Local zoning · Lemoore

Lemoore — Signage

Signage under the Lemoore local zoning and planning code, with the controlling citations.

Last reviewed: July 2, 2026

Overview

This page summarizes what the City of Lemoore’s zoning/planning ordinance requires for signs (permanent, temporary, highway-oriented, and signs on public property). It interprets the sign rules most likely to affect applicants: permit triggers, district-specific size/height limits, prohibited sign types, and special rules for downtown and highway-facing properties. All rules below are drawn from the Lemoore sign article and related permitting rules; see the cited ordinance paragraphs for the authoritative text.

How to read this page (quick links)

For general zone rules and mapping see Lemoore Zoning and the city overview at Lemoore zoning & planning overview.
For how signage interacts with site design, check Lemoore Development Standards and Lemoore Parking.
If your project is multi-tenant or in the downtown area you may need design-level review — see Lemoore Design Review and Lemoore Overlay Districts.
If you are adding illuminated or structural elements confirm any electrical or structural work with the California Building Standards Code and review ADU-related signage on the Lemoore ADUs page.

(Each of the underlined topics above links to the internal GoCodebook pages named in the preceding sentence.)

Core rules (what the ordinance actually says)

Permit triggers and administrative review: Zoning clearance is required for all permanent signs (building-attached, freestanding, and highway-oriented) before erection, relocation, alteration, or replacement unless specifically exempted; the zoning clearance process is run by the Planning Director (zoning clearance) and is part of the building-permit review process § 9-5F-2 and § 9-2B-3 .
Sign programs and multi-tenant projects: A written sign program is mandatory for new multi‑tenant shopping centers, office parks, and other integrated developments of three (3) or more tenants; it establishes a common sign design that future tenants must follow § 9-5F-2 and § 9-2B-13 .
Prohibited sign types: The code lists signs that are banned citywide, including billboards (new off-site advertising), roof signs above the roofline, pole signs (unless the pole is fully integrated into design), moving/rotating signs, inflatable balloon signs, and signs posted in the public right-of-way by private parties (with specified exceptions) § 9-5F-2 (Prohibited Signs) .
Design controls and illumination: General design standards prohibit blinking/flashing lights, require illumination to be directed and shielded, require energy-efficient fixtures, and refer to Title 24 for electrical/lighting compliance § 9-5F-4 .
Measurement, materials, and maintenance: Sign area and height measurement procedures, construction material expectations (durable materials), undergrounding for freestanding sign utilities, and maintenance/repair timeframes are specified in the general provisions § 9-5F-3 and § 9-5F-4 .
Temporary signs: Temporary on-site signs (banners, A-frames, vertical banners, stick signs) have explicit size, duration, setback and placement rules; temporary signs normally are not subject to a sign permit but must meet the article’s standards § 9-5F-6 .
Highway-oriented signs: Properties within proximity to State Highways 41 or 198 in certain commercial/mixed‑use/industrial districts may apply for a highway oriented sign permit; height, area, spacing, and setback rules differ by district and include special allowances near the 19th Avenue off‑ramp § 9-5F-5 (Highway Oriented Signs) .

District-by-district breakdown

All district-specific numeric limits below are drawn from the ordinance’s sign tables and text (the primary table is TABLE 9-5F-5-B1 in § 9-5F-5). For full table context and additional sign-type permission matrices see § 9-5F-5 .

AR (Agricultural/Residential)

Purpose & typical uses: low-density residential and agricultural uses; limited home business signage.
Key signage standards: building‑attached home‑occupation sign: 1 per residence, 2 sq ft, up to the roofline. Nonresidential uses (where allowed) get 1 building sign @ 40 sq ft and 1 freestanding sign @ 40 sq ft / 6 ft height. See § 9-5F-5 .

RVLD, RLD, RN, RLMD, RMD, RHD (Residential variants)

Purpose & typical uses: various residential densities; similar small-scale sign allowances.
Key standards: Home occupation and residentially-associated signage follow the same small limits as AR (home‑occupation 2 sq ft). Nonresidential sites are limited to 40 sq ft wall signs, freestanding monument signs vary by district — check § 9-5F-5 .

W (Public/Institutional), AG (Agricultural), PR (Parks), CF (Community Facilities)

Purpose: community, civic, and large‑lot agricultural uses.
Key standards: Permitted freestanding and building-attached sign areas reflect the residential/special purpose group table: permanent subdivision identification signs allowed (e.g., 30 sq ft each up to 10 ft height) and other nonresidential uses per table § 9-5F-5 .

