# Sign Regulations in Bonney Lake, Washington

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Bonney Lake, Washington (WA)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/washington/bonney-lake
- **Data last verified:** 2026-01-26
- **Source:** [ecode360 municipal code](https://ecode360.com/46346715)

## At a glance

Bonney Lake, Washington regulates 21 sign types across 4 zoning districts. Temporary Sign (General)s in the Residential Districts (R-1, R-3, RC-5) zoning district are capped at 16 sq ft per sign, with a 10 ft from SR 410/South Prairie Rd (or 5 ft where vertical curb exists); 5 ft from other streets setback (Sec. BLMC 15.28.060(A)–(J); 15.28.050(E)). Most commercial signs in Bonney Lake require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (4 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Residential Districts (R-1, R-3, RC-5) | 6 | 6 ft | 32 sq ft per face | — |
| Commercial Districts (C-2, MC, E, DC, DM, PCM) | 12 | 42 inches | Within overall establishment cap (max 150 sq ft before bonuses) | — |
| Public Facilities District (PF) | 3 | 10 ft | 32 sq ft per face | — |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 3 | — | — | — |

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements (sample of 3 of 4 zones)

### Residential Districts (R-1, R-3, RC-5)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Temporary Sign (General) | — | 16 sq ft per sign | — | 10 ft from SR 410/South Prairie Rd (or 5 ft where vertical curb exists); 5 ft from other streets | Maximum 4 per parcel or parcel frontage | Setbacks from edge of pavement: SR 410 and South Prairie Rd—10 ft (may be reduced to 5 ft where a vertical curb separates the frontage); all other streets—5 ft; may not be within the flow line of a city drainage swale, attached to public infrastructure, or placed to harm landscaping | — | BLMC 15.28.060(A)–(J); 15.28.050(E) |
| Monument Sign (Residential Entry) | 6 ft | 32 sq ft per face | — | — | 1 per main entrance | At a neighborhood/land division (10+ lots or unit lots), development, apartment, or condominium complex main entrance | — | BLMC 15.28.070(B) as amended by Ord. 1745 §55; BLMC 15.28.030(B) |
| Monument Sign (Nonresidential Use) | 6 ft | 32 sq ft per face | — | — | 1 per street frontage (choose either one monument OR one wall sign) | On lots with a nonresidential use in a residential zone, along a street frontage | — | BLMC 15.28.070(C), (E); 15.28.030(B) |
| Wall Sign (Nonresidential Use) | 6 ft (overall sign height) | 32 sq ft per face | — | — | 1 per street frontage (choose either one monument OR one wall sign) | On buildings for nonresidential uses in residential zones | — | BLMC 15.28.070(C), (E); 15.28.030(B) |
| Sandwich Board Sign (Home Occupation) | — | 8 sq ft total (both faces combined) | — | Must not be located within the public right‑of‑way | 1 per home occupation | On the home occupation premises; not within the public right‑of‑way | — | BLMC 15.28.070(D)(1) |
| Fence Sign (Home Occupation) | — | 4 sq ft | — | — | 1 (in lieu of sandwich board) | Attached to a fence on the premises | — | BLMC 15.28.070(D)(2) |

### Commercial Districts (C-2, MC, E, DC, DM, PCM)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Temporary Sign (General) | — | 16 sq ft per sign | — | 10 ft from SR 410/South Prairie Rd (or 5 ft with curb); 5 ft from other streets | Max 4 per parcel or parcel frontage | ROW setbacks for temporary signs: SR 410 & South Prairie Rd—10 ft (or 5 ft with vertical curb); all other streets—5 ft; not in drainage swales; not attached to public infrastructure | — | BLMC 15.28.060(A)–(J) |
| Wall Sign | — | Within overall establishment cap (max 150 sq ft before bonuses) | — | — | No explicit count limit; governed by overall area cap | On building facades | — | BLMC 15.28.090(B)–(E)(2)–(E)(3) |
| Marquee Sign | 3 ft (sign band height) | — | May extend no more than 50% of the width of the applicable storefront | 8 ft vertical clearance over walkways | — | On marquee/canopy areas of storefronts | — | BLMC 15.28.090(F)(1), (F)(3), (F)(5), (G) |
| Awning Sign | Sign copy height ≤ 1 ft and may cover no more than 65% of awning’s vertical face | — | — | 8 ft vertical clearance over walkways | — | On the vertical face of awnings | — | BLMC 15.28.090(F)(2), (F)(4), (F)(5), (G) |
| Monument Sign (Adjacent to Primary or Secondary Multimodal Street) | 42 inches | — | — | 10 ft from SR 410 right‑of‑way; 5 ft from all other rights‑of‑way; subject to sight distance criteria | — | On sites adjacent to primary/secondary multimodal streets | — | BLMC 15.28.090(H)(1)–(H)(8) |
| Monument Sign (Adjacent to Collectors or Commercial Services Roads) | 10 ft | — | — | 10 ft from SR 410 ROW; 5 ft from other ROW; sight distance applies | — | On sites adjacent to collectors or commercial services roads | — | BLMC 15.28.090(H)(1)–(H)(8) |
| Directory Sign (Multitenant Building/Complex) | — | Up to 100 sq ft for first directory sign; additional 50 sq ft directory sign allowed for each 300 ft of frontage | — | Same as monument signs (10 ft from SR 410; 5 ft from other ROW; sight distance applies) | 1 directory sign per multitenant site plus one additional 50 sq ft directory sign for each 300 ft of total frontage | At multitenant buildings or multibuilding complexes | — | BLMC 15.28.090(I)(1)–(I)(4) |
| Digital Sign (Electronic Message Center) | — | Digital display area ≤ 45 sq ft | — | ≥ 200 ft in any direction from residential zones (BLMC 18.02.090(A)) | Limited by site configuration and the tenant/building digital sign exclusivity rule | Only within multitenant buildings or multibuilding complexes; must be at least 200 ft from any residential zoning district | — | BLMC 15.28.090(J)(1)–(10) |

