Berkeley — Signage

Last reviewed: June 29, 2026

Overview

This page explains what the City of Berkeley’s zoning ordinance — Berkeley Municipal Code Title 23, the “Zoning Ordinance” — actually says about signs. General, citywide sign allowances, sizes, illumination, and permits live in the City’s separate Sign Ordinance (Title 20), not here. In Title 23, signage shows up where it affects land use, district-specific standards, and design review. This guide stays in Title 23 and cites the controlling sections.

What Title 23 Covers (and What It Doesn’t)

• Covered in Title 23 (Zoning): when installing or replacing a sign triggers Design Review; select use- or district-specific signage conditions (e.g., downtown parking garage wayfinding); posted notices required under zoning procedures.
• Lives outside Title 23: citywide sign types, sizes, locations, illumination, and sign permits (the City’s Sign Ordinance in Title 20; Not found in retrieved materials). Structural/electrical safety for signs is part of the California Building Standards Code (not zoning).

Citywide, Zoning-Related Signage Rules

• Design Review is required for “projects” that install or replace a sign. In all Non-Residential districts, any building or sign permit for a project that includes “installing or replacing a sign” is subject to Design Review. In certain Residential districts, commercial/mixed-use/community/institutional projects — including those that install or replace signs — are also subject to Design Review.
• Design Review process and authority. If a Use Permit is required, Preliminary Design Review occurs before ZAB action; Final Design Review may be required as a condition of approval, and the City will only issue a building or sign permit after Final Design Review is complete. Projects without a Use Permit undergo staff-level Design Review before action on the required permit; conformance is verified when issuing a building, sign permit, or zoning certificate.
• Public notice posting for staff-level Design Review. A Notice of Design Review must be posted on or adjacent to the subject property at least 14 days before staff’s decision.
• Alcoholic beverage signage restrictions (use-specific). For alcohol sales/service uses, exterior advertising (including ads/signs visible from outside) promoting alcohol is prohibited; alcohol-dispensing facilities and signs advertising alcoholic beverages may not be visible from the public right-of-way.

District- and Use-Specific Signage Provisions Noted in Title 23

• Downtown Mixed Use (C-DMU) — dynamic parking signage. New projects that create more than 25 publicly available off-street parking spaces must install dynamic signage (e.g., real-time garage occupancy signs) per Transportation Division specifications or equivalent, enabled for future 511 integration. Also requires posted notice describing certain transportation benefits on qualifying projects.
• Design Review in Non-Residential districts and selected Residential districts (R-3 Southside Plan areas, R-4, R‑SMU, R‑S) applies to projects that install or replace signs.

Most-Used Zoning Triggers for Signs: Quick Table

District-by-District Notes (what Title 23 says that touches signs)

• C-DMU (Downtown Mixed Use)

  • Purpose/uses: Berkeley’s core mixed-use downtown district (see Berkeley Zoning). Not a sign standard, but context for the parking/TDM program.
  • Sign-related zoning standards: Requires dynamic parking signage for garages with more than 25 publicly available off-street spaces; also requires a posted notice about transportation benefits in larger projects.
  • Process: Sign installations/replacements are “projects” subject to Design Review; final issuance of any building or sign permit may hinge on completion of required Design Review steps.

• All Non-Residential Districts (citywide Design Review rule)

  • Purpose/uses: Commercial, industrial, and institutional zones across Berkeley (see Berkeley Land Use).
  • Sign-related zoning standards: Title 23 does not set size/type rules here; however, installing or replacing a sign is a Design Review “project.”
  • Process: Staff- or DRC-led Design Review depending on permit path; posted notice may be required.

• R-3 (Southside Plan areas only)

  • Purpose/uses: Higher-density residential near campus (see Berkeley Development Standards).
  • Sign-related zoning standards: Commercial/mixed-use/community/institutional “projects” here trigger Design Review — including projects that install or replace signs.

• R-4, R‑SMU, R‑S (selected Residential districts)

  • Purpose/uses: Higher-density or mixed-use residential contexts where non-residential projects may occur.
  • Sign-related zoning standards: Commercial/mixed-use/community/institutional “projects,” including sign installation/replacement, require Design Review.

Not found in retrieved materials:

• Any Title 23 table establishing maximum sign area, height, illumination, or location by district.
• Any Title 23 allowance for temporary signs, A‑boards, banners, or window signage generally.

How Design Review Interacts with Signs

• When is Design Review triggered? By any “project” that installs or replaces a sign in the districts listed above.
• Who reviews? Staff for projects without a Use Permit; the Design Review Committee (DRC) for Use Permit projects, unless the Zoning Officer assigns staff-level review due to unique circumstances.
• Historic properties. If your sign is on a designated landmark, structure of merit, or within a historic district, the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) conducts Design Review via the Structural Alteration Permit process. Coordinate early with Berkeley Historic Preservation.
• Public notice. A site posting is required for staff-level Design Review decisions.

