# Sign Regulations in Stow, Ohio

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Stow, Ohio (OH)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/ohio/stow
- **Data last verified:** 2025-04-11
- **Source:** [amlegal municipal code](https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/stow/latest/stow_oh/0-0-0-45057)

## At a glance

Stow, Ohio regulates 7 sign types across 7 zoning districts. Monument Signs in the R-B Districts zoning district are capped at 4 ft. tall and 16 sq. ft., with a No less than 10 ft. from right-of-way setback (Sec. Schedule 1183.04). Most commercial signs in Stow require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (7 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Residential District | 2 | 6 ft. | 20 sq. ft. | — |
| R-B Districts | 3 | 4 ft. | 16 sq. ft. | — |
| Commercial Districts | 3 | 8 ft. | 50 sq. ft. | — |
| Industrial Districts | 3 | 8 ft. | 50 sq. ft. | — |
| Institutional Properties | 1 | 6 ft. | 32 sq. ft. | — |
| C-2, C-3, C-4, C-5 | 1 | 8 ft. above ground | 20% of window area | — |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 2 | 6 ft. | 16 sq. ft. (Single Family Lot) | — |

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements (sample of 3 of 7 zones)

### R-B Districts

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Wall Sign | — | 16 sq. ft. | — | — | 1 per street frontage | Building wall | — | Schedule 1183.04 |
| Monument Sign | 4 ft. | 16 sq. ft. | — | No less than 10 ft. from right-of-way | 1 per street frontage | Freestanding | — | Schedule 1183.04 |
| Temporary Promotional Sign | 4 ft. | 16 sq. ft. | — | No less than 10 ft. from right-of-way | 1 per event | Private property | — | 1183.05(i)(3) |

### Commercial Districts

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Wall Sign | — | 32 sq. ft. | — | — | 1 per street frontage | Building wall | — | Schedule 1183.04 |
| Monument Sign | 8 ft. | 50 sq. ft. | — | No less than 10 ft. from right-of-way | 1 per street frontage | Freestanding | — | Schedule 1183.04 |
| Temporary Promotional Sign | 6 ft. | 32 sq. ft. | — | No less than 10 ft. from right-of-way | 1 per event | Private property | — | 1183.05(i)(3) |

### Industrial Districts

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Wall Sign | — | 32 sq. ft. | — | — | 1 per street frontage | Building wall | — | Schedule 1183.04 |
| Monument Sign | 8 ft. | 50 sq. ft. | — | No less than 10 ft. from right-of-way | 1 per street frontage | Freestanding | — | Schedule 1183.04 |
| Temporary Promotional Sign | 6 ft. | 32 sq. ft. | — | No less than 10 ft. from right-of-way | 1 per event | Private property | — | 1183.05(i)(3) |

## Prohibited signs in Stow

- Animated, flasher, blinker, racer type, moving or revolving signs, inflatable signs and tethered balloons, streamers, exposed light bulbs, strings of lights not permanently mounted to a rigid background, except those exempt under the previous section; and other similar features
- Signs on temporarily placed vehicles
- Signs containing any words or symbols that would cause confusion because of their resemblance to highway traffic control or directional signals
- Outdoor advertising signs (billboards) being any sign erected for the benefit of any person, organization, business, cause, product or service not residing or located on the premises upon which said sign is erected, except as otherwise specified
- Merchandise, equipment, products, vehicles, or other items not themselves for sale and placed for attention getting, identification, or advertising purposes

## Signs exempt from permit in Stow

- Any public notice or warning required by a valid and applicable federal, state, or local law, regulation, or ordinance
- 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
- Works of art that do not include a commercial message
- Religious and other holiday lights and decorations containing no commercial message when displayed during the appropriate time of the year
- Required public purpose/safety signs as needed to achieve the intended public purpose and which contain no commercial message of any sort
- Flags of the United States, the state, the City, foreign nations having diplomatic relations with the United States, and any other flag adopted or sanctioned by an elected legislative body of competent jurisdiction

## Sign plan & submission notes

- Signs shall be erected, modified, or replaced only upon the submission of proper plans and specifications and upon review and approval according to the following
- The Planning Director may refer the decision on any of the above signs to the Planning Commission for consideration if the Planning Director determines that the sign, as proposed, is more appropriately the responsibility of the Planning Commission
- Community directional signs shall be subject to the review and approval of Planning Commission and Council according to the review procedures for conditional uses set forth in Section 1137.04
- All signs subject to Planning Commission review and approval shall be reviewed according to the procedures set forth for Site Plan Review in Section 1137.03(d) to (f)
- Signs proposed for a conditional use and conditionally permitted signs shall further be reviewed and approved by City Council upon recommendation from the Planning Commission
- For multi-tenant buildings in commercial or industrial districts, and individual buildings located in business and industrial parks, the applicant shall submit with the application for site plan review basic sign parameters as to the location, size and style of proposed signs

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

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