Poway Municipal Code Art. V General Requirements

The following signs shall be exempt from the application, permit and fee requirements of this chapter; an electrical and/or building permit may be required. Any signage in excess of the specific exemptions listed in this section is prohibited.

A. Permanent window signage not exceeding 12 square feet per business frontage and limited to the name of the business, service or use, hours of operation, address and emergency information, except exposed neon tubing signs advertising products for sale on the premises;

B. Temporary advertising signage painted on the window or constructed of paper, cloth or similar expendable material affixed on the window, wall or building surface; provided, that the total area of such signs shall not exceed 25 percent of the window area; however, in all cases a minimum of 12 square feet per business frontage is permitted;

C. Real estate signs for single-family and multifamily residential sales and leasing. For single-family signs, one sign per street frontage not exceeding four square feet in area and five feet in height, provided it is unlit and is removed within 15 days after the close of escrow or the rental or lease has been accomplished. Signs placed on the rear street frontage are prohibited. Open house signs not exceeding four square feet in area and five feet in height are permitted for directing prospective buyers to property offered for sale. For multifamily signs, one per street frontage not exceeding 24 square feet and six feet in height;

D. Temporary signs for elections and other noncommercial messages are not permitted within the public right-of-way (except as otherwise provided in this chapter), on public property, or upon any public building or other publicly owned facility, including fences/walls, utilities and landscaping. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in areas of the City zoned RR-A through RR-C and RS-1 through RS-7, such signs are permitted within privately maintained improvements that are located within the public right-of-way. Such signs are permitted on private property subject to the following:

1. Such signs shall not exceed six square feet in total area for one side; double-faced signs shall not exceed six square feet per side.

2. Such signs shall not exceed an overall height of four feet. The height shall be measured from the finished grade immediately around the sign.

3. No such signs shall be lighted either directly or indirectly unless said sign is erected, painted or constructed on an authorized structure already providing illumination.

4. The number of such signs is not limited.

5. Such signs may carry any noncommercial message, including, but not limited to, political messages.

6. Such signs shall not be placed on private property without the permission of the property owner or its authorized representative.

7. No such signs shall be posted in violation of any provision of this chapter. The Director of Development Services or a designated representative shall have the right to remove any sign placed in the right-of-way or on public property, contrary to any provision of this section. Removed signs shall be stored by the City. Notice of removal shall be promptly provided as soon as reasonably possible to the owner of such sign, or the apparent owner or candidate. If it is the first violation, the City shall temporarily hold any such signs for five calendar days before they can be recovered. For a second violation, the City shall temporarily hold any such signs for 30 calendar days before they can be recovered. For a third violation, the City shall temporarily hold any such signs for 90 calendar days before they can be recovered and owner shall reimburse the City for any actual costs incurred through confiscation and holding of such signs. All signs removed by the City may be destroyed 15 calendar days following the day they are eligible for recovery.

E. Contractor or Construction Signs. For residential projects greater than four dwelling units, commercial, and industrial projects, two on-site signs shall be permitted on the construction site for all contractors (may include financial institutions, real estate agents, subcontractors, etc.) not exceeding 32 square feet each, unless legally required by government contracts to be larger. No sign shall exceed eight feet in overall height and shall be located no closer than 10 feet to any property line. Such sign shall be removed upon the granting of occupancy by the City. For all other projects, a total of two signs per development site may be installed with a maximum of four square feet in area and five feet in height for each sign. Such sign(s) shall be removed upon finalization of building permits;

F. Future Tenant Identification Sign. Future on-site tenant identification signs may be placed on vacant or developing property to advertise the future use of an approved project on the property and where information may be obtained. Such sign shall be limited to one per parcel and to a maximum of 32 square feet in area and eight feet in overall height. Further, such signs shall be placed no closer than 10 feet to any property line. Any such sign shall be removed upon finalization of building permits. Where a project has in excess of 600 lineal feet of frontage, one additional sign for each 600 lineal feet is allowed;

G. Real Estate Signs for Sale, Lease or Rent of Commercial or Industrial Property. Real estate signs for sale of commercial or industrial property, one sign per street frontage not to exceed 32 square feet in area to advertise the sale, lease, or rent of such property. No such sign shall exceed eight feet in overall height and shall not be located within the public right-of-way. Where a property has in excess of 600 lineal feet of frontage, one additional sign for each 600 lineal feet is allowed;

H. Interior signs within a structure or building when not visible or readable or intended to be read from off site or from outside of the structure or building;

I. Signs identifying a business, service or use no greater than four square feet in area may be permitted. Said signs shall not be visible from the public right-of-way, shall be attached to the main building, shall be for pedestrian traffic, and shall not otherwise require a building permit;

J. Memorial tablets, plaques or directional signs for community historical resources, installed by a City-recognized Historical Society or civic organization;

