# Sign Regulations in Martinsville, Virginia

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Martinsville, Virginia (VA)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/virginia/martinsville
- **Data last verified:** 2025-05-08
- **Source:** [municode municipal code](https://library.municode.com/VA/Martinsville/codes/Code_of_Ordinances?nodeId=CO_APXBZOOR_SVISIRE)

## At a glance

Martinsville, Virginia regulates 16 sign types across 12 zoning districts. Freestanding Sign (Public Street >70 ft ROW)s in the Transitional District (R-T) zoning district are capped at 6 ft. tall and 40 sq.ft., with a Setback equal to height from any property or right-of-way line; 2x height from any freestanding sign setback (Sec. Section VI.H.2.c,e). Most commercial signs in Martinsville require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (12 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 3 | — | 50% of total permanent sign area otherwise allowed | — |
| Residential Districts | 4 | 6 ft. | 40 sq.ft. | — |
| Transitional District (R-T) | 4 | 20 ft. | 100 sq.ft. | — |
| Neighborhood Commercial District (C-N) | 3 | 8 ft. | 100 sq.ft. | — |
| Urban Commercial Business District (C-UB) | 4 | 10 ft. | 100 sq.ft. | — |
| Central Commercial District (C-C) | 3 | 20 ft. | 200 sq.ft. | — |
| Economic Development – Mixed-Use Area District (ED-MA) | 3 | 20 ft. | 200 sq.ft. | — |
| Economic Development – Gateway District (ED-G) | 4 | 20 ft. | 200 sq.ft. | — |
| Economic Development – Industrial District (ED-I) | 4 | 20 ft. | 200 sq.ft. | — |
| Historic Preservation Overlay District (HP-O) | 1 | — | — | — |
| Entrance Corridor Overlay District | 1 | — | — | — |

_1 additional zoning district is covered in PermitPal (free account)._

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

### Transitional District (R-T)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Building Mounted Sign | — | 100 sq.ft. | — | — | — | Building façade | — | Section VI.H.1.a,b,c,d,e,f,g |
| Freestanding Sign (Public Street >70 ft ROW) | 6 ft. | 40 sq.ft. | — | Setback equal to height from any property or right-of-way line; 2x height from any freestanding sign | 1 per parcel | Parcel frontage on public street >70' right-of-way | — | Section VI.H.2.c,e |
| Freestanding Sign (Public Street <70 ft ROW) | 6 ft. | 30 sq.ft. | — | Setback equal to height from any property or right-of-way line; 2x height from any freestanding sign | 1 per parcel | Parcel frontage on public street <70' right-of-way | — | Section VI.H.2.d,e |
| Business Park Directory Sign | 20 ft. | 100 sq.ft. | — | — | 1 per business park | — | — | Section VI.H.5 |

### Economic Development – Gateway District (ED-G)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Building Mounted Sign | — | 200 sq.ft. | — | — | — | Building façade | — | Section VI.H.1.a,b,c,d,e,f,g |
| Freestanding Sign (Public Street >70 ft ROW) | 20 ft. | 100 sq.ft. | — | Setback equal to height from any property or right-of-way line; 2x height from any freestanding sign | 1 per parcel | Parcel frontage on public street >70' right-of-way | — | Section VI.H.2.c,e |
| Freestanding Sign (Public Street <70 ft ROW) | 20 ft. | 70 sq.ft. | — | Setback equal to height from any property or right-of-way line; 2x height from any freestanding sign | 1 per parcel | Parcel frontage on public street <70' right-of-way | — | Section VI.H.2.d,e |
| Business Park Directory Sign | 20 ft. | 100 sq.ft. | — | — | 1 per business park | — | — | Section VI.H.5 |

### Economic Development – Industrial District (ED-I)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Building Mounted Sign | — | 200 sq.ft. | — | — | — | Building façade | — | Section VI.H.1.a,b,c,d,e,f,g |
| Freestanding Sign (Public Street >70 ft ROW) | 20 ft. | 100 sq.ft. | — | Setback equal to height from any property or right-of-way line; 2x height from any freestanding sign | 1 per parcel | Parcel frontage on public street >70' right-of-way | — | Section VI.H.2.c,e |
| Freestanding Sign (Public Street <70 ft ROW) | 20 ft. | 70 sq.ft. | — | Setback equal to height from any property or right-of-way line; 2x height from any freestanding sign | 1 per parcel | Parcel frontage on public street <70' right-of-way | — | Section VI.H.2.d,e |
| Business Park Directory Sign | 20 ft. | 100 sq.ft. | — | — | 1 per business park | — | — | Section VI.H.5 |

