# Sign Regulations in Knoxville, Tennessee

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Knoxville, Tennessee (TN)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/tennessee/knoxville
- **Data last verified:** 2026-05-06
- **Source:** [municode municipal code](https://library.municode.com/TN/Knoxville/codes/Code_of_Ordinances?nodeId=APXBZOCO_ART13SI)

## At a glance

Knoxville, Tennessee regulates 37 sign types across 10 zoning districts. Sidewalk Signs in the General Regulations For All Zones zoning district are capped at 5 feet tall, 6 square feet, and 2 feet wide, with a Not applicable setback (Sec. 13.6 A). Most commercial signs in Knoxville require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (10 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 14 | 42 inches | 100 square feet as wall sign; one-third of total signage or 100 square feet max for detached, minimum 20 square feet matrix for detached | — |
| Agricultural and Open Space Districts (AG, OS, NA) | 3 | 8 feet | 12 square feet per sign | — |
| F Floodplain Overlay Zoning District | 1 | 8 feet | 9 square feet | — |
| H Historic Overlay Zoning Districts | 1 | 8 feet | 9 square feet | — |
| Residential Districts (EN, RN-1, RN-2, RN-3, RN-4, RN-5, RN-6, RN-7) | 7 | 6 feet | 36 square feet | — |
| Office Districts (O, OP) | 2 | 6 feet | 36 square feet | — |
| Commercial and Industrial Districts (C-N, C-G, C-H, C-R, DK, I-MU, I-RD, I-G, I-H) | 6 | Varies by roadway type (Table 13-2): 35 ft within 500 ft of interstate interchange; 30 ft adjacent to interstate; 20 ft fronting federal highway; 10 ft all other roadways | 100 square feet | — |
| Institutional District (INST) | 3 | Varies by roadway type (Table 13-4): 15 ft within 500 ft of interstate interchange; 15 ft adjacent to interstate; 10 ft fronting federal highway; 6 ft all other roadways | 36 square feet | — |
| Nonresidential Districts | 5 | 8 feet for detached | 48 square feet per sign | — |
| DK-E Subdistrict | 3 | 5 feet | 6 square feet | — |

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements (sample of 3 of 10 zones)

### General Regulations For All Zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Bulletin Board or Identification Sign | 8 feet | 32 square feet | — | Detached signs must be set back no less than 10 feet from street right-of-way or 15 feet from edge of pavement, whichever is greater; 5 feet from side and rear property lines | One | Detached or attached to building for public recreation uses, community facilities, hospitals, and clinics | — | 13.8 B |
| Directional Sign | 42 inches | 9 square feet | — | Not closer than minimum setbacks unless approved by City Engineer | One at each entrance and exit | Within parking lot to designate entrances and exits | — | 13.8 C |
| Informational Sign | 8 feet | 12 square feet | — | Not closer than minimum setbacks unless approved by City Engineer | One | Within parking lot identifying conditions of use | — | 13.8 D |
| Sidewalk Sign | 5 feet | 6 square feet | 2 feet | Not applicable | One per business | On ground or paved surface within public right-of-way or public property within 15 feet of business entry | — | 13.6 A |
| Temporary Sign | 8 feet for detached in nonresidential; 6 feet in residential | 48 square feet | — | Detached: 10 feet from street right-of-way or 15 feet from pavement, greater; 5 feet from side/rear lines | One attached and one detached per business per occasion | On-premise, attached or detached | — | 13.6 B |
| Incidental Sign on Large Sites | 6 feet for monument/column | 16 square feet for directional/information/directory; up to 20% for name/logo | — | 10 feet from street ROW or 15 feet from pavement; 2 feet from internal driveways/parking; 5 feet from side/rear | As per approved site plan | On sites of 2.5 acres or more; not closer than 10 feet to street ROW or 15 feet to pavement; 2 feet from driveways/parking; 5 feet from side/rear lines | — | 13.6 D |
| Electronic Message Center (EMC) | As per sign type | 100 square feet as wall sign; one-third of total signage or 100 square feet max for detached, minimum 20 square feet matrix for detached | — | As per sign type | As per total signage allowance | Integrated in wall or detached sign; in commercial/industrial districts | — | 13.6 F |
| Development Directory Sign | As per detached in commercial/industrial | As per detached in commercial/industrial | — | As per detached signs | One per street frontage per side | In unified developments per master sign plan | — | 13.7 E |

