# Sign Regulations in Bedford, Virginia

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Bedford, Virginia (VA)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/virginia/bedford
- **Data last verified:** 2025-03-24
- **Source:** [municode municipal code](https://library.municode.com/VA/Bedford/codes/Code_of_Ordinances?nodeId=PTIITHCO_CH62VEHI_ARTIINGE_S62-9DIOFDUSI)

## At a glance

Bedford, Virginia regulates 10 sign types across 11 zoning districts. Freestanding Signs in the Business District (B-2) zoning district are capped at 20 ft. tall and 120 sq. ft., with a Minimum 7 ft. from street right-of-way setback (Sec. Sec. 816.08). Most commercial signs in Bedford require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (11 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 2 | 6 ft. | 16 sq. ft. | — |
| Residential Zoning Districts (R-1, R-2, R-3) | 2 | — | 16 sq. ft. | — |
| Limited Professional District (LP) | 2 | — | 15 sq. ft. | — |
| Business District (B-1) | 2 | — | 100 sq. ft. | — |
| Central Neighborhood District (CNW) | 1 | — | 100 sq. ft. | — |
| Business District (B-2) | 3 | 20 ft. | 120 sq. ft. | — |
| Commercial Light Industrial District (CLI) | 2 | 10 ft. | 120 sq. ft. | — |
| Manufacturing District (M-1) | 2 | 10 ft. | 120 sq. ft. | — |
| Waterfront Commercial District (WCD) | 2 | 10 ft. | 120 sq. ft. | — |
| Planned Mixed Development (PMD) | 1 | — | — | — |
| Planned Memorial Park District (PMPD) | 1 | — | — | — |

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements (sample of 3 of 11 zones)

### Residential Zoning Districts (R-1, R-2, R-3)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Wall Sign | — | 16 sq. ft. | — | — | 1 per parcel | Non-residential uses | — | Sec. 816.09 |
| Freestanding Monument Sign | — | 16 sq. ft. | — | — | 1 per parcel | Non-residential uses | — | Sec. 816.09 |

### Limited Professional District (LP)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Building Mounted Sign | — | 15 sq. ft. | — | — | — | Primary building frontage | — | Sec. 816.07 |
| A-frame Sign | — | 12 sq. ft. | — | Maintain at least four feet of clear passage between the edge of the sign and the curb. | 1 per business | Sidewalk | — | Sec. 816.08 |

### Business District (B-2)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Building Mounted Sign | — | 120 sq. ft. | — | — | — | Primary building frontage | — | Sec. 816.07 |
| Freestanding Sign | 20 ft. | 120 sq. ft. | — | Minimum 7 ft. from street right-of-way | 1 per parcel | Adjacent to public street or highway with minimum posted speed limit of 45 mph | — | Sec. 816.08 |
| Digital Sign | — | 20 sq. ft. | — | — | — | Adjacent to public street or highway with minimum posted speed limit of 45 mph | — | Sec. 816.06 |

## Prohibited signs in Bedford

- Signs that imitate an official traffic sign or signs of a size, location, movement, content, coloring, or manner of illumination which may be confused with or construed as a traffic control device.
- Signs that hide from view any traffic or street sign or signal, or which obstruct the view in any direction at any street or road intersection or materially impede the view of an intersection of a road with a railroad grade crossing.
- Signs in any public right-of-way unless approved and erected by an authorized government agency.
- Signs which contain or consist of pennants, ribbons, streamers, spinners, strings of light bulbs, or other similar moving or flashing devices.
- Signs attached to utility poles, trees, other natural vegetation, rocks, or fences; or signs attached to walls or other signs unless authorized as part of an approved sign permit.
- Signs on vehicles parked in areas visible from a public right-of-way unless such vehicles are used on a regular basis for a business delivery or other form of transportation.
- Signs or sign structures that obstruct ingress or egress from any window, door, fire escape, stairway, ladder, or opening intended to provide light, air, ingress or egress for any room or building as required by law.
- Signs that reflect or cast glare or light, directly or indirectly, on any public roadway or on adjacent property.
- Roof signs.
- Flashing signs, electronic message boards, and signs displaying video except digital signs as specifically authorized in these sign regulations.
- Freestanding signs greater than ten feet above the ground, except digital signs as specifically authorized in these sign regulations.
- Portable signs, or any sign that is not permanently affixed to a building, structure, or the ground, except for those specifically authorized under section 816.08.
- Off-premises signs, including outdoor advertising signs or billboards, except as expressly authorized in these sign regulations.
- Internally illuminated, including neon signs, in Residential or Limited Professional Districts.

## Signs exempt from permit in Bedford

- Changing the message content of a conforming sign.
- Painting, repainting, cleaning and other normal maintenance and repair of signs or sign structures, unless a structural change is made.
- Commemorative plaques and historical markers erected by a recognized historical organization or governmental body, not exceeding nine square feet in area.
- Flags of the United States of America, Commonwealth of Virginia, Town of Bedford, or other flags displayed for non-commercial purposes.
- Minor signs as defined by this Land Development Ordinance not exceeding three total signs per street frontage per parcel.
- Signs erected by the Town of Bedford, or other authorized government entities such as traffic, directional, information, utility, and other regulatory signs.
- Signs not visible beyond the boundaries of the lot or parcel upon which they are located, or from any public right-of-way.
- Vehicle signs, unless such vehicles are parked in such a manner that they effectively function as a sign, as determined by the zoning administrator.
- Any property actively offered for sale or lease, or actively undergoing construction or renovation, may display one sign per street frontage in addition to those otherwise allowed by this Land Development Ordinance, limited to a maximum area of four square feet for parcels in residential zoning districts and 16 square feet in all other zoning districts.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- A comprehensive sign plan shall be submitted as a part of any application for proposal for Mixed Use/Traditional Neighborhood Development.
- A master signage plan shall be submitted as part of any proposal for a Planned Memorial Park District PMPD as authorized elsewhere in this Land Development Ordinance.

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

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