# Sign Regulations in Wadsworth, Ohio

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Wadsworth, Ohio (OH)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/ohio/wadsworth
- **Data last verified:** 2025-04-11
- **Source:** [amlegal municipal code](https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/wadsworth/latest/wadswort_oh/0-0-0-67035)

## At a glance

Wadsworth, Ohio regulates 13 sign types across 7 zoning districts. Signs at Entrance to the Developments in the Residential District zoning district are capped at 5 ft. tall and 24 sq. ft., with a 10 ft. setback (Sec. § 154.474, Table A). Most commercial signs in Wadsworth require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (7 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Residential District | 6 | 5 ft. | 50 sq. ft. | — |
| Commercial District (CBD, C-1, C-5, C-3, C-4) | 5 | 3 ft. | 6 sq. ft. | — |
| Industrial District (I-1, I-2) | 4 | 15 ft. | 3 sq. ft. | — |
| Airport (AP) District | 1 | — | — | — |
| I-76 Highway Sign Overlay District | 1 | 70 ft. | 200 sq. ft. | — |
| Planned Unit Development | 1 | — | — | — |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 1 | — | — | — |

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

### Residential District

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Building Signplate or House Number | — | 1.5 sq. ft. | — | — | 2 per address | — | — | § 154.474, Table A |
| Building Signplate or Street Address | — | 3 sq. ft. | — | — | 1 per public entrance to building | 1 per public entrance to building | — | § 154.474, Table A |
| Signs at Entrance to the Development | 5 ft. | 24 sq. ft. | — | Minimum setback from a property line: 10 ft. | 1 for each entrance from a public street | 1 for each entrance from a public street | — | § 154.474, Table A |
| Building Signplate | — | 3 sq. ft. | — | — | 1 per address or building | 1 per address or building | — | § 154.474, Table A |
| Building/Wall-Mounted Signs | — | 50 sq. ft. | — | — | — | — | — | § 154.474, Table A |
| Freestanding Sign | 5 ft. | 24 sq. ft. | — | Minimum setback from a property line: 10 ft. | One | One | — | § 154.474, Table A |

### Commercial District (CBD, C-1, C-5, C-3, C-4)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Sandwich Board Sign | 3 ft. | 3 sq. ft. | — | — | — | — | — | § 154.475, Table B |
| Building/Wall Signs | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | § 154.475, Table B |
| Awning Signs | — | — | — | — | One sign per awning | One sign per awning | — | § 154.475, Table B |
| Projecting Signs | — | 6 sq. ft. | — | — | One sign per building with more than 25 ft. of continuous frontage on a public street | One sign per building with more than 25 ft. of continuous frontage on a public street | — | § 154.475, Table B |
| Signs at Vehicular Entrances & Exits | 3 ft. | 3 sq. ft. | — | — | One sign at each driveway | One sign at each driveway | — | § 154.475, Table B |

### Industrial District (I-1, I-2)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Building/Wall Signs | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | § 154.476, Table E |
| Awning Signs | — | — | — | — | One sign per awning | One sign per awning | — | § 154.476, Table E |
| Freestanding Signs | 15 ft. | — | — | Minimum setback from a private street or public right-of-way: 15 ft. | One sign per parcel | One sign per parcel | — | § 154.476, Table E |
| Signs at Vehicular Entrances & Exits | 3 ft. | 3 sq. ft. | — | — | One sign at each driveway | One sign at each driveway | — | § 154.476, Table E |

## Prohibited signs in Wadsworth

- No sign or outside lighting shall flash, be animated, rotate, or have the appearance of moving, except for electronic or mechanical changeable copy signs when in compliance with the applicable regulations.
- No sign shall contain pennants, banners, ribbons, streamers, strings of light bulbs, spinners, or similarly fixed or moving devices.
- No permanent sign shall be located or project into a public right-of-way.
- Electrical wiring serving free-standing signs must be underground.
- No permanent free-standing sign may be erected closer than 40 feet to any intersection.
- All signs erected within 100 feet of any intersection must be constructed so as not to obstruct traffic sight lines.
- Signs shall comply with applicable commercial building and electric codes.
- Any sign permitted by this chapter which may show severe structural deterioration shall be replaced or removed at the owner's expense.
- All signs associated with a business which has vacated the premises must be removed within 60 days of the date the business ceases to operate on the premises.
- Plantings arranged so as to spell out a business or building identification, services offered or other commercial or non-commercial message will be considered a sign.
- Building signs shall not cover more than 30% of the wall area on which it is located.
- No permanent or temporary sign shall be located in such a manner as to obstruct sight distance along any public or private highway or otherwise create a public nuisance.

## Signs exempt from permit in Wadsworth

- Building addresses, sign plates and window and door graphics of three square feet or less for any use.
- Any sign displaying a public notice, warning or other information required by a valid federal, state, or local law, ordinance, or regulation.
- Official flags of any nation or government.
- Official flags of a commercial or non-commercial organization, not exceeding 24 square feet.
- Any sign, banner, pennant, etc., located inside a building that is not attached to a window or door and is not legible from outside of the building.
- Any work of art that does not display a commercial message.
- Any religious symbol that does not display a commercial message.
- Any traffic control sign, such as 'STOP' or 'YIELD,' located on private property that meets applicable governmental standards.
- Signs erected by state or local government agencies, or their contractors, to facilitate the construction, maintenance, or operation of transportation facilities.
- Product dispensers and trash receptacles not displaying a commercial message or displaying a commercial message not exceeding three square feet.
- Holiday and community special event decorations that do not display a commercial message.
- Signs on athletic fields and scoreboards intended for on-premises viewing only.
- Non-commercial signs and messages not exceeding three square feet.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- Provide review procedures that assure that signs are consistent with the city's objectives and within the city's capacity to efficiently administer the regulations.
- Prohibit all signs not expressly permitted by these sections.
- All permanent signage and permanent window graphics not identified as exempt require a zoning certificate from the City of Wadsworth prior to installation.
- All permanent signage and permanent window graphics not identified as exempt require review by the Architectural Design Committee before a zoning certificate is issued.
- Applications for ADC review and a zoning certificate require submission of a completed zoning certificate application, scaled site-plan, scaled drawings of each proposed sign, digitized photographs, and other pertinent data.
- Design review procedures include ADC review and recommendation to the Zoning Inspector, with the possibility of appeal to the City Planning Commission.
- Design review and zoning certificate required for signs erected under the Highway Sign Overlay District provisions.

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

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