## Prohibited signs in Martinsville

- All signs or sign structures which are not specifically exempted or permitted as defined in this section are prohibited.
- Any sign which violates any provision of law or code of the Commonwealth of Virginia or of the United States.
- Any sign which obstructs a door, fire escape or building opening intended for light, air or access to a building.
- Any sign displaying video, flashing or intermittent lights, or lights changing degrees of intensity. (Exception: Variable message signs may be allowed under specific conditions with zoning administrator review, but are prohibited in any historic district.)
- Any permanent lighting either by exposed tubing or strings of lights, outlining any part of a building or affixed to any ornamental feature thereof.
- Any sign that obscures a sign displayed by public authority for the purpose of giving traffic instructions or direction or other public information.
- Any sign that uses the words 'stop,' 'danger,' 'slow,' 'caution,' 'yield,' 'go,' or that uses colors similar to those of emergency vehicles or signs or that could be confusing or distracting, or implies the need to stop or existence of danger, or is likely to be confused with signs displayed by public authority.
- Signs that are structurally unsafe.
- Portable signs unless specifically permitted in this section.
- Sound-producing signs.
- Any sign containing obscene text or pictures as defined by the Code of Virginia, or any sign representing or depicting sexual activities or sexually oriented goods.
- Any sign or illumination that causes any direct glare into or upon any building other than the building to which the sign is located.
- Any sign, except official notices, which is nailed, tacked, posted or in any other manner attached to any pipe or utility pole, whether on public or private property, or to any tree.
- Any sign attached to a chimney, tower, tank or structure of like kind which extends above the zoning district height limits.
- Any permanent or temporary sign that is located in full, or in part, within a public right-of-way, except within the C-UB District as specified.

## Signs exempt from permit in Martinsville

- Signs erected by the governments of the city or state, such as traffic, warning, directional, street, or regulatory signs directly related to health, safety, convenience or welfare.
- Commemorative plaques and historical markers erected by a recognized historical agency or authorized by a government body.
- Flags of the Commonwealth of Virginia or United States of America.
- Small signs displaying a building's address.
- Seasonal displays and decorations which do not advertise a product or service.
- Temporary signs for official notices.
- One 'Private Property,' 'No Trespassing,' 'Beware of Dog,' or similar sign, not exceeding one and one-half square feet in area, when justifiable.
- Normal maintenance and repair of a conforming sign.
- Change of advertised copy on a sign or marquee designed and approved for replaceable copy.
- Traffic control signs as deemed necessary and approved by the city or the state department of transportation.
- One temporary real estate sign advertising property for sale, rent, lease, build-to-suit, or sign announcing future construction, subject to stated size, removal, and height limits.
- Political campaign signs on private property, subject to placement and removal restrictions.
- Signs displayed for the direction or convenience of the public (such as restrooms, telephones, handicapped parking, public entrances, etc.) not exceeding three square feet per sign.
- Signs displayed on a truck, bus or other vehicle while in use in the normal conduct of business (not for the sole purpose of sign display).
- One two-sided sandwich board or A-frame sign, not to exceed nine square feet per side, advertising a permitted commercial use and displayed only during business hours, provided it does not pose a hazard.
- Wall or ground signs in a private parking lot to identify entrances, exits, divisions or control traffic, not exceeding four square feet each.
- Window 'stickers,' 'statics' or 'clings.'
- Murals or works of art, when not used for commercial or advertising purposes.
- Restorations of existing advertising deemed historic by the zoning administrator or ARB.
- Signs erected by a department of the governmental body for event advertising or directional signs related to community events hosted in the city.
- Open/closed signs, or similar, not exceeding four square feet, provided the sign is located inside the structure.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- All applications for sign permits shall be submitted with written or graphic exhibits including a landscaping plan if required by the section.
- Any other information requested by the zoning administrator in order to carry out the purpose and intent of these regulations may be required with the application.
- All signs to be located within the designated Historic Preservation Overlay (HP-O) District shall require a certificate of appropriateness approved by the architectural review board, or a certificate of no effect approved by staff.
- Signs to be located within a designated entrance corridor overlay district shall require the approval of the planning commission.
- The landscaping plan required by this section shall be depicted on or with the sign permit application.

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

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