# Sign Regulations in Swanton, Ohio

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Swanton, Ohio (OH)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/ohio/swanton
- **Data last verified:** 2025-04-11
- **Source:** [amlegal municipal code](https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/swanton/latest/swanton_oh/0-0-0-2366)

## At a glance

Swanton, Ohio regulates 15 sign types across 7 zoning districts. Freestanding Sign - One-family and Two-family Dwelling Units in the Residential Districts (R-E, R1, R2, R3, R4, R-5) zoning district are capped at 4 ft. tall and 5 sq. ft., with a 10 ft setback from the right-of-way (Sec. § 150.356(A) Schedule 150.356(A)). Most commercial signs in Swanton require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (7 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Residential Districts (R-E, R1, R2, R3, R4, R-5) | 5 | 6 ft. | 40 sq. ft. | — |
| Public Open Space District (P/OS) | 5 | 6 ft. | 40 sq. ft. | — |
| Business Districts (B-1, B-2, B-3) | 6 | 14 ft. | 60 sq. ft. | — |
| Industrial District (M-1) | 2 | 12 ft. | 60 sq. ft. | — |
| Airport Highway Corridor Overlay District | 1 | 8 ft. | 40 sq. ft. | — |
| P/O District | 5 | 6 ft. | 40 sq. ft. | — |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 2 | — | 12 sq. ft. | — |

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

### Residential Districts (R-E, R1, R2, R3, R4, R-5)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Freestanding Sign - One-family and Two-family Dwelling Units | 4 ft. | 5 sq. ft. | — | Min Setback from ROW: 10 ft; Min Setback from side lot line: 10 ft | 1/unit | Minimum setback from ROW: 10 ft; Minimum setback from side lot line: 10 ft | — | § 150.356(A) Schedule 150.356(A) |
| Freestanding Sign - Multi-family and One-family Attached Developments | 6 ft. | 20 sq. ft. | — | Min Setback from ROW: 10 ft; Min Setback from side lot line: 10 ft | 1/development | Minimum setback from ROW: 10 ft; Minimum setback from side lot line: 10 ft | — | § 150.356(A) Schedule 150.356(A) |
| Freestanding Sign - Residential Subdivision | 6 ft. | 40 sq. ft. | — | Min Setback from ROW: 10 ft; Min Setback from side lot line: 25 ft | 1/subdivision entrance | Minimum setback from ROW: 10 ft; Minimum setback from side lot line: 25 ft | — | § 150.356(A) Schedule 150.356(A) |
| Wall Sign - Nonresidential Uses | — | 40 sq. ft. | — | — | 1/building | Located on the premises of an approved nonresidential use | — | § 150.356(A) Schedule 150.356(A) |
| Freestanding Monument Sign - Nonresidential Uses | 5 ft. | 40 sq. ft. | — | Min Setback from ROW: 10 ft; Min Setback from side lot line: 10 ft | 1/500 feet of parcel frontage | Minimum setback from ROW: 10 ft; Minimum setback from side lot line: 10 ft | — | § 150.356(A) Schedule 150.356(A) |

### Public Open Space District (P/OS)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Freestanding Sign - One-family and Two-family Dwelling Units | 4 ft. | 5 sq. ft. | — | Min Setback from ROW: 10 ft; Min Setback from side lot line: 10 ft | 1/unit | Minimum setback from ROW: 10 ft; Minimum setback from side lot line: 10 ft | — | § 150.356(A) Schedule 150.356(A) |
| Freestanding Sign - Multi-family and One-family Attached Developments | 6 ft. | 20 sq. ft. | — | Min Setback from ROW: 10 ft; Min Setback from side lot line: 10 ft | 1/development | Minimum setback from ROW: 10 ft; Minimum setback from side lot line: 10 ft | — | § 150.356(A) Schedule 150.356(A) |
| Freestanding Sign - Residential Subdivision | 6 ft. | 40 sq. ft. | — | Min Setback from ROW: 10 ft; Min Setback from side lot line: 25 ft | 1/subdivision entrance | Minimum setback from ROW: 10 ft; Minimum setback from side lot line: 25 ft | — | § 150.356(A) Schedule 150.356(A) |
| Wall Sign - Nonresidential Uses | — | 40 sq. ft. | — | — | 1/building | Located on the premises of an approved nonresidential use | — | § 150.356(A) Schedule 150.356(A) |
| Freestanding Monument Sign - Nonresidential Uses | 5 ft. | 40 sq. ft. | — | Min Setback from ROW: 10 ft; Min Setback from side lot line: 10 ft | 1/500 feet of parcel frontage | Minimum setback from ROW: 10 ft; Minimum setback from side lot line: 10 ft | — | § 150.356(A) Schedule 150.356(A) |

