# Sign Regulations in Montgomery, Ohio

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Montgomery, Ohio (OH)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/ohio/montgomery
- **Data last verified:** 2025-04-11
- **Source:** [amlegal municipal code](https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/montgomery/latest/montgom_oh/0-0-0-39241)

## At a glance

Montgomery, Ohio regulates 5 sign types across 4 zoning districts. Ground Mounted Signs in the Residential District zoning district are capped at 5 ft. tall and 25 sq. ft., with a No closer than 25 feet to a side lot line. setback (Sec. § 151.3011(A)).

## Sign rules by zoning district (4 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Residential District | 4 | 5 ft. | 25 sq. ft. | — |
| Commercial District | 3 | 36 inches | 60 sq. ft. (one- and two-story buildings), 120 sq. ft. (three stories or more) | — |
| Office District | 2 | 5 ft. | 60 sq. ft. (one- and two-story buildings), 120 sq. ft. (three stories or more) | — |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 1 | — | — | — |

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

### Residential District

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Ground Mounted Sign | 5 ft. | 25 sq. ft. | — | No closer than 25 feet to a side lot line. | One per street frontage. | No closer than 13 feet from the back of the curb or two feet beyond the right-of-way, whichever is greater. May be placed in the right-of-way on the center island of a boulevard entrance, no closer than 25 feet to the intersecting street's right-of-way. | — | § 151.3011(A) |
| Wall Sign | — | 2 sq. ft. | — | — | One per entrance. | Per entrance. | — | § 151.3011(B) |
| Incidental Sign | 4 ft. | 4 sq. ft. | — | — | — | — | — | § 151.3011(C) |
| Temporary Sign | 4 ft. | 25 sq. ft. | — | — | — | — | — | § 151.3011(D) |

### Commercial District

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Ground Mounted Sign | 5 ft. (one- and two-story buildings), 8 ft. (three stories or more) | 30 sq. ft. (internally illuminated), 36 sq. ft. (externally illuminated) | — | No closer than 6 feet to any street right-of-way line. No closer than 10 feet from any side property line, except 25 feet if adjacent to a residential zoning district. | One per building, with an additional sign for corner or double frontage lots. | No closer than 6 feet to any street right-of-way line. No closer than 10 feet from any side property line, except 25 feet if adjacent to a residential zoning district. | — | § 151.3012(A) |
| Wall Sign | — | 60 sq. ft. (one- and two-story buildings), 120 sq. ft. (three stories or more) | — | — | One per building face, with an additional sign for secondary frontage. | Not higher than the head of the second story window (one- and two-story buildings) or the lowest roof element (three stories or more). | — | § 151.3012(B) |
| Sandwich Board Sign | 36 inches | 24 inches in width, 36 inches in height per face | 24 inches | — | One per business. | In front of the building, may encroach upon the public right of way in the OM District. | — | § 151.3012(H) |

### Office District

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Ground Mounted Sign | 5 ft. | 30 sq. ft. (internally illuminated), 36 sq. ft. (externally illuminated) | — | No closer than 6 feet to any street right-of-way line. No closer than 10 feet from any side property line, except 25 feet if adjacent to a residential zoning district. | One per building, with an additional sign for corner or double frontage lots. | No closer than 6 feet to any street right-of-way line. No closer than 10 feet from any side property line, except 25 feet if adjacent to a residential zoning district. | — | § 151.3013(A) |
| Wall Sign | — | 60 sq. ft. (one- and two-story buildings), 120 sq. ft. (three stories or more) | — | — | One per building face, with an additional sign for secondary frontage. | Not higher than the head of the second story window (one- and two-story buildings) or the lowest roof element (three stories or more). | — | § 151.3013(B) |

## Prohibited signs in Montgomery

- Abandoned signs
- Any sign which, by reason of its size, location, content, coloring or manner of illumination, constitutes a traffic hazard or a detriment to traffic safety by obstructing the vision of a driver, or by obstructing or detracting from the visibility of any traffic sign or control device on public streets or roads
- Attention-attracting devices, including, but not limited to pennants, streamers or similar moving devices, air activated graphics or balloons
- Changeable copy signs
- Dry-erase board signs
- Electronic message signs
- Merchandise, equipment, products, motor vehicles or other items not themselves for sale and placed for attention getting, identification or advertising purposes
- Mobile signs and portable signs on wheels, runners, casters, parked trailers, parked vehicles, or other mobile devices; mobile signs in transit through the city are not prohibited, but such signs are prohibited when parked or standing on public streets or private property unless shielded from public view
- Obscene signs
- Off-premise signs
- Portable signs carried by sign walkers
- Pylon or pole mounted signs
- Roof signs
- Searchlights
- Signs containing any words or symbols that would cause confusion because of their resemblance to highway traffic control or direction signals
- Signs which incorporate in any manner any blinking, flashing or moving lights
- Snipe signs which are attached or otherwise applied to trees, bus shelters, benches, trash receptacles, newspaper vending machines or other unapproved supporting structures, or otherwise placed in the public right-of-way, except as otherwise permitted herein

## Signs exempt from permit in Montgomery

- Any sign inside a building, not attached to a window or door that is not legible from a distance of more than three feet beyond the building in which such sign is located
- Building address numbers provided they do not exceed 24 inches in height
- Cornerstones containing no advertising message incorporated into the building design as an architectural feature
- Corporate limit signs
- Flags of the United States, the state, foreign nations having diplomatic relations with the United States, and any other flag adopted or sanctioned by an elected legislative body of competent jurisdiction
- Government signs
- Public signs
- Seasonal or holiday displays that contain no commercial message when displayed during the appropriate time of the year
- Signs on a truck, bus, trailer or other vehicle while such vehicle is operated in the normal course of a business which is not primarily the display of such signs
- Tablets, grave markers, headstones, statuary or remembrances of persons or events that contain no commercial message
- Works of art not containing a commercial message

## Sign plan & submission notes

- The Planning Commission may approve basic sign parameters that set forth the location, size and style of signs to be used within a project, whether for a single occupancy or multiple occupancy building or development.

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

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