# Sign Regulations in Bristol, Virginia

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Bristol, Virginia (VA)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/virginia/bristol
- **Data last verified:** 2025-05-07
- **Source:** [municode municipal code](https://library.municode.com/VA/Bristol/codes/Code_of_Ordinances?nodeId=PTIICO_CH50LAUS_ARTIIZO_DIV13SI)

## At a glance

Bristol, Virginia regulates 23 sign types across 12 zoning districts. Freestanding Ground-mounted Sign (B-1)s in the Neighborhood business district (B-1) zoning district are capped at 6 feet tall and 32 sq ft (1-50 ft frontage); 48 sq ft (51-150 ft frontage); 75 sq ft (over 150 ft frontage), with a 10 feet from property line setback (Sec. Sec. 50-167(2)(c), (5), (3)(c); Table under Sec. 50-167(5)). Most commercial signs in Bristol require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (12 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Single-family residential—Limited (R-1A), Single-family residential—General (R-1), Single- and two-family residential (R-2), Moderate-density residential (R-3), High-density multi-family residential (R-4), Golf course residential district (GCR), Manufactured home park residential (R-MH), Agricultural (A) | 3 | 6 feet | 18 square feet per face | — |
| Neighborhood business district (B-1) | 5 | 12 ft for vertical banner | 75 sq ft | — |
| Central business district (B-2) | 3 | 12 ft vertical banner | 35 sq ft (1-50 ft frontage); 50 sq ft (51-150 ft); 75 sq ft (151-300 ft); 100 sq ft (over 300 ft) | — |
| General business district (B-3), Office and institutional (O-I), Light industrial district (M-1), General industrial district (M-2) | 6 | Up to 40 ft (or, for locations below interstate, up to 40 ft above the adjacent interstate) | 600 sq ft (total sign area) | — |
| Floodplain district (F) | 1 | — | — | — |
| Historic overlay district (HO) | 1 | — | — | — |
| Arts and entertainment overlay district (AE) | 1 | — | — | — |
| Tourism zone overlay | 1 | — | — | — |
| Enterprise zone overlay district (EZ) | 1 | — | — | — |
| Planned unit development district (PUD), Flexible redevelopment district (FRD) | 1 | — | Corresponds to B-1 and with possible master sign plan increases | — |
| Railroad zone (RR) | 1 | — | — | — |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 3 | 3 ft freestanding | Up to 4 sq ft; up to 3 ft height if freestanding | — |

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements (sample of 3 of 12 zones)

### Neighborhood business district (B-1)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Freestanding Ground-mounted Sign (B-1) | 6 feet | 32 sq ft (1-50 ft frontage); 48 sq ft (51-150 ft frontage); 75 sq ft (over 150 ft frontage) | — | 10 feet from property line | One per street frontage | One per street frontage; must be ground-mounted monument or post sign. | — | Sec. 50-167(2)(c), (5), (3)(c); Table under Sec. 50-167(5) |
| Multi-tenant Sign (B-1) | 8 feet | 75 sq ft | — | 10 feet from property line; not within 100 feet of a school | One per street frontage | Ground-mounted; subject to minimum setback 10 feet from property line and not within 100 feet of any school property. | — | Sec. 50-167(3)(c), (d), (e); Table under Sec. 50-167(5) |
| Wall Sign (B-1) | — | 35 sq ft (1-50 ft frontage); 50 sq ft (51-150 ft); 75 sq ft (151-300 ft); 100 sq ft (over 300 ft) | — | Cannot be within 1 ft of curb line; see 50-168(4). | No explicit limit—max area applies; may be split among faces/walls. | On wall, awning, or canopy of principal building or tenant space; per unit frontage in multi-tenant buildings. | — | Sec. 50-168(2), (4), (9), (10); Table under Sec. 50-168(9) |
| Electronic Message Center (EMC) (B-1) | — | Counts against wall/freestanding max sq ft. | — | Same as type of sign (wall or freestanding) | Same as total allowed under wall/freestanding sign rules. | As either wall or freestanding sign. | — | Sec. 50-170(b) |
| Temporary Signs (B-1) | 12 ft for vertical banner | See Sec. 50-172(c): 32 sf free-standing banner; 16 sf A-frame; 6 sf yard sign/poster; 32 sf temporary activity sign. | — | As above. | Varies by sign type and frontage; e.g., 1 per street frontage for banners. | Must be at least 5 ft from ROW/property line (banners, yard signs); sidewalk placement for A-frame must not impede access. | — | Sec. 50-172(c),(d) |

### Central business district (B-2)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Freestanding Ground-mounted Sign (B-2) | 6 feet | 32 sq ft (1-50 ft frontage); 48 sq ft (51-150 ft frontage); 75 sq ft (over 150 ft frontage) | — | 10 feet from property line | One per street frontage | One per street frontage; must be ground-mounted monument or post sign. | — | Sec. 50-167(2)(c), (5); Table under Sec. 50-167(5) |
| Wall Sign (B-2) | — | 35 sq ft (1-50 ft frontage); 50 sq ft (51-150 ft); 75 sq ft (151-300 ft); 100 sq ft (over 300 ft) | — | Not within 1 ft of curb line except projecting sign (see 50-168(4)). | No explicit limit—max area applies; may split among walls/faces. | On wall, awning, or canopy of principal building or tenant space; per unit frontage in multi-tenant buildings. | — | Sec. 50-168(4), (9), (10); Table under Sec. 50-168(9) |
| Temporary Signs (B-2) | 12 ft vertical banner | Same as B-1: see Sec. 50-172(c): 32 sf free-standing/temporary activity sign; 16 sf A-frame; 6 sf yard sign/poster. | — | — | Per table. | Must be at least 5 ft from ROW/property line (yard sign, banners); A-frames on sidewalk must not block access. | — | Sec. 50-172(c),(d) |