K. Convenience signs not exceeding four square feet in area, and five feet high when not mounted to a building wall;

L. Directional signs not exceeding four square feet in area and five feet high when not mounted on a building wall. For signs adjacent, and visible, to the street only one shall be permitted for each access driveway. For signs interior to the site multiple signs are allowable. No such sign shall display a commercial message except that signs providing direction to a drive-through lane/window for a drive-through business may display the business name and/or logo, only in addition to directional instruction, provided the business name and/or logo comprises no more than 50 percent of the sign area. Such signs shall be designed to be compatible with other freestanding signs on the site, constructed to be a permanent installation, and maintained in good condition;

M. Residential building identification signs used to identify individual residences and not exceeding four square feet in area;

N. One name plate per parcel not exceeding four square feet in area for single-family residential uses and agricultural uses;

O. Official and legal notices issued by any court, public body, person or officer or in furtherance of any nonjudicial process approved by State or local law;

P. Signs providing direction, warning or informational signs or structures required or authorized by law or by Federal, State, County or City authority;

Q. A single official flag of the United States of America and/or two flags of either the State of California, or other states of the United States, counties, municipalities or official flags for nations, and flags of internationally and nationally recognized organizations or the company flag. Flags shall be a maximum of five feet by eight feet and shall be displayed in a manner consistent with official flag etiquette;

R. Signs of public utility companies, indicating danger or which serve as an aid to public safety, or which show locations of underground facilities or public telephones;

S. Safety signs on construction sites;

T. One freestanding time and temperature sign that conveys time and temperature only and not exceeding 12 square feet in area nor 15 feet in height, or not higher than the roofline, whichever is less, when combined with business identification in accordance with PMC §§ 17.40.140 through 17.40.250, and counted toward sign area for the freestanding sign;

U. One wall-mounted time and temperature sign that conveys time and temperature only not exceeding 12 square feet in area when combined with business identification in accordance with PMC §§ 17.40.140 through 17.40.250, and counted toward sign area for the wall sign;

V. “No trespassing,” “no parking” and similar warning signs not exceeding four square feet;

W. Signs on public transportation vehicles regulated by a political subdivision, including but not limited to buses and taxicabs;

X. Signs on licensed commercial vehicles, provided such vehicles are not used or intended for use as portable signs or as may be prohibited in PMC § 17.40.100;

Y. A change of sign face which conforms to an approved sign permit. Changes of a sign face on a sign that does not have an approved sign permit shall comply with PMC §§ 17.40.020 through 17.40.040;

Z. Incidental signs for automobile repair stores, gasoline service stations, automobile dealers with service repairs, motels and hotels, showing notices of services provided or required by law, trade affiliations, credit cards accepted, and the like, attached to a freestanding sign, structure or building; provided, that all of the following conditions exist:

1. The signs number no more than four,

2. No such sign projects beyond any property line,

3. No such sign shall exceed an area per face of four square feet;

AA. Copy applied to fuel pumps or dispensers by the manufacturer such as fuel identification, station logo and other signs required by law;

BB. Agricultural signs, either wall or freestanding types, nonilluminated, and not exceeding four square feet for lots two acres or less and 16 square feet for lots greater than two acres, identifying only the agricultural products grown on the premises. The number of such signs shall be one per street frontage or a maximum of two, with wall signs to be located below the roofline and freestanding signs to be no higher than eight feet;

CC. Address numbers for buildings shall be exempt provided they meet the following height limits. The minimum height is also specified in Chapter 15.24 PMC;

DD. Flag banners in commercial zones subject to the following:

1. Flag banners shall be displayed only on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, and on City holidays.

2. Flag banners shall be displayed only on private property and not within any public right-of-way.

3. Flag banners shall be limited to 15 feet in overall height, and 30 square feet in area.

4. Flag banners shall be installed on the ground, not within any parking space or drive aisle, maintained in an upright position at all times, and shall be situated a minimum of five feet from any walkway or drive aisle. At all times flag banners shall be displayed in a manner that does not create a public safety hazard.

5. Each property which contains a single business, and each shopping or office center, shall be permitted one flag banner for every 40 lineal feet of street frontage, up to a maximum of three.

(Ord. 113 §§ 1 (Exh. A 7.3(A)), 3, 1983; Ord. 427 (Exh. A), 1993; Ord. 433, 1994; Ord. 443, 1995; Ord. 482 § 2(C), (D), 1997; Ord. 525 § 4, 2000; Ord. 539 § 2, 2001; Ord. 674 § 42, 2008; Ord. 739 § 2, 2012; Ord. 783 § 2, 2015; Ord. 791 § 2, 2016; Ord. 82 § 1 (Exh. A), 1983; Ord. 834 § 11, 2019; Ord. 856 § 3, 2022)

A. All signs not expressly permitted are prohibited in all zones, including but not limited to the following:

1. Roof signs;

2. Flashing signs, except time and temperature signs;

3. Animated signs, conveying the illusion of motion;

4. Revolving or rotating signs;

5. Vehicle signs, when parked or stored on property to identify a business or advertise a product;

6. Portable signs, except where permitted in this chapter;

7. Off-site signs, except as expressly otherwise provided by this chapter;

8. Signs within the public right-of-way, except those required by a governmental agency or authorized by PMC §§ 17.40.090 and 17.40.170. No sign which is permitted in the public right-of-way shall be placed, erected or constructed on a utility pole, traffic device, traffic sign, warning sign, or so as to impede access to any public improvement, or to obstruct the vision of any such traffic, warning, or directional signs;