Practical Guidance

• Start with your zoning and project type. If you’re in C‑DMU and building a garage with more than 25 public spaces, plan for dynamic signage as part of your parking compliance package.
• If your project installs or replaces a sign in any non-residential district or in the specified residential contexts, assume Design Review applies and build that timeline in.
• For alcohol-serving businesses, factor in the prohibition on alcohol advertising visible from the right-of-way when planning windows, interior displays, and any external signage.
• Sign size, type, and illumination live in the City’s separate Sign Ordinance (Title 20). Plan on coordinating your zoning approvals with the sign permit process there (Not found in retrieved materials).

Checklist

• Confirm your zoning district and whether your project is a “project” under Design Review (does it install/replace a sign?).
• If in C‑DMU and creating >25 public parking spaces, include dynamic garage occupancy signage in your plans.
• If your project is staff-level Design Review, post the City’s notice at the site at least 14 days before the decision.
• If on a landmark/within a historic district, route to LPC for Design Review.
• For alcohol-serving uses, remove/avoid alcohol advertising visible from outside or from the public right-of-way.
• Coordinate zoning approvals with the City’s separate sign-permit process and any structural/electrical requirements under state code (see California Building Standards Code). Not found in retrieved materials for local sign permit steps.

Risks & Ambiguities

Plain-English Summary

In Berkeley, most “what-can-my-sign-look-like” rules are in the City’s separate Sign Ordinance, not the zoning code. The zoning code kicks in when a sign is being installed or replaced — that triggers Design Review in most commercial/industrial areas and some higher-density residential contexts. Downtown projects that build larger public garages must add dynamic parking signage. If you sell alcohol, don’t display alcohol ads where they’re visible from the street. Pair your zoning steps with the City’s sign-permit process and any state building/electrical rules.

Source References

• 23.406.070 Design Review (purpose; when required; process; authority; LPC role; projects include installing or replacing a sign)
• 23.404 Public Notice for Design Review (staff-level posting)
• 23.322.060 C-DMU Parking and Transportation Demand Management (dynamic signage; transit-benefit posting)
• 23.310 Alcoholic Beverage Sales and Service (visibility limits on alcohol advertising)
• 23.102–23.108 (Title, applicability, districts & map; context for the Zoning Ordinance)
• Note: Citywide sign size/type/illumination standards and permits reside in the City’s Sign Ordinance (Title 20). Not found in retrieved materials.

Retrieved passages

• Berkeley Zoning Code Medium relevance show source text
• CBC § H101 (SECTION H101) Medium relevance show source text
• Berkeley Zoning Code (Chapter Purpose) Medium relevance show source text
• Berkeley Zoning Code (TITLE 23) Medium relevance show source text
• Berkeley Zoning Code Medium relevance show source text
• Berkeley Zoning Code (section apply) Medium relevance show source text
• Berkeley Zoning Code (Section 23.104.020) Medium relevance show source text
• Berkeley Zoning Code Medium relevance show source text
• Berkeley Zoning Code (Section 9.84.030) Medium relevance show source text
• Berkeley Zoning Code (Title 23.102.020) Medium relevance show source text
• Berkeley Zoning Code Medium relevance show source text
• Berkeley Zoning Code (Title 23) Medium relevance show source text
• Berkeley Zoning Code (Chapter Purpose.269) Medium relevance show source text
• Berkeley Zoning Code Medium relevance show source text
• Berkeley Zoning Code Medium relevance show source text
• CEC § H103 (SECTION H103) Medium relevance show source text
• Berkeley Zoning Code (Title 23C) Medium relevance show source text
• Berkeley Zoning Code (Title 23A) Medium relevance show source text
• Berkeley Zoning Code (Title 23A) Medium relevance show source text
• CEC § H101 (chapter as) Medium relevance show source text
• Berkeley Zoning Code (Section 65915d.1.) Medium relevance show source text
• Berkeley Zoning Code (Chapter Purpose.307) Medium relevance show source text
• Berkeley Zoning Code (Chapter Purpose.360) Medium relevance show source text
• Berkeley Zoning Code (Section 23.406.070.D) Medium relevance show source text
• Berkeley Zoning Code Medium relevance show source text
• Berkeley Zoning Code (Chapter Purpose) Medium relevance show source text

Cited sections

• 23.406.070 Design Review (purpose; when required; process; authority; LPC role; projects include installing or replacing a sign)
• 23.404 Public Notice for Design Review (staff-level posting)
• 23.322.060 C-DMU Parking and Transportation Demand Management (dynamic signage; transit-benefit posting)
• 23.310 Alcoholic Beverage Sales and Service (visibility limits on alcohol advertising)
• 23.102–23.108 (Title, applicability, districts & map; context for the Zoning Ordinance)
• Note: Citywide sign size/type/illumination standards and permits reside in the City’s Sign Ordinance (Title 20). Not found in retrieved materials. (Title 20)
• Berkeley_ZoningCode.md

• Official Berkeley code library