# Sign Regulations in McCleary, Washington

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

- **Jurisdiction:** McCleary, Washington (WA)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/washington/mccleary
- **Data last verified:** 2025-05-08
- **Source:** [municode municipal code](https://library.municode.com/WA/McCleary/codes/Code_of_Ordinances?nodeId=TIT12STSIPUPL_CH12.16PACERE_12.16.010SIPOSTPR)

## At a glance

McCleary, Washington regulates 7 sign types across 4 zoning districts. Freestanding Canopys in the Commercial Districts, Commercial District (C-1), Commercial District (C-2) zoning district are capped at 15 feet at peak tall and 10% of lot surface area (floor area of all canopies), with a See 'location_of_sign' and 'additional_requirements' setback (Sec. 17.28.040). Most commercial signs in McCleary require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (4 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 5 | Not more than 5 feet above the highest exterior wall or 2 feet above roof ridge line. | 32 square feet | — |
| Residential Districts | 1 | 4 feet | 32 square feet | — |
| Commercial Districts, Commercial District (C-1), Commercial District (C-2) | 2 | 15 feet at peak | 10% of lot surface area (floor area of all canopies) | — |
| Industrial Districts | 1 | 15 feet at peak | 10% of lot surface area (floor area of all canopies) | — |

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

### General Regulations For All Zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Freestanding Sign | — | — | — | — | For residential developments: Each entrance may have one sign. | Shall not be located within the public right-of-way. For residential developments: each entrance to a subdivision or manufactured home park may have a freestanding or fence-mounted identification sign up to 32 square feet; height not exceeding 4 feet. | — | 17.28.090(D)(1), 17.28.040(G), 17.28.090(D)(1)(b) |
| Portable Sign | — | 9 square feet per side | — | — | 1 per entity | Directly in front of the sponsoring entity during business hours only. | — | 17.28.090(D)(2) |
| Projecting Sign | Not more than 5 feet above the highest exterior wall or 2 feet above roof ridge line. | — | — | — | — | Not directly over windows or in conflict with other signs or architectural features. In C-1 and C-2: may extend no closer than 2 feet to edge of roadway with at least 10 feet clearance from grade. | — | 17.28.090(D)(3) |
| Fence-Mounted Identification Sign (Residential Development) | 4 feet | 32 square feet | — | — | 1 per entrance | At entrance to subdivision or manufactured home park | — | 17.28.090(D)(1)(b) |
| Temporary Sign | — | — | — | — | — | May be located in the right-of-way if conforming with requirements. Not allowed in right-of-way adjacent to public property unless approved. | — | 17.28.090(D)(4) |

### Commercial Districts, Commercial District (C-1), Commercial District (C-2)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Projecting Sign | Not more than 5 feet above the highest exterior wall, or 2 feet above roof ridge line | — | — | — | — | May extend no closer than 2 feet to the edge of the roadway; must provide a minimum clearance of 10 feet from highest existing grade. | — | 17.28.090(D)(3)(c) |
| Freestanding Canopy | 15 feet at peak | 10% of lot surface area (floor area of all canopies) | — | See 'location_of_sign' and 'additional_requirements' | No more than 2 per lot without council approval. For entertainment/dining: more than one allowed, but only one may remain for more than 5 days. | Not in front yard or within 5 feet of rear and side lot lines, except for entertainment or dining purposes, in which case no closer than 5 feet to front or side lot lines | — | 17.28.040 |

### Industrial Districts

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Freestanding Canopy | 15 feet at peak | 10% of lot surface area (floor area of all canopies) | — | See 'location_of_sign' and 'additional_requirements' | No more than 2 per lot without council approval. For entertainment/dining: more than one allowed, but only one may remain for more than 5 days. | Not in front yard or within 5 feet of rear/side lot lines unless for entertainment/dining, in which case must be at least 5 feet from front or side lot lines. | — | 17.28.040 |

## Prohibited signs in McCleary

- No sign shall obstruct or impair access to a public sidewalk, public or private street or driveway, traffic control sign, bus stop, fire hydrant, bench or any type of street furniture, or otherwise create a hazard.
- Signs or sign structures which by coloring, shape, design or location resemble or conflict with traffic control signs or devices are prohibited.
- Signs that create a safety hazard for pedestrian or vehicular traffic, as determined by the director of public works or the city building official, are prohibited.
- Signs attached to public property without permission of the government agency owning the same, including, without limitation, trees, utility poles, and streetlights, are prohibited.
- Signs not meeting the requirements of this chapter are subject to removal by the city.
- Abandoned signs must be removed by the owner or lessee of the premises upon which the sign is located within six months of abandonment.
- Signs that constitute a safety hazard to the public shall be removed or made safe immediately.
- It is a violation to fail to comply with or to be in conflict with any provision of this chapter; each day is a separate offense.
- No sign shall be located within the public right-of-way (for freestanding signs).
- Portable signs shall be nonilluminated.
- Temporary signs shall not be located in right-of-way adjacent to public property owned or under the control of a unit of federal, state or local government, or special purpose district such as a school park, public utility, port or library district unless otherwise approved by that entity.
- Temporary signs placed within the public right-of-way that may otherwise be allowed but are in a degraded or dilapidated state, or are illegible, may be removed by the city.

## Signs exempt from permit in McCleary

- Wall mounted sign holders designed for insertion of signs and posters shall be considered permanent signage and subject to all permanent sign standards.
- Adding a new sign face to a nonconforming sign which does not modify the shape, size or any structural element of a nonconforming sign shall be permitted.
- Temporary signs may be located in the right-of-way when they conform with the requirements of this chapter and have permission from the abutting property owner.
- Temporary signs located in city maintained rights-of-way are subject to temporary removal by the city upon the need to conduct work.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- The construction and placement of all signs shall conform to the International Building Code and be pre-approved by the city council and/or staff.
- For signs that meet the definition of more than one sign type, the public works director shall determine which standards apply based on the sign's function, location and orientation.
- Nonconforming signs must be made to conform, or removed, when modifying structure, frame, or support, or when renovating the facade of a building with nonconforming wall or projecting signs.
- All existing signs not in compliance with this chapter upon the effective date are considered nonconforming and must be brought into compliance or removed under the conditions set forth in the ordinance.

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

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