# Sign Regulations in London, Ohio

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

- **Jurisdiction:** London, Ohio (OH)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/ohio/london
- **Data last verified:** 2025-04-11
- **Source:** [amlegal municipal code](https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/london/latest/london_oh/0-0-0-61894)

## At a glance

London, Ohio regulates 10 sign types across 5 zoning districts. Identification (Ground)s in the Business Districts zoning district are capped at 5, 9, 18 ft tall and 30, 50, 100 sq ft, with a 5 ft from ROW, 25 ft from lot line setback (Sec. 1268.09(c)).

## Sign rules by zoning district (5 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Residential Districts | 3 | 5 ft | 10 sq ft | — |
| Business Districts | 8 | 25 ft | 30, 50, 100 sq ft | — |
| Manufacturing Districts | 8 | 25 ft | 30 sq ft | — |
| MPD Medical Park Districts | 8 | 25 ft | 30, 50, 100 sq ft | — |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 1 | 5 ft | — | — |

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements (sample of 3 of 5 zones)

### Business Districts

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Identification (Ground) | 5, 9, 18 ft | 30, 50, 100 sq ft | — | 5 ft from ROW, 25 ft from lot line | 1 | 5 ft from ROW, 25 ft from lot line | — | 1268.09(c) |
| Identification (Wall) | — | 20% of building height | — | — | 1/unit | Front of building | — | 1268.09(c) |
| Pole | 25 ft | 10 ft wide, 8 ft tall | — | 5 ft from ROW, 25 ft from lot line | 1/unit | 5 ft from ROW, 25 ft from lot line | — | 1268.09(c) |
| Canopy or Awning | 8 inches | 5 sq ft | — | — | 1 | — | — | 1268.09(c) |
| Door/Window | — | 2 sq ft | — | — | 1 | Door | — | 1268.09(c) |
| Nameplate | — | 2 sq ft | — | — | 1 | Door/wall | — | 1268.09(c) |
| Window | — | 5 sq ft | — | — | 1/unit | Front of building | — | 1268.09(c) |
| Directional | 3 ft if ground, 5 ft if on wall | 2 sq ft | — | 1 ft from ROW, 5 ft from side lot line | 2 | 1 ft from ROW, 5 ft from side lot line | — | 1268.09(c) |

### Manufacturing Districts

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Identification (Ground) | 5 ft | 30 sq ft | — | 5 ft from ROW, 25 ft from lot line | 1/zoning lot | 5 ft from ROW, 25 ft from lot line | — | 1268.10(c) |
| Identification (Wall) | — | 20% of building height | — | — | 1/unit | Front of building | — | 1268.10(c) |
| Pole | 25 ft | 10 ft wide, 8 ft tall | — | 5 ft from ROW, 25 ft from lot line | 1/unit | 5 ft from ROW, 25 ft from lot line | — | 1268.10(c) |
| Canopy or Awning | 8 inches | 5 sq ft | — | — | 1 | — | — | 1268.10(c) |
| Door/Window | — | 2 sq ft | — | — | 1 | Door | — | 1268.10(c) |
| Nameplate | — | 2 sq ft | — | — | 1 | Door/wall | — | 1268.10(c) |
| Window | — | 5 sq ft | — | — | 1/unit | Front of building | — | 1268.10(c) |
| Directional | 3 ft if ground, 5 ft if on wall | 2 sq ft | — | 1 ft from ROW, 5 ft from side lot line | 2 | 1 ft from ROW, 5 ft from side lot line | — | 1268.10(c) |

### MPD Medical Park Districts

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Identification (Ground) | 5, 9, 18 ft | 30, 50, 100 sq ft | — | 5 ft from ROW, 25 ft from lot line | TBD by Planning Commission | 5 ft from ROW, 25 ft from lot line | — | 1268.101(b) |
| Identification (Wall) | — | 20% of building height | — | — | 1 per Unit | Front of building | — | 1268.101(b) |
| Pole | 25 ft | 10 ft wide, 8 ft tall | — | 5 ft from ROW, 25 ft from lot line | 1/unit | 5 ft from ROW, 25 ft from lot line | — | 1268.101(b) |
| Canopy or Awning | 8 inches | 5 sq ft | — | — | 1 | — | — | 1268.101(b) |
| Door/Window | — | 2 sq ft | — | — | 1 | Door | — | 1268.101(b) |
| Nameplate | — | 2 sq ft | — | — | 1 | Door/wall | — | 1268.101(b) |
| Window | — | 5 sq ft | — | — | 1 per unit | Front of building | — | 1268.101(b) |
| Directional | 3 ft if ground, 5 ft if on wall | 2 sq ft | — | 1 ft from ROW, 5 ft from side lot line | TBD by Planning Commission | 1 ft from ROW, 5 ft from side lot line | — | 1268.101(b) |

## Prohibited signs in London

- Advertising signs on vehicles, such as parked trucks or trailers on private or public property visible from a public street which has attached thereto or located thereon any sign or advertising device for the basic purpose of directing attention to products, business activity, sold on the premises upon which such vehicle is located except those on commercial/passenger delivery and service vehicles provided the signs are limited to the display of the business name, address and phone number.
- Billboards as defined in Section 1268.03(a)(1)A., except any billboards erected prior to November 1, 2019 shall be permitted.
- Flashing, animated or moving signs of any sort, including revolving signs except as defined in Section 1268.05(e).
- Banners, balloons, cold-air inflatables, pennants, streamers, festoons and searchlights, unless they meet the criteria set forth in 1268.09(d)(10)(E).
- Roof signs, as defined in Section 1268.03(b)(6).
- Signs on public lands including any curb, sidewalk, post, pole, hydrant, bridge, wall, tree or other surface located on public property except as may be permitted in Section 1268.06(a)(5) and Section 1268.11(c)(4).
- Traffic related devices, as defined in Section 1268.05(f).
- Changeable copy signs - with the exception of bulletin board signs permitted in public or quasi-public facilities uses.
- Signs not specifically permitted by district under Sections 1268.08 thru 1268.13.
- Abandoned signs and/or sign structures which are determined to be nonconforming with the provisions of this division shall be required to be removed by the property owner within thirty days after receipt of notification, or refusal to accept delivery of notification by certified mail, that such removal is required.

## Signs exempt from permit in London

- Cornerstones and permanent building plaques, displaying the date of construction, building name or similar information.
- Display of official public notices, the flag and emblem or insignia of an official governmental body.
- Holiday decorations displayed for customary periods of time.
- Painted wall murals or other similar artwork if approved by the Board of Zoning Appeals or Historic Review Board.
- Signage which is not advertising and is an integral part of the original construction of vending machines, fuel pumps, or similar devices.
- Street name signs.
- Special signage determined by the Planning Commission to be reasonable considering the intent and regulations of this chapter.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- In addition to the regulations set forth in this chapter, signs within Historic Review District boundaries shall also be subject to any special provisions, restrictions or criteria approved by City Council.
- An informational sign may be permitted in any district upon approval by the Planning Commission.
- A permit is required when the height of address numbers are proposed to be in excess of twelve inches.
- Color combinations that do not meet this requirement may apply for a variance through the Planning Commission.
- A certificate of appropriateness is required to erect or place any sign, awning, or appurtenance in the Historic District.
- The Zoning Administrator shall forward the application and drawings to the Planning Commission for review.
- If a variance is required, the Zoning Administrator shall submit the application and the appropriate fees to the Board of Zoning Appeals.

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

---

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