving or flashing lights, except as noted in the changeable copy sign section.
- Beacons and searchlights, except for emergency purposes.
- Any sign which emits audible sound, odor or matter unless the sign is part of a drive-through facility approved under this code and pursuant to the drive-through sign regulation in Section 1131.09(h).
- Pennants or streamers.
- Signs that are applied to trees, bus shelters, utility poles, benches, trash receptacles, newspaper vending machines or boxes, or any other unapproved supporting structure, or otherwise placed in the public right-of-way.
- Any sign located in a public right-of-way unless otherwise specifically stated in this chapter.
- Signs attached to, painted on, or supported by accessory uses or structures with the exception of banner signs that may be attached to fences or wall in accordance with the temporary sign regulations.
- Signs which are not securely affixed to the ground or otherwise affixed in a permanent manner to an approved supporting structure unless specifically permitted as a temporary sign.
- Signs mounted on or above the roofline of any building.
- Portable signs unless the specific sign type is permitted as a temporary sign.
- Vehicle signs viewed from a public road with the primary purpose of providing signage not otherwise allowed by this chapter. A vehicle sign shall be considered to be used for the primary purpose of advertising if the vehicle fails to display current license plates or inspection sticker, if the vehicle is inoperable, if the sign alters the standard design of such vehicle. Vehicle signs include those attached to or placed on a vehicle or trailer. Vehicles or trailers shall not be parked continuously in one location to be used primarily as additional signage. This does not apply to a vehicle parked at a driver's residence and/or where it is the primary means of transportation to and from his or her place of employment.
- Any other sign not expressly permitted or exempt from these regulations or any sign that does not comply with this chapter.

## Signs exempt from permit in Fairborn

- Interior signs within a stadium, open-air theater, shopping center, arena or other use, which signs are not visible from a public right-of-way or adjacent property, and can be viewed only by persons within such stadium, open-air theater, shopping center, parks, arena, or other use.
- Any sign located on umbrellas or similarly related private patio furniture or seating provided it is located outside of the right-of-way and complies with any other applicable standards of this code.
- Any sign on a truck, bus or other vehicle that is used in the normal course of a business for transportation or signage required by the State or federal government.
- Signs installed by the City, Greene County, State of Ohio, or approved transit agency and which sign is allowed pursuant to the latest version of the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD).
- Any warning signs or traffic safety signs required by public utility providers.
- Any holiday lighting, signs, or related decorations.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- All signs shall require a sign permit that shall be reviewed in the same manner as a zoning permit.
- In some instances, a sign may require a building permit and/or floodplain permit and where required, approval of all permits shall be required prior to the installation of the applicable sign.
- No permit for any building, structure, or use shall be issued until any abandoned, discontinued, or condemned sign is removed from the property, or modified or replaced by a sign which conforms to the applicable requirements of this chapter and other applicable requirements of the Fairborn Codified Ordinances.

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

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