### General business district (B-3), Office and institutional (O-I), Light industrial district (M-1), General industrial district (M-2)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Pole Sign (Interstate Advertising Corridor) | Up to 40 ft (or, for locations below interstate, up to 40 ft above the adjacent interstate) | 150 sq ft per sign face | — | No part of a pole sign may be closer than 5 feet from any property line. | 1 per parcel | Interstate Advertising Corridor; must be for visibility to interstate traffic. | — | Sec. 50-167(1), (5); Table under Sec. 50-167(5) |
| Freestanding Ground-mounted Sign | 10 ft | 32 sq ft (1-50 ft frontage); 48 sq ft (51-150 ft); 75 sq ft (over 150 ft) | — | 10 ft from property line | 1 per street frontage | Ground-mounted monument or post sign; 1 per street frontage. | — | Sec. 50-167(2)(c), (5); Table under Sec. 50-167(5) |
| Multi-tenant Sign (B-3, O-I, M-1, M-2) | 20 ft | 600 sq ft (total sign area) | — | 10 ft from property line; not within 100 ft of school | — | Ground-mounted; may be pole sign in Interstate Advertising Corridor. | — | Sec. 50-167(3)(b), (d), (h); Table under 50-167(5) |
| Wall Sign (B-3, O-I, M-1, M-2) | — | 50 sq ft (1-50 ft frontage); 100 sq ft (51-150 ft); 175 sq ft (151-300 ft); 250 sq ft (over 300 ft) | — | — | Max area per wall applies; number not explicitly restricted. | On wall/awning/canopy of building or tenant space. | — | Sec. 50-168(2), (4), (9), (10); Table under 50-168(9) |
| Electronic Message Center (EMC) (B-3, O-I, M-1, M-2) | — | Counts toward total sign area for wall or free-standing types. | — | Same as sign type | — | Wall or freestanding signs. | — | Sec. 50-170(b) |
| Temporary Signs (B-3, O-I, M-1, M-2) | 12 ft (vertical banner) | 32 sf free-standing/temporary activity sign/portable; 16 sf A-frame; 6 sf yard sign/poster; 12 ft height for vertical banner | — | Most signs 5 ft from ROW/property line (see table) | Per temporary sign table | Per table and zone requirements | — | Sec. 50-172(c),(d) |

## Prohibited signs in Bristol

- Signs that may be confused with traffic signs or signals, including those implying a requirement to stop or the existence of danger, or which imitate official highway signs or traffic signals with red, green, or amber lights or reflectorized material.
- Signs with intermittent or flashing lights, loud noises, or movable objects.
- Signs located near any public street intersection or near any curve in a public street that obstruct clear vision of traffic in any direction, as determined by current industry standards or evaluation by the city engineering or public works department.
- Signs that advertise activities which are illegal at the location of advertisement or at the location of such activities.
- Signs that are otherwise prohibited by this article, as amended, or applicable regulations adopted by the state department of transportation.
- Signs with lighting of such intensity, brightness, glare, or direction to the extent that it impairs the vision of any driver or otherwise interferes with that driver's operation of a motor vehicle.
- Banner signs stretched across the width of a street, highway, or alley; except when such sign is attached to standards erected and owned by the city and is duly authorized by the city and subject to city policies.
- Signs that are attached to any city or utility pole or street light or located in any part of a public right-of way unless approved and erected by the city, except temporary A-frame signs as regulated in section 50-172.
- Signs that are non-permanent in nature, made of plastic, paper, cloth, cardboard or similar material and are mounted on a wire frame, metal, wooden or plastic stakes and easily placed in the ground or attached to a wall or fence, except those that meet the requirements of section 50-172 for temporary signs.
- Off-premises signs.

## Signs exempt from permit in Bristol

- Historical markers authorized by the appropriate authorities.
- Highway markers, traffic control signs, and street signs.
- Public wayfinding signs.
- Displays of public art that do not display a commercial message.
- Signs on the inside of ballpark or stadium field fences, or displayed inside other large sports or entertainment venues.
- Public notices or other temporary signs if authorized by the city manager.
- Home occupation signs, as regulated in section 50-134.
- Temporary signs, as defined and regulated in section 50-172.
- Incidental signs, as defined in division 18.
- Flags and insignia of the United States of America, Commonwealth of Virginia, City of Bristol, or other official flags displayed for non-commercial purposes.
- Signs displayed inside a building, including those temporarily attached to windows.
- Street banners, as defined, subject to city policy and authorization.
- Air-activated or inflated advertisements, as long as they do not block sight distance or interfere with traffic or pedestrians, limited to one per business establishment and a display period of not more than 30 days per six-month period.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- Except as otherwise provided in 50-165 (list of exemptions), all persons erecting, changing, installing, or otherwise placing signs must first obtain a sign permit.
- A master sign plan can be approved by the planning commission for large-scale commercial and mixed use developments if all signs are well-designed and complementary to each other; signs are no larger than necessary to ensure legibility and visibility; and the number of signs within the development shall be sufficient to provide necessary and safe internal vehicle and pedestrian circulation and wayfinding. A master sign plan can result in an increase of 25 percent in area for wall signage and 50 percent in area and height for free-standing signs (Sec 50-171(a)).
- For individual properties, a combined sign plan can be approved by the zoning administrator that allows the maximum allowance for free-standing signs and wall signs to be combined and distributed between those two kinds of signs, as long as the wall signage area does not exceed 15 percent of the wall area (Sec 50-171(b)).

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

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