# Sign Regulations in Suffolk, Virginia

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Suffolk, Virginia (VA)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/virginia/suffolk
- **Data last verified:** 2025-05-08
- **Source:** [municode municipal code](https://library.municode.com/VA/Suffolk/codes/Unified_Development_Ordinance?nodeId=SUFFOLK_UNIFIED_DEVELOPMENT_ORDINANCE_ART7SUUSRE_S31-714SIRE)

## At a glance

Suffolk, Virginia regulates 7 sign types across 6 zoning districts. All Permanent Signs in the Special Corridor Overlay District (SCOD) zoning district are capped at No sign shall be higher than the roof line or parapet wall of any building for which the sign is proposed. Signs on sheds/sloping roofs: may not extend above upper edge of the fascia or more than four feet above the lower edge of a sloping roof. tall, with a All signs must be set back at least 10 feet from the front property/right-of-way lines, unless a greater setback is specified; if road expansion, setback must be maintained from new right-of-way after acquisition. setback (Sec. SEC. 31-412(h), SEC. 31-412(h)(2)-(3), SEC. 31-412(h)(3)(E), SEC. 31-412(h)(2)(D)-(E)). Most commercial signs in Suffolk require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (6 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Special Corridor Overlay District (SCOD) | 2 | No sign shall be higher than the roof line or parapet wall of any building for which the sign is proposed. Signs on sheds/sloping roofs: may not extend above upper edge of the fascia or more than four feet above the lower edge of a sloping roof. | — | — |
| Historic Conservation Overlay District (HC District) | 1 | — | — | — |
| Airport Overlay District (AO) | 1 | No structure (including signs) shall be built, altered, or maintained, and no vegetation shall be allowed to grow to a height that penetrates any referenced surface or floor at any point of any zone as mapped in the overlay district (restrictions per FAA and local mapped surfaces). | — | — |
| Chesapeake Bay Protection Overlay District (CB) | 1 | — | — | — |
| Floodplain Overlay District (F) | 1 | — | — | — |
| Wetlands District (W) | 1 | — | — | — |

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

### Special Corridor Overlay District (SCOD)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| All Permanent Signs | No sign shall be higher than the roof line or parapet wall of any building for which the sign is proposed. Signs on sheds/sloping roofs: may not extend above upper edge of the fascia or more than four feet above the lower edge of a sloping roof. | — | — | All signs must be set back at least 10 feet from the front property/right-of-way lines, unless a greater setback is specified; if road expansion, setback must be maintained from new right-of-way after acquisition. | — | All signs shall be set back at least ten (10) feet from the front property lines or existing right-of-way lines, unless a greater setback is specified. | — | SEC. 31-412(h), SEC. 31-412(h)(2)-(3), SEC. 31-412(h)(3)(E), SEC. 31-412(h)(2)(D)-(E) |
| Freestanding Sign | — | — | — | Same as for all signs in SCOD: at least 10 feet from front property/right-of-way lines. | — | Must be encased within a structure architecturally related to the main building and development; landscaping must be integrated with each freestanding sign. | — | SEC. 31-412(h)(3)(B)-(C) |

### Airport Overlay District (AO)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| All Signs and Structures | No structure (including signs) shall be built, altered, or maintained, and no vegetation shall be allowed to grow to a height that penetrates any referenced surface or floor at any point of any zone as mapped in the overlay district (restrictions per FAA and local mapped surfaces). | — | — | — | — | — | — | SEC. 31-414(e), (f), (h) |

### Chesapeake Bay Protection Overlay District (CB)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| All Signs and Land-disturbing Activities | — | — | — | Subject to 100-foot vegetative buffer from bodies of water and resource protection setback if applicable. | — | All land development activities (including signs/structures requiring ground disturbance >2,500 square feet and not exempted) are subject to development review for protection of water quality. Setbacks, buffer areas, and vegetation preservation requirements may affect the placement of signs. | — | SEC. 31-415(b)-(c), (e) |

## Prohibited signs in Suffolk

- No sign shall obstruct any window, door, fire escape, stairway, ladder or opening intended to provide light, air, or ingress and egress for any building or structure.
- Whenever a sign becomes structurally unsafe or endangers the safety of a building or premises or endangers the public safety, it shall be made safe or removed in accordance with the Uniform Statewide Building Code.
- Sign lighting shall be positioned and shielded so as not to impair the vision of any motor vehicle operator or cause any direct glare into or upon any property other than the property to which the sign may be accessory.
- An abandoned sign (defined as any sign located on property which becomes vacant and unoccupied for a period of thirty (30) days or more) shall be removed by the owner of the sign or the owner or lessee of the property.
- No sign shall be higher than the roof line or parapet wall of any building for which the sign is proposed, nor extend above the upper edge of a facia or more than four feet above the lower edge of a sloping roof.

## Signs exempt from permit in Suffolk

- All signs shall comply with applicable state and federal sign controls.
- Signs may be erected within a proposed right-of-way delineated in the general plan for the City of Suffolk, but must be set back the required ten-foot minimum from the new right-of-way once it is acquired.
- Certain classes of signs or materials may receive general Certificates of Appropriateness in the Historic Conservation Overlay District, allowing for administrative approval without separate review, if found generally acceptable and appropriate.
- Addition, deletion, or replacing of windows, storm windows, and doors that match existing in the Historic Conservation Overlay District is exempt from review.
- Planting of grass, trees, and shrubs (other than landscape treatments that substantially alter the contour of a landmark site) is exempt from architectural review in the Historic Conservation Overlay District.
- Permitted outside storage in any residential, office, business or industrial district which is not visible from a public right-of-way is exempt from review in the Historic Conservation Overlay District.
- Any interior change to a structure is exempt from review in the Historic Conservation Overlay District.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- A unified system of signage and graphics (Signage Plan) is required for each individual development in the Special Corridor Overlay District (SCOD).
- Prior to the erection of any permanent sign in the SCOD, a comprehensive sign package must be submitted to the City of Suffolk, which includes detailed renderings (colors, sizes, lighting, location, etc.) for all signs within the development.
- Six copies of sign plans must be submitted for permanent signs in the SCOD, showing size and location of the sign and property identification and, for projecting signs, complete specifications and anchoring methods.
- The sign package in the SCOD must include a landscaping plan that aligns with the landscaping standards of the Ordinance.
- All proposed Mixed Use (MUD Overlay District) projects must contain a detail of sign regulations to be permitted within the development. Sign area, dimensions and locations are to be consistent with Section 31-714.
- Site plan approval may be required for signage as a component of overall site or development plan review in several districts.
- In the Historic Conservation Overlay District, designs for exterior signing, lighting, and graphics, including description of materials, placement, and support, must be submitted and may require approval as part of the Certificate of Appropriateness process.

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

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