# Sign Regulations in Carnation, Washington

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Carnation, Washington (WA)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/washington/carnation
- **Data last verified:** 2025-05-05
- **Source:** [municode municipal code](https://library.municode.com/WA/Carnation/codes/Code_of_Ordinances?nodeId=TIT15LAUS_CH15.68SIFE)

## At a glance

Carnation, Washington regulates 30 sign types across 10 zoning districts. Freestanding Sign (Monument/Standing Sign)s in the CBD zone, SC zone, Light industrial zones, MU zones (Tolt Ave frontage) zoning district are capped at Single/Multi-Tenant ≤25k sf: 42 in; >25k sf: 6 ft; >50k sf: 6 ft tall and Single/Multi-Tenant ≤25k sf: 20 sq ft; >25k sf: 30 sq ft; >50k sf: 32 sq ft, with a 5 ft min from ROW setback (Sec. 15.68.110.E, Chart I).

## Sign rules by zoning district (10 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Residential zones | 5 | 42 inches | 32 sq ft | — |
| RA zone | 2 | 6 ft | 24 sq ft | — |
| CBD zone, SC zone, Light industrial zones, MU zones (Tolt Ave frontage) | 10 | Single/Multi-Tenant ≤25k sf: 42 in; >25k sf: 6 ft; >50k sf: 6 ft | 100 sq ft or 5% of facade area | — |
| Mixed use zone (without Tolt Avenue frontage) | 2 | — | 32 sq ft | — |
| Nonresidential zones | 1 | 8 ft | 32 sq ft per side | — |
| Agricultural zoning districts | 1 | 6 ft (nonresidential use); 42 in (residential complex) | As for RA zone: 24 sq ft (if nonresidential use); 12 sq ft (if residential complex) | — |
| Industrial zoning districts | 2 | 42 in /6 ft /6 ft | As for CBD/SC/Light industrial: 20/30/32 sq ft dependent on building size | — |
| Commercial zones, Employment/office zones, Utility zones, Public zones | 4 | 42 in / 6 ft | 50% of window area | — |
| Public zones | 2 | Freestanding: 6 ft | Wall mounted: 32 sq ft; Freestanding: 32 sq ft | — |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 7 | 7 ft | 32 sq ft | — |

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements (sample of 3 of 10 zones)

### CBD zone, SC zone, Light industrial zones, MU zones (Tolt Ave frontage)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Portable Commercial Sign | — | 9 sq ft per face | — | — | 1 per business | Within public right-of-way along business frontage | — | 15.68.110.A |
| Fuel Price Informational Sign | — | 2 sq ft (on fuel pump); Sign(s) counted toward total allowed per business | — | — | 1 per pump; 1 per frontage | On pump or canopy columns | — | 15.68.110.B |
| Window Sign | — | Max 50% of total window area | — | — | — | On window | — | 15.68.110.C |
| Projecting Sign | Not above parapet/eave line/roof; at least 8 ft above sidewalk | — | — | — | 1 per business or nonresidential use | On building with storefront adjacent to sidewalk | — | 15.68.110.D |
| Freestanding Sign (Monument/Standing Sign) | Single/Multi-Tenant ≤25k sf: 42 in; >25k sf: 6 ft; >50k sf: 6 ft | Single/Multi-Tenant ≤25k sf: 20 sq ft; >25k sf: 30 sq ft; >50k sf: 32 sq ft | — | 5 ft min from ROW | 1 per site per street frontage; 2nd if 150 ft separation | At least 5 ft from public right-of-way | — | 15.68.110.E, Chart I |
| Wall Sign (Individual Business) | Not above parapet/eave/roofline | — | — | — | Max 2 per business | On building facade | — | 15.68.110.F.1-2 |
| Wall Sign (Building or Center Name) | Not above building parapet/eave/roof | 100 sq ft or 5% of facade area | — | — | — | On building | — | 15.68.110.F.3 |
| Wall Sign (Joint Business Directory) | — | 50 sq ft | — | — | — | Next to entrance | — | 15.68.110.F.4 |

### Commercial zones, Employment/office zones, Utility zones, Public zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Freestanding Sign | 42 in / 6 ft | 20, 30, or 32 sq ft per Chart I | — | 5 ft min from ROW | 1 per site per street frontage; 2nd if 150 ft separation | At least 5 ft from ROW | — | 15.68.110.E, Chart I |
| Wall Sign | Not above building parapet/eave/roof | — | — | — | One per facade, max two facades | On facade | — | 15.68.110.F |
| Window Sign | — | 50% of window area | — | — | — | On window | — | 15.68.110.C |
| Portable Commercial Sign | — | 9 sq ft per face | — | — | 1 per business | Within public right-of-way, along frontage | — | 15.68.110.A |

### General Regulations For All Zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Temporary Real Estate Sign (Residential Use) | — | 9 sq ft | — | — | 1 per frontage, 3 off-premise max | On building, window, or as per code for open house | — | 15.68.130.A.2 |
| Development Sign (Temporary) | — | 9 sq ft | — | Structure setbacks required | 1 | On the site; must satisfy structure setbacks | — | 15.68.130.B |
| Construction Sign (Temporary) | — | 9 sq ft | — | — | 1 per street frontage | Onsite, removed upon completion | — | 15.68.130.B |
| Political/Noncommercial Message Sign | 7 ft | 9 sq ft | — | — | — | Within public ROW or roadside periphery (per restrictions) | — | 15.68.130.C |
| Grand Opening/Special Event Display (Temporary) | — | — | — | — | — | On premises | — | 15.68.130.D |
| Product Promotion Sign (Temporary) | — | 32 sq ft | — | — | — | Onsite only | — | 15.68.130.E |
| Garage or Yard Sale Sign | — | 4 sq ft | — | — | 1 at intersection | On stake or freestanding; not on poles/trees/etc. | — | 15.68.130.F |

