# Sign Regulations in Loudon, Tennessee

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Loudon, Tennessee (TN)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/tennessee/loudon
- **Data last verified:** 2026-04-27
- **Source:** [other municipal code](https://cms8.revize.com/revize/loudon/Document_Center/Department/Planning%20&%20Zoning/Ordinances%20&%20Regulations/Loudon%20Zoning%20-%20downloaded%207-11-2025.pdf#page=103)

## At a glance

Loudon, Tennessee regulates 28 sign types across 6 zoning districts. Ground Sign (Low Profile)s in the C-1, Central Business District; C-2, Highway Business District zoning district are capped at < 6 ft tall and 24 sq ft, with a Must not be on public right-of-way; must not block or interfere with sight distance for driveway, traffic flow or parking area. setback (Sec. 14-604(5)(c): Only one ground sign permitted; height less than 6 ft; max area 24 sq ft; location and sight distance restrictions.). Most commercial signs in Loudon require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (6 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 12 | Bottom of sign at least 9 ft above sidewalk | 200 sq ft (except in C-4) | — |
| R-1, Low Density Residential District; R-2, High Density Residential District | 7 | — | 48 sq ft | — |
| C-3, Local Business District | 1 | — | 100 sq ft | — |
| C-1, Central Business District; C-2, Highway Business District | 5 | 30 ft | 200 sq ft | — |
| C-4, Interchange Commercial District | 3 | 30 ft (variance may be granted due to topography) | 400 sq ft | — |
| M-1, Light Industrial District; M-2, Heavy Industrial District | 2 | 30 ft | 200 sq ft for one sign (general limit 200 sq ft per sign in industrial districts applies) | — |

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements (sample of 3 of 6 zones)

### General Regulations For All Zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Freestanding Sign (Business or Industrial Districts - General Limit) | — | 200 sq ft (except in C-4) | — | — | — | Business or industrial districts (general rule applies across zones) | — | 14-604(1)(c): "Free standing signs in business or industrial districts shall not exceed two hundred (200) square feet in area except in the C 4, Interchange District." |
| Billboard | — | — | — | Must meet side, front, rear yard requirements of the district; not within 100 ft of any residential district; may not extend beyond frontage road right-of-way. | — | Allowed subject to yard requirements of the district; not within 100 ft of any residential district | — | 14-604(1)(e): Billboards shall conform to side, front, and rear yard requirements; no billboard closer than within 100 ft of any residential district; frontage road exception noted. |
| Projecting/Overhanging Sign (Over Sidewalk) | Bottom of sign at least 9 ft above sidewalk | — | May extend over sidewalk up to 2/3 of sidewalk width, but not exceeding 10 ft | — | — | Over sidewalk | — | 14-604(1)(i): Overhanging signs must be at least 9 ft above sidewalk; may extend over sidewalk up to 2/3 of width, max 10 ft. |
| Parking Area Entrance/Exit Sign | — | 10 sq ft | — | — | — | At parking area entrances/exits | — | 14-604(2)(a) and 14-604(8)(a): Entrance/exit signs not exceeding 10 sq ft in area. |
| Parking Area Conditions Sign | — | 10 sq ft | — | — | 1 conditions sign per parking area | Within/at parking area | — | 14-604(2)(a) and 14-604(8)(a): Not more than one sign not more than 10 sq ft identifying conditions of use of parking area. |
| Construction Professional Sign (Contractor/Engineer/Architect) | — | 48 sq ft | — | — | 1 | On site of construction | — | 14-604(2)(b) and 14-604(8)(b): One sign not more than 48 sq ft giving names of contractors, engineers, or architect during construction. |
| Special Event Sign (Public Interest) | — | 48 sq ft | — | — | 1 | On site of special event | — | 14-604(2)(d) and 14-604(8)(d): One sign, not over 48 sq ft, located upon the site of the event. |
| Non-profit/Civic Organization Event Signs | — | 32 sq ft per sign | — | If in public right-of-way, must not block traffic visibility. | 2 per event | May be located within public right-of-way inside city limits; also allowed (note states these rules do not apply to signs located on private property). | — | 14-604(2)(h): Two signs not to exceed 32 sq ft per event for a two-week period prior to event; restrictions on illumination, attachment, and right-of-way placement; contact info requirement. |

### R-1, Low Density Residential District; R-2, High Density Residential District

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Nameplate | — | — | — | — | — | On premises | — | 14-604(3)(a): Nameplates indicating name, address, house number, announcement of boarders or roomers are permitted. |
| Apartment Identification Sign | — | 48 sq ft | — | — | — | On premises of apartment building | — | 14-604(3)(b): For apartment buildings, identification signs not exceeding 48 sq ft in area are permitted. |
| Home Occupation Sign | — | 4 sq ft | — | — | — | On premises | — | 14-604(3)(c): Signs announcing customary home occupations are permitted but shall not exceed 4 sq ft in area and shall not be lighted. |
| Church/School/Public Building Bulletin Board or Identification Sign | — | 48 sq ft | — | — | — | On premises of church, school, or public building | — | 14-604(3)(d): Bulletin boards or identification signs not exceeding 48 sq ft are permitted. |
| Real Estate Sign - Option 1 (R-1 14-403(1)(f)) | — | 4 sq ft | — | At least 6 ft from all lot lines and street rights-of-way. | 1 | On premises | — | 14-403(1)(f): Single real estate signs advertising sale, rental, or lease of only the premises; not over 4 sq ft in area; at least 6 ft from all lot lines and street rights-of-way. |
| Real Estate Sign - Option 2 (14-604(3)(f)) | — | 6 sq ft | — | — | — | On premises | — | 14-604(3)(f): For rent and sale signs not exceeding six (6) sq ft. |
| General District Illumination Restriction | — | — | — | — | — | District-wide | — | 14-604(3)(e): Flashing or intermittent illumination is prohibited. |

