# Sign Regulations in Fairlawn, Ohio

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Fairlawn, Ohio (OH)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/ohio/fairlawn
- **Data last verified:** 2025-04-11
- **Source:** [amlegal municipal code](https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/fairlawn/latest/fairlawn_oh/0-0-0-6465)

## At a glance

Fairlawn, Ohio regulates 5 sign types across 9 zoning districts. Ground Signs in the B-4 District zoning district are capped at 6 feet tall, 48 square feet, and 8 feet wide, with a Minimum 6 feet from any public right-of-way and 10 feet from any side lot line setback (Sec. 1298.09(a)(3)). Most commercial signs in Fairlawn require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (9 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 4 | 6 feet | 40 square feet | — |
| M Districts | 1 | 6 feet | 40 square feet | — |
| B-1 District, B-2 District, B-3 District | 3 | 14 feet | 40 square feet | — |
| B-4 District | 2 | 6 feet | 48 square feet | — |
| B-4A District | 2 | 6 feet | 48 square feet | — |
| Residential District | 1 | 6 feet | 32 square feet | — |
| Office Subdivisions | 1 | 6 feet | 32 square feet | — |
| Public Facilities Districts | 1 | 6 feet | 32 square feet | — |
| Sexually Oriented Businesses | 1 | — | — | — |

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements (sample of 3 of 9 zones)

### General Regulations For All Zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Ground Sign | 6 feet | 40 square feet | — | Minimum 6 feet from any public right-of-way and 10 feet from any side lot line | 1 per lot fronting on a public right-of-way | Minimum 6 feet from any public right-of-way and 10 feet from any side lot line | — | 1298.09(a)(1) |
| Wall Sign | — | — | — | — | Multiple wall signs for each tenant are permitted provided the total area of all signs does not exceed the area allowances | Attached to or erected against the wall of a building | — | 1298.10(c)(1) |
| Window Sign | — | 10% of total first floor window area | — | — | — | First floor windows only, unless a use is located in the second or higher stories of a building and has no first floor occupancy | — | 1298.11(a) |
| Temporary Sign | 4 feet | 10 square feet per parcel in B-1, B-2, B-3, B-4, B-4A districts; 32 square feet per parcel in M districts | — | Minimum distance from the public right-of-way equal to the height of the sign | 2 per parcel in B-1, B-2, B-3, B-4, B-4A districts; 4 per parcel in M districts | Minimum distance from the public right-of-way equal to the height of the sign | — | 1298.15(a) |

### B-1 District, B-2 District, B-3 District

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Ground Sign | 6 feet | 40 square feet | — | Minimum 6 feet from any public right-of-way and 10 feet from any side lot line | 1 per lot fronting on a public right-of-way | Minimum 6 feet from any public right-of-way and 10 feet from any side lot line | — | 1298.09(a)(2) |
| Wall Sign | — | — | — | — | Multiple wall signs for each tenant are permitted provided the total area of all signs does not exceed the area allowances | Attached to or erected against the wall of a building | — | 1298.10(c)(1) |
| Projecting Sign | 14 feet | 8 square feet | — | — | 1 per ground floor tenant | Projects from and is supported by a wall or parapet of a building | — | 1298.12 |

### B-4 District

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Ground Sign | 6 feet | 48 square feet | 8 feet | Minimum 6 feet from any public right-of-way and 10 feet from any side lot line | 1 | Minimum 6 feet from any public right-of-way and 10 feet from any side lot line | — | 1298.09(a)(3) |
| Wall Sign | — | — | — | — | Multiple wall signs for each tenant are permitted provided the total area of all signs does not exceed the area allowances | Attached to or erected against the wall of a building | — | 1298.10(c)(2) |

## Prohibited signs in Fairlawn

- Roof signs
- Any sign using flashing, rotating or animated features
- Revolving beacons used in any manner
- Portable signs
- Search lights
- Signs on vending machines, trash bins or other devices serving the premises which are not screened from view from any public right-of-way
- Illuminated boxed wall signs
- Balloon signs or windblown devices
- Vehicle signs
- Billboards
- Any sign not specifically allowed by this chapter

## Signs exempt from permit in Fairlawn

- Any works of art that do not contain a commercial message
- Any sign on a vehicle that is used in the normal course of a business for transportation
- Signs installed or required by the City of Fairlawn, Summit County, State of Ohio, federal government, or approved transit agency
- Signs allowed pursuant to the latest version of the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD)
- Any sign located inside a building that is mounted more than two feet beyond a transparent window or door
- Any signs located on a fuel pump or similar structures that is not legible from the lot line

## Sign plan & submission notes

- Any sign plan standards for a residential or commercial development that has been previously approved by either Board of Zoning and Building Appeals or the Planning Commission shall continue to govern. Any changes to such approved plans shall be considered only by the body (either the Board or the Planning Commission) that previously approved the sign plan.

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

---

PermitPal — AI sign code research. Full HTML page: https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/ohio/fairlawn