## Prohibited signs in Carnation

- No sign shall be placed, erected, re-erected, constructed, altered, or maintained without a permit issued by the city planner unless exempted by this chapter.
- Signs made of materials that deteriorate quickly or that feature impermanent construction, including but not limited to plywood or plastic sheets lacking a sign face overlay or a frame to protect exposed edges, are not permitted.
- All signs must be maintained in good repair and in a safe, neat, and clean condition.
- Uplighting into the sky is prohibited.
- Backlit signs are prohibited except for projecting signs along Tolt Avenue.
- Signs with revolving elements are prohibited.
- Strings of colored and/or blinking lights, banners, balloons, pennants, ribbons, streamers, spinners, rotating or blinking lights, or similar displays of a carnival nature are prohibited, except for official city purposes, business grand openings, or special events pursuant to CMC 15.68.130.
- Signs separately attached to a vehicle or trailer parked on private or public property are prohibited, except for identification of a firm's principal products on a vehicle operating during normal business, automobile 'for sale' signs, or franchised buses or taxis.
- Signs placed in or upon a public right-of-way are prohibited except as expressly provided.
- No sign shall constitute a traffic hazard or impede pedestrian or vehicular passage due to size, location, movement, method of illumination, glare, or configuration.
- Signs or supporting structures that are torn, damaged, defaced or destroyed in an amount greater than 20% of the sign face or structure are prohibited.
- Signs advertising a business no longer in existence or a product no longer offered for sale must be removed within sixty days, unless lawfully displayed at the location for at least fifty years.
- Signs attached to public utility poles, trees, rocks, or other natural features are prohibited.
- Signs attached to benches within the public right-of-way are prohibited, except city-approved signs not exceeding twenty-four square inches designating a donor or honoree by name only.
- Billboards, roof signs (including signs painted directly on the roof surface), revolving or flashing signs, and portable reader board signs are prohibited.
- Signs employing moving or flashing lights, video, or other animated imagery are prohibited.
- Pole-mounted signs are prohibited.
- Signs containing exposed electrical circuitry are prohibited.
- Signs constructed of cardboard are prohibited.
- Backlit signs are prohibited except as specified in Section 15.68.060.
- Off-premises commercial signs are prohibited, except as expressly authorized in this chapter.
- No sign may be constructed, maintained, or displayed in violation of any other state or local law or regulation.

## Signs exempt from permit in Carnation

- Temporary holiday signs and holiday decorations erected on private property are exempt from permit requirements.
- Signs directly related to a government building, structure, service, roadway, or activity that are installed or required by a governmental entity are exempt from permit requirements.
- Bona fide religious symbols are exempt from permit requirements.
- Memorial signs or tablets, names of buildings, or dates of building construction, not exceeding fifteen square feet, are exempt from permit requirements.
- Traffic or pedestrian control signs, signs required by law, or governmentally-approved signs indicating a scenic or historic point of interest are exempt from permit requirements.
- Sculptures, fountains, mosaics, murals, and design features that do not incorporate commercial advertising, identification, or obscene matter are exempt from permit requirements.
- Official flags of governments or public institutions, including schools, are exempt from permit requirements.
- Official public notices of federal, state, or local governments, including courts, are exempt from permit requirements.
- Incidental signs less than two square feet are exempt from permit requirements.
- Signs not visible from the public right-of-way are exempt from permit requirements.
- Lettering or symbols painted directly or flush-mounted magnetically onto an operable vehicle are exempt from permit requirements, provided the vehicle is not abandoned.
- Identification signs displayed upon recycling collection containers for public, charitable, or nonprofit organizations are exempt from permit requirements.
- Emblems of nonprofit organizations and community service clubs, including signs less than two square feet identifying meeting place and time, are exempt from permit requirements.
- House of worship, public institution, and school bulletin boards, identification signs, and directional signs not exceeding one per abutting street, sixteen square feet in area, and not internally illuminated are exempt from permit requirements.
- Political signs and other signs displaying exclusively noncommercial messages are exempt from permit requirements.
- Portable and temporary signs authorized by this chapter are exempt from permit requirements.
- Painting, repainting, cleaning, repairing, and other normal sign maintenance that does not involve structural or electrical changes is exempt from permit requirements.
- Changing the advertising copy or message on a lawfully erected and conforming sign designed for replaceable copy is exempt from permit requirements.
- Political signs and other signs with exclusively noncommercial messages displayed entirely on private property are exempt from all provisions of this chapter except to the extent they pose a direct threat to public safety.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- A master sign program may be approved for lots intended to be occupied by multiple business enterprises (e.g., shopping centers). Such master sign program must address general design standards, design and location of communal signs, and all other issues addressed in this chapter.
- Permits for individual businesses in a property with a master sign program may be issued only if the proposed sign conforms to the master sign program for the property, as well as all applicable provisions of this chapter.
- Once the maximum square footage allotment for the entire property under a master sign program has been reached, no further sign permits may be issued for that property unless other signs are removed or reduced in size as required by this chapter.
- A sign permit applicant may obtain a single permit for all signs owned or displayed by the applicant, and a group of signs displayed on a common supporting structure requires only one permit.
- If a sign permit applicant submits a proposal for other development permits (including rezone, master plan, special use, or conditional use permit), the application may include an application for signage, and a sign permit may be issued in conjunction with the other permits if requirements are satisfied.
- A variance from the requirements of this chapter may be requested by filing an application as provided in Chapter 15.20.

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

---

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