9. Signs located on public property except as may be permitted in PMC § 17.40.090 or those required by a governmental agency;

10. Signs within the public right-of-way prohibited by the Streets and Highways Code (Section 101 et seq. and Section 1460 et seq.), the Vehicle Code (Section 21400 et seq.) and the Public Utilities Code (Section 7538 et seq.);

11. Signs blocking doors or fire escapes;

12. Light bulb strings outside of the building, except as part of special event signage approved under PMC § 17.40.190 or as permanently installed lighting accentuating architectural features of the building;

13. Banners, flags, pennants, flag banners, and balloons or other air inflated devices, except for special events, or as otherwise provided for in PMC §§ 17.40.090 and 17.40.190;

14. Inflatable advertising devices of a temporary nature, including hot air balloons, except for special events as provided for in PMC § 17.40.190;

15. Advertising structures, except as otherwise permitted in this chapter;

16. Statuary (statues or sculptures) advertising products or logos of the business that are located outside of the structure that houses the business;

17. The use of decals, stick-on or transfer letters, or tape on the walls or parapets of buildings, fences, walls or other structures not suitable;

18. Reader board/changeable copy signs, either electric or nonelectric, except as permitted in this chapter;

19. Signs which purport to be or are an imitation of or resemble official traffic warning devices or signs, that by color, location or lighting may confuse or disorient vehicular or pedestrian traffic; this does not include traffic or directional signs installed on private property to control on-site traffic;

20. Exposed neon tubing except in limited amounts used as a design element of a permitted sign.

B. Notwithstanding any other provision hereof, whenever a commercial message is permitted on a sign, a noncommercial message shall be permitted. Whenever one commercial message is permitted on an on-site sign, any on-site commercial message shall be permitted. Whenever one commercial message is permitted on an off-site sign, any offsite commercial message shall be permitted. And whenever a noncommercial message is permitted on a sign, any noncommercial message shall be permitted. All such signage shall be subject to the same standards and size requirements set forth in this chapter. Signs providing direction for traffic control purposes shall be limited to the directional message.

(Ord. 82 § 1 (Exh. A), 1983; Ord. 113 §§ 1 (Exh. A 7.3(B)), 3, 1983; Ord. 427 (Exh. A), 1993; Ord. 433, 1994; Ord. 482 § 2(E), 1997; Ord. 525 §§ 5, 6, 2000; Ord. 674 § 43, 2008; Ord. 739 § 2, 2012)

Signs pertaining to activities or businesses which are no longer in operation, except for temporary closures for repairs, alteration or similar situations, shall be removed from the premises or the sign copy shall be removed within 30 days after the premises has been vacated including copy from the business directory. Any such sign not removed within the specified time shall constitute a nuisance and shall be subject to removal under the provisions of this chapter and local ordinance.

(Ord. 82 § 1 (Exh. A), 1983; Ord. 113 §§ 1 (Exh. A 7.3(C)), 3, 1983; Ord. 427 (Exh. A), 1993; Ord. 739 § 2, 2012)

A. Enforcement, legal procedures and penalties shall be in accordance with the enforcement procedures established by the local ordinance.

B. Unauthorized illegal signs, other than temporary signs for elections and noncommercial messages, may be abated by the City in accordance with local ordinance.

C. If said sign is stored by the City, the owner may recover said sign from the City upon payment of any storage and/or removal charge incurred by the City.

D. The minimum charge shall be no less than $3.00 per sign. All signs removed by the City may be destroyed 30 calendar days following removal.

E. If any sign, in the opinion of the Director of Development Services, is an immediate threat to the public health and safety, said sign shall be immediately and summarily removed with the cost of said removal charged to the property owner in accordance with local ordinances.

(Ord. 82 § 1 (Exh. A), 1983; Ord. 113 §§ 1 (Exh. A 7.3(D)), 3, 1983; Ord. 427 (Exh. A), 1993; Ord. 518, 1999; Ord. 739 § 2, 2012)

A. Construction. Every sign and all parts, portions and materials shall be manufactured, assembled, and erected in compliance with all applicable State, Federal and City regulations and the applicable building code.

B. Maintenance. Every sign and all parts, portions, and materials shall be maintained and kept in proper repair. The display surface of all signs shall be kept clean, neatly painted and free from rust and corrosion. Any cracked or broken surfaces and malfunctioning or damaged portions of a sign shall be repaired or replaced within 30 calendar days following notification of the business by the City. Noncompliance with such a request will constitute a nuisance and will be abated in accordance with Chapters 1.08 and/or 8.72 PMC. Any maintenance, except a change of sign face, which does not involve structural changes, is permitted.

(Ord. 82 § 1 (Exh. A), 1983; Ord. 113 § 1 (Exh. A 7.3(E)), 3, 1983; Ord. 427 (Exh. A), 1993; Ord. 739 § 2, 2012)