# Sign Regulations in Pickens, South Carolina

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Pickens, South Carolina (SC)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/south-carolina/pickens
- **Data last verified:** 2025-05-08
- **Source:** [municode municipal code](https://library.municode.com/SC/Pickens/codes/Code_of_Ordinances?nodeId=THCOPISOCA_CH18ZO_ARTVISIRE)

## At a glance

Pickens, South Carolina regulates 23 sign types across 8 zoning districts. Subdivision Entrance Signs in the R-20 zoning district are capped at 6 ft tall and 100 sq ft (per entrance), with a See fence regulations if attached to fence/wall setback (Sec. Sec. 604.C). Most commercial signs in Pickens require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (8 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| R-20 | 6 | 6 ft | 100 sq ft (per entrance) | — |
| R-12, R-10, R-8, RM-8, RM-16 | 8 | 6 ft | 100 sq ft (per entrance) | — |
| CBD | 5 | 42 in | 30 sq ft | — |
| NBD | 5 | 42 in | 150 sq ft | — |
| GBD, RLI, GI | 6 | 42 in | 360 sq ft per sign | — |
| Gateway Overlay District | 4 | 42 in | 36 sq ft (single business), 72 sq ft (multi-business), changeable copy max 24 sq ft | — |
| City Center Overlay District | 5 | 42 in | 25 sq ft per face | — |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 5 | 5 ft | 60 days (see specific size by use: 6 sq ft residential, 20 sq ft non-residential) | — |

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements (sample of 3 of 8 zones)

### R-20

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Residential Wall Sign | — | 1 sq ft | — | — | 1 | Mounted flat against wall of dwelling | — | Sec. 820.E |
| Temporary Sign (Residential) | — | 6 sq ft | — | 10 ft from street right-of-way | 1 | Yard or building wall | — | Sec. 603.C; Sec. 601 |
| Construction Sign (Residential) | — | 25 sq ft | — | — | 1 | Premises of work under construction | — | Sec. 604.B |
| Subdivision Entrance Sign | 6 ft | 100 sq ft (per entrance) | — | See fence regulations if attached to fence/wall | Up to 2 per entrance | Subdivision entrance | — | Sec. 604.C |
| Private Directional Sign | — | 6 sq ft | 4 ft length | — | 1 per 500ft frontage | Off-premises, not upon the premises being directed to. | — | Sec. 604.D |
| Bed and Breakfast Inn Sign | — | 3 sq ft | — | — | 1 | On-site | — | Sec. 413.3.e(7) |

### R-12, R-10, R-8, RM-8, RM-16

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Residential Wall Sign | — | 1 sq ft | — | — | 1 | Mounted flat against wall of dwelling | — | Sec. 820.E |
| Temporary Sign (Residential) | — | 6 sq ft | — | 10 ft from street right-of-way | 1 | Yard or building wall | — | Sec. 603.C; Sec. 601 |
| Construction Sign (Residential) | — | 25 sq ft | — | — | 1 | Premises of work under construction | — | Sec. 604.B |
| Subdivision Entrance Sign | 6 ft | 100 sq ft (per entrance) | — | See fence regulations if attached to fence/wall | Up to 2 per entrance | Subdivision entrance | — | Sec. 604.C |
| Private Directional Sign | — | 6 sq ft | 4 ft length | — | 1 per 500ft frontage | Off-premises, not upon the premises being directed to. | — | Sec. 604.D |
| Multi-Family Entrance/Identification Sign | — | 60 sq ft per entrance | — | 10 ft from right-of-way | 1 per entrance | Entrance, set back at least 10 ft from street right-of-way | — | Sec. 605.B |
| Bed and Breakfast Inn Sign | — | 20 sq ft (NBD), 3 sq ft (other residential) | — | — | 1 | On-site | — | Sec. 401.4.A.7; Sec. 407.4.A.7; Sec. 413.3.e(7) |
| Home Occupation Sign | — | 1 sq ft | — | — | 1 | Mounted flat to wall | — | Sec. 820.E |

### GBD, RLI, GI

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Wall Sign | — | — | — | — | — | Building facade | — | Sec. 604.A; Sec. 606.C |
| Freestanding/Detached Monument Sign | 35 ft | 150 sq ft per sign | — | 10 ft from ROW, per district | 1 per 300 ft | Within front/side setback; commercial or industrial parcels | — | Sec. 606.B |
| Off-premise Freestanding Sign | — | 360 sq ft per sign | — | 500 ft from res/parcels as stated | — | Lot with no business | — | Sec. 606.D |
| Temporary Sign (Business) | — | 20 sq ft | — | 10 ft from right-of-way | 1 | Yard or wall | — | Sec. 603.C |
| Off Premise Sign (Option 1) | — | 360 sq ft | — | — | — | Lot with no business | — | Sec. 606.D |
| Sandwich Board Sign | 42 in | 10 sq ft | 2 ft | — | 1 per street frontage | Within 5–10 ft of entrance | — | Sec. 602.D.6 |