### C-1, Central Business District; C-2, Highway Business District

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Freestanding Sign (Single) | 30 ft | 200 sq ft | — | — | 1 | On premises | — | 14-604(5)(a): Only one free standing sign permitted and must conform to size requirements under subsection 1; 14-604(5)(f): Freestanding signs shall not exceed 30 ft in height; bottom coping at least 10 ft from ground or driveway; 14-604(1)(c): general 200 sq ft limit. |
| Wall Sign (Per Building Frontage) | — | — | — | — | — | Building wall | — | 14-604(5)(b): Wall signs permitted; shall not exceed 1.5 sq ft for every running foot of building frontage. |
| Ground Sign (Low Profile) | < 6 ft | 24 sq ft | — | Must not be on public right-of-way; must not block or interfere with sight distance for driveway, traffic flow or parking area. | 1 | On premises | — | 14-604(5)(c): Only one ground sign permitted; height less than 6 ft; max area 24 sq ft; location and sight distance restrictions. |
| Wall Sign (Multi-tenant Building - One per Business) | — | — | — | — | 1 per business | Building wall | — | 14-604(5)(e): When a building is occupied by more than one business, one wall sign per business permitted, as required under subsection (c) [context indicates wall sign sizing applies]. |
| Freestanding Sign (Multi-tenant Building) | 30 ft | — | — | — | 1 | On premises | — | 14-604(5)(e): One free standing on-premise sign not to exceed 200 sq ft plus 30 sq ft for each additional business activity; 14-604(5)(f): height and clearance requirements. |

## Prohibited signs in Loudon

- Signs that obstruct, impair, obscure, interfere with the view of, or are confused with authorized traffic control signs, signals, or devices are prohibited.
- Signs that impair vision or create safety hazards at street intersections are prohibited.
- No sign may be located on or attached to public property (including utility poles) except public signs authorized by the City of Loudon or the State of Tennessee.
- Signs or devices that flash, reflect, blink, or appear to do any of the foregoing are prohibited unless required by law or utilized by a governmental agency; exceptions exist for signs that provide only time, temperature, and public service information, and for traditional barber shop symbols not greater than 12 inches in diameter and not more than 3 feet in length.
- Flags, pennants, and barriers may not be attached to public property or located in/protrude into any public right-of-way without written permission from the City of Loudon.
- Signs overhanging sidewalks are prohibited if installed lower than 9 feet above the sidewalk or if they extend more than two-thirds of the sidewalk width or more than 10 feet.
- Portable or temporary signs are prohibited citywide, including structures with movable frames, A-frames, inverted T structures, banners, streamers, or similar methods of advertising; governmental flags are exempt.

## Signs exempt from permit in Loudon

- Flags, pennants, and barriers are permitted (subject to written City permission if attached to public property or located in/protrude into a public right-of-way).
- Governmental flags are exempt from the prohibition on portable or temporary signs.
- In any district, parking area entrance and exit signs are permitted, not exceeding 10 square feet in area.
- In any district, one sign not more than 10 square feet in area identifying or designating the conditions of use of a parking area is permitted.
- In any district, one sign not more than 48 square feet in area giving the names of the contractors, engineers, or architect during construction of a building is permitted.
- In any district, signs established by or by order of any governmental agency are permitted.
- In any district, one sign for special events of public interest is permitted on the site of the event, not over 48 square feet in area.
- Public election signs are permitted: may be posted not more than 30 days prior to an election and must be removed not more than 3 days following the election; allowed on City of Loudon public property and in the public right-of-way inside the city limits if they do not block visibility of traffic; subject to removal by the City if found to be a traffic hazard.
- Candidates displaying public election signs within a public right-of-way inside the city limits must provide the Department of Codes Enforcement with contact information.
- The above regulations for public election signs do not apply to public election signs located on private property.
- Non-profit and civic organization events may display two signs per event, each not to exceed 32 square feet, for the duration of a two-week period prior to the special event; signs shall not be illuminated with any flashing device, shall be freestanding, and shall not be attached to trees or to any structure such as traffic control signs, utility poles, or similar devices; signs may be located within a public right-of-way inside the city limits of Loudon if they do not block traffic visibility and are subject to removal by the City if found to be a traffic hazard; applicants must provide the Department of Codes Enforcement with contact information; these allowances do not apply to signs located on private property.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- No explicit master sign plan or sign plan requirement is stated in the provided text.
- C-4 Interchange Commercial District: Sign height may exceed 30 feet only where topography conditions warrant a variance from the requirement.
- C-4 Interchange Commercial District (multi-parcel business park under common ownership): Freestanding signage must be co-located in a dedicated area with sign structures designed to accommodate a minimum of four signs; setback and signage spacing requirements may be varied to provide for public safety, subject to approval of the Board of Zoning Appeals.
- Flags, pennants, and barriers located in or protruding into a public right-of-way or attached to public property require written permission from the City of Loudon.
- All signs are subject to Tennessee Department of Transportation regulations in addition to local regulations.

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

---

PermitPal — AI sign code research. Full HTML page: https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/tennessee/loudon