# Sign Regulations in Clifton Forge, Virginia

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Clifton Forge, Virginia (VA)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/virginia/clifton-forge
- **Data last verified:** 2025-05-07
- **Source:** [municode municipal code](https://library.municode.com/VA/Clifton_Forge/codes/Code_of_Ordinances?nodeId=PTIICOOR_APXBZO_ART7DEST_DIV3SI)

## At a glance

Clifton Forge, Virginia regulates 18 sign types across 6 zoning districts. Freestanding Signs in the Business Downtown District (BD) zoning district are capped at 6 ft tall and 32 sq. ft., with a n/a for BD) setback (Sec. Sec. 7-35, Table 7-35-1). Most commercial signs in Clifton Forge require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (6 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Conservation District (CN) | 3 | 6 ft | 32 sq. ft. | — |
| Residential District (R-1, R-2, R-3) | 8 | 6 ft | 25 sq. ft. | — |
| Business General District (BG) | 3 | 25 ft | 125 sq. ft. | — |
| Business Downtown District (BD) | 4 | 6 ft | 32 sq. ft. | — |
| Historic Commercial Area Overlay District (H-1) | 1 | — | — | — |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 5 | — | Changeable portion up to 80% of total sign area | — |

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements (sample of 3 of 6 zones)

### Residential District (R-1, R-2, R-3)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Neighborhood Identification Sign (Freestanding, monument only) | 5 ft | 8 sq. ft. | — | — | 1 | One per neighborhood | — | Sec. 7-35, Table 7-35-1 |
| Freestanding Sign (Non-residential Use, R-1, R-2) | 5 ft | 20 sq. ft. | — | — | 1 per lot frontage | 1 per lot frontage | — | Sec. 7-35, Table 7-35-1 |
| Building-mounted Sign (Non-residential Use, R-1, R-2) | — | 20 sq. ft. | — | — | 1 per building face or storefront | 1 per building face or storefront | — | Sec. 7-35, Table 7-35-1 |
| Freestanding Sign (Non-residential Use, R-3) | 6 ft | 25 sq. ft. | — | — | 1 per lot frontage | Per lot frontage | — | Sec. 7-35, Table 7-35-1 |
| Building-mounted Sign (Non-residential Use, R-3, except projecting) | — | 25 sq. ft. | — | — | 1 per building face or storefront | 1 per building face or storefront | — | Sec. 7-35, Table 7-35-1 |
| Wall sign at rear service entrance (R-3 Non-residential Use) | — | 3 sq. ft. | — | — | 1 | Rear service entrance | — | Sec. 7-35, Table 7-35-1 |
| Temporary Sign (Non-residential Use, R-1, R-2) | 6 ft | 4 sq. ft. | — | — | 1 per lot frontage per allowable period | Per lot frontage | — | Sec. 7-36, Table 7-36-1 |
| Temporary Sign (Non-residential Use, R-3) | 6 ft | 16 sq. ft. | — | — | 1 per lot frontage per allowable period | Per lot frontage | — | Sec. 7-36, Table 7-36-1 |

### Business Downtown District (BD)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Freestanding Sign | 6 ft | 32 sq. ft. | — | 10 ft from property line of residentially zoned property (front/side/rear: n/a for BD) | 1 per lot frontage | 1 per lot frontage | — | Sec. 7-35, Table 7-35-1 |
| Building-mounted Sign | — | — | — | — | 1 per building face or storefront | 1 per building face or storefront | — | Sec. 7-35, Table 7-35-1 |
| A-frame or easel sign | 4 ft | 10 sq. ft. | 2.5 ft | — | 1 per storefront | Within 3 ft of entry door; 1 per storefront | — | Sec. 7-35, Table 7-35-1; Sec. 7-34(e) |
| Temporary Sign | 6 ft | 32 sq. ft. | — | — | 1 per lot frontage per allowable period | Per lot frontage | — | Sec. 7-36, Table 7-36-1 |

