# Sign Regulations in Harriman, Tennessee

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Harriman, Tennessee (TN)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/tennessee/harriman
- **Data last verified:** 2025-10-29
- **Source:** [other municipal code](https://cityofharriman.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/City-of-Harriman-Zoning-Ordinance.pdf#page=16)

## At a glance

Harriman, Tennessee regulates 23 sign types across 8 zoning districts. Freestanding Sign - Major Directory (Shopping Center/Mall/Commercial PUD)s in the Central Business District (C-1) zoning district are capped at ≤ 25 ft (general maximum height applies) tall and 150 sq ft, with a ≥ 5 ft from public right-of-way setback (Sec. 11-309(4)(b)(i)). Most commercial signs in Harriman require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (8 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 7 | Less than 3 ft higher than the driveway elevation (and subject to general maximum height limits) | 3 sq ft | — |
| Residential Historic (R-H); Low Density Residential (R-1); Medium Density Residential (R-2) | 3 | 12 ft | 20 sq ft | — |
| Central Business District (C-1) | 6 | 50 ft | 250 sq ft | — |
| General Commercial District (C-2); Neighborhood Commercial District (C-3) | 5 | 50 ft | 250 sq ft | — |
| Light Industrial District (I-1); Heavy Industrial District (I-2) | 5 | ≤ 25 ft (general maximum height applies) | 200 sq ft | — |
| Historic District (H-1) | 1 | — | — | — |

_2 additional zoning districts are covered in PermitPal (free account)._

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

### Central Business District (C-1)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Freestanding Sign - Major Directory (Shopping Center/Mall/Commercial PUD) | ≤ 25 ft (general maximum height applies) | 150 sq ft | — | ≥ 5 ft from public right-of-way | 1 major directory sign per development | Shopping centers, malls, and commercial PUDs | — | 11-309(4)(b)(i) |
| Wall Sign (Shopping Center/Mall/Commercial PUD) | — | — | — | — | Any number, subject to total area formula | Walls of businesses within shopping centers, malls, and commercial PUDs | — | 11-309(4)(b)(i) |
| Freestanding/Ground Sign (Individual Business) - Option 2 | ≤ 25 ft (general maximum height applies) | 150 sq ft | — | ≥ 5 ft from public right-of-way | 1 ground sign per business | On-site for individual businesses | — | 11-309(4)(b)(ii) (ground sign allowance); 11-309(4)(b)(iv) (C-1 shared-lot/building restriction) |
| Wall Sign (Individual Business) | — | — | — | — | Any number, subject to total area formula | On-site walls of individual businesses | — | 11-309(4)(b)(ii) |
| Wall Sign (C-1 - Shared Building/Wall/Lot) - Option 1 | — | — | — | — | Any number, subject to total area formula | Businesses in C-1 that share a portion of their building, wall, or lot with another business | — | 11-309(4)(b)(iv) (restriction in C-1), 11-309(4)(b)(i) (wall-facing limitation) |
| Freestanding Sign (Within 2,000 ft of I-40 interchange) | 50 ft | 250 sq ft | — | ≥ 5 ft from public right-of-way | 1 larger freestanding sign per qualifying business | For individual businesses located within 2,000 ft of the I-40 interchange right-of-way | — | 11-309(4)(b)(iii) |

### General Commercial District (C-2); Neighborhood Commercial District (C-3)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Freestanding Sign - Major Directory (Shopping Center/Mall/Commercial PUD) | ≤ 25 ft (general maximum height applies) | 150 sq ft | — | ≥ 5 ft from public right-of-way | 1 major directory sign per development | Shopping centers, malls, and commercial PUDs | — | 11-309(4)(b)(i) |
| Wall Sign (Shopping Center/Mall/Commercial PUD) | — | — | — | — | Any number, subject to total area formula | Walls of businesses within shopping centers, malls, and commercial PUDs | — | 11-309(4)(b)(i) |
| Freestanding/Ground Sign (Individual Business) | ≤ 25 ft (general maximum height applies) | 150 sq ft | — | ≥ 5 ft from public right-of-way | 1 ground sign per business | On-site for individual businesses | — | 11-309(4)(b)(ii) |
| Wall Sign (Individual Business) | — | — | — | — | Any number, subject to total area formula | On-site walls of individual businesses | — | 11-309(4)(b)(ii) |
| Freestanding Sign (Within 2,000 ft of I-40 interchange) | 50 ft | 250 sq ft | — | ≥ 5 ft from public right-of-way | 1 larger freestanding sign per qualifying business | For individual businesses located within 2,000 ft of the I-40 interchange right-of-way | — | 11-309(4)(b)(iii) |

### Light Industrial District (I-1); Heavy Industrial District (I-2)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Freestanding/Ground Sign (Individual lot establishment) | ≤ 25 ft (general maximum height applies) | ≤ 150 sq ft per sign | — | ≥ 5 ft from public right-of-way | 1 ground sign per business | On individual lots for separate establishments | — | 11-309(4)(c)(i) (175 sq ft total, 150 sq ft per individual ground or wall sign); 11-309(1)(d) (one ground sign limit) |
| Wall Signs (Individual lot establishment) | — | ≤ 150 sq ft per wall sign | — | — | Any number, subject to total area cap | On individual lots for separate establishments | — | 11-309(4)(c)(i) (175 sq ft total, 150 sq ft per individual wall sign); 11-309(1)(d) (any number of wall signs) |
| Freestanding/Ground Sign (Industrial PUD or multi-tenant building) | ≤ 25 ft (general maximum height applies) | 75 sq ft | — | ≥ 5 ft from public right-of-way | 1 ground sign per establishment | Industrial PUDs or buildings housing more than one establishment | — | 11-309(4)(c)(ii) |
| Wall Signs (Industrial PUD or multi-tenant building) | — | — | — | — | Any number, subject to total area cap | Industrial PUDs or buildings housing more than one establishment | — | 11-309(4)(c)(ii) |
| Freestanding Sign - Industrial Park Entrance Major Directory | ≤ 25 ft (general maximum height applies) | 200 sq ft | — | ≥ 5 ft from public right-of-way | 1 major directory sign per entrance | Industrial park entrances (one per entrance) | — | 11-309(4)(c)(ii) |

## Prohibited signs in Harriman

- Signs with action, motion, moving parts, flashing or rotating lights or bulbs, or intermittently lighted; or that interfere with traffic view or could be confused with traffic control devices (exception: signs displaying time and temperature and public service announcements without advertising matter)
- Roof signs
- Signs on public property, including utility poles, unless erected by an authorized public entity
- Any sign not expressly permitted by this ordinance or any other city ordinance

## Signs exempt from permit in Harriman

- Political campaign signs (must be removed within 7 days after election results are certified)
- Temporary special event signs on private property (may be erected no more than 30 days before the event; must be removed within 7 days after the event concludes)
- Parking area internal directional signs that bear no advertising
- One construction site sign noting construction information per site (must be removed upon project completion)
- Real estate sale/lease signs (must be removed within 14 days of the sale, rental, or lease)
- Residential name/address signs for single-family dwellings: one nameplate (up to 3 sq ft) indicating name, address, house number, home occupation, or announcement of space for boarders/roomers

## Sign plan & submission notes

- Plans and specifications identifying the location, type, and design must be submitted to the building official for any sign that requires a permit
- Within the Historic District, signs must be approved by the Historic Zoning Commission prior to issuance of a sign permit

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

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