# Sign Regulations in Cleburne, Texas

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Cleburne, Texas (TX)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/texas/cleburne
- **Data last verified:** 2025-04-19

## At a glance

Cleburne, Texas regulates 16 sign types across 18 zoning districts. Temporary Post and Panel Sign (Election/Non-Commercial)s in the General Regulations For All Zones zoning district are capped at 8 ft (election); height not specified for other tall and 36 sq ft (election); 20 sq ft (realty/rent non-election) (Sec. § 156.41(D)). Most commercial signs in Cleburne require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (18 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 5 | 8 ft (election); height not specified for other | 50 sq ft or 50% of facade, whichever is less | — |
| Regional Corridor District | 6 | 40 ft | 200 sq ft | — |
| Approach Corridor | 4 | 30 ft | 150 sq ft | — |
| Central Corridor | 3 | 18 ft | 200 sq ft | — |
| Regional Node (Lots fronting a freeway) | 2 | 40 ft | 200 sq ft | — |
| Regional Node (Lots not fronting a freeway) | 2 | 30 ft | 450 sq ft | — |
| Community Commercial Node (Lots fronting an arterial) | 2 | 33 ft | 150 sq ft | — |
| Community Commercial Node (Lots not fronting an arterial) | 2 | 15 ft | 75 sq ft | — |
| Transportation and Industry Node (Lots fronting an arterial) | 2 | 33 ft | 150 sq ft | — |
| Transportation and Industry Node (Lots not fronting an arterial) | 1 | 18 ft | 90 sq ft | — |
| Downtown TDA | 1 | 8 ft | 35 sq ft | — |
| Industrial TDA | 4 | 30 ft | 150 sq ft | — |
| Lakefront TDA | 3 | 30 ft | 150 sq ft | — |
| Villages | 2 | 15 ft | 60 sq ft | — |
| Center City Communities | 2 | 15 ft | 60 sq ft | — |
| Preservation District | 2 | 36 ft | 24 sq ft | — |
| Traditional Neighborhood | 1 | 8 ft | 24 sq ft | — |
| Sustainable Communities | 1 | 8 ft | 24 sq ft | — |

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements (sample of 3 of 18 zones)

### General Regulations For All Zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Billboard | — | — | — | — | — | Not allowed in any zone. Existing legal, non-conforming billboards may remain but cannot be converted to digital display. | — | § 156.04(G); § 156.20(L) |
| Electronic Message Board or Kinetic Message Sign | — | Percentage of total permitted sign area determined by sign type and enclosure (see Additional Requirements) | — | — | — | — | — | § 156.38(D)(4) |
| Portable Sign | — | 20 sq ft (if not otherwise specified) | — | — | — | Permitted on all premises except within visibility triangles/ROW (see Additional Requirements) | — | § 156.41(C) |
| Temporary Post and Panel Sign (Election/Non-Commercial) | 8 ft (election); height not specified for other | 36 sq ft (election); 20 sq ft (realty/rent non-election) | — | — | — | Not in ROW/roadway medians/city property, except on polling place days. | — | § 156.41(D) |
| Accessory Structure Sign | — | 50 sq ft or 50% of facade, whichever is less | — | — | — | Visible surface(s) of auxiliary building/structure (gas canopy etc) | — | § 156.38(D)(1) |

### Regional Corridor District

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Landmark Sign | 40 ft | 200 sq ft | — | — | — | — | — | § 156.40(C)(1) |
| Elevated Sign | 25 ft | 100 sq ft | — | — | — | — | — | § 156.40(C)(1) |
| Ground Sign | 8 ft | 50 sq ft | — | — | — | — | — | § 156.40(C)(1) |
| Perimeter Wall Sign | 8 ft | 35 sq ft | — | — | — | — | — | § 156.40(C)(1) |
| Horizontal Mast Sign | 18 ft | 15 sq ft | — | — | — | — | — | § 156.40(C)(1) |
| Sign on Glass | — | 40% of window area | — | — | — | Building glass/fenestration | — | § 156.40(C)(1) |

### Approach Corridor

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Landmark Sign | 30 ft | 150 sq ft | — | — | — | — | — | § 156.40(C)(2) |
| Post and Panel Sign | 18 ft | 90 sq ft | — | — | — | — | — | § 156.40(C)(2) |
| Pole Sign | 15 ft | 50 sq ft | — | — | — | — | — | § 156.40(C)(2) |
| Ground Sign | 6 ft | 45 sq ft | — | — | — | — | — | § 156.40(C)(2) |

