# Sign Regulations in Willoughby Hills, Ohio

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Willoughby Hills, Ohio (OH)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/ohio/willoughby-hills
- **Data last verified:** 2025-04-11
- **Source:** [amlegal municipal code](https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/willoughbyhills/latest/willoughbyhills_oh/0-0-0-16296)

## At a glance

Willoughby Hills, Ohio regulates 15 sign types across 10 zoning districts. Freestanding Signs in the Residential District zoning district are capped at 6 ft. tall and 2 sq. ft., with a 0 ft from ROW setback (Sec. Schedule 1151.04).

## Sign rules by zoning district (10 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Residential District | 5 | 8 ft. | 30 sq. ft. | — |
| Nonresidential District | 3 | 8 ft. | 30 sq. ft. | — |
| B-1 District | 3 | 14 ft. | 8 sq. ft. | — |
| B-2 District | 6 | 16 ft. | 100 sq. ft. per face | — |
| B-3 District | 6 | 32 ft. | 200 sq. ft. | — |
| M District | 1 | — | 8 sq. ft. | — |
| M-1 Residential District | 1 | — | 8 sq. ft. | — |
| R-1 District | 2 | 4 ft. | 12 sq. ft. | — |
| R-2 District | 2 | 4 ft. | 12 sq. ft. | — |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 2 | — | 20% of the total glass area of the ground floor windows | — |

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements (sample of 3 of 10 zones)

### Residential District

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Freestanding Sign | 6 ft. | 2 sq. ft. | — | 0 ft from ROW | 1/building | Building | — | Schedule 1151.04 |
| Freestanding Sign for Residential Development Identification | 8 ft. | 30 sq. ft. | — | — | See subsection 1151.04(c)(3) | — | — | Schedule 1151.04 |
| Nameplate or Window Sign | — | 2 sq. ft. | — | — | 1 per DU | Per Dwelling Unit | — | Schedule 1151.04 |
| Entrance and Exit Signs | 3 ft. | 3 sq. ft. | — | Not less than 2 ft. nor more than 10 ft. | 2 per driveway (1 in, 1 out) | Per driveway | — | Schedule 1151.04 |
| Wall Sign | — | — | — | — | 1/building | Building | — | Schedule 1151.04 |

### B-2 District

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Nameplate Sign | — | 2 sq. ft. | — | — | 1/address | Per address | — | Schedule 1151.05(b) |
| Projecting Sign | 14 ft. | 8 sq. ft. | — | — | 1/ground floor occupant frontage | Ground floor occupant frontage | — | Schedule 1151.05(b) |
| Building Signs | — | — | — | — | In compliance with maximum area | Building | — | Schedule 1151.05(b) |
| Freestanding Sign | 8 ft. | 100 sq. ft. per face | — | 5 ft. from ROW, 15 ft. from side lot line | 1/zoning lot | Zoning lot | — | Schedule 1151.05(e) |
| Raised Sign | 16 ft. | 75 sq. ft. per face | — | 5 ft. from ROW, 15 ft. from side lot line | 1/zoning lot | Zoning lot | — | Schedule 1151.05(e) |
| Tenant Sign | 16 ft. | 50 sq. ft. | — | 5 ft. from ROW, 15 ft. from side lot line | 1/zoning lot | Zoning lot | — | Schedule 1151.05(e) |

### B-3 District

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Nameplate Sign | — | 2 sq. ft. | — | — | 1/address | Per address | — | Schedule 1151.05(b) |
| Projecting Sign | 14 ft. | 8 sq. ft. | — | — | 1/ground floor occupant frontage | Ground floor occupant frontage | — | Schedule 1151.05(b) |
| Building Signs | — | — | — | — | In compliance with maximum area | Building | — | Schedule 1151.05(b) |
| Freestanding Sign | 8 ft. | 100 sq. ft. per face | — | 5 ft. from ROW, 15 ft. from side lot line | One per 150 ft. of frontage | Zoning lot | — | Schedule 1151.05(e) |
| Raised Sign | 32 ft. | 150 sq. ft. per face | — | 5 ft. from ROW, 15 ft. from side lot line | One per 150 ft. of frontage | Zoning lot | — | Schedule 1151.05(e) |
| Tenant Sign | 32 ft. | 200 sq. ft. | — | 5 ft. from ROW, 15 ft. from side lot line | One per 150 ft. of frontage | Zoning lot | — | Schedule 1151.05(e) |

## Prohibited signs in Willoughby Hills

- All signs not expressly permitted in this Chapter shall be prohibited in the City.
- Animated, flashing, moving, blinker, racer type, intermittent, rotating, moving, animated, or revolving signs, whirligig devices, inflatable signs and tethered balloons, pennants, ribbons, streamers, spinners, exposed light bulbs, and strings of lights not permanently mounted to a rigid background, and other similar types of attention-getting devices, except those exempt under Section 1151.02 (c).
- Billboards.
- Flags intended for advertising or commercial purposes.
- Ghost signs.
- Merchandise, equipment, products, vehicles or other items not themselves for sale or rent and placed for attention getting, identification or advertising purposes.
- Permanent signs erected or attached to accessory structures, including outdoor furniture, benches, tables, chairs.
- Raised signs, except on properties zoned B-2 or B-3 located on Bishop Road between I-90 and Chardon Road, and on Chardon Road West of Bishop Road, where raised signs are permitted.
- Signs or advertising devices which attempt, or appear to attempt, to direct the movement of traffic, or which interfere with, imitate or resemble an official sign, signal or device.
- Signs containing information or advertising for any product not sold or produced on the premises or for any use that does not occur on the premises.
- Roof sign.
- Streamer signs.

## Signs exempt from permit in Willoughby Hills

- Any sign displaying a public notice or warning required by a valid and applicable federal, state, or local law, ordinance, or regulation.
- Building Marker not exceeding four (4) square feet in area.
- Flags of the United States, the state, foreign nations having diplomatic relations with the United States, and any other flag adopted or sanctioned by an elected legislative body of competent jurisdiction, flown in accordance with protocol established by the Congress of the United States for the Stars and Stripes.
- Works of art that do not include a commercial message.
- A decorative display of religious and/or other holiday lights and decorations containing no commercial message when displayed during the appropriate time of the year.
- Any traffic control sign, such as “STOP” or “YIELD,” located on private property that meets applicable governmental standards pertaining to such signs and does not display a commercial message.
- Instructional signs provided such signs comply with the following: Instructional signs shall be clearly intended, designed and located for instructional purposes, as determined by the Zoning Administrator; Each sign shall not be larger than necessary to serve the intended instructional purpose; The sign is not in a location and does not possess design characteristics that constitute or serve the purposes of an identification sign.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- A comprehensive signage plan or set of graphic design criteria shall control all future signage at all new or substantially renovated or remodeled existing multi-tenant buildings and development projects such as shopping centers and business complexes.
- A comprehensive signage plan shall be required for all said centers or complexes, and an agreement shall be made to incorporate design criteria requirements in all future relationships, contractual or otherwise, with tenants and other parties desiring signage at the subject center or complex.

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

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