### General Regulations For All Zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Window Sign | — | Not exceeding 50% of window or door surface area | — | — | — | Ground level facades facing an abutting street or with a public entrance | — | Sec. 7-34(d) |
| Changeable Copy Sign | — | Changeable portion up to 80% of total sign area | — | — | — | On permitted signs | — | Sec. 7-34(f) |
| Electronic Readerboard (On-permitted signs only) | — | Up to 40% of total sign area; maximum 25 sq. ft. | — | — | 1 per lot | On permitted signs | — | Sec. 7-34(g) |
| Awning or Canopy Sign | — | — | — | — | — | Only on face of awning or canopy | — | Sec. 7-34(b) |
| Projecting Sign | — | — | — | — | — | Building face or wall | — | Sec. 7-34(c) |

## Prohibited signs in Clifton Forge

- Animated signs are prohibited in all zoning districts.
- Flashing signs are prohibited in all zoning districts, except for theatre marquees.
- Pennants, streamers, ribbons, spinners, inflatables, or other similar moving devices are prohibited, except as provided for temporary signs in section 7-36.
- Laser light or image projection signs are prohibited.
- Off-premises signs are prohibited.
- Portable signs are prohibited, except for A-frame or easel signs as expressly permitted.
- Projecting signs erected with their lowest portions above a height of 25 feet above adjacent ground level are prohibited.
- Roof signs are prohibited.
- Searchlight or beacon signs are prohibited.
- Any electrical signs that do not display the UL, ETL, CSA, or ULC label are prohibited.
- Any sign, except official public notices, which is nailed, tacked, stapled, pasted, painted, posted, or attached to any utility pole, structure supporting wire, cable, or pipe, or to public property is prohibited.
- Any sign which imitates or approximates an official traffic sign or signal or obscures a sign displayed by public authority for giving traffic instruction or direction is prohibited.
- Flashing or revolving lights, or beacons intended to direct attention to a location, building, or service, or any similar device that imitates by its design or use emergency service vehicles or equipment are prohibited.
- Any sign displayed on a stationary motor vehicle or trailer when the vehicle or trailer is parked or oriented for the purpose of serving the function of a sign is prohibited (with limited exceptions).
- Any sign, other than a projecting sign, which projects horizontally or vertically beyond any part of the building to which it is attached is prohibited.
- Any sign which interferes with free passage from or obstructs any fire escape, window, door, stairway, ladder, or opening intended as a means of ingress or egress or providing light or air is prohibited.
- Exposed neon tubing which outlines buildings is prohibited.
- Any sign that produces sound, odor, or visible matter such as smoke or vapor is prohibited.

## Signs exempt from permit in Clifton Forge

- Legal notice, informational, traffic control, warning, regulatory, or directional signs erected by a government body or required to be erected by a government body, which signs are directly related to health, safety, convenience or welfare, but not including governmental signs for proprietary or identification purposes.
- Commemorative plaques, historical markers, and signs with special historical value or significance to the community, erected by a government body.
- Flags of the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States of America, or other governmental flags flown for noncommercial purposes.
- Decorative flags displaying strictly ornamental information, such as graphic depictions of flowers and the like.
- Address identification signs.
- Memorial plaques.
- Nameplates.
- Political signs (provided they are removed within ten calendar days after the election).
- Signs displaying the hours of operation or the word 'open' or 'closed,' not exceeding one per lot or tenant and two square feet in sign area, located on the main entry or adjacent window.
- On-premises directional signs.
- Real estate signs, provided compliance with maximum number, area, height, illumination, and timing of removal requirements.
- Construction signs erected on construction trailers, sheds, or on the ground, subject to location, size, and removal requirements.
- Signs placed on temporary structures, fences, barricades around excavations or building projects, related to safety considerations.
- Signs located on the inside of an enclosed ball field, amphitheater, stadium, or similar facility.
- Murals.
- Fuel pump accessory and fuel pump topper signs.
- Signs displaying time, date, temperature, or a public service announcement, with no commercial advertisement, and located in a non-residential zoning district.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- No explicit requirement for master sign plan or sign plan is stated in these sections.
- Section 7-32 requires a zoning permit for most signs (unless specifically exempted in Section 7-37), with an application process that includes detailed information about the property and proposed signage.
- For signs in the Historic Commercial Area Overlay District (H-1), a certificate of appropriateness from the board of architectural review is required (except for temporary signs).
- Alternative buffer and screening plans for buffer yards may be approved by the zoning administrator in writing, but this is not a sign-specific plan requirement.
- No reference is made to a required sign variance meeting or master sign plan for general permitting purposes in this ordinance text.

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

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