# Sign Regulations in Williamsburg, Virginia

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Williamsburg, Virginia (VA)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/virginia/williamsburg
- **Data last verified:** 2025-03-24
- **Source:** [municode municipal code](https://library.municode.com/VA/Williamsburg/codes/Code_of_Ordinances?nodeId=PTIITHCO_CH21ZO_ARTVISI)

## At a glance

Williamsburg, Virginia regulates 18 sign types across 8 zoning districts. Sidewalk signs in the Downtown sign district zoning district are capped at 4 feet tall, 8 square feet, and 2½ feet wide (Sec. Sec. 21-745(3)). Most commercial signs in Williamsburg require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (8 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Residential sign district | 5 | 5 feet | 24 square feet total | — |
| Colonial Williamsburg Historic Area sign district | 4 | — | 12 square feet | — |
| Downtown sign district | 4 | 12 feet | 32 square feet | — |
| Midtown sign district | 4 | 12 feet | 32 square feet | — |
| Corridor sign district | 4 | 8 feet | 100 square feet | — |
| Architectural Preservation District (AP) | 1 | — | — | — |
| Corridor Protection District (CP) | 1 | — | — | — |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 10 | 25 feet | 40 square feet | — |

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements (sample of 3 of 8 zones)

### Downtown sign district

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Freestanding sign - Single Business | 12 feet | 12 square feet | — | — | One, with additional sign at rear entrance if applicable | Single lot | — | Sec. 21-745(1) |
| Freestanding sign - Multiple Businesses | 12 feet | 20 square feet | — | — | One per business with separate main exterior entrance | Same building or lot | — | Sec. 21-745(1) |
| Building-mounted sign | — | 32 square feet | — | — | — | Public street frontage | — | Sec. 21-745(2) |
| Sidewalk sign | 4 feet | 8 square feet | 2½ feet | — | One per business with separate main exterior entrance | Private property | — | Sec. 21-745(3) |

### Midtown sign district

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Freestanding sign - Single Business | 12 feet | 12 square feet (College commercial area) / 18 square feet (Arts and cultural district) | — | — | One, with additional sign at rear entrance if applicable | Single lot | — | Sec. 21-746(1) |
| Freestanding sign - Multiple Businesses | 12 feet | 20 square feet (College commercial area) / 24 square feet (Arts and cultural district) | — | — | One per business with separate main exterior entrance | Same building or lot | — | Sec. 21-746(1) |
| Building-mounted sign | — | 32 square feet | — | — | — | Public street frontage | — | Sec. 21-746(2) |
| Sidewalk sign | 4 feet | 8 square feet | 2½ feet | — | One per business with separate main exterior entrance | Private property | — | Sec. 21-746(3) |

### General Regulations For All Zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Temporary sign | — | 32 square feet | — | — | — | When buildings are under construction or sites are under development | — | Sec. 21-748(1) |
| Temporary sign | — | 8 square feet (single-family residential) / 32 square feet (other zoning districts) | — | — | — | When a property is offered for lease or for sale | — | Sec. 21-748(1) |
| Temporary sign | — | 32 square feet | — | — | — | When a business opens | — | Sec. 21-748(1) |
| Temporary sign | — | 32 square feet | — | — | — | When a business changes its name | — | Sec. 21-748(1) |
| Temporary sign | — | 32 square feet per street frontage | — | — | — | Signs with non-commercial messages | — | Sec. 21-748(1) |
| Parking lot sign | 3 feet | 3 square feet | — | — | One per driveway entrance or exit | Entrances and exits to a parking lot or driveway | — | Sec. 21-748(2) |
| Parking lot sign | 3 feet | 3 square feet | — | — | — | Within a parking lot | — | Sec. 21-748(2) |
| Flag | 25 feet | 40 square feet | — | — | One flag per lot, plus one U.S. flag and one Virginia flag | Individual lot | — | Sec. 21-748(2) |

## Prohibited signs in Williamsburg

- Any sign that obscures a sign display by a public authority for the purpose of giving traffic instructions or directions or other public information.
- Any sign that contains or consists of strings of light bulbs.
- Any sign that contains or consists of one or more exposed tubular electrical discharge lamps containing neon or other similar gasses, or that contains or consists of exposed LED lights, except for those expressly permitted in this article.
- Any sign that consists of pennants, ribbons, spinners, blades, inflatables, floating and stationary balloons, a string of flags, sail/feather signs, inflated devices or other similar moving devices, as well as costumes and signs held or worn by a person that is in motion by any means, including fluttering or rotating.
- Any sign, except official notices and advertisements, that is nailed, tacked, posted or in any other manner attached to any utility pole or structure or supporting wire, cable, or pipe; or to any tree on any street or sidewalk or to public property of any description.
- Any sign that is attached to or mounted on a roof or projects above the plane of the building façade.
- Off-premises signs as defined by subsection 21-736.2(a)(5).
- Moored balloons or other floating signs that are tethered to the ground or to a structure.
- Portable freestanding signs, except for sidewalk signs permitted by subsection 21-745(3) and menu boards permitted by subsections 21-745(4), 21-746(4) and 21-747(5).
- Signs consisting of flashing or intermittent lights or an intermittent display that is indirectly illuminated.
- Banner signs, except for those expressly permitted in this article.
- Any permanent or temporary sign affixed to, painted on, or placed in or upon any parked vehicle, parked trailer or other parked device capable of being towed, which is not properly parked in a designated legal parking space.

## Signs exempt from permit in Williamsburg

- Temporary signs when buildings are under construction or sites are under development, provided they are removed upon issuance of a certificate of occupancy.
- Temporary signs when a property is offered for lease or for sale, provided they are removed within five days of the date of closing or within five days of the beginning of the lease.
- Temporary building-mounted signs when a business opens in the downtown, midtown and corridor sign districts, provided they are not displayed for more than 30 days.
- Temporary banners/hoods/covers over existing building-mounted and freestanding signs when a business changes its name, provided they are not displayed for more than eight weeks.
- Seasonal decorations displayed between Thanksgiving and January 6, except those prohibited by section 21-749.
- Signs with non-commercial messages displayed on private property, provided they are removed within 24 hours after the last day of the event to which they pertain.
- Signs for yard sales in a residential sign district, displayed only on the day of the event and on the property holding the event.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- No sign, unless specifically exempted, shall be erected in the Architectural Preservation District (AP) or in a Corridor Protection District (CP) until the sign has been approved by the architectural review board.
- A sign permit shall be required for portable freestanding sidewalk signs in the downtown sign district.
- A sign permit shall be required for portable freestanding sidewalk signs in the midtown sign district.
- Increases to building-mounted sign area and multiplex cinema marquee area may be allowed with a special exception approved by the board of zoning appeals.

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

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