### Public Facilities District (PF)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Temporary Sign (General) | — | 16 sq ft per sign | — | 10 ft from SR 410/South Prairie Rd (or 5 ft with curb); 5 ft from other streets | Max 4 per parcel or parcel frontage | ROW setbacks for temporary signs: SR 410 & South Prairie Rd—10 ft (or 5 ft with vertical curb); all other streets—5 ft; not in drainage swales; not attached to public infrastructure | — | BLMC 15.28.060(A)–(J) |
| Monument Sign | 10 ft | 32 sq ft per face | — | — | 1 per street frontage (choose either one monument OR one wall sign) | At schools and government buildings within PF district, along street frontage | — | BLMC 15.28.080(B); 15.28.090(J) (cross‑referenced); 15.28.030(B) |
| Wall Sign | 10 ft (overall sign height limit for this allowance) | 32 sq ft per face | — | — | 1 per street frontage (choose either one wall OR one monument sign) | On building facade of schools and government buildings within PF district | — | BLMC 15.28.080(B); 15.28.030(B) |

## Prohibited signs in Bonney Lake

- Abandoned signs are prohibited citywide.
- Blade signs, searchlights, air-activated graphics, balloon signs, animated signs, pennants, flashing signs, and festoons are prohibited.
- Signs that imitate or resemble official traffic or government signs or signals are prohibited.
- Signs attached to trees, utility poles, public benches, or light standards are prohibited.
- Signs placed on private property or property frontage without the adjacent property owner's permission are prohibited.
- Signs placed on any public property are prohibited, except temporary signs in the public right-of-way allowed by BLMC 15.28.060.
- Signs placed on vehicles or trailers primarily to display a sign are prohibited (this does not apply to signs/lettering on buses, taxis, or vehicles operating during the normal course of business).
- Signs that create a safety risk or impede the flow of pedestrians or bicyclists are prohibited.
- Portable and semiportable readerboard signs are prohibited.
- All signs placed within the median of the SR 410 right-of-way are prohibited.
- All permanent off-premises signs are prohibited.
- Any sign that constitutes a traffic hazard or detriment to traffic safety due to size, location, movement, coloring, or method of illumination; that obstructs vision; that detracts from visibility of official traffic control devices; or that uses words/phrases/symbols in a manner that misleads or confuses traffic is prohibited.
- Signs that are structurally, materially, or electrically defective; that do not conform to the International Building Code; or that endanger the public are prohibited.
- Interactive signs are prohibited, except those used for public safety as determined by the director.
- Signs that impede free ingress or egress from any door, window, or exit required by building and fire regulations are prohibited.
- All pole-mounted signs are prohibited.
- Illumination restrictions applicable to all signs: no exposed incandescent lamp with an external reflector without a sunscreen or comparable diffusion; no exposed incandescent lamp over 25 watts; no revolving beacon lights; no spot or flood lights directed toward or shining on vehicular or pedestrian traffic or that adversely affect surrounding premises or residential structures; no continuous or sequential flashing operation.

## Signs exempt from permit in Bonney Lake

- Official traffic or government signs are not regulated by the sign code.
- Signs not visible from a public right-of-way are not regulated by the sign code.
- Window displays and window signs readable only within eight feet are not regulated by the sign code.
- Product dispensers and point-of-purchase displays are not regulated by the sign code.
- Scoreboards on athletic fields are not regulated by the sign code.
- Commemorative plaques are not regulated by the sign code.
- Street addresses, numbers, street names, and nameplates identifying the occupant of a residence or business office that do not exceed two square feet per face are not regulated by the sign code.
- No permit is required for maintenance of a permitted sign (cleaning, painting, minor repair, or replacement of defective parts that does not alter the basic copy, design, or structure).
- No permit is required for a change of copy on painted, printed, or changeable copy signs.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- A comprehensive sign permit (also called comprehensive sign review) is an optional process that allows the director to modify sign code requirements to integrate all site signage into an overall design theme; it cannot increase the number of signs, allow a larger sign face, allow a taller sign, or allow any prohibited sign type.
- Comprehensive sign permit applications must use city forms and include the minimum materials on a director-issued checklist; approval requires findings that the proposal creates visual harmony with buildings and site features, enhances area aesthetics and planned land use, does not obstruct other signs or scenic views, and results in better coordination than would be achieved under the standard criteria.
- Comprehensive Sign Review is processed as a Type 3 permit under BLMC 14.30.010 and 14.30.020 (administrative decision by the director with public notice; no public hearing).
- A standard sign permit is required for installation or construction of all permanent signs.

## 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 4 zoning districts in Bonney Lake — every sign type, every field — are available with a free PermitPal account: https://app.permitpal.io/?address=Bonney+Lake+WA&override=true&utm_source=landing&utm_medium=city-page&utm_campaign=city-bonney-lake

---

PermitPal — AI sign code research. Full HTML page: https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/washington/bonney-lake