### Residential Districts (EN, RN-1, RN-2, RN-3, RN-4, RN-5, RN-6, RN-7)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Wall Sign - Home Occupation | — | 2 square feet | — | Not applicable | One | Attached to building on residential parcel | — | 13.9 D 1 a |
| Wall Sign - Multi-Family | — | 9 square feet total per structure | — | Not applicable | As total area allows | Attached to building for multi-family, rooming/boarding, frat/sorority houses | — | 13.9 D 1 b |
| Monument or Column Sign - Multi-Family Large Sites | 6 feet | 36 square feet | — | 10 feet from street ROW or 15 feet pavement; 5 feet side/rear | One per street frontage >150 linear feet | For multi-family >2 acres, mobile home parks, subdivisions >25 lots | — | 13.9 D 1 c |
| Attached Sign - Nonresidential Small (<150 ft frontage) | — | 16 square feet total, excluding window signs | — | Not applicable | As total area allows | Attached for medical facilities <150 ft frontage, clubhouses, lodges, studios, day care >12 children | — | 13.9 D 2 a i |
| Monument or Column Sign - Nonresidential Small (<150 ft frontage) | 5 feet | 20 square feet | — | 10 feet from street ROW or 15 feet pavement; 5 feet side/rear | One | For medical facilities <150 ft frontage, clubhouses, lodges, studios, day care >12 children | — | 13.9 D 2 a ii |
| Attached Sign - Nonresidential Large (>=150 ft frontage) | — | 32 square feet total, excluding window signs | — | Not applicable | As total area allows | Attached for medical >=150 ft, churches, schools, public buildings, cemeteries, country clubs | — | 13.9 D 2 b i |
| Monument or Column Sign - Nonresidential Large (>=150 ft frontage) | 6 feet | 36 square feet | — | 10 feet from street ROW or 15 feet pavement; 5 feet side/rear | One | For medical >=150 ft, churches, schools, public buildings, cemeteries, country clubs | — | 13.9 D 2 b ii |

### Commercial and Industrial Districts (C-N, C-G, C-H, C-R, DK, I-MU, I-RD, I-G, I-H)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Attached Sign | — | — | — | Not applicable | As total area allows | Attached to building on nonresidential parcel | — | 13.9 F 1 b |
| Detached Sign - Primary | Varies by roadway type (Table 13-2): 35 ft within 500 ft of interstate interchange; 30 ft adjacent to interstate; 20 ft fronting federal highway; 10 ft all other roadways | Varies by roadway type (Table 13-3): 200 sf within 500 ft of interstate interchange; 200 sf adjacent to interstate; 165 sf fronting federal highway; 100 sf all other roadways | — | 10 feet from street ROW or 15 feet pavement; 5 feet side/rear | One primary per parcel | Oriented to addressed street frontage on nonresidential parcel | — | 13.9 F 2 b, Tables 13-2, 13-3 |
| Detached Sign - Secondary | 8 feet | 32 square feet | — | 10 feet from street ROW or 15 feet pavement; 5 feet side/rear | One additional if two frontages | On nonresidential parcel | — | 13.9 F 2 c |
| Detached Sign - C-N District | As per primary/secondary | 50 square feet | — | 10 feet from street ROW or 15 feet pavement; 5 feet side/rear | As per general commercial | In C-N District | — | 13.9 F 5 c |
| Detached Sign - I-RD District | 6 feet | 100 square feet | — | 10 feet from street ROW or 15 feet pavement; 5 feet side/rear | As per general commercial | In I-RD District | — | 13.9 F 5 d |
| Additional Detached Sign - C-G, C-H, C-R, I-RD, I-G | — | — | — | 10 feet from street ROW or 15 feet pavement; 5 feet side/rear | As approved | In specified districts for multiple structures/topography | — | 13.9 F 5 e |