Downtown Mixed Use — DMX-1 and DMX-2

Purpose & typical uses: compact downtown commercial, mixed uses, pedestrian orientation.
Key differences: Downtown has tailored design standards (awning signs, bracket/projecting signs, channel letters) and relaxed placement rules for pedestrian-serving projecting signs; awning/valance lettering limited to 10", projecting signs must maintain ≥ 8' vertical clearance, and A‑frames may be allowed on sidewalks with encroachment agreements § 9-5F-4 and § 9-5F-5 .

CN (Neighborhood Commercial), MU (Mixed Use), PO (Professional Office), ML / MH / Industrial

Purpose & typical uses: retail, service, office, and industrial uses.
Key standards: For these zones the table and highway-oriented sign rules control freestanding/pylon heights and sign areas. Highway‑oriented sign rules allow larger pylon/pole signs in commercial/industrial districts but require a discretionary highway permit and minimum spacing/setbacks § 9-5F-5(D) .

Note: the ordinance’s tables include a full permission matrix for many sign types (awning, channel letters, vinyl, window, marquee, projecting, pushpin, freestanding monument/pylon/pole). Consult TABLE 9-5F-5-B1 for the permitted combinations for your exact zone § 9-5F-5 .

Quick reference table — most decision‑relevant standards

What you need to know	Typical limit (example)	Where to confirm (code)
Zoning clearance required for permanent signs	Zoning clearance before erection/alteration	§ 9-5F-2
Home‑occupation sign (residential)	1 sign, 2 sq ft, up to roofline	§ 9-5F-5
Nonresidential building sign (small sites)	1 per establishment, 40 sq ft, up to roofline	§ 9-5F-5
Monument freestanding sign (residential site)	1 per site, 40 sq ft, max 6 ft	§ 9-5F-5 (TABLE)
Highway‑oriented sign (eligible sites)	Single‑tenant up to 60 ft, multi‑tenant 80 ft height; area limits vary by district; discretionary permit required	§ 9-5F-5 (Highway signs)
Temporary on‑site signage (banner, A‑frame)	Varies by type; e.g., A‑frame 10 sq ft, banner 1 sf/lf to max 100 sf	§ 9-5F-6
Prohibited signs (examples)	Roof signs, billboards (new off‑site ads), moving signs, inflatables, signs in ROW	§ 9-5F-2 (Prohibited Signs)

Checklist

Determine your zoning district via the City map and confirm sign rules in § 9-5F-5 .
Confirm whether the sign is permanent or temporary; temporary signs must meet § 9-5F-6 limits (numbers, duration, setback) .
Prepare sign plans showing area, height (measured per § 9-5F-3), materials, illumination method and setbacks § 9-5F-3 .
Obtain zoning clearance (Planning Director) before issuing building permits for permanent signs § 9-5F-2 and confirm any electrical/structural work with the California Building Standards Code.
If the project is multi‑tenant (≥3 tenants) submit a Sign Program per § 9-2B-13 .
If within 500' of a state highway and eligible, apply for a Highway Oriented Sign Permit per § 9-2B-18/9-5F-5 .
Design for glare and night impacts per § 9-5F-4; avoid flashing or rapidly changing displays § 9-5F-4 .
If unsure about encroaching over public sidewalk (A‑frame, projecting sign), check the City’s encroachment/street banner rules and Lemoore Design Review early.

Risks & Ambiguities

Issue	Why it matters	What to verify
On‑site vs off‑site message distinction	Determines whether a sign counts as off‑site advertising (billboard) and whether it’s allowed	Confirm the sign’s message relation to the property and consult the on‑site/off‑site definition in the sign article § 9-5F
Whether a freestanding support counts as a “pole sign”	Pole signs are broadly prohibited unless integrated; treatment affects whether a proposed pylon is allowed	Provide structural details; ask planning whether the support is “encased” and thus allowed § 9-5F-1 / definitions
Downtown sidewalk A‑frames and projecting signs	Downtown has special allowances but may require encroachment agreements	Confirm downtown-specific design requirements and encroachment rules in § 9-5F-4 and coordinate with public works § 9-5F-4
Highway-oriented sign spacing/setback exceptions	Reduced spacing or larger area requires discretionary findings (public safety/clutter)	If you request a variance/permit, verify findings required under § 9-5F-5 and § 9-2B-18
Nonconforming/abandoned signs	Existing signs may be nonconforming and subject to removal during substantial alteration	Check nonconforming sign rules and abandoned sign timelines in § 9-5F-2E and related subsections § 9-5F-2E

Plain-English Summary

Lemoore’s sign rules are prescriptive: most signs need zoning clearance, the ordinance caps sign areas and heights by district (small for residential, larger for commercial/highway), bans obvious visual clutter (no new billboards, roof signs, inflatables, or flashing signs), and requires multi‑tenant projects to adopt a sign program so tenants follow a single design theme. Start with zoning clearance and check the district table in § 9-5F-5 before buying or building a sign § 9-5F-2 .

