# Sign Regulations in Mill City, Oregon

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Mill City, Oregon (OR)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/oregon/mill-city
- **Data last verified:** 2025-05-08
- **Source:** [municode municipal code](https://library.municode.com/OR/Mill_City/codes/Municipal_Code?nodeId=TIT17ZO_CH17.68SICO)

## At a glance

Mill City, Oregon regulates 18 sign types across 4 zoning districts. Freestanding Signs in the CC, CH, I, Commercial Zone, Industrial Zone zoning district are capped at 20 feet tall and 150 sq ft (one face), 200 sq ft (two faces), with a Not within 25 feet of any property line abutting a residential zone. setback (Sec. 17.68.050B1, 17.68.050B5). Most commercial signs in Mill City require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (4 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| R-1, R-2, Residential Zone, P, Public Zone | 1 | 6 feet (for freestanding sign) | 32 sq ft overall; 16 sq ft per display surface | — |
| CC, CH, I, Commercial Zone, Industrial Zone | 8 | 20 feet | 150 sq ft (one face), 200 sq ft (two faces) | — |
| Special Planned Development (SPD) Zone | 1 | — | — | — |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 8 | 3 ft (ground mounted, exempted) | 40 sq ft per face (banner); 50 ft per site (pennant) | — |

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements (sample of 3 of 4 zones)

### R-1, R-2, Residential Zone, P, Public Zone

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Permanent Entrance Sign | 6 feet (for freestanding sign) | 32 sq ft overall; 16 sq ft per display surface | — | — | One sign per vehicular entry or one per street frontage where use has only one vehicular entry | At vehicular entry to the property | — | 17.68.050A1, 17.68.050A2, 17.68.050A4 |

### CC, CH, I, Commercial Zone, Industrial Zone

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Freestanding Sign | 20 feet | 150 sq ft (one face), 200 sq ft (two faces) | — | Not within 25 feet of any property line abutting a residential zone. | One per premises | On premises zoned and used for commercial or industrial purposes; must not be on or over property line or within 25 feet of any property line within a residential zone. | — | 17.68.050B1, 17.68.050B5 |
| Wall-Mounted Sign | — | 30% of building face | — | — | No limit (area governs) | Attached to building wall | — | 17.68.050B2, 17.68.050B5 |
| Wall-Painted Sign | — | 100% of one face, 30% of all faces | — | — | No limit (area governs) | On building face | — | 17.68.050B2, 17.68.050B5 |
| Projecting Sign | — | 20% of building face (alone); total of all sign surfaces on building face: 30% of face. | — | — | No limit (area governs) | Attached to building, projecting up to 4 feet into street right-of-way or over roadway | — | 17.68.050B3, 17.68.050B5 |
| Roof Sign | 4 feet above the highest point of the building | 1 sq ft per 2 lineal feet of street frontage | — | — | No limit (area governs) | On roof, but may not project over parapet wall | — | 17.68.050B4, 17.68.050B5 |
| Fence Sign | — | 1 sq ft per 5 ft fence length | — | — | — | On fence | — | 17.68.050B6 |
| Off-premise Sign | — | 64 sq ft (two-faced), 32 sq ft per display surface | — | — | One per street frontage | On residentially used and vacant properties within commercial or industrial zone | — | 17.68.050B8 |
| Moving, Flashing, Electronic Message, Automatic Changing, Revolving Signs | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 17.68.050B7 |