## Prohibited signs in Knoxville

- Signs which by color, location, and/or design resemble or conflict with traffic control signs or signals.
- Signs which contain or make use of any word, phrase, symbol, shape, form or character in such manner as to interfere with, mislead or confuse traffic.
- Signs with moving parts and signs with red, green, yellow, amber or blue lights.
- Signs with flashing, chasing, pulsating, twinkling, dancing, scintillating, and/or oscillating lights or light-emitting diodes, or with any other rotating, revolving or moving part (with limited exceptions for historic signs in H Overlay or DK Districts).
- Illuminated signs within 100 feet of property in any residential zone district, unless the illumination is designed not to shine or reflect light onto such property.
- Signs within the public right-of-way, except publicly owned signs such as wayfinding and regulatory signs, and those approved by the Department of Engineering.
- Signs placed on a parked vehicle or trailer visible from the public right-of-way where the primary purpose is to advertise a product or direct people to a business (logos on operating vehicles are not prohibited).
- Billboards and other off-premise signs.
- Portable signs.
- Roof signs.

## Signs exempt from permit in Knoxville

- Signs conforming to the 'Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices' and bearing no commercial message.
- Signs required by federal, state, or local statute.
- Signs installed by the City, Knox County, a state or federal agency, or employees and officials of these entities in the course of their governmental duties and bearing no commercial message.
- Signs necessary to promote health, safety, and welfare, and other regulatory, statutory, traffic control, or directional signs erected on public property with permission.
- Signs required by an order of a court of competent jurisdiction.
- Legal notices and official instruments.
- Signs installed by public utilities in their rights-of-way or on their facilities and bearing no commercial message other than necessary identification.
- Signs installed by a transit company with a franchise or other right to operate in the city, where such signs are installed along its routes and relate to schedules or other information about the transit route.
- Signs approved as part of the City's adopted wayfinding program.
- Signs carried by a person.
- Signs incorporated into machinery or equipment by a manufacturer or distributor.
- Signs located within a building or enclosed space that are not visible or legible from the public right-of-way or from private property or public property other than the property on which it is located.
- Memorial signs with a maximum sign area of six square feet.
- Works of art bearing no advertising.
- Holiday lights and decorations with no advertising.
- Scoreboards and off-premise signs located on athletic fields if oriented toward the field of play.
- Restaurant menuboards located on the premises of the restaurant when oriented toward a drive-through lane, with a maximum sign area of 60 square feet and maximum height of ten feet.
- Restaurant menu displays located within ten feet of a primary restaurant entrance provided the display area does not exceed four square feet.
- Official fraternal, religious, or civic flags when mounted on permanent poles attached to the ground or building when located on the same site as the fraternal, religious or civic organization, institution, or building.
- Official governmental flags of the United States, states/territories, City/County, or UN member states.
- Decorative flags and bunting for a celebration, convention or commemoration, subject to installation no sooner than 14 days before the event and removal within seven days following the event.
- In residential districts, any sign not exceeding two square feet in area for property identification name or number or name(s) of occupant (one per dwelling), mailbox sign (one per dwelling unit), or signs relating to private parking, trespassing or dangerous animals (limited to four per lot under one acre, plus two per additional acre).
- Temporary signs for political purposes not exceeding 32 square feet, displayed no more than 30 days prior to earliest voting period and removed within five days after final voting period.
- Temporary merchandise displays and signs behind storefront windows which are not affixed permanently to the glass, nor intended for permanent display.
- Temporary or permanent signs identifying traffic-control measures on private property, such as 'stop,' 'yield,' meeting MUTCD standards, no commercial message, not exceeding six square feet per sign.
- Temporary signs for announcements by public or nonprofit organizations of special events or activities, less than 32 square feet, one per site, erected no sooner than 14 days before and removed within three days after the event.
- Temporary signs on vehicles displaying terms of sale.
- Umbrella signs.
- Signs contained on or affixed to vendor push carts.
- Window signs.

## Sign permit fees & timelines in Knoxville

| Item | Details | Citation |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Stand-Alone Electrical Trade Permit for Signs | $0.01 per valuation, $55 minimum | cite: 2, 6 |

_The full published fee and review-timeline schedule for Knoxville is available in PermitPal (free account)._

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

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