# Sign Regulations in Mount Vernon, Ohio

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Mount Vernon, Ohio (OH)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/ohio/mount-vernon
- **Data last verified:** 2025-04-11
- **Source:** [amlegal municipal code](https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/mtvernonoh/latest/mtvernon_oh/0-0-0-41574)

## At a glance

Mount Vernon, Ohio regulates 16 sign types across 4 zoning districts. Single-family dwelling signs in the PD Districts zoning district are capped at 8 feet tall and 20 square feet, with a Minimum 10 feet from right-of-way and adjacent lot lines setback (Sec. 1113.06(a)(1)). Most commercial signs in Mount Vernon require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (4 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| PD Districts | 5 | 15 feet | 60 square feet | — |
| Residential Zoning Districts (RR, ER, R-1, R-1A, R-2, R-3, R-4) | 2 | 8 feet | 40 square feet | — |
| Nonresidential Zoning Districts (NC, CB, GB, OB, LI, GI, PI) | 8 | 15 feet | 60 square feet | — |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 1 | 5 feet | 36 square feet per lot, 16 square feet per individual sign | — |

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

### PD Districts

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Single-family dwelling signs | 8 feet | 20 square feet | — | Minimum 10 feet from right-of-way and adjacent lot lines | One per entrance | At entrances | — | 1113.06(a)(1) |
| Multi-family dwelling signs | 8 feet | 40 square feet | — | Minimum 10 feet from right-of-way and adjacent lot lines | One per entrance | At entrances | — | 1113.06(a)(2) |
| Commercial and office signs | 8 feet | 40 square feet | — | Minimum 10 feet from right-of-way and adjacent lot lines | One per entrance | At entrances | — | 1113.06(a)(3) |
| Industrial signs | 15 feet | 60 square feet | — | Minimum 10 feet from right-of-way and adjacent lot lines | One per entrance | At entrances | — | 1113.06(a)(4) |
| Public and institutional signs | 6 feet | 40 square feet | — | Minimum 10 feet from right-of-way and adjacent lot lines | One per entrance | At entrances | — | 1113.06(a)(5) |

### Residential Zoning Districts (RR, ER, R-1, R-1A, R-2, R-3, R-4)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Subdivision or Multi-family Development Signs | 8 feet | 20 square feet for 6-20 units, 40 square feet for more than 20 units | — | Minimum 10 feet from right-of-way and adjacent lot lines | One per entrance | At entrances | — | 1113.07(a) |
| Nonresidential Use Signs | 8 feet | 40 square feet | — | Minimum 10 feet from right-of-way and adjacent lot lines | One per lot | On lots with approved nonresidential use | — | 1113.07(b) |

### Nonresidential Zoning Districts (NC, CB, GB, OB, LI, GI, PI)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Freestanding Signs - NC | 6 feet | 24 square feet | — | Minimum 10 feet from right-of-way and lot lines | One per street frontage | Minimum 10 feet setback from right-of-way and lot lines | — | 1113.08(a) |
| Freestanding Signs - CB | 6 feet | 20 square feet | — | Minimum 10 feet from right-of-way and lot lines | One per street frontage | Minimum 10 feet setback from right-of-way and lot lines | — | 1113.08(a) |
| Freestanding Signs - GB | 8 feet for lots <200 feet width, 20 feet for lots ≥200 feet width | 40 square feet for lots <200 feet width, 80 square feet for lots ≥200 feet width | — | Minimum 10 feet from right-of-way and lot lines | One per street frontage | Minimum 10 feet setback from right-of-way and lot lines | — | 1113.08(a) |
| Freestanding Signs - OB | 6 feet | 20 square feet | — | Minimum 10 feet from right-of-way and lot lines | One per street frontage | Minimum 10 feet setback from right-of-way and lot lines | — | 1113.08(a) |
| Freestanding Signs - LI | 15 feet | 60 square feet | — | Minimum 10 feet from right-of-way and lot lines | One per street frontage | Minimum 10 feet setback from right-of-way and lot lines | — | 1113.08(a) |
| Freestanding Signs - GI | 8 feet | 60 square feet | — | Minimum 10 feet from right-of-way and lot lines | One per street frontage | Minimum 10 feet setback from right-of-way and lot lines | — | 1113.08(a) |
| Freestanding Signs - PI | 6 feet | 40 square feet | — | Minimum 10 feet from right-of-way and lot lines | One per street frontage | Minimum 10 feet setback from right-of-way and lot lines | — | 1113.08(a) |
| Building Signs | — | — | — | — | No maximum number, but total area must comply with facade width | On principal buildings | — | 1113.08(b) |

## Prohibited signs in Mount Vernon

- Signs applied to trees, utility poles, benches, trash receptacles, fences or walls, newspaper vending machines or boxes, or any other unapproved supporting structure, or placed in the public right-of-way.
- Structurally unsafe signs or sign structures that constitute a hazard to safety or health.
- Signs blocking any fire escape or any door or window required for fire safety ingress and egress.
- Pennants, streamers, and other similar type devices.
- Signs employing parts or elements that revolve, rotate, whirl, spin, or otherwise make use of motion to attract attention, except for electronic message centers.
- Air-activated graphics.
- Laser lights, beacons, and searchlights, except for emergency purposes.
- Signs utilizing illumination by means of bare bulbs, flames, or both.
- Signs imitating or resembling official traffic or governmental signs designed or used to interfere with, mislead, or confuse drivers.
- Signs violating intersection visibility requirements.
- Signs located in a public right-of-way, except as specifically provided.
- Roof signs.
- Any sign type not specifically allowed by the chapter.

## Signs exempt from permit in Mount Vernon

- Signs and/or notices issued by any court, officer, or other person in performance of a public duty.
- Signs integral to the original construction of vending machines, fuel pumps, automated teller machines, drive-through menu boards, or similar devices not visible from a street.
- Signs located completely inside a building and not visible from the exterior.
- Signs within a stadium, open-air theater, park, arena, or other outdoor use not intended to be visible from a public right-of-way.
- Certain temporary signs as established in Section 1113.10.
- Flags on flagpoles or wall-mounted posts with specific height and area limitations.
- A single wall sign mounted flush on the facade of an individual dwelling unit, not illuminated and not exceeding two square feet in area.
- Signs integral to the historic character of a structure designated as an official landmark or historic structure.
- Signs on umbrellas, seating, or similar patio furniture located outside of the right-of-way.
- Signs on trucks, buses, or other vehicles used in the normal course of business.
- Signs installed or required by a governmental agency.
- Warning signs or traffic safety signs required by public utility providers.
- Hand-held signs not set on or affixed to the ground.
- Address numbers required by Chapter 905 or by the U.S. Post Office.
- Changes of copy on signs with changeable copy including electronic message centers.
- Signs or decorations erected for celebrations not intended to be permanent and containing no advertising material.
- General maintenance, painting, repainting, cleaning, and other normal maintenance and repair of a sign or sign structure unless a structural change is made.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- A master sign plan may be submitted for developments with more than 300,000 square feet of floor area or located on a single parcel that is twenty-five acres or larger.
- Master sign plans shall be reviewed by the MPC and a decision made at a public meeting.
- Master sign plans may include additional signage beyond the allowances established in the chapter.
- An application for review of a master sign plan shall include detailed plans and information regarding the signs and their illumination.

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

---

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