# Sign Regulations in Garfield Heights, Ohio

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Garfield Heights, Ohio (OH)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/ohio/garfield-heights
- **Data last verified:** 2025-04-11
- **Source:** [amlegal municipal code](https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/garfieldhts/latest/garfieldhts_oh/0-0-0-18617)

## At a glance

Garfield Heights, Ohio regulates 10 sign types across 4 zoning districts. Flags in the General Regulations For All Zones zoning district are capped at 25 feet for freestanding flagpole tall, 20 square feet, and 5 feet wide, with a No flagpole shall be constructed closer to any lot line than the length of the flagpole or the required building setback, whichever is greater setback (Sec. 1140.35 FLAGS.). Most commercial signs in Garfield Heights require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (4 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Residence District | 3 | 4 feet | 6 square feet | — |
| Industrial Park District | 3 | 5 feet | 40 square feet per face | — |
| U11b District | 1 | — | — | — |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 6 | 25 feet for freestanding flagpole | 100 square feet | — |

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

### Residence District

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Temporary Sign | — | 4.5 square feet | — | — | 1 | Only on the lot where the sale is conducted | — | 763.06 ADVERTISING SIGNS. Ord. 46-1986. Passed 8-11-86. |
| For-sale, Sold, For-rent, Leasing, Open House, Religious, Holiday or Personal Sign | 4 feet | 6 square feet | — | Not placed in the City's right-of-way or on the tree lawn | 1 | Window or lawn | — | 1140.361 RESIDENCE DISTRICT SIGNS. Ord. 01-1998. Passed 1-12-98. |
| Political Sign | 4 feet | 6 square feet | — | Not placed in the City's right-of-way | — | Window or lawn | — | 1140.362 POLITICAL SIGNS. |

### Industrial Park District

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Flat and Wall Sign | — | Varies by frontage | — | Shall not extend into the public right of way | — | On the surface of the building wall adjacent to a street | — | 1138.11 SIGN REGULATIONS. |
| Ground Sign | 5 feet | 40 square feet per face | — | Not less than twenty feet from another lot | 1 | Within required yards | — | 1138.11 SIGN REGULATIONS. |
| Temporary Sign | — | — | — | — | — | On the lot | — | 1138.11 SIGN REGULATIONS. |

### General Regulations For All Zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Ground Sign | 12 feet | 50 square feet | — | At least 20 feet from any side or rear lot line, and at least 75 feet from any property line abutting residentially-zoned property | 1 | Set back at least 5 feet from every right-of-way line | — | 1140.29 GROUND SIGNS. |
| Wall Sign | 4 feet | 100 square feet | — | No wall sign shall be nearer than 2 feet to any other sign, nor nearer than 5 feet to any other building or structure | 1 | On the building wall | — | 1140.30 WALL SIGNS. |
| Canopy Sign | 4 feet | 50 square feet | — | No canopy sign shall be nearer than 2 feet to any other sign, nor nearer than 5 feet to any other building or structure | 1 | Attached to the canopy | — | 1140.31 CANOPY SIGNS. |
| Window Sign | — | 25 square feet | — | No window sign shall be nearer than 2 feet to any other sign, building or structure | — | On window surface | — | 1140.34 WINDOW SIGNS. |
| Flag | 25 feet for freestanding flagpole | 20 square feet | 5 feet | No flagpole shall be constructed closer to any lot line than the length of the flagpole or the required building setback, whichever is greater | 1 | On flagpole | — | 1140.35 FLAGS. |
| Temporary Sign | 6 feet | 32 square feet | — | At least 20 feet from any side or rear lot line | — | Set back at least 5 feet from every right-of-way line | — | 1140.37 TEMPORARY SIGNS. |

## Prohibited signs in Garfield Heights

- No sign or other advertising structure shall advertise a business which is no longer in existence or a product which is no longer sold at the business.
- Signs which are abandoned, or which are accessory to an abandoned use of property, are prohibited and shall be removed.
- No sign or other advertising structure shall be erected, relocated or maintained so as to prevent free ingress or egress, or block any light or ventilation openings.
- No sign or other advertising structure shall obstruct free and clear vision within sight triangles at any street or vehicular drive intersection.
- No sign or other advertising structure shall interfere with, obstruct the view of, or be similar in appearance to any authorized traffic sign, signal or device.
- No sign or other advertising structure shall constitute a hazard to safety or health by reason of inadequate or inappropriate design, construction, repair, or maintenance.
- No sign or other advertising structure shall be illuminated so as to cause objectionable brightness or glare into or onto any residential premises or any public right-of-way.
- No sign or other advertising structure shall display any obscene matter.
- All vehicular signs are prohibited, subject to exceptions.
- Roof signs are prohibited.
- Portable signs are prohibited, except under specific conditions.
- No sign or other advertising structure shall have visible moving, revolving or rotating parts or visible mechanical movement of any kind.
- Illumination not used to illuminate the sign itself, such as outline lighting of any type inside windows and doors, is prohibited.
- No sign or other advertising structure shall have any lights or illumination that flash, move, rotate, scintillate, blink, flicker, vary in intensity or color, or use intermittent electrical pulses.

## Signs exempt from permit in Garfield Heights

- Signs that are an integral part of the original construction of vending or similar machines, fuel pumps or similar devices.
- Cornerstones, dedications and other similar building plaques or architectural elements incorporated into a building, in materials and colors compatible with the building design, displaying only the building's name, owner's name, architect's name, date(s) of construction, brief dedication or other historical information, and not exceeding eight (8) square feet in total area.
- Signs which are attached to the inside of a window, do not exceed ten (10) square feet in sign face area, and do not cover more than twenty-five percent (25%) of the area of any single window pane.
- Signs which are an integral part of the historic character of a structure that has been designated an official landmark or historic structure by any agency or body of the governments of the United States, State of Ohio, Cuyahoga County or City of Garfield Heights.
- Hand-held signs not set on or affixed to the ground.
- Temporary signs measuring less than twelve (12) square feet in sign face area, provided that such signs otherwise comply with all other requirements of Section 1140.37.
- Monuments and markings within a cemetery.
- Any address numbers required by the Section 1345.01 of the Codified Ordinances, unless larger than six (6) inches in height.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- A permit is required for all permanent and temporary signs.
- Application for permits to erect, place, paint or alter a sign shall be made by the owner or lessee of the property upon which a sign is proposed and submitted on forms furnished by the Building Commissioner.
- If an application for an erection permit is part of a lot development or redevelopment proposal made pursuant to this Planning and Zoning Code, then the permit issued by the Building Commissioner shall be a temporary permit only pending final approval by the City of the lot development or redevelopment proposal.

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

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