# Sign Regulations in Plain, Ohio

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Plain, Ohio (OH)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/ohio/plain
- **Data last verified:** 2025-04-11

## At a glance

Plain, Ohio regulates 7 sign types across 4 zoning districts. Ground Signs in the Non-residential district zoning district are capped at See Section 1199.06 tall and See Section 1199.06, with a 8 ft setback (Sec. 1199.05(b)). Most commercial signs in Plain require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (4 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Central Development Overlay District | 3 | 42 inches | See Section 1199.06 | — |
| Residential District | 1 | 8 ft | 20 sq ft | — |
| Non-residential district | 2 | See Section 1199.06 | See Section 1199.06 | — |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 2 | — | 32 sq ft | — |

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

### Central Development Overlay District

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Wall Sign | Not above second story window sill | See Section 1199.06 | — | — | One per building or use | Building wall facing street, parking lot, or service drive | — | 1199.05(a) |
| Projecting Sign | Not lower than 8 ft above walkway | 9 sq ft | — | — | One per business or use per public right of way | Building face | — | 1199.05(c) |
| Sandwich Sign | 42 inches | 2 ft x 3 ft | — | — | One per building frontage | Sidewalk | — | 1199.08(f) |

### Non-residential district

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Wall Sign | Not above second story window sill | See Section 1199.06 | — | — | One per building or use | Building wall facing street, parking lot, or service drive | — | 1199.05(a) |
| Ground Sign | See Section 1199.06 | See Section 1199.06 | — | 8 ft | One per lot | On property | — | 1199.05(b) |

### General Regulations For All Zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Temporary Sign | — | 8 sq ft | — | — | One per event | On property | — | 1199.07(a) |
| Banner Sign | — | 32 sq ft | — | — | One per event | Building exterior | — | 1199.07(b) |

## Prohibited signs in Plain

- Any sign bearing a commercial message related to a product or service not offered on the premises on which the sign is located.
- Portable signs with a size limit of two (2) feet by three (3) feet and no higher than forty-two (42) inches from the sidewalk surface, except in the Uptown Plain City Historic District and the Central Development Overlay District.
- Pole signs.
- Signs mounted on the roof of any building or structure.
- Ghost signs.
- Neon and neon look-alike signs except in Section 1199.03(c)(14).
- Changeable copy (except for gasoline station price signs, drive-thru menu boards, and signs for institutional uses).
- Pennants.
- Ribbons or streamers.
- Spinners.
- Bench signs.
- Flashing, intermittently lighted, or blinking signs.
- Projected images and animated signs.
- Signs with moving or moveable parts except barber poles.
- Mobile placards.
- Marquee type signs with changeable message.
- Air actuated attraction devices.

## Signs exempt from permit in Plain

- Any sign located entirely inside a building and not visible from the public right-of-way or from private property other than the property on which such sign is located.
- The flag, pennant or insignia of any nation, state, city or other political subdivision.
- Signs conforming with the Ohio Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices and bearing no commercial message.
- Signs bearing no commercial message and installed by employees or officials of a state or federal agency or of Plain City or Union or Madison Counties in the course of their governmental duties.
- Signs required by a state or federal statute.
- Signs required by an order of a court of competent jurisdiction.
- Signs installed by public utilities in their rights-of-way or on their facilities and bearing no commercial message other than such message is necessary to identify the user.
- Signs installed by a transit company with a franchise or other right to operate in Union and/or Madison Counties, where such signs are installed along its routes and relate to schedules or other information about the transit route.
- Signs in the nature of cornerstones, commemorative tables and historical signs, provided such signs are limited to six square feet or less and are not illuminated.
- Signs clearly in the nature of decorations customarily associated with any national, state, local or religious holiday to be limited to sixty days in any one year, and to be displayed not more than sixty consecutive days.
- Political signs or posters concerning candidates for elective office, public issues and similar matters to be decided by public election should be removed no later than seven days after such election.
- Signs not exceeding one square foot in area, bearing only property numbers, postal box numbers or names of occupants or premises.
- Signs indicating the sale, rental or lease of real estate, provided such signs are limited in size to eight square feet in area, no more than six feet in height, and with one sign per street front.
- Signs for the promotion of school, community, or church activities associated with an organization with a facility in Madison or Union County.
- Window display signs incorporated into the window display of a business.
- Window signage with a total area of less than two square feet and bearing only information about entry and exit, business hours and/or discount and credit systems accepted in that establishment.
- A business or use located in a nonresidential district may have one neon 'open' sign along each public street right-of-way of which the building fronts containing the business or use.
- Traffic and directional signs indicating points of entry or exit for a facility or off-street parking area.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- For all buildings or complexes designed and/or intended for multi-tenant usage, a total sign plan which must conform to all requirements of this section must be submitted before any sign permit for the complex or an individual tenant will be issued.

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

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