## Prohibited signs in Pickens

- No sign shall display intermittent lights resembling the flashing lights customarily used in traffic signals or in police, fire, ambulance, or rescue vehicles, nor shall any sign use the words 'stop,' 'danger,' or any other phrase, symbol, or character in a manner that might mislead or confuse the driver of an automobile.
- No sign, whether temporary or permanent, except traffic signs and signals and information signs erected by a public agency approved by the zoning administrator, is permitted within any street or highway right-of-way.
- Signs painted on or attached to trees, fence posts, and telephone or other utility poles or signs painted on or attached to rocks or other natural features or painted on the roofs of buildings are prohibited.
- Signs placed or painted on a motor vehicle or trailer and parked with the primary purpose of providing a sign are not allowed.
- Nonpolitical corrugated plastic signs with the metal wiring are prohibited within the City of Pickens.
- Temporary signs cannot be placed on utility poles or street signs.
- Temporary signs cannot be placed in rights-of-way.
- No more than five (5) temporary signs are allowed per applicant in the City of Pickens at one time and must be located on the property of the business.
- Obsolete or abandoned signs, sign copy or sign structures are prohibited and shall be removed by the owner of the property within thirty (30) days after written notification from the zoning administrator.
- All signs and/or sign support structures shall be maintained in sound structural condition and shall not be allowed to deteriorate to a condition in which it is unsightly in appearance or requires repairs or renovations in an amount that exceeds seventy-five (75) percent of its current replacement costs.
- No building, sign, or other structure shall be erected, moved, added to, or structurally altered without a permit issued by the zoning administrator.
- All signs must conform to the regulations of Article VI in all zoning districts unless specifically exempted.
- The use of portable and temporary signs as a permanent sign is prohibited.
- A new business will be given ninety (90) days to use a temporary sign when the business opens. A permanent sign must be approved within the first ninety (90) days.

## Signs exempt from permit in Pickens

- A permit is not required for traffic, directional, warning, or information signs authorized by any public agency approved by the zoning administrator.
- Official notices issued by any court, public agency, or public office are exempt from sign permit requirements.
- One non-illuminated 'for sale,' 'for rent' or 'for lease' sign not exceeding six (6) square feet in area in residential districts and twenty (20) square feet in other than residential districts and located at least ten (10) feet back from the street right-of-way line (unless attached to the front wall of a building) does not require a permit.
- Signs erected in connection with elections or political campaigns do not require a permit, provided they are erected no more than thirty (30) days prior and are removed within seven (7) days following the election or campaign, do not exceed sixteen (16) square feet, and are not placed in the public right-of-way.
- On-site directional signs bearing no commercial message and not exceeding four (4) square feet in area are exempt from permit requirements.
- Identification signs indicating the name and street number or owner or occupant of a parcel, as long as such sign does not exceed four (4) square feet of copy area, do not require a permit.
- A bulletin board for a noncommercial place of public assembly, not exceeding thirty-six (36) square feet or five (5) feet in height, restricted to one per parcel, does not require a permit.
- A sign identifying a project under construction that does not exceed twenty-five (25) square feet in residential districts or one hundred (100) square feet in nonresidential zones, is not illuminated, and is removed within seven (7) days of completion is exempt from permit.
- Signs attached or integrated into a gasoline pump, ATM, or drive-through component of a fast food restaurant, which give operational instructions to users, the price of the product, the brand name, or descriptive product information, do not require a permit.
- Signs on the interior side of window glass are exempt from permit requirements.
- Decorative flags and banners containing no commercial message when displayed on a residence are exempt from permit requirements.
- Now hiring signs, for sale signs, and for rent signs do not require a permit.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- Applications for sign permits must include a scaled drawing of the sign depicting size, shape, colors, materials, copy/wording and designs, illumination type and electrical detail, and location on building if attached.
- In overlay districts, a certificate of approval is required before a building permit or sign application can be approved; applications or certificates of approval shall be submitted through the zoning administrator and the board of architectural review will need to review applications.
- A zoning compliance form must be on file with a site plan of where features such as donation bins or attended collection sites will be located.
- For master developments or multi-tenant/phas ed developments, signs should be consistent in terms of materials, design features, and scale, suggesting sign plans may be required for large projects to demonstrate consistency.
- All new development within the RM-16, MHP, NBD, CBD, GBD, RLI, and GI districts, and non-residential development in the R-12 and R-10 districts, requires submission and approval of site plans before a building permit is issued.
- For cellular towers, a site plan is required as part of the application for placement of antenna and towers.
- Any alteration that increases impervious area or gross floor area, or new exterior signs in overlay districts, requires review by the board of architectural review and a certificate of approval prior to issuance of any permits.
- If a variance or special exception is needed regarding signs (in the case of request for deviation from code), an application must be made to the board of zoning appeals, which will hold a public hearing as part of the process.

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

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