# Sign Regulations in Hanahan, South Carolina

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Hanahan, South Carolina (SC)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/south-carolina/hanahan
- **Data last verified:** 2025-05-08
- **Source:** [municode municipal code](https://library.municode.com/SC/Hanahan/codes/Code_of_Ordinances?nodeId=COOR_CH30SI)

## At a glance

Hanahan, South Carolina regulates 13 sign types across 4 zoning districts. Freestanding Signs in the Conservation/Preservation (CP) zoning district are capped at 7 feet tall and 8 sq ft per side, except when no wall signs are on the building: 15 sq ft per side. Institutional uses: 20 sq ft per side., with a Building served must be set back at least 5 feet. setback (Sec. Sec 8.3.3). Most commercial signs in Hanahan require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (4 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Conservation/Preservation (CP) | 7 | 18 feet above finished grade | 24 sq ft (or 5% of facade area, whichever is less) | — |
| Single-Family Residential—Low-density (RSL), Single-Family Residential (RS), Single-Family Residential—Moderate-density (RSM), Residential—Manufactured Housing (RT), Multi-Family Residential (RM), Multi-Family Residential-Neighborhood (RM-N), Residential/Office (RO), Town Residential (TR), Planned Development District (PD, Type "A" and Type "B"), Naval Weapons Station Compatibility Overlay Zone (NWS-COZ), Design Control Overlay District | 7 | 18 feet above finished grade | 24 sq ft (or 5% of facade area, whichever is less) | — |
| General Commercial (CG), Industrial (ID), Town Center (TC) | 9 | Up to 20 feet on arterial highway (see 8.4); 7 feet pedestrian. | Depends on signage location: up to 75 sq ft if on arterial highway in ID, 20 sq ft on pedestrian. | — |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 3 | — | 32 sq ft (1 side) | — |

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

### Conservation/Preservation (CP)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Wall Sign | 18 feet above finished grade | 24 sq ft (or 5% of facade area, whichever is less) | — | — | Max 3 total, includes wall, awning, window, projecting, freestanding. See 8.6(A). | Directly attached to exterior wall, not on windows or doors | — | Sec 8.3.1, Sec 8.2.1, Sec 8.3.9 |
| Freestanding Sign | 7 feet | 8 sq ft per side, except when no wall signs are on the building: 15 sq ft per side. Institutional uses: 20 sq ft per side. | — | Building served must be set back at least 5 feet. | Max 1 per building except as per 8.6. | Building must be set back at least 5 feet; sign must be ground-mounted. | — | Sec 8.3.3 |
| Projecting Sign | Top edge no higher than wall (single story) or sill/bottom of 2nd story window (multi-story); clearance from ground at least 7 ft | 6 sq ft per side | 3 feet | — | Max 3 total (all included sign types), See 8.6(A) | Affixed to building front | — | Sec 8.3.2 |
| Awning Sign | — | 8 sq ft on the awning | — | — | See max total under 8.6(A) | Attached to building over window or door | — | Sec 8.3.4 |
| Window Sign | — | 4 sq ft | — | — | Up to 3 total (wall, awning, window, projecting, freestanding). See 8.6 | Inside or within 2 feet of window, viewable from exterior | — | Sec 8.3.5 |
| Sidewalk Sign (Sandwich Board) | — | 6 sq ft per side | — | — | 1 per building (not counted towards 3 sign max, see 8.6) | On sidewalk in front of business; must leave at least 4 feet sidewalk clearance, may be in right-of-way, must not block access/vision. | — | Sec 8.3.6 |
| Changeable Copy Sign (Institutional Use) | 7 feet | 8–20 sq ft per side depending on sign type and use. | — | Same as freestanding signs. | Max 1 per parcel (located for institutional use). | Free-standing sign for institutional uses (schools, churches, public). | — | Sec 8.3.7 |

### Single-Family Residential—Low-density (RSL), Single-Family Residential (RS), Single-Family Residential—Moderate-density (RSM), Residential—Manufactured Housing (RT), Multi-Family Residential (RM), Multi-Family Residential-Neighborhood (RM-N), Residential/Office (RO), Town Residential (TR), Planned Development District (PD, Type "A" and Type "B"), Naval Weapons Station Compatibility Overlay Zone (NWS-COZ), Design Control Overlay District

