# Sign Regulations in New Albany, Ohio

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

- **Jurisdiction:** New Albany, Ohio (OH)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/ohio/new-albany
- **Data last verified:** 2025-05-08
- **Source:** [municode municipal code](https://library.municode.com/OH/New_Albany/codes/Code_of_Ordinances?nodeId=PTELEVENPLZOCO_TITFIVEADZORE_CH1169DISIOUAD)

## At a glance

New Albany, Ohio regulates 23 sign types across 11 zoning districts. Dual-Post Signs in the Commercial and warehousing zoning district are capped at 7' tall, 30 s.f. per side, and 7.5' wide (Sec. 1169.17(b), 1169.15(a)). Most commercial signs in New Albany require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (11 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Historic Core | 11 | 3' | Maximum 33% of the awning area | — |
| Village Core | 11 | 3' | 40 s.f. | — |
| Core Residential | 6 | 7' | 33% of awning area | — |
| Village Residential | 3 | 7' | 8 s.f. per side | — |
| Campus | 8 | 7' | 35 s.f. max | — |
| Parks and Preservation | 7 | 7' | 30 s.f. per side | — |
| Commercial and warehousing | 10 | 8' | 200 s.f. | — |
| Residential Subdivision | 5 | 8' | 20 s.f. per side | — |
| Retail | 9 | 8' | 50 s.f. | — |
| Institutional | 7 | 7' | 45 s.f. max | — |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 6 | 35' for flagpole | 16 s.f. total; 8 s.f. per side | — |

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements (sample of 3 of 11 zones)

### Historic Core

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Wall Sign | — | 30 s.f. | — | — | One per business entrance | One per business entrance | — | 1169.16(d); 1169.14(a); 1169.03 |
| Projecting Sign | — | 6 s.f. maximum, per side | — | — | One per business entrance | One per business entrance, adjacent to entrance and perpendicular to ROW/lot line | — | 1169.16(h); 1169.14(a) |
| Awning Sign | — | Maximum 33% of the awning area | — | — | One per awning | One per awning | — | 1169.16(g); 1169.14(a) |
| Blade Sign | — | 8 s.f. maximum, per side | — | — | One per business entrance | One per business entrance | — | 1169.16(a) |
| Sidewalk Sign | — | 8 s.f. maximum per side | — | — | One per business | Within 10' of an entrance | — | 1169.10(k) |
| Window Sign | — | 15% of window area | — | — | One per window, up to three windows | First floor exterior windows | — | 1169.16(e) |
| Address Sign | — | 4 s.f. maximum | 4' | — | One per building | One per building | — | 1169.18(c) |
| Directional Sign | 3' | 4 s.f. maximum | — | — | Two | Two per property | — | 1169.18(b) |

### Village Core

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Wall Sign | — | 40 s.f. | — | — | One per business entrance | One per business entrance | — | 1169.16(d); 1169.14(a); 1169.03 |
| Projecting Sign | — | 6 s.f. maximum, per side | — | — | One per business entrance | One per business entrance, adjacent to entrance and perpendicular to ROW/lot line | — | 1169.16(h); 1169.14(a) |
| Awning Sign | — | Maximum 33% of awning area | — | — | One per awning | One per awning | — | 1169.16(g); 1169.14(a) |
| Blade Sign | — | 15 s.f. maximum, per side | — | — | One per business entrance | One per business entrance | — | 1169.16(a) |
| Sidewalk Sign | — | 8 s.f. maximum per side | — | — | One per business | Within 10' of an entrance | — | 1169.10(k) |
| Hanging Sign | — | 25 s.f. maximum | — | — | One per business entrance | One per business entrance | — | 1169.16(b) |
| Address Sign | — | 4 s.f. maximum | 4' | — | One per building | One per building | — | 1169.18(c) |
| Directional Sign | 3' | 4 s.f. | — | — | One per lot access | One per lot access | — | 1169.18(b) |

