# Sign Regulations in Lake City, South Carolina

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Lake City, South Carolina (SC)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/south-carolina/lake-city
- **Data last verified:** 2025-05-08
- **Source:** [municode municipal code](https://library.municode.com/SC/Lake_City/codes/Code_of_Ordinances?nodeId=PTIILAUSCO_CH38ZO_ARTIVSIBIOTADSTME)

## At a glance

Lake City, South Carolina regulates 8 sign types across 12 zoning districts. Billboard (Outdoor Advertising Sign)s in the General Regulations For All Zones zoning district are capped at 20 ft tall, 250 sq ft, and 50 ft wide, with a Yard requirements and minimum SCDOT setbacks (not quantified in this text) setback (Sec. Sec. 38-98, 38-99). Most commercial signs in Lake City require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (12 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Low Density Residential (R-1), Medium Density Residential (R-2), High Density Residential (R-3), Office-Institutional Apartment (OIA), Planned Unit Development (PUD), Planned Unit Development—Residential (PUD-R), Planned Unit Development—Mobile Home Park, Mobile Home Subdivision, Modular Home Subdivision (PUD-MH) | 2 | — | 2 sq ft | — |
| Neighborhood Business (N-B) | 2 | — | 100 sq ft | — |
| Central Business (CBD) | 2 | — | 100 sq ft (general); signs on top of a building max 50 sq ft | — |
| Highway Business (H-B) | 2 | — | 500 sq ft | — |
| Light Industrial (L-I) | 2 | — | 700 sq ft | — |
| Suburban Industrial (S-I) | 2 | — | 900 sq ft | — |
| Agricultural (A) | 2 | — | 900 sq ft | — |
| Planned Unit Development—Industrial (PUD-I) | 1 | — | — | — |
| Planned Unit Development—Shopping Center (PUD-SC) | 1 | — | — | — |
| Flood Hazard District (FH) | 1 | — | — | — |
| Airport Zones (Utility Runway Approach Zone, Transitional Zones, Horizontal Zone, Conical Zone) | 1 | See citations; height limits: Utility runway approach (20:1 outward slope from end of primary surface to 5,000 ft), Transitional zones (7:1 outward slope from sides of primary/approach surface to height of 150 ft above airport elevation); Horizontal zone (Max 150 ft above airport elevation), Conical zone (20:1 outward slope from periphery of horizontal zone, max 350 ft above airport elevation) | — | — |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 2 | 20 ft | 250 sq ft | — |

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements (sample of 3 of 12 zones)

### Low Density Residential (R-1), Medium Density Residential (R-2), High Density Residential (R-3), Office-Institutional Apartment (OIA), Planned Unit Development (PUD), Planned Unit Development—Residential (PUD-R), Planned Unit Development—Mobile Home Park, Mobile Home Subdivision, Modular Home Subdivision (PUD-MH)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Temporary Advertising Sign | — | — | — | — | — | On property relating to event or business | — | Sec. 38-105(a), Sec. 38-101 |
| Business Identification Sign (Home Occupation) | — | 2 sq ft | — | — | — | On property of home occupation | — | Sec. 38-104, Sec. 38-105(a) |

### Neighborhood Business (N-B)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Business Identification Sign | — | 100 sq ft | — | — | — | — | — | Sec. 38-105(b) |
| Outdoor Advertising Sign | — | 100 sq ft | — | — | — | — | — | Sec. 38-105(b) |

### General Regulations For All Zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Billboard (Outdoor Advertising Sign) | 20 ft | 250 sq ft | 50 ft | Yard requirements and minimum SCDOT setbacks (not quantified in this text) | — | Must conform to side, front, and rear yard requirements. Minimum 100 ft from any residential district. | — | Sec. 38-98, 38-99 |
| Wall Sign (Business Identification Sign, on building wall) | — | 40% of wall area | — | — | — | On building wall | — | Sec. 38-100, 38-94 |

## Prohibited signs in Lake City

- No sign shall be erected or maintained where by reason of its position, wording, illumination, size, shape, or color, it may obstruct, impair, obscure, interfere with the view of, or be confused with, any authorized control sign, signal, or device.
- No sign or structure shall be erected, constructed, or maintained so as to interfere with vision clearance along any highway, street, or road, or at any intersection of any street, highway, or railroad track.
- No illuminated sign shall be permitted within 50 feet of property in any residential district unless the illumination of such sign is so designed that it does not shine or reflect light onto such property.
- All advertising signs or structures having flashing or intermittent lights which project toward neighboring dwellings shall not be less than 300 feet from such dwelling.
- In all use districts except the central business district, no sign or other obstruction to vision between the heights of two feet and ten feet shall be permitted within 25 feet of the intersection of the right-of-way lines of two streets or railroads, or of a street intersection with a railroad right-of-way line.
- All permanent advertising signs or structures shall be designed, constructed and maintained to withstand a wind pressure of safe and acceptable standards as regulated by Appendix H, 'Signs,' of the International Building Code.
- No advertising structure shall be erected, constructed or maintained so as to obstruct any fire escape, or any window, door, or opening used as a means of ingress and/or egress for firefighting purposes, or which will prevent free passage from one part of a roof to any other part thereof.
- No roof sign shall be attached in any form, shape or manner to a fire escape or be so placed as to interfere with any opening required for legal ventilation.
- No billboard or ground sign shall be erected to exceed 20 feet above the ground level or 50 feet in length.
- Billboards and other similar outdoor advertising structures shall be erected or placed in conformity with the side, front, and rear yard requirements of the district in which located. However, no billboard shall be erected or placed closer than 100 feet from any residential district.
- Maximum size of billboard shall be 250 square feet or less.
- No sign shall be painted or placed on the roof of any building except as expressly permitted.
- No sign or display shall be maintained on a sign or structure after the business or use which it advertises has ceased operation.
- Signs erected and overhanging any sidewalk must be placed at least nine feet above the sidewalk and may extend over the sidewalk a distance equal to two-thirds the width of the sidewalk but in no case exceeding six feet.
- Professional signs and signs for home occupations shall not exceed two square feet in area.
- Temporary signage in R-1, low density residential districts would be prohibited.
- All advertising structures, together with any supports, guys, braces, and anchors, will be kept in repair and in a safe state of preservation. All signs erected to serve a temporary purpose shall be removed within 30 days from the date the purpose ceases to exist.

## Signs exempt from permit in Lake City

- State and local governmental street and highway markers are excepted from the vision clearance provision which restricts obstructions to vision at intersections.
- The temporary ordinance does not address political signage, section 17-273 of the Lake City Code of Ordinances.
- Signs for professional and home occupations are permitted as long as they do not exceed two square feet in area.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- In multifamily developments, site plan review prior to project approval requires submission of plans for proposed signs among other requirements; these are reviewed by the planning and zoning commission.
- In townhouse developments, site plan review prior to project approval requires submission of plans for proposed signs among other requirements; these are reviewed by the planning commission.
- For Planned Unit Developments (PUD; residential, industrial, mobile home park, shopping center), a preliminary site plan and a final development plan are required. The plans must include the general location, character, size and height and orientation of proposed signs and are subject to review and approval by the planning and zoning commission and/or city council.
- The planning and zoning commission may require as a condition of PUD site plan approval specific requirements related to signs and advertising devices to protect adjoining residential lots or uses, or to protect the PUD from adjacent uses.
- Approval for variance from sign regulations is heard by the zoning board of adjustment in accordance with procedures codified in Article VIII.

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

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