### General Regulations For All Zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Exempted Signs | 3 ft (ground mounted, exempted) | 3 sq ft (address/occupant/name signs, on-site directional) | — | — | — | All zones | — | 17.68.040A1 |
| Exempted Temporary Sign (Residential/Public Zone) | — | 16 sq ft | — | — | — | All zones (per Section); must be non-permanent. | — | 17.68.040A2 |
| Exempted Temporary Sign (Commercial/Industrial Zone) | — | 32 sq ft | — | — | — | All zones (per Section); must be non-permanent. | — | 17.68.040A2 |
| Public Direction and Safety Sign | — | — | — | — | — | Allowed in right-of-way; all zones | — | 17.68.040A3 |
| Holiday Displays/Decorations | — | — | — | — | — | All zones | — | 17.68.040A4 |
| Event Banner or Pennant (Temporary, Exempted) | — | 40 sq ft per face (banner); 50 ft per site (pennant) | — | — | — | On premises; all zones | — | 17.68.040A5 |
| Window Sign (Commercial/Industrial Zones Only) | — | — | — | — | — | Inside window | — | 17.68.040A10-11 |
| Fence Sign (Athletic Event Internal, Exempt) | — | — | — | — | — | Inside fence for athletic events | — | 17.68.040A13 |

## Prohibited signs in Mill City

- It is unlawful to erect, display, or maintain any sign or advertising structure within the right-of-way of any street, along any driveway, or in any other location which does not meet the ordinance’s requirements for exempted signs, or that is likely to be confused with traffic control devices, or creates a distracting or hazardous condition for motorists, bicyclists, or pedestrians.
- Banners, pennants, and balloons are prohibited except as permitted for specific exempted uses.
- Temporary signs are prohibited except as specified under exemptions.
- No sign may be erected or maintained which by use of lights, illumination (including sequential or partial illumination) creates an unduly distracting or hazardous condition to motorists, bicyclists, or pedestrians.
- No sign or portion of a sign shall be placed so that it obstructs any fire escape, stairway, or standpipe; interferes with human exit through any window above the first floor; obstructs any door or required exit from any building; or obstructs any required light or ventilation.
- Fence signs exceeding one square foot of sign face per twenty feet of fence length in residential and public zones or one square foot per five feet of fence length in commercial and industrial zones are prohibited except for temporary real estate signs or internal fence signs as described in exemptions.
- Signs affixed to power, utility, or traffic control poles are prohibited, except for city-approved traffic control signs and pole identification placards.
- Searchlights are prohibited.

## Signs exempt from permit in Mill City

- Signs not exceeding three square feet in area, nonilluminated, not exceeding three feet in height if ground mounted, such as property addresses, building numbers, occupant names, professional nameplates, onsite directional and similar signs.
- Temporary, non-illuminated signs not permanently installed, not exceeding sixteen square feet in residential or public zones and thirty-two square feet in commercial or industrial zones, displayed only for the duration of the activity (real estate, political, construction, garage sale, open house, special event, and similar).
- Signs placed for public direction and safety (traffic, municipal, emergency direction signs, legal notices, railroad crossing signals, and similar) including those within the public right-of-way if not a safety hazard.
- Temporary displays of lights or decorations associated with holidays, in place for no more than forty days.
- Banners (max forty square feet per face) and pennants (max fifty feet length per site) used in conjunction with temporary events, in place no longer than thirty days.
- Banners in public rights-of-way intended to advertise/promote the community/region or events, subject to city and ODOT approval if along Highway 22.
- Flags.
- Signs carved into buildings or integral to building materials such as cornerstones or building names.
- Signs of public or legal notice.
- Window signs in commercial and industrial zones.
- Painted or printed window displays of temporary/holiday nature.
- Promotional displays for special events, in place for up to seven days.
- Fence signs inside fences used for athletic event advertising, associated with onsite athletic events.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- All signs, except exempted signs, require a sign permit and application to the zoning official.
- Signs for uses requiring conditional use or site plan review permits, or for uses in the special planned development (SPD) zone, are reviewed by the planning commission at the public hearing for those uses.
- Variances to the sign limits may be granted through a formal application and review process as outlined in Chapter 17.56.
- Signs in the SPD zone may be subject to more restrictive standards per the review authority.
- Signs constructed or placed prior to the ordinance are nonconforming but must meet prior code; replacement or relocation requires compliance with the current code.

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

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