### Business Districts (B-1, B-2, B-3)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Projecting Sign - B-2 Downtown Business District | 14 ft. | 10 sq. ft. | — | Not less than 5 ft from a party wall | 1/customer entrance | Attached to the building wall, projecting at an angle of approximately 90 degrees | — | § 150.357(B) |
| Under-canopy Sign | — | 6 sq. ft. | — | — | 1/ground floor tenant | Attached to the ceiling of an outdoor arcade or underneath a canopy, awning, or marquee | — | § 150.357(C) |
| Building Sign - B-1 and B-2 Districts | — | — | — | — | Maximum of 2 building frontages | On principal buildings | — | § 150.357(D) |
| Building Sign - B-3 District | — | — | — | — | Maximum of 2 building frontages | On principal buildings | — | § 150.357(D) |
| Freestanding Sign - B-1 and B-2 Districts | 6 ft. | 32 sq. ft. | — | Min Setback from ROW: 10 ft; Min Setback from side lot line: 10 ft | 1/property | Minimum setback from ROW: 10 ft; Minimum setback from side lot line: 10 ft | — | § 150.357(F) |
| Freestanding Sign - B-3 District | 12 ft. | 60 sq. ft. | — | Min Setback from ROW: 10 ft; Min Setback from side lot line: 20 ft | 1/property | Minimum setback from ROW: 10 ft; Minimum setback from side lot line: 20 ft | — | § 150.357(F) |

## Prohibited signs in Swanton

- Abandoned signs
- No sign shall be placed on any curb, sidewalk, post, pole, public or private utility appurtenance, hydrant, bridge, tree or other surface located on public property or over or across any street or public thoroughfare, easement or right-of-way except as may otherwise expressly be authorized by this zoning code
- Animated, flashing, rotating, revolving, whirling signs and festoons, inflatable signs, tethered balloons, pennants, searchlights, streamers, exposed light bulbs, strings of lights not permanently mounted to a rigid background and any clearly similar features
- Signs placed on or painted on a motor vehicle or trailer parked with the primary purpose of providing signage not otherwise allowed by the Code
- Signs containing any words, symbols, or illumination that would cause confusion because of their resemblance to highway traffic control or direction signals
- Signs that prevent the driver of a vehicle from having a clear and unobstructed view of official government signs and/or approaching or merging traffic, or which by means of illumination obscure a government sign or cause a traffic hazard
- Signs located on trees, utility poles, public benches or any other form of public property or within any public right-of-way unless explicitly permitted by the regulations
- Signs mounted on top of a roof
- Portable signs, not including A-frame sidewalk signs
- Signs located on private property without the written consent of the owner or agent thereof

## Signs exempt from permit in Swanton

- The display of official public notices, the United States or any state flag, emblem or insignia of an official governmental body
- Any sign erected or required to be erected by a unit of local, state or federal government
- Any warning signs or traffic safety signs required by public utility providers
- Building marker, cornerstones, or building plaques
- Works of art that do not include a commercial message
- Religious symbols that do not display a commercial message
- Decorative religious displays and other holiday lights or decorations containing no commercial message when displayed during the appropriate time of the year
- Any sign located inside a building that is not visible from outside of the building, or that is mounted more than three feet beyond a transparent window or door
- Any outdoor sign that does not exceed two square feet and that is not visible from any adjacent public right-of-way or from any adjacent property

## Sign plan & submission notes

- Signs in nonresidential districts, in multi-family residential districts, and for nonresidential uses in one-family districts shall be reviewed by the Planning Commission according to § 150.652
- Sign approval required at the time of final plat approval
- Conditionally permitted uses may be permitted additional sign area as part of conditional use approval by the Planning Commission
- The Planning Commission may extend the time for removal of a nonconforming sign
- Any person having an interest in the sign or the property may appeal the determination of the Zoning Administrator ordering removal or compliance by filing a written notice of appeal with the Committee of Zoning Appeals within 30 days after receipt of the notice

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

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