# Sign Regulations in Winchester, Virginia

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Winchester, Virginia (VA)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/virginia/winchester
- **Data last verified:** 2025-03-24
- **Source:** [municode municipal code](https://library.municode.com/VA/Winchester/codes/Code_of_Ordinances?nodeId=CO_CH14MOVETR_ARTIVSTSTPA_DIV3PEPA_S14-82SI)

## At a glance

Winchester, Virginia regulates 4 sign types across 13 zoning districts. Freestanding Signs in the LR, MR, HR, HR-1, PUD zoning district are capped at Four feet tall and Two square feet, with a Five feet setback (Sec. Sec. 18-8-11).

## Sign rules by zoning district (13 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Historic Winchester (HW) | 2 | Sign may not project above roofline | 16 square feet | — |
| Corridor Enhancement (CE) | 1 | — | — | — |
| LR, MR, HR, HR-1, PUD | 3 | Sign may not project above roofline | Two square feet | — |
| B-1 | 3 | 20 feet | One square foot per linear foot of building frontage up to maximum 50 square feet | — |
| PC | 3 | 8 feet | One square foot per linear foot of building frontage up to maximum 50 square feet | — |
| B-2, CM-1, M-1, M-2 | 3 | 25 feet | One and one-half square feet per linear foot of building frontage up to maximum two hundred (200) square feet | — |
| RO-1 | 3 | Roof signs prohibited. | 25 square feet | — |
| RB-1 | 3 | Roof signs prohibited. | 20 square feet | — |
| HS | 3 | Sign may not project above roofline | 25 square feet | — |
| MC | 3 | See Section 18-8-18.C. | See Section 18-8-18.C. | — |
| HE-1 | 3 | Sign may not project above roofline | 16 square feet | — |
| EIP | 3 | 4 feet | 16 square feet | — |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 1 | — | — | — |

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements (sample of 3 of 13 zones)

### LR, MR, HR, HR-1, PUD

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Building Mounted Signs | Sign may not project above roofline | Two square feet | — | — | One sign per dwelling unit | — | — | Sec. 18-8-11 |
| Freestanding Signs | Four feet | Two square feet | — | Five feet | One sign per dwelling unit | — | — | Sec. 18-8-11 |
| Temporary Signs | Four feet | Sixteen square feet | — | Five feet | See Section 18-8-11.A.3 | — | — | Sec. 18-8-11 |

### B-1

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Building Mounted Signs | Sign may not project above roofline | One square foot per linear foot of building frontage up to maximum 50 square feet | — | — | Unlimited | — | — | Sec. 18-8-12 |
| Freestanding Signs | 20 feet | 20 square feet | — | None | One per main building | — | — | Sec. 18-8-12 |
| Temporary Signs | Four feet | 16 square feet | — | None | See Section 18-8-11.C. | — | — | Sec. 18-8-12 |

### PC

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Building Mounted Signs | Sign may not project above roofline | One square foot per linear foot of building frontage up to maximum 50 square feet | — | — | Unlimited | — | — | Sec. 18-8-13 |
| Freestanding Signs | 8 feet | 25 square feet | — | Two feet | One per main building | — | — | Sec. 18-8-13 |
| Temporary Signs | Four feet | 16 square feet | — | None | See Section 18-8-13.C. | — | — | Sec. 18-8-13 |

## Prohibited signs in Winchester

- Signs that violate any law of the Commonwealth relating to outdoor advertising.
- Signs attached to natural vegetation.
- Signs simulating, or which are likely to be confused with, a traffic control sign or any other sign displayed by a public authority.
- Vehicle or trailer signs.
- Any sign displayed which does not comply with all applicable regulations of this Ordinance.
- Animated and feather flag signs.
- Flashing signs or other signs displaying flashing, scrolling or intermittent lights or lights of changing degrees of intensity.
- Signs consisting of illuminated tubing, strings of lights or illumination devices such as LEDs.
- Signs that emit smoke, flame, scent, mist, aerosol, liquid or gas.
- Signs that emit sound.
- Any electronic sign that is generated by a series of moving images, such as an LED, digital display, or other video technology.
- Strings of pennants visible from, and within 50 feet of, any public way.
- Moored balloons, inflatable signs, or other floating signs that are tethered to the ground.
- Temporary signs being used or intended to be used as a permanent sign.
- Off-premises signs, unless specifically permitted by this chapter.
- Signs erected on public land other than those placed or installed by an authorized City official for an official governmental or public purpose.
- Signs on the roof surface or extending above the roofline of a building or its parapet wall.
- Neon signs, except behind windows.
- Any sign located in the vision triangle formed by any two intersecting streets.
- Window signs whose aggregate area on a window or door exceeds 25 percent of the total area of the window or door.
- Any sign with a minimum clearance of less than eight feet above a walkway or sidewalk or less than 15 feet above a driveway or alley.

## Signs exempt from permit in Winchester

- Signs erected by a governmental body or required by law.
- Flags not containing any commercial advertising.
- The changing of messages on marquees and the repair of an existing permitted sign, except that repair of a nonconforming sign must comply with Section 18-8-9.
- Temporary signs as specified in Section 18-8-4.
- Pavement markings.
- Window signs, provided that the signs on each window or door do not exceed 25 percent of the total area of the window or door.
- Portable signs authorized within the Primary and Secondary Assessment districts, per Section 18-7 of this Ordinance.
- Freestanding and building mounted signs primarily oriented towards outdoor athletic facilities, provided that no freestanding sign is taller than 25 feet.

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

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