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Wall Sign | 18 feet above finished grade | 24 sq ft (or 5% of facade area, whichever is less) | — | — | Max 3 total (see 8.6). | Directly attached to exterior wall, not on windows or doors | — | Sec 8.3.1, 8.3.9, 8.2.1, 8.6 |
| Freestanding Sign | 7 feet | 8 sq ft per side, or 15 sq ft per side if no wall sign; institutional uses: 20 sq ft per side. | — | Building must be set back at least 5 ft. | Max 1 per building/parcel. | Building must be set back at least 5 feet. | — | Sec 8.3.3 |
| Projecting Sign | Same as in CP zone | 6 sq ft per side | 3 feet | — | Included in max 3. | Front of building | — | Sec 8.3.2 |
| Awning Sign | — | 8 sq ft | — | — | — | Attached to building over window or door | — | Sec 8.3.4 |
| Window Sign | — | 4 sq ft / 2 sq ft on door | — | — | — | In/from window view | — | Sec 8.3.5 |
| Sidewalk Sign (Sandwich Board) | — | 6 sq ft per side | — | — | 1 per building/unit | Front of business, in right-of-way, provided 4 ft pedestrian clearance | — | Sec 8.3.6 |
| Changeable Copy Sign (Institutional Use) | 7 feet | Up to 20 sq ft per side if institutional | — | As per freestanding | — | Institution | — | Sec 8.3.7 |

### General Commercial (CG), Industrial (ID), Town Center (TC)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Wall Sign | 18 feet (general); For Town Center: see design standards, max sign area is 5% facade or 24 sq ft. | 24 sq ft | — | — | Max 3 incl. all sign types per 8.6 | On exterior wall, not window/door | — | Sec 8.3.1, 8.3.9, 8.2.1, 8.6, and for TC: Sec 4.5.12(D)(6a)-(b) |
| Freestanding Sign | 7 feet (pedestrian-oriented); 20 feet if on arterial highway (see 8.4); in TC, monument style max 7 feet unless DCC waiver. | 8 sq ft per side, or 15 sq ft per side if no wall sign; 20 sq ft per side if institution; For TC: Monument signs only, size as per DCC/8.3.3 | — | Building served must be set back at least 5 ft (pedestrian-oriented); on highway, 10 ft from R/W. | 1 per building/parcel except as allowed under 8.6. | Ground-mounted; in TC, pole signs prohibited, only monument and wall allowed. | — | Sec 8.3.3, 8.4.1(D)-(F), 4.5.12(D)(6b) |
| Changeable Copy Sign (in CG/ID/TC) | Up to 20 feet on arterial highway (see 8.4); 7 feet pedestrian. | Depends on signage location: up to 75 sq ft if on arterial highway in ID, 20 sq ft on pedestrian. | — | Same as freestanding. | — | Freestanding, at institution or business (restrictions for electronic). | — | Sec 8.3.7, 8.4, 4.5.12(D)(6) |
| Window Sign | — | 4 sq ft / 2 sq ft door | — | — | — | Window or within 2 ft of window | — | Sec 8.3.5 |
| Projecting Sign | See 8.3.2 | 6 sq ft per side | 3 feet | — | — | Affixed to building | — | Sec 8.3.2 |
| Awning Sign | — | 8 sq ft | — | — | — | On awning | — | Sec 8.3.4 |
| Sidewalk Sign (Sandwich Board) | — | 6 sq ft per side | — | — | 1 per building | On sidewalk, in ROW, 4 ft clearance | — | Sec 8.3.6 |
| Off-Premises Sign (Industrial Only) | 20 feet | 75 sq ft per side | — | 20 ft from road pavement edge; total height max 20 ft | 1 per lot, subject to spacing | ID zone only, at least 20 ft from pavement edge, minimum separation 1000 ft from other off-premises signs. | — | Sec 8.4.2 |

