# Sign Regulations in Medina, Washington

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Medina, Washington (WA)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/washington/medina
- **Data last verified:** 2025-05-08
- **Source:** [municode municipal code](https://library.municode.com/WA/Medina/codes/Code_of_Ordinances?nodeId=CD_ORD_TIT12STSIPUPL_CH12.28STUNPOPURI-W_12.28.050WOSTSIPO)

## At a glance

Medina, Washington regulates 11 sign types across 5 zoning districts. Location Identity Sign (Neighborhood, Private Lane, Address)s in the General Regulations For All Zones zoning district are capped at 4 ft (Neighborhood, Others freestanding); 8 ft (Private Lane freestanding); Mounted signs may not exceed height of structure tall and Neighborhood: 12 sq ft; Private Lane: 9 sq ft; Others: 2 sq ft, with a within easement or close to lane entrance setback from the right-of-way (Sec. MMC 16.30.030(G), Table 16.30.030). Most commercial signs in Medina require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (5 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 2 | 4 ft (Neighborhood, Others freestanding); 8 ft (Private Lane freestanding); Mounted signs may not exceed height of structure | Neighborhood: 12 sq ft; Private Lane: 9 sq ft; Others: 2 sq ft | — |
| Residential uses, R-16 district, R-20 district, SR-30 district | 3 | 6 ft (real estate/construction freestanding); else 4 ft | 15 sq ft | — |
| Nonresidential uses, Commercial establishments, Neighborhood auto servicing zone, Neighborhood auto, Primary state highway | 4 | 4 ft | 24 sq ft per sign | — |
| Parks and public places | 1 | — | — | — |
| Design zones (Medina Park, Medina Beach Park, Fairweather Nature Preserve, Viewpoint Park, Lake Lane Park) | 1 | Antenna on pole: max 6 ft above pole, total replacement pole+antenna max 10 ft above old | — | — |

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements (sample of 3 of 5 zones)

### General Regulations For All Zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Any Sign over 2 sq ft (permanent) | — | Varies per sign type; permit required if >2 sq ft | — | In city right-of-way, signs must be at least 10 feet from edge of pavement unless allowed closer for safety | — | Property or as otherwise allowed for sign type | — | MMC 16.30.020(C)(3), MMC 16.30.020(C)(4), MMC 16.30.020(C)(5), MMC 16.30.020(C)(10) |
| Location Identity Sign (Neighborhood, Private Lane, Address) | 4 ft (Neighborhood, Others freestanding); 8 ft (Private Lane freestanding); Mounted signs may not exceed height of structure | Neighborhood: 12 sq ft; Private Lane: 9 sq ft; Others: 2 sq ft | — | City ROW: Minimum 10 ft from pavement edge unless exception granted; Private Lane: within easement or close to lane entrance | Neighborhood: 1 per defined area; Private Lane: 1 per lane; Others: no restriction | Neighborhood: Off-site and city ROW allowed; Private Lane: within private lane easement/city ROW; Others: On-site only | — | MMC 16.30.030(G), Table 16.30.030 |

### Residential uses, R-16 district, R-20 district, SR-30 district

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Noncommercial Sign (Freestanding) | 4 ft | 4 sq ft | — | — | No restriction (on-site); ROW: 1 per 50 ft frontage (plus one for remaining fraction) | On-site or on city right-of-way (see below). Off-site placement: permanent sign prohibited, temporary allowed. | — | Table 16.30.020(E), MMC 16.30.020(E) |
| Noncommercial Sign (Banner) | — | 15 sq ft | — | — | 1 (for banner signs >4 sq ft) | On-site or on city ROW (see above/additional) | — | Table 16.30.020(E) |
| Temporary Sign (Event or Real Estate) | 6 ft (real estate/construction freestanding); else 4 ft | 4 sq ft (event); 5 sq ft (real estate/construction) | — | — | Real estate/construction: 1-3 per lot (per rules); Event: up to 3 | On-site, or city ROW allowed for event/real estate per Table 16.30.020(F) (see additional) | — | Table 16.30.020(F) |

