# Sign Regulations in Portsmouth, Ohio

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Portsmouth, Ohio (OH)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/ohio/portsmouth
- **Data last verified:** 2025-04-11
- **Source:** [amlegal municipal code](https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/portsmouth/latest/portsmouth_oh/0-0-0-32466)

## At a glance

Portsmouth, Ohio regulates 16 sign types across 11 zoning districts. Bench Signs in the Downtown zoning district are capped at 4 ft tall, 8 ft width, 4 ft height, and 8 ft wide (Sec. 1137.05). Most commercial signs in Portsmouth require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (11 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Downtown Business District | 4 | 4 feet plus one-third of the sign's front setback | 75% of building surface area | — |
| Rural | 3 | — | 24 sq ft | — |
| Hillside Neighborhood | 3 | — | 24 sq ft | — |
| Traditional Neighborhood | 6 | Not to exceed roof line | 75% of building surface area | — |
| Downtown | 10 | 4 ft | 75% of building surface area | — |
| Corridor | 10 | 4 ft | 75% of building surface area | — |
| University | 10 | 4 ft | 75% of building surface area | — |
| Medical | 10 | 4 ft | 75% of building surface area | — |
| Industrial Flex | 10 | 4 ft | 75% of building surface area | — |
| Parks and Open Space | 6 | Not to exceed roof line | 75% of building surface area | — |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 6 | — | 7 sq ft per face for residential, 12 sq ft for commercial and industrial | — |

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

### Downtown

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Access Sign | — | — | — | — | — | Within 10 feet of street right-of-way | — | 1137.05 |
| Awning or Canopy Sign | — | — | — | — | — | On an awning or canopy | — | 1137.05 |
| Bench Sign | 4 ft | 8 ft width, 4 ft height | 8 ft | — | One per 50 feet of frontage per lot | Not within public right-of-way except with written permission of the City. | — | 1137.05 |
| Flag Sign | — | 24 sq ft | — | — | — | — | — | 1137.05 |
| Freestanding Sign | 4 feet plus one-third of the sign's front setback | Front setback or 12 sq ft, whichever is more | — | Setback requirements as per zoning ordinance. | — | Behind street setback lines | — | 1308.04, 1308.07, 1137.055 |
| Projecting Sign | — | — | — | — | — | May extend over public right-of-way only when authorized by a valid permit. | — | 1137.05 |
| Wall Sign | Not to exceed roof line | 75% of building surface area | — | May not project more than 4 feet towards the right-of-way. | — | May be located anywhere on the surface of the building. | — | 1308.03, 1308.04, 1308.07, 1137.05 |
| Window Sign | — | 20% of window area | — | — | — | Within 12 inches of a window | — | 1308.01, 1137.05 |

### Corridor

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Access Sign | — | — | — | — | — | Within 10 feet of street right-of-way | — | 1137.05 |
| Awning or Canopy Sign | — | — | — | — | — | On an awning or canopy | — | 1137.05 |
| Bench Sign | 4 ft | 8 ft width, 4 ft height | 8 ft | — | One per 50 feet of frontage per lot | Not within public right-of-way except with written permission of the City. | — | 1137.05 |
| Flag Sign | — | 24 sq ft | — | — | — | — | — | 1137.05 |
| Freestanding Sign | 4 feet plus one-third of the sign's front setback | Front setback or 12 sq ft, whichever is more | — | Setback requirements as per zoning ordinance. | — | Behind street setback lines | — | 1308.04, 1308.07, 1137.055 |
| Projecting Sign | — | — | — | — | — | May extend over public right-of-way only when authorized by a valid permit. | — | 1137.05 |
| Wall Sign | Not to exceed roof line | 75% of building surface area | — | May not project more than 4 feet towards the right-of-way. | — | May be located anywhere on the surface of the building. | — | 1308.03, 1308.04, 1308.07, 1137.05 |
| Window Sign | — | 20% of window area | — | — | — | Within 12 inches of a window | — | 1308.01, 1137.05 |

### University

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Access Sign | — | — | — | — | — | Within 10 feet of street right-of-way | — | 1137.05 |
| Awning or Canopy Sign | — | — | — | — | — | On an awning or canopy | — | 1137.05 |
| Bench Sign | 4 ft | 8 ft width, 4 ft height | 8 ft | — | One per 50 feet of frontage per lot | Not within public right-of-way except with written permission of the City. | — | 1137.05 |
| Flag Sign | — | 24 sq ft | — | — | — | — | — | 1137.05 |
| Freestanding Sign | 4 feet plus one-third of the sign's front setback | Front setback or 12 sq ft, whichever is more | — | Setback requirements as per zoning ordinance. | — | Behind street setback lines | — | 1308.04, 1308.07, 1137.055 |
| Projecting Sign | — | — | — | — | — | May extend over public right-of-way only when authorized by a valid permit. | — | 1137.05 |
| Wall Sign | Not to exceed roof line | 75% of building surface area | — | May not project more than 4 feet towards the right-of-way. | — | May be located anywhere on the surface of the building. | — | 1308.03, 1308.04, 1308.07, 1137.05 |
| Window Sign | — | 20% of window area | — | — | — | Within 12 inches of a window | — | 1308.01, 1137.05 |

## Prohibited signs in Portsmouth

- Contains statements, words or pictures of an obscene, indecent or immoral character, such as will offend public morals or decency.
- Contains or is an imitation of an official traffic sign or signal or contains the words 'stop', 'go slow', 'caution', 'danger', 'warning' or similar words.
- Is of a size, location, movement, content, coloring or manner of illumination which may be confused with or construed as a traffic control device or which hides from view any traffic or street sign or signal.
- Contains or consists of banners, posters, pennants, ribbons, streamers, strings of light bulbs, spinners or other similarly moving devices.
- Uses flame as a light source.
- Abandoned signs.
- Flashing signs.
- Hazardous signs.
- Inflatable, lighter-than-air, or kite-type materials containing commercial messages.
- Merchandise, equipment, products, trailers, or other items not themselves for sale and placed for advertising purposes.
- Portable signs.
- Roof signs.
- Signs within the sight triangle of an intersection.
- Signs within the public right-of-way located on utility or street light poles, utility boxes, or street signs, unless granted permission by the right-of-way authority.
- Signs resembling traffic signs or traffic control devices on a public street or road.
- Signs which obstruct ingress or egress of a property.
- Signs with reflective materials, except for those required by the Ohio Department of Transportation.

## Signs exempt from permit in Portsmouth

- The copy and message of signs.
- Official traffic signs, or signs mounted in the public right-of-way by government agencies having jurisdiction within such right-of-way.
- A public art mural designated by the Building Officer.
- Flags of any nation or government jurisdiction.
- Scoreboards on athletic fields.
- Gravestones.
- The display of street numbers that may aid emergency vehicles in locating and responding to an emergency.
- Any display or construction not defined herein as a sign.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- Promotional slogans or advertising must receive approval of the Planning Commission.
- A supergraphic shall be subject to review of the Planning Commission.
- No sign permit shall be issued by the Building Officer or through otherwise established procedures for any sign to be erected or placed within a preservation district or for any sign to be attached to or erected upon any listed property unless a certificate of appropriateness has been issued for that sign.

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

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