## Prohibited signs in Cleburne

- No sign shall be erected, installed, constructed, displayed, maintained, reconstructed, placed, located, relocated, or made use of if it is located on private property without the consent of the owner of the premises or persons holding the present right of possession and control.
- Signs are prohibited in or interfering with the use of a required off-street parking space or maneuvering area.
- Unsafe signs, including those that are or become deteriorated, dilapidated, in danger of falling, or otherwise unsafe, are prohibited.
- Any private sign located on or attached to a public street light, utility pole, hydrant, bridge, traffic control device, street sign, or other public structure or building; or located in, on, over, or within a public street, sidewalk, alley, easement or right-of-way is prohibited. Exceptions: projecting signs in the downtown district, or wayfinding signs, kiosks, or banners as permitted by license.
- Signs that do not comply with any applicable provision of a building code, electrical code, or other applicable ordinance of the city are prohibited.
- Signs located on trees and shrubs are prohibited.
- Signs which employ a motion picture machine, display moving images, or images which give the impression of motion, including those using digital display, are prohibited.
- Signs located or illuminated in such a manner as to obscure or otherwise interfere with the effectiveness of an official traffic sign, signal, or device; or as to obstruct/interfere with the view of a driver of approaching, emerging, or intersecting traffic; or to prevent any traveler from obtaining a clear view of approaching vehicles for a distance of 250 feet along the street are prohibited.
- No sign other than a traffic control sign or signal is permitted in a triangle sight area at all intersections, including that portion of public right-of-way and any corner lot within a triangle formed by extending 25 feet along property lines from the street corner intersection.
- Signs illuminated (from within or without) in such a manner, to such intensity, or without proper shielding, so as to constitute a hazard to the operation of motor vehicles or substantially interfere with reasonable enjoyment of residential property are prohibited.
- Signs with any intermittent illumination, including flashing, fading, revolving or blinking lights, or any type of moving, traveling, or changing message by means of illumination are prohibited.
- Signs placed on or affixed to vehicles or trailers which are parked in the public right-of-way, public property, or private property so as to be visible from the public right-of-way where the apparent purpose is to advertise a product or direct people to a business or activity located on the same or nearby property are prohibited. Exception: signs incidental to primary use, sale, or ownership of the vehicle or trailer.
- Off-premise outdoor commercial advertising signs are prohibited.
- Billboards are prohibited.
- Signs which imitate or resemble official traffic signs, signals, or devices, including those using a revolving beam or beacon resembling any emergency vehicle, or located or illuminated in such manner as to obscure/interfere with the view of a driver approaching vehicles from a distance of 250 feet along the street are prohibited.
- New billboards are prohibited (no new billboards and existing legal non-conforming billboards may not be converted to digital display).

## Signs exempt from permit in Cleburne

- Signs owned, directed, initiated, and/or required by governmental bodies or specifically authorized for a public purpose by any law, statute, or ordinance.
- Signs warning the public of the existence of a physical hazard or danger but containing no advertising material and which are removed within three days upon the subsidence of danger. Such warning signs may be of any type, number, area, height, location or illumination as necessary to warn the public of the existence of danger.
- Signs owned and initiated by a duly constituted governmental body, including traffic or similar regulatory devices, legal notices, warning at railroad crossings, and other instructional or regulatory signs related to health, hazard, parking, swimming, dumping, etc.
- Address numerals and other signs required to be maintained by law or governmental order, rule or regulation, provided content and size do not exceed the requirement of law, order, rule, or regulation.
- Signs used as scoreboards in athletic stadiums.
- Directional signs owned by and erected only by direction of a duly constituted governmental body which direct vehicles and pedestrian traffic.
- Directory signs located in or adjacent to entrances or foyers.
- Instructional signs providing no advertising of any kind which provide direction or instruction to guide persons to nonprofit facilities intended to serve the public (e.g., restrooms, public telephones, public walkways, parking areas, etc).
- Wayfinding sign systems that are part of a directional system within the city or area intended to facilitate wayfinding by patrons, visitors, and residents, not for advertising purposes but may include the name and/or logo of a commercial destination.
- A comprehensive list of items NOT considered signs (from the definition of 'sign'), including: aerial banners towed behind aircraft, decorative or architectural building features not conveying communicative content, messages on ATMs, cornerstones, inscriptions on grave markers/historical monuments, seasonal residential decorations (max 45 days/year), visual items entirely within a building and not visible outside, marks on products by manufacturers, images on transit vehicles, messages/images on news racks, personal appearance items, safety warnings on equipment, searchlights for emergency operations, messages/images on vehicles or properly licensed watercraft, flags, information placed on merchandise for sale, handheld signs not attached to the ground, and architectural integration of non-commercial symbols.
- Certain maintenance activities: changing the face of a sign does not require a sign permit provided only the sign face changes, not the sign type, height, or shape.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- A sign permit is required for the erection, construction, relocation, alteration, repair, or maintenance of any sign, except where specifically exempted (see §156.09(A)).
- A permit and approval are required for any sign proposed on public property; Building Official approval required (see §156.09(A)).
- Applications for sign permits must include scaled drawings of the sign and all other signs on premises, building façade drawing showing sign placement, and structural/electrical engineering certification as required (see §156.09(B)).
- Sign plans and additional information may be required when determined necessary by the Building Official to ensure compliance (see §156.09(B)).
- An electrical permit is required prior to the issuance of a sign permit if electrical wiring and connections are to be used (see §156.09(C)).
- In certain cases, such as signs in the public right-of-way, additional approval processes are required, including submittal of a sign location map, review by the Design Review Committee, placement on Planning and Zoning Commission and City Council agendas, and approval of a right-of-way or license agreement (see §156.41(F)(10)).
- Appeals relating to denial of a sign permit, or requests for a variance to standards, are made first to the Building Official and then to the City Council as per §156.10. Variances are considered by City Council in a noticed meeting within 45 days of application.
- Project development plans with entry signs encroaching on public right-of-way must be approved by City Council at the time the project development plan is approved (§156.41(E)(3)).
- Signs on public property or within the right-of-way require a license or right-of-way agreement with the City Council, with full details of types, locations, sizes, and sign plans included in the application (§156.41(F)).
- Sign districts and standards are determined according to the adopted land use districts (see §156.40). Sign type, number, size, height, and placement are regulated by district.
- If a variance is needed from the sign chapter, a specific application and hearing at City Council is required, with possible public notice (see §156.10).

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

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