### Nonresidential uses, Commercial establishments, Neighborhood auto servicing zone, Neighborhood auto, Primary state highway

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Permanent Sign (Mounted/Wall Sign) | Not to exceed height of building | 24 sq ft per sign | — | — | 1 per public street frontage (max 2) | Affixed to building (mounted); on-site only; not in city ROW; off-site prohibited | — | Table 16.30.020(D)(1) |
| Permanent Sign (Freestanding) | 4 ft | 24 sq ft per sign | — | — | 1 per public street frontage (max 2) | On-site only; not in city ROW; off-site prohibited | — | Table 16.30.020(D)(1) |
| Temporary Sign (Commercial, Freestanding or Mounted) | Freestanding: 4 ft; Mounted: not to exceed building/wall/fence height | 12 sq ft | — | — | 1 per public street frontage (max 2) | On-site or city ROW (adjacent to lot) only; off-site prohibited | — | Table 16.30.020(D)(2)(a) |
| Temporary Sign (Noncommercial, Banner/A-board/Other) | Freestanding: 4 ft; Mounted: not to exceed building/wall/fence height | Banner: 15 sq ft; A-board: 8 sq ft; Others: 4 sq ft | — | — | Banners >4 sq ft: 1; ROW: 1 per 50 ft frontage (plus one for remaining) | On-site and off-site allowed; city ROW allowed for all except banners (ROW banner: prohibited) | — | Table 16.30.020(D)(2)(b) |

## Prohibited signs in Medina

- No sign shall be installed, erected and/or displayed within the jurisdiction of the City of Medina, except as provided for in this section and MMC 16.64.070 (shoreline master program).
- Signs erected and/or displayed within any public park or public property are prohibited, except as specifically allowed by the Medina Municipal Code.
- Signs erected and/or displayed on private property without the express consent of the owner thereof are prohibited.
- Signs posted on public traffic or safety sign posts are prohibited.
- Signs containing obscene or prurient words, scenes or graphics are prohibited.
- Signs mounted on utility poles or light standards without the express consent of the entity that owns or controls the utility pole are prohibited.
- Signs in or on vehicles or vessels visible from public property or city rights-of-way are prohibited, unless the sign meets specific listed exceptions.
- Signs that are determined by the director to be a hazard to public safety due to their design, materials, physical condition, or placement are prohibited.
- The following types of illumination of signs are prohibited when visible from public rights-of-way or nearby properties: strobe or flashing lights, moving or animated features that manifest motion, any lighted sign where the display can be changed or altered by electrical, electronic or computerized methods, or other types of illumination where the light source is not steady or continuous.

## Signs exempt from permit in Medina

- Signs required by federal or state statutes or regulations that are exempt from local regulations.
- Signs placed inside of buildings or within the boundaries of a lot where the sign is not visible from other properties or city rights-of-way.
- Wall graphics of an artistic nature which do not contain commercial advertisement.
- Signs associated with a community event sanctioned by the city or with a special event where a special event permit is obtained pursuant to Chapter 9.40 MMC.
- Signs meeting the definition of location identity sign as set forth in MMC 16.12.200, and which meet the requirements set forth in MMC 16.30.030.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- A building permit is required for erecting, installing or replacing any permanent sign having greater than two square feet of sign area.
- A building permit is required for erecting, installing or replacing any temporary sign located within any city right-of-way having greater than four square feet in sign area.
- A building permit is required for erecting, installing or replacing any temporary construction sign unless exempt pursuant to subsection (B)(2)(b) of this section.
- A building permit is required for repairs to any sign meeting the aforementioned size requirements, excluding ordinary repairs as defined by the adopted building code.
- The requirements for permits for permanent signs prescribed in subsection (C)(3) apply to municipal signs, excluding traffic control signs.
- A building permit is required for location identity signs meeting the requirements in MMC 16.30.020(C)(3).
- All location identity signs placed within a city right-of-way require a right-of-way permit as set forth in MMC 12.08.010.

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

---

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