### Commercial and warehousing

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Wall Sign | — | 200 s.f. | — | — | One per building entrance | One per building entrance | — | 1169.16(d); 1169.15(a) |
| Hanging Sign | — | 35 s.f. max | — | — | One per entrance | One per entrance | — | 1169.16(b) |
| Dual-Post Sign | 7' | 30 s.f. per side | 7.5' | — | One per street entrance | One per street entrance | — | 1169.17(b), 1169.15(a) |
| Blade Sign | — | 25 s.f. per side | — | — | One per entrance | One per entrance | — | 1169.16(a) |
| Window Sign | — | 25% of window area | — | — | One/window, up to three | First floor | — | 1169.16(e) |
| Monument Sign | 5' | 30 s.f. per side | 8' | — | One per street entrance | One per street entrance | — | 1169.17(c) |
| Post-Top Sign | 8' | 7 s.f. per side | — | — | One per street entrance | One per street entrance | — | 1169.17(d) |
| Address Sign | — | 15 s.f. | 6' | — | One per building | One per building | — | 1169.18(c) |

## Prohibited signs in New Albany

- Trailer signs, search lights, laser lights, pennants, streamers, spinners, balloons, bench signs, portable signs (except for sidewalk signs), roof signs, billboards, changeable copy (except for gasoline station price signs), flashing signs, projected images and animated signs, signs with moving or moveable parts, electronic signs (except for drive-through menu board signs), and look-alike versions of these are prohibited.
- Signs on vending machines, trash bins, or other devices serving any premises must be fully screened from view of any public right-of-way and adjoining property.
- Homemade lettered signs are prohibited, except sidewalk signs that meet Section 1169.10(i) requirements.
- Signs may not be installed in public easements, rights-of-way, or no build zones, except publicly owned signs such as traffic control signs and directional signs.
- Signs may not be installed in any public park or other public property without written authority of the owner of that property.
- Signs may not be installed on traffic control signs, construction signs, fences (without written permission from the owner), utility poles, street signs, trees or other natural objects.
- No sign shall be located so as to interfere with the safe movement of vehicles or pedestrians entering, leaving, or crossing a public right-of-way or private street.
- No sign shall be installed on any property without the prior authorization of the owner of the property.
- Failure to maintain a sign can result in the sign permit being voided and an order issued for sign removal; failure to comply allows the city to remove the sign at owner’s expense.
- No signs are allowed on Wireless Telecommunications Facilities or Towers (except a non-illuminated emergency contact not larger than 2' x 3').

## Signs exempt from permit in New Albany

- Flags or insignia of any nation, state, city or other political subdivision, with certain size and height restrictions, are exempt from permit requirements.
- Corporate flags are exempt from the sign code subject to quantity, size, height, and content restrictions.
- Standard street address markers are exempt unless exceeding specified size/height.
- Government signs required or authorized for a public purpose by law (including traffic control devices) are exempt, provided they contain no supplementary advertising.
- Public information signs approved and installed by the Village (e.g., block watch, way-finding, public events) are exempt.
- Historical markers administered by the Ohio Historical Markers Program are exempt.
- Political signs (meeting size, height, and other content-neutral regulations) are exempt from permit/time limitations.
- Residential for sale/for lease signs (meeting size, height, timing, and location restrictions) are exempt from permit requirements.
- Garage/yard sale signs following size, duration, and location rules are exempt from permit requirements.
- Business open/close signs meeting size, placement, and content restrictions are exempt from permit requirements.
- Business hours signs (limited to 1.5 sq. ft., no logos, not illuminated) are exempt from permit requirements.
- Signs erected by the local, state, or federal government for the purposes of discharging governmental functions (within the definition of 'sign') are excluded from regulation.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- All signs contained in Section 1169.11 (Special Signs), Section 1169.12 (Permanent Signs), and Section 1169.18 (By-Right Signs) require a sign permit issued by the Zoning Officer.
- Existing, conforming signs requiring a sign face change require a sign permit issued by the Zoning Officer.
- All new permanent signs within the Village Center Area require a certificate of appropriateness according to Section 1157.06 before a sign permit is issued.
- All signs contained in Section 1169.10 (Temporary Signs) require a temporary sign permit issued by the zoning officer.
- Application for a sign permit must include: applicant info, scaled sign/site drawings, details of illumination/construction/attachment, sign contractor info, landscape plan for ground signs (if required), other information as needed, and any required application fee.
- Requests for deviations (variances/waivers) are handled by the Architectural Review Board (Village Center) or Board of Zoning Appeals (outside Village Center) as set forth in Chapter 1113.
- A master sign plan or coordinated package of signs with continuity of design is encouraged for buildings or storefronts with matching architectural composition and detailing (see Section 1169.12(e)), though the submittal of a master sign plan is not explicitly mandated in the provided text.

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

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