## Prohibited signs in Hanahan

- Signs that are dilapidated or in disrepair shall be prohibited.
- Signs on roofs, chimneys, and balconies shall be prohibited.
- Signs programmed to flash, blink, or fluctuate the intensity of lights or to operate intermittently so as to create a strobe effect shall be prohibited.
- Mobile or portable signs shall be prohibited, except sidewalk signs.
- Signs placed on, painted on, or affixed to vehicles and/or trailers that are parked on public right-of-way, public property so as to be visible from a public right-of-way, and where the apparent purpose is to advertise a product or business, or direct people to a business or activity located on the same or nearby property shall be prohibited except as temporary signage meeting Section 9.6.4.
- Any sign that emits a sound, odor, or visible matter such as smoke or vapor, including any form of pyrotechnics shall be prohibited.
- Any sign or sign structure that obstructs the view of, or is operated in any way that could cause it to be confused with, a traffic/directional safety device or public safety vehicle shall be prohibited.
- Any sign painted on or affixed to trees or other natural features, utility poles, or benches shall be prohibited.
- Any sign exhibiting statements, words, or pictures that are of an obscene or pornographic nature shall be prohibited.
- The intensity of light emitted to or from a sign shall not exceed two hundred twenty (220) lux at any point on the sign face.
- No neon is allowed on freestanding signs.
- No neon shall be allowed on awnings.
- No backlit awnings shall be allowed.
- Wall signs cannot be located on windows or doors.
- No exposed reflective type bulbs and no strobe/intermittent light or incandescent lamps shall be used to illuminate a sign.
- Signs exhibiting false or misleading content are prohibited on murals.
- Freestanding pole-mounted signs and billboards shall be prohibited (in Town Center Districts).
- Portable signs shall be prohibited, except for sandwich boards with faces no larger than two feet by three feet (in Town Center Districts).

## Signs exempt from permit in Hanahan

- Signs erected for orderly traffic control and other municipal or governmental purposes will be permitted, including historical monuments, markers, and signs erected by a public authority.
- Signs advertising agricultural products produced on the premises that do not exceed four square feet in area (one per street abutting the parcel; must be taken down during off-seasons).
- Temporary civic, cultural, and public service window posters.
- Temporary promotional or special sales window signs no greater than six square feet in area and posted inside commercial establishments for not more than thirty days.
- Commercial copy signs on ball fields mounted on outfield fences, facing toward the infield.
- Flags on residential property.
- Political signs (if not a visible hazard, not illuminated, no larger than sixteen square feet, posted no sooner than forty-five days prior and removed no later than ten days after election).
- Real estate signs (subject to size, number, and placement limitations—see Section 8.8(H)).
- A zoning permit shall not be required for routine maintenance and repair of signs.
- Minor appearance changes to existing permitted signs, limited to less than twenty percent of the total sign area, including change in text, shall not require a zoning permit.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- A zoning permit is required for the erection, posting, reposting, placing, replacing or hanging of any sign except where specifically noted as exempt.
- All signs in Design Control Districts for which a zoning permit is required shall be reviewed by the design control committee for compliance with design criteria and standards before a permit for the sign is issued.
- The zoning administrator may review signage for compliance with standards during site development plan review (Section 2.6), in which case the zoning permit issued for the development would cover the sign.
- For signage erected independent of a site development for which a zoning permit is required, the review process for the zoning permit applies.
- Applicants must submit ten copies of a scaled illustration legibly depicting the size and content of the sign and its copy for permit review.
- A sign permit is not required for those signs specifically listed as exempt in Section 8.8.
- Monument signs in the Town Center District may be allowed by the design control committee in accordance with Section 8.3.3.
- All permanent signage in the Town Center District (other than wall or monument signs) must be attached to buildings, except as allowed by the design control committee.
- A master sign plan is required for Planned Development Districts (Type 'B'); the master plan must include proposed locations and standards for signage, reviewed and adopted as part of the district regulatory provisions.
- Signage plans/documentation are standard required elements of the site development plan package for all zoning permit applications where signage is proposed.

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

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