Source References

Sign definitions and illustrations: § 9-5F-1 .
Administrative provisions, permit triggers, exemptions, and prohibited signs: § 9-5F-2 .
General sign measurement and construction requirements: § 9-5F-3 .
Design standards and illumination controls (including downtown specifics): § 9-5F-4 .
District sign standards, tables, highway-oriented signs and menu/order board rules: § 9-5F-5 .
Temporary sign allowances and table of temporary sign design standards: § 9-5F-6 and TABLE 9-5F-6-D1 .
Off‑site sign (billboard/electronic billboard) policies and off‑site prohibitions: § 9-5F-7 .
Zoning clearance and related permitting procedures: § 9-2B-3 and sign program/permit process references § 9-2B-13, § 9-2B-18 .
(Primary file reviewed: Lemoore_ZoningCode.md provided by the user; citations are to the ordinance excerpts retrieved above.)

Sources

Retrieved passages

Lemoore Zoning Code (chapter as) High relevance
Lemoore Zoning Code (section provide) High relevance
Lemoore Zoning Code (section 9-5F-6) High relevance
Lemoore Zoning Code (article shall) High relevance
Lemoore Zoning Code (section 9-5F-6) High relevance
Lemoore Zoning Code (section provide) High relevance
CBC § 9 (section describes) High relevance
Lemoore Zoning Code (section 9-2B-3) High relevance
Lemoore Zoning Code (section 3-8-4) High relevance
Lemoore Zoning Code (section may) High relevance
CBC § 136 Medium relevance

Cited sections

Official Lemoore code library

Frequently asked questions

What kinds of signs are completely prohibited in Lemoore?

The ordinance prohibits certain sign types citywide, including new off‑site billboards, roof signs above the roofline, pole signs where the support isn’t integrated, moving/rotating signs, inflatables/balloons, signs placed in the public right‑of‑way by private parties, and similar items; see the Prohibited Signs subsection in the sign article § 9-5F-2 (Prohibited Signs) .

Do I need a permit to replace copy in an existing sign?

If you are only changing copy without altering size, illumination, or location, that replacement is exempt from a sign permit; however, zoning clearance is required for permanent signs unless exempted by the article. See exemptions and zoning clearance rules § 9-5F-2 .

How big can a freestanding sign be in a residential zone?

For residential and special purpose districts the ordinance typically allows freestanding monument signs of about 40 sq ft with maximum heights shown in the table (e.g., 6 ft for many residential settings); see TABLE 9-5F-5-B1 in § 9-5F-5 .

Are electronic/digital changeable‑copy signs allowed?

Changeable copy is allowed in many contexts, but animated or video screen signs that change more frequently than every seven (7) seconds are prohibited. Digital/changeable copy must meet the illumination and timing rules in the design standards § 9-5F-4 and the highway sign rules § 9-5F-5 .

Do downtown (DMX) rules let me put a projecting sign over the sidewalk?

Yes — downtown has specific allowances for projecting/brace/bracket (blade) signs and A‑frame signs may be allowed on sidewalks subject to encroachment agreements and minimum clearances; see downtown design standards § 9-5F-4 and the DMX entries in § 9-5F-5 .

If my property faces Highway 198, can I get a bigger sign?

Properties within the ordinance’s highway‑oriented zone (within specified distance of State Highways 41 or 198) may apply for a Highway Oriented Sign Permit that allows larger areas/heights subject to district-specific caps, spacing, setbacks, and discretion — see the highway sign rules and permit process § 9-5F-5 and § 9-2B-18 .

What counts toward the total allowed sign area for a business?

The code uses either set square footage per establishment or a frontage ratio (e.g., 1 sf per 1 lf of primary building frontage) as shown in TABLE 9-5F-5-B1; temporary signs are counted separately and some mural work is excluded from allowed sign area § 9-5F-5 .

Are murals treated as signs?

Noncommercial murals are excluded from a property’s allowed sign area and are encouraged; murals still require a mural permit from the City Council prior to painting per the sign article § 9-5F-5 (mural subsection) .

What if an existing sign doesn’t meet today’s rules?

Existing nonconforming signs are regulated (maintenance ok, but substantial alteration triggers compliance). Abandoned signs have timelines for blanking and removal. See the nonconforming and abandoned sign rules § 9-5F-2E and related subsections § 9-5F-2 .

Where do I start the approval process for a permanent on‑site sign?

Start by preparing scaled sign drawings and confirming zoning and district table limits, then submit for zoning clearance (review by the Planning Director) as part of the building permit review; required steps and exemptions are listed under § 9-5F-2 and § 9-2B-3 .

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