# Sign Regulations in Universal City, Texas

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Universal City, Texas (TX)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/texas/universal-city
- **Data last verified:** 2025-05-09
- **Source:** [municode municipal code](https://library.municode.com/TX/Universal_City/codes/Code_of_Ordinances?nodeId=PTIVPRST_CH4-4SI)

## At a glance

Universal City, Texas regulates 18 sign types across 3 zoning districts. Back to Back Pole Signs in the General Regulations For All Zones zoning district are capped at 35 feet tall and 200 sq ft, with a Minimum 2 feet inside property line; prohibited in 30'x30' corner or driveway visibility triangles. setback (Sec. Sec. 4-4-84(a), Sec. 4-4-85, Sec. 4-4-86). Most commercial signs in Universal City require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (3 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 17 | 35 feet | 200 sq ft | — |
| Commercial C-5 Zoning District | 1 | 60 feet | 700 sq ft per face | — |
| Aviation District | 1 | 15 feet (unless currently existing with greater size/height) | 32 sq ft per face | — |

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements

### General Regulations For All Zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Back to Back Pole Sign | 35 feet | 200 sq ft | — | Minimum 2 feet inside property line; prohibited in 30'x30' corner or driveway visibility triangles. | 2 per property | At least 2 feet inside the property, not to restrict public sight distance. | — | Sec. 4-4-84(a), Sec. 4-4-85, Sec. 4-4-86 |
| Pole Sign | 35 feet | 200 sq ft | — | Minimum 2 feet inside property line; prohibited in 30'x30' visibility triangles at corners/driveways. | 2 per property | At least 2 feet inside property line, must not impinge on visibility triangles at corners/driveways. | — | Sec. 4-4-84(a), Sec. 4-4-85, Sec. 4-4-86 |
| Single-Tenant Monument Sign | 8 feet | 80 sq ft per face | — | Prohibited in 30'x30' corner/driveway visibility triangles. | — | Ground sign, concrete base, at grade level. | — | Sec. 4-4-86(g) |
| Multiple-Tenant Monument Sign | 12 feet | 100 sq ft per face | — | Prohibited in 30'x30' corner/driveway visibility triangles. | — | Ground sign, concrete base. | — | Sec. 4-4-86(g) |
| Roof Sign | 3 feet above roof portion over which they are erected | — | — | Minimum 7 ft from inside line of exterior wall. | — | Mounted on, and wholly supported by, the roof of a building. Setback 7 ft from inside line of exterior wall. | — | Sec. 4-4-81 |
| Temporary Sign | — | 32 sq ft | — | 2 feet inside private property lines (except banner signs over right-of-way) | — | At least 2 feet inside private property lines (except for cloth banner, see below) | — | Sec. 4-4-52(e), Sec. 4-4-78 |
| Political Sign (Private Property) | 8 feet | 36 sq ft | — | Not within 30' of visibility triangle | — | On private real property. Not within 30' of visibility triangle of any intersection or driveway. | — | Sec. 4-4-52(h), Sec. 4-4-79(b) |
| Political Sign (Public Property: Polling Places) | 8 feet | 8 sq ft | — | Not within 30' of visibility triangle | 2 per measure/candidate | On public property used for election purposes, outside 30' of visibility triangle. | — | Sec. 4-4-79(c) |

### Commercial C-5 Zoning District

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Off-Premises Sign | 60 feet | 700 sq ft per face | — | — | — | Only on platted lots fronting on Interstate Highway 35 within Commercial C-5 zone | — | Sec. 4-4-82(a)(1), 4-4-82(b), 4-4-82(c), 4-4-82(d), 4-4-82(e) |

### Aviation District

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Off-Premises Sign | 15 feet (unless currently existing with greater size/height) | 32 sq ft per face | — | — | 1 per property (and 1 per business physically located in Aviation District) | Properties adjacent to Pat Booker Road, between FM 78 (south) and National Boulevard (north), and in Pat Booker Road right-of-way within the Aviation District (with permission from TxDOT and City Manager) | — | Sec. 4-4-82(a)(3) |

## Prohibited signs in Universal City

- No person shall affix a sign or bill by any means to any public building, property or thing belonging to the city or to any other public entity without the approval of the city or other public authority (Sec. 4-4-9). This includes posting bills within city parks and to trees on public right-of-ways.
- It shall be unlawful to carry or transport within the city limits any sign in excess of 20 square feet in area without the approval of the code enforcement officer (Sec. 4-4-10a).
- All signs must be properly maintained, in good repair, and in an operating condition. Improperly maintained signage (e.g., missing, non-operating, damaged, faded, torn, cracked, peeling, rusting, or unsecured) is prohibited and constitutes a public nuisance (Sec. 4-4-12A3).
- Abandoned signs—where a sign remains on a vacant property for 30 days or more—are declared public nuisances and require abatement as specified (Sec. 4-4-12A1).
- Improperly erected, altered, or used signage is prohibited and constitutes a public nuisance (Sec. 4-4-12A2).
- It shall be unlawful for any person to erect or alter any commercial sign without first obtaining a permit from the code enforcement officer, unless specifically exempted (Sec. 4-4-51).
- No permit may be obtained by/on behalf of any unlicensed person whose business requires a license to obtain a permit (Sec. 4-4-56).
- No sign shall interfere with or obstruct windows, doors, or other means of exit, and cannot be attached to fire escapes, doors, or window casings (Sec. 4-4-71).
- No signs shall be erected on or over public/private property in a manner which interferes with fire hydrants, traffic lights, fire alarm boxes, or street lights (Sec. 4-4-72).
- The use of staples, wires, and wood plugs in erecting signs is prohibited (Sec. 4-4-73).
- Roof signs shall not be used as a medium for off-premises advertising (Sec. 4-4-81c).
- Inflated advertisements are prohibited on roofs (Sec. 4-4-81d).
- Off-premises signs are prohibited except as specifically authorized (Sec. 4-4-82a).
- It shall be unlawful to intentionally place or display any portable sign without the issuance of a sign permit (Sec. 4-4-91).
- No person licensed under this chapter shall allow his name to be used by any other party for doing work or obtaining a permit. Violations may result in revocation (Sec. 4-4-27).
- It shall be unlawful for any person whose license has been suspended or revoked to do sign work for which a permit is required (Sec. 4-4-28g).

## Signs exempt from permit in Universal City

- Letters or figures on windows and doors are not addressed by this chapter and are exempt (Sec. 4-4-7).
- Signs not exceeding one square foot of facing, attached to a residence/apartment building, stating only the name and occupation of occupant (Sec. 4-4-52a).
- Real estate signs not exceeding 32 square feet, used solely to advertise the sale of the premises on which the sign is located (Sec. 4-4-52b).
- Signs/markers used by a public utility with a city franchise to designate bus stops, cab stands and similar places (Sec. 4-4-52c).
- Governmental signs (Sec. 4-4-52d).
- Temporary signs as defined, other than cloth banner signs, not exceeding 32 square feet (Sec. 4-4-52e).
- Bandit signs not exceeding four square feet erected by home builders/developers advertising property; only on weekends and holidays; not on state right-of-way (Sec. 4-4-52f).
- Banner signs not exceeding 50 square feet, not advertising the name of any business, not to exceed one per business premises, and not on light stands (Sec. 4-4-52g).
- Political signs placed on private real property as defined (Sec. 4-4-52h).
- The requirements of this chapter do not apply to any nonconforming sign except as set in Section 4-4-77 (Sec. 4-4-92a).
- The requirements do not apply to a sign, permitted as a non-conforming use, that is required to be removed by the city because it is substantially destroyed or dismantled for any purpose other than maintenance or changing the letters (Sec. 4-4-92b-c).

## Sign plan & submission notes

- For monument signs, in addition to the Universal City sign permit application, the following are required: a site plan (showing property, line of sight triangles, right-of-way, street frontage, and proposed sign location); sign elevation; construction details; material/color specifications; and additional pictures showing before/after conditions (Sec. 4-4-86g4).
- A drawing certified by a professional engineer is required for certain types of signs (e.g., back to back, V-type, pole signs) stating that the sign will withstand a wind load of 30 pounds per square foot and stating the required depth of support (Sec. 4-4-86d). Signs up to 8 feet in height are exempt from engineer certification (Sec. 4-4-86e).
- For variances to the sign code, an application for variance must be reviewed by the Board of Adjustment and City Council and must demonstrate compliance with specific approval criteria (Sec. 4-4-94a).

## Full detail

Complete sign requirements for Universal City, including every field PermitPal tracks for each sign type, are available with a free PermitPal account: https://app.permitpal.io/?address=Universal+City+TX&override=true&utm_source=landing&utm_medium=city-page&utm_campaign=city-universal-city

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