Newman — Signage

Last reviewed: July 2, 2026

Overview

This page summarizes what the City of Newman Zoning Ordinance says about signage rules, where they apply, and the practical limits an applicant must meet. The sign rules live in Title 5, Chapter 5.18 of the Newman code (sign approvals, exemptions, prohibitions, temporary signs, removal/abatement, murals and definitions) — especially § 5.18.010–§ 5.18.160 . Read this page together with the city's Newman Zoning and Newman Development Standards pages when planning signage, and check Newman Design Review requirements where applicable.

Key rules at a glance (plain-English)

• A formal sign approval from the Planning Department or Architectural Review Committee is required for most permanent signs; sign approvals typically expire in 12 months if not erected (§ 5.18.030) .
• Some small signs are exempt from approval (window signs up to one‑third of window area, informational signs ≤ 2 sq ft, nameplates, political signs under specified sizes, etc.) (§ 5.18.050) .
• Certain signs are prohibited (traffic hazards, signs in the public right-of-way, moving/flashing signs, portable signs except when allowed, roof signs, and others) (§ 5.18.060) .
• Different uses and districts have different size/height/area limits (downtown versus Highway 33 corridor, commercial vs. industrial vs. residential): see the district-by-district breakdown below and the code cross-references in the Sources section (§ 5.18.070–§ 5.18.090) .

District-by-district breakdown

Note: the ordinance treats signage both by use type (single-family, multi-family, office, retail, industrial) and by project type (shopping center, multitenant center). Below each district/use is the ordinance purpose/context, the typical permitted sign types, and the most important dimensional rules drawn from the Newman code.

R-1 / Single-Family Residential

• Purpose & where it applies: residential neighborhoods; standard single‑family residential zoning. See general definitions and district rules in the Zoning Title (§ 5.01.*) .
• Typical permitted signs: street address nameplates and small directional/name signs.
• Key dimensional standards:
  • Nameplates/street addresses: up to 2 sq ft for single‑family or duplex structures (§ 5.18.050(F)) .
  • Real estate "for sale" signs: up to 6 sq ft and 4 ft high in residential zones (§ 5.18.050(M)(1)) .
• Where to verify: driveway/front yard placement rules and any historic-district overlay limits (see Newman Overlay Districts and Newman Historic Preservation).

R-2 / R-2S (Duplex / Medium Density Residential) and Multiple-Family

• Purpose & uses: medium‑density housing and duplexes (§ 5.04.*) .
• Typical permitted signs: monument/ground signs at entries; one attached/group sign per frontage for multi-family complexes.
• Key dimensional standards:
  • Monument sign at development entry: permitted, ≤ 20 sq ft (§ 5.18.090(A)(2)) .
  • Multiple-family complexes: one parallel attached, group or monument sign per street frontage, ≤ 20 sq ft per face; one ground sign permitted (§ 5.18.090(B)) .

Office / Institutional (Office, churches, private clubs, educational, public buildings)

• Purpose & uses: civic and institutional facilities.
• Typical permitted signs: attached signs, awning/canopy signs, projecting signs, ground signs.
• Key dimensional standards:
  • Attached signs: total area limit of 1 sq ft per lineal foot of primary business frontage and 0.5 sq ft per lineal foot of secondary frontage (§ 5.18.090(C)(1)) .
  • Ground sign: ≤ 25 sq ft in area and 6 ft in height (§ 5.18.090(C)(3)) .
  • Awnings/marquee: allowed as attached signs; projection over right‑of‑way has minimum clearance 8 ft above sidewalk and 2 ft from face of curb (§ 5.18.090(C)(2)) .

Commercial (C) and Highway 33 Corridor

• Purpose & uses: retail, services, visitor‑serving uses along city commercial corridors.
• Typical permitted signs: attached (wall/awning), projecting, ground/monument, temporary event signs.
• Key dimensional standards:
  • In the Downtown Focus Areas A, B, C: any number of parallel attached signs so long as total area ≤ 1 sq ft / lineal ft primary frontage and 0.5 sq ft / lineal ft secondary frontage (§ 5.18.* downtown allowances) .
  • Outside Downtown and the Highway 33 Corridor: parallel attached signs allowed up to 2 sq ft / lineal ft primary frontage and 1 sq ft / lineal ft secondary frontage, but max area per sign = 200 sq ft; one ground sign ≤ 25 sq ft, 6 ft height (§ 5.18.* downtown vs. corridor distinctions) .
  • Temporary signs (grand opening/special events): permits allowed for up to 30 days (§ 5.18.070(A)) .

Industrial — I and M

• Purpose & uses: light/heavy industrial uses and manufacturing.
• Typical permitted signs: larger ground/pole signs, awning/canopy signs, attached signage in larger totals.
• Key dimensional standards:
  • Attached signs: up to 2 sq ft / lineal ft of primary frontage and 1 sq ft / lineal ft of secondary frontage; max area per sign = 200 sq ft (§ 5.18.* Industrial rules) .
  • Ground sign: ≤ 48 sq ft and 8 ft in height for industrial zones (§ 5.18.* Industrial rules) .
  • Awnings/canopy/marquee: allowed and considered attached; minimum clearance rules for projections apply (§ 5.18.*) .

Shopping Centers / Major multitenant commercial & industrial buildings

• Purpose & where it applies: centers with four or more tenant spaces in C, I, or M zones.
• Key policy: a sign program approved by the Architectural Review Committee and/or Planning Commission is required for new centers of four or more tenants; the program must integrate signs with building and landscaping design (color, illumination, lettering height, mounting, etc.) (§ 5.18.*; shopping‑center rules) .
• Monument identification sign at main entrance: generally ≤ 30 sq ft and ≤ 8 ft high; must be in a landscaped planter and not obstruct visibility (§ 5.18.*) .

P-Q (Public and Quasi-Public)

• Purpose & uses: public buildings, schools, utilities, parks.
• Typical permitted signs: bulletin boards, ground signs, signs specifically related to the public use.
• Key notes: accessory signs that pertain only to an approved public use are allowed with administrative approval; bulletin boards up to 24 sq ft for public/religious institutions (§ 5.11.040; § 5.18.050(K)) .

Decision‑relevant standards — quick table

Practical guidance / interpretation (original synthesis)

• If you run a single storefront in Downtown Newman, compute allowable wall sign area using 1 sq ft per lineal foot of your primary storefront frontage in Focus Areas A–C; outside downtown use 2 sq ft per lineal foot (but no sign may exceed 200 sq ft) — verify which frontage counts as "primary" before designing (§ 5.18.*) .
• For multitenant centers (four+ tenant spaces) budget time for a sign program approval with the Architectural Review Committee or Planning Commission: the program controls colors, illumination, mounting and consistency even if an individual tenant wants a trademarked sign (§ 5.18.* shopping-centers) .
• Avoid prohibited classes of signs — especially anything in the public right‑of‑way, animated/flashing signs, roof signs or portable signs unless expressly allowed (§ 5.18.060) .
• Small temporary promotions (grand openings, special events) are allowed but require a temporary sign approval and are time-limited (commonly 30 days) (§ 5.18.070) .
• For murals, don’t assume art is free of regulation: murals outside normal sign allowances require a mural project permit; Downtown is a defined area for special rules (§ 5.18.160) .
• If a sign is unsafe, dilapidated, or abandoned, the City can require repair or removal on short timelines (10–30 days) and can recover abatement costs; owners may appeal but must act quickly (§ 5.18.150) .

Link notes: signage projects commonly intersect with on-site parking layout and curb clearances, the City's development standards, and design review for appearance. Historic‑district projects must consult Historic Preservation; check any Overlay Districts for additional constraints. Consider ADU signage issues with reference to Newman ADUs. For structural/installation code requirements see the California Building Standards Code (building permits may still be required) — but do not rely on this page for structural code compliance.

Checklist — what an applicant must satisfy

• Determine the property zoning and applicable overlays; note whether the site is inside Downtown Focus Areas A/B/C or Highway 33 Corridor. Verify with the Planning Department. (§ 5.18.* downtown rules)
• Confirm whether sign is exempt under § 5.18.050 (window sign, nameplate, political sign limits) .
• If not exempt, apply for sign approval from the Planning Department or Architectural Review Committee; if a building permit is required, submit concurrently (§ 5.18.030) .
• For multitenant centers (4+ tenants) prepare a sign program and visual materials for the Architectural Review Committee / Planning Commission (§ 5.18.*) .
• Ensure dimensions/area/height meet the use‑specific limits (residential, commercial, industrial, shopping center) cited above (§ 5.18.090; § 5.18.*) .
• Check clearance/visibility rules for projections, drive‑through menu boards, and avoid obstructing traffic visibility (§ 5.18.090(C)(2); downtown/drive-through rules) .
• If proposing murals or art-like work, apply for a mural project permit where required (§ 5.18.160) .
• Keep copies of approvals on site; comply with maintenance and removal requirements to avoid abatement (§ 5.18.150–§ 5.18.140) .

Risks & Ambiguities

Plain-English Summary

Newman requires a Planning Department sign approval for most permanent signs, sets different area/height limits by use and district (smaller limits in the historic downtown), prohibits signs that create traffic hazards or are animated, and requires sign programs and review for larger multitenant projects — check the exact per-frontage math and whether your property is inside the downtown or Highway 33 corridor before you design a sign (§ 5.18.030–§ 5.18.090) .

Source References

• Newman Zoning Ordinance — Title 5, Chapter 5.18 (Sign Regulations): § 5.18.010–§ 5.18.160 (purpose, applicability, approvals, exemptions, prohibitions, temporary signs, tenant signs, removal/abatement, murals) .
• Sign approvals, expiration, and requirements: § 5.18.030 .
• Exempt signs (window signs, informational, political, nameplates, flags, plaques): § 5.18.050 .
• Prohibited signs (public right-of-way, animated, roof signs, portable signs rules): § 5.18.060 .
• Temporary sign rules (grand opening, construction, subdivision signs): § 5.18.070 and § 5.18.080–§ 5.18.090 (directional/tenant signs) .
• Downtown vs. outside-downtown attached sign area and industrial/commercial size standards (ground sign limits, etc.): downtown rules and industrial rules as shown in the code (parallel attached sign formulas; max per sign 200 sq ft; ground sign sizes) — see the downtown/industrial excerpts in the code (§ 5.18.*) .
• Removal, abatement, inventory, unsafe/dilapidated rules: § 5.18.130; § 5.18.140; § 5.18.150 .
• Mural permit and downtown mural definition: § 5.18.160 .
• Sign and related definitions (A-frame, ground sign, projecting sign, sign area, sign types): definitions across § 5.01.070 and sign definitions sections in Title 5 (see the definitions block) .
• For structural/installation permitting and related building‑code technical rules consult the California Building Standards Code for sign construction/permitting requirements (uploaded reference) — see the city's building department and Title 24 for building permit triggers; building permit fees are referenced in sign fees § 5.18.040 .

Retrieved passages

• Newman Zoning Code High relevance show source text
• Newman Zoning Code (§ 5.01.030.) Medium relevance show source text
• Newman Zoning Code (chapter shall) Medium relevance show source text
• CBC § 5.18.040 (§ 5.18.040.) Medium relevance show source text
• Newman Zoning Code (Title 5.) Medium relevance show source text
• Newman Zoning Code (chