# Sign Regulations in Crossville, Tennessee

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Crossville, Tennessee (TN)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/tennessee/crossville
- **Data last verified:** 2025-04-19

## At a glance

Crossville, Tennessee regulates 20 sign types across 2 zoning districts. Off-Premise Signs in the General Regulations For All Zones zoning district are capped at 360 sq ft per sign face (775 sq ft for Interstate 40 frontage), with a No part (if base less than 10ft high) within 10ft of r.o.w. setback (Sec. §14-505(A)(E)(F)(G)(H)(J)(K)(L)(M)(N)(R)(S)). Most commercial signs in Crossville require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (2 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Downtown District | 2 | — | — | — |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 19 | 30 ft | 360 sq ft per sign face (775 sq ft for Interstate 40 frontage) | — |

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements

### Downtown District

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Sandwich Board Sign | — | — | — | — | — | Not allowed in right-of-way in the Downtown District. | — | §14-503(E) |
| Off-Premise Sign / Billboard | — | — | — | — | — | Not permitted in the Downtown District. | — | §14-505(F) |

### General Regulations For All Zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Wall Sign | — | — | — | — | See requirements: one per wall for stand-alone; one per business for commercial complex. | On exterior building elevation. | — | §14-504(B)(C)(D)(E)(F) |
| Roof Sign | — | — | — | — | One per frontage; see details. | On roof of building. | — | §14-504(C)(D) |
| Projecting Sign | — | — | — | — | One per road frontage | On building, projected over sidewalk or public way (per Building Code). | — | §14-504(C)(D) and §16-104 |
| Canopy Sign | — | — | — | — | One per road frontage | On building canopy. | — | §14-504(C)(D) |
| Off-Premise Sign | — | 360 sq ft per sign face (775 sq ft for Interstate 40 frontage) | — | No part (if base less than 10ft high) within 10ft of r.o.w. | — | Not within 300ft of a residence; only in connection with, or within 600ft of, active commercial or industrial activity per TDOT rules; permitted only on arterial/collector roads (see §14-505(H)). | — | §14-505(A)(E)(F)(G)(H)(J)(K)(L)(M)(N)(R)(S) |
| Billboard | — | 360 sq ft per face (775 sq ft for I-40) | — | No part (if base less than 10ft high) within 10ft of r.o.w. | — | Not within 300ft of a residence; only on arterial/collector roads; not in Downtown District. | — | §14-505(A)(F)(G)(H)(J)(K)(L)(M)(N)(R)(S) |
| Scoreboard (with Electronic Message Display) | 30 ft | Electronic message portion: max 200 sq ft | — | — | — | Athletic fields. | — | §14-505(C) |
| Garage/Yard/Outdoor Sale Sign (On-Premises) | — | 4 sq ft | — | — | 2 | On property where sale is being conducted. | — | §9-1210(A) |

## Prohibited signs in Crossville

- No sign, structure, or land shall be used and no sign or structure or parts thereof shall be erected, moved, or altered, unless for a use permitted by and in conformity with this chapter.
- Signs shall not resemble, obstruct, or physically interfere with the effectiveness of an official traffic sign, signal or device.
- Signs shall not obstruct or physically interfere with a driver's view of approaching or intersecting traffic based on sight triangle distance.
- No freestanding flashing signs will be permitted within 40 feet of the edge of any roadway except for official government use and/or public safety.
- No signs are allowed in the public right-of-way except for official government use and/or public safety. The public right-of-way includes any median and 15 feet from the asphalt unless otherwise marked.
- No illuminated sign shall be of such intensity as to unduly disturb the use of any residential property or cause impairment to traffic.
- No sign shall be erected or continued in operation which constitutes a nuisance by reason of light, glare, noise, animation, or is considered unsafe or abandoned.
- No sign shall be placed in such a manner as to impede visibility of and by oncoming traffic.
- All signs located near the corners of an intersection of public streets and/or private drives/streets/roads, shall be located outside the sight triangle.
- No sign shall be painted on or attached to any trees, rocks, fence posts, utility poles, or similar structures or objects excluding those placed by the city or a city instrumentality.
- All signs shall be maintained in good condition at all times.
- No sign shall obstruct any means of egress.
- Mobile signs or portable signs cannot be used as an off-premise sign, except for a period of no longer than 14 days.
- Any obsolete sign panel or sign copy which identifies, describes, or directs attention to any business or establishment no longer in operation, or advertises any product no longer being marketed, shall be removed within six months after becoming obsolete.
- All signs except for banners, flags, temporary signs, mobile or portable signs and/or sandwich board signs allowed shall be constructed of permanent materials that are permanently attached to the ground or a structure.
- Off-premise signs and billboards are not permitted in the downtown district.
- Off-premise signs and billboards are prohibited within 300 feet of a residence.
- Double-stacking and side-by-side placement of new off-premise signs and billboards is prohibited, except for specified locations (Interstate 40 and on school properties).
- No portion of any off-premise sign or billboard, the bottom of which is less than ten feet above grade off thoroughfare, shall be erected, placed or hung within ten feet of the street or highway right-of-way.
- No banner or sign shall be placed across any public street or alley except when expressly authorized by the City Council.
- Banners must not be placed within 50 feet of the corner of an intersection or in a manner as to obstruct the vision of motorists or cover any traffic control devices, and shall not be placed or allowed at a height less than 16 feet.

## Signs exempt from permit in Crossville

- Permits shall not be required for lawn signs and flags displayed on private residential property.
- Temporary signs for recreation and sporting events are allowed, provided the Educational Agency approves placement and no permit is required. Size limitations and safety/maintenance requirements apply.
- Sandwich boards along sidewalks are allowed if placed in an area that does not violate ADA guidelines or right of way, except in the defined downtown district.
- State law regarding campaign advertising and related topics (T.C.A. § 2-1-116, T.C.A. § 2-19-144, T.C.A. § 2-7-143, and T.C.A. § 2-19-206) preempts and supersedes any provision of this chapter.
- Signs mounted by the city or instrumentality of the city are excluded from the prohibition of attachment to trees, rocks, etc., with City Manager approval.
- Permits are not required for on-premise signs and flags displayed on private residential property.
- Directional signs for outdoor, garage, or yard sales are allowed with certain restrictions (size, location, duration, and permit number requirements) as specified in § 9-1210.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- Applicants for any sign permit must provide the Building Official with plans and specifications identifying the location, type, and design of proposed and existing signs.
- All sign permit applications shall specify whether the sign is permanent or temporary, including expiration date for temporary, mobile, or portable signs.
- In the event of a request for a variance or adjustment from the terms of the chapter, a request letter with site plan and maps must be submitted to the City Manager for City Council/Sign Board review.
- For off-premise signs and billboards, the application requires specific documentation, including construction plans, site details, property and sign owner information, liability insurance, and a stake indicating proposed location and dimensions.
- Banners placed across streets require an application filed with the City Clerk, insurance, and a hold harmless agreement before approval.

## Full detail

Complete sign requirements for Crossville, including every field PermitPal tracks for each sign type, are available with a free PermitPal account: https://app.permitpal.io/?address=Crossville+TN&override=true&utm_source=landing&utm_medium=city-page&utm_campaign=city-crossville

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