# Sign Regulations in San Marcos, Texas

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

- **Jurisdiction:** San Marcos, Texas (TX)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/texas/san-marcos
- **Data last verified:** 2025-02-12
- **Source:** [other municipal code](https://user-3vpeqil.cld.bz/San-Marcos-Development-Code-Effective-10-17-23/376/)

## At a glance

San Marcos, Texas regulates 10 sign types across 7 zoning districts. Directory Signs in the CD-5, CD-5D zoning district are capped at 3 ft. tall and 6 sq. ft. (Sec. Section 7.3.4.7 Directory Sign). Most commercial signs in San Marcos require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (7 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Conventional District Zone (Legacy Districts - GC, AR, SF-11, MR, D, DR, TH, PH-ZL, MF-12, MF-18, MF-24, MU, P, OP, NC, CC, VMU) | 4 | 25 ft. | 80 sq. ft. | Yes |
| CD-5, CD-5D | 9 | 10 ft. | 18 sq. ft. | Yes |
| Neighborhood Density Districts, Character Districts | 5 | 4 ft. | 12 sq. ft. | Yes |
| CD-4 | 8 | 6 ft. | 12 sq. ft. | Yes |
| ND-4 | 5 | 4 ft. | 12 sq. ft. | Yes |
| N-CM | 9 | 10 ft. | 18 sq. ft. | Yes |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 2 | — | — | — |

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements (sample of 3 of 7 zones)

### CD-5, CD-5D

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Awning or Canopy Sign | 3 ft. | — | 12 ft. | — | 1 per business | On awning or canopy | Yes | Section 7.3.4.4 Awning or Canopy Sign |
| Blade/ Hanging Sign | — | 6 sq. ft. | — | — | 1 per business per facade | Perpendicular to building facade | Yes | Section 7.3.4.6 Blade/ Hanging Sign |
| Directory Sign | 3 ft. | 6 sq. ft. | — | — | 1 at each street-level entrance | At street-level entrance | Yes | Section 7.3.4.7 Directory Sign |
| Marquee Sign | 6 ft. | — | 20 ft. | — | 1 per Principal Frontage | Along building facade or corner | Yes | Section 7.3.4.8 Marquee Sign |
| Monument Sign | 6 ft. | 18 sq. ft. | — | — | 1 per lot | On lot | Yes | Section 7.3.4.9 Monument Sign |
| Pole Sign | 10 ft. | 18 sq. ft. | — | — | 1 per lot | On lot | Yes | Section 7.3.4.10 Pole Sign |
| Sandwich Board Sign | 4 ft. | 12 sq. ft. | — | — | 1 per business | Directly in front of the business | Yes | Section 7.3.4.11 Sandwich Board |
| Projecting Sign | — | 9 sq. ft. | — | — | 1 per building facade | Attached to building facade | Yes | Section 7.3.4.12 Projecting Sign |

### CD-4

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Awning or Canopy Sign | 2 ft. | — | 10 ft. | — | 1 per business | On awning or canopy | Yes | Section 7.3.4.4 Awning or Canopy Sign |
| Wall Sign | 2 ft. | — | — | — | — | On building facade | Yes | Section 7.3.4.5 Wall Sign |
| Blade/ Hanging Sign | — | 6 sq. ft. | — | — | 1 per business per facade | Perpendicular to building facade | Yes | Section 7.3.4.6 Blade/ Hanging Sign |
| Directory Sign | 3 ft. | 6 sq. ft. | — | — | 1 at each street-level entrance | At street-level entrance | Yes | Section 7.3.4.7 Directory Sign |
| Marquee Sign | 6 ft. | — | 20 ft. | — | 1 per Principal Frontage | Along building facade or corner | Yes | Section 7.3.4.8 Marquee Sign |
| Monument Sign | 4 ft. | 12 sq. ft. | — | — | 1 per lot | On lot | Yes | Section 7.3.4.9 Monument Sign |
| Pole Sign | 6 ft. | 12 sq. ft. | — | — | 1 per lot | On lot | Yes | Section 7.3.4.10 Pole Sign |
| Sandwich Board Sign | 4 ft. | 12 sq. ft. | — | — | 1 per business | Directly in front of the business | Yes | Section 7.3.4.11 Sandwich Board |

### N-CM

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Awning or Canopy Sign | 3 ft. | — | 12 ft. | — | 1 per business | On awning or canopy | Yes | Section 7.3.4.4 Awning or Canopy Sign |
| Blade/ Hanging Sign | — | 6 sq. ft. | — | — | 1 per business per facade | Perpendicular to building facade | Yes | Section 7.3.4.6 Blade/ Hanging Sign |
| Directory Sign | 3 ft. | 6 sq. ft. | — | — | 1 at each street-level entrance | At street-level entrance | Yes | Section 7.3.4.7 Directory Sign |
| Marquee Sign | 6 ft. | — | 20 ft. | — | 1 per Principal Frontage | Along building facade or corner | Yes | Section 7.3.4.8 Marquee Sign |
| Monument Sign | 6 ft. | 18 sq. ft. | — | — | 1 per lot | On lot | Yes | Section 7.3.4.9 Monument Sign |
| Pole Sign | 10 ft. | 18 sq. ft. | — | — | 1 per lot | On lot | Yes | Section 7.3.4.10 Pole Sign |
| Sandwich Board Sign | 4 ft. | 12 sq. ft. | — | — | 1 per business | Directly in front of the business | Yes | Section 7.3.4.11 Sandwich Board |
| Projecting Sign | — | 9 sq. ft. | — | — | 1 per building facade | Attached to building facade | Yes | Section 7.3.4.12 Projecting Sign |

## Prohibited signs in San Marcos

- Signs having any visible part that moves, swings, or rotates.
- Signs emitting odor, visible matter, or audible sound.
- Permanent portable signs.
- Inflatable signs and balloons greater than 36 inches in greatest dimension.
- It is unlawful for any person to attach to or cause to be attached to any utility pole within the city any advertisement, handbill, circular, poster, or piece of paper.
- No sign shall be maintained at any location where it may interfere with the view of or be confused with any traffic control sign or signal.
- No sign shall be located on or project over public property, a street right-of-way, or a public utility easement, except governmental signs, subdivision identification signs, temporary banner signs, and permitted signs in the CD-5 and CD-5D zoning districts.
- Pennants or streamers.
- Signs attached to a mobile structure, such as a vehicle or trailer used as an on-premise or off-premise sign, primarily for the purpose of serving as a static display for the advertisement of the sale, storage, or distribution of a product or service.
- Signs on benches in the public right-of-way.
- Animated signs.
- Signs on utility poles other than one placed by the utility provider to identify its equipment.
- All signs shall maintain a clearance of at least eight feet when located over a sidewalk and at least 12 feet when located over a driveway and shall extend no closer than 18 inches from the curb line of a thoroughfare, unless painted or mounted flat on the surface of an awning, canopy, or marquee.
- No sign, except a governmental sign, shall be located within a sight triangle.
- Only signs required in the interest of public safety may occupy a required off-street parking or loading space or obstruct any driveway or sidewalk.
- New signs and signs being structurally altered shall maintain clearance from the public utility facilities, shall not substantially interfere with drainage, and shall not be located in or above a utility or drainage easement.
- Signs shall maintain ten feet of vertical and horizontal clearance from all electrical lines.
- Bare-bulb illumination is prohibited within 150 feet of any premises containing a residential use, and in other cases is limited to 25-watt bulbs at night and 33-watt bulbs during daylight hours.

## Signs exempt from permit in San Marcos

- Signs not visible from the nearest public street toward which they are oriented.
- Temporary window displays consisting of merchandise or posters.
- National, state, or other governmental flags up to 60 square feet in area.
- Balloons not exceeding 36 inches in greatest dimension.
- Two on-premises directional signs up to four square feet in area and up to four feet in height may be used on each frontage. Directional signs may not contain the logo or any advertisement for the premises.
- Unlighted letters, numbers, or symbols up to 24 inches in height that form an architectural detail of a building.
- Signs facing the interior of athletic stadiums or fields or facing the exterior of athletic stadiums or fields operated by nonprofit organizations or governmental entities.
- Unlighted attached signs up to 32 square feet in area on trailers or portable buildings containing an accessory use temporarily located on the premises, provided the signs pertain to the use of the trailer or portable building.
- Temporary signs, except for banner signs over public rights-of-way.
- Unlighted signs located on property used for agricultural purposes which pertain to the sale of agricultural products produced on the premises.
- Signs that are displayed on vehicles that are being operated or stored in the normal course of a business, such as signs indicating the name or the type of business, that are located on moving vans, delivery trucks, trailers, and other commercial vehicles; but only if the primary purpose of such vehicles is not for the display of the signs thereon, and only if such vehicles are parked or stored in properly designated and paved parking spaces that are located in areas appropriate to their use as commercial or delivery vehicles, such as service areas or locations close to the business building(s) away from public traffic.
- Signs displayed on a vehicle for the sole purpose of advertising the vehicle for sale, lease, or hire.
- Signs consisting of a plaque or historical marker commemorating a person, event, structure, or site.
- Governmental signs.
- Temporary signs customarily associated with a recognized national, state, local, or religious holiday.
- Signs on vending machines, gasoline pumps, drive-thru menu boards, and amusement equipment pertaining to the function of the facilities.
- Signs carried by humans.
- Signs displayed by aircraft in flight.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- A common sign plan may be approved in accordance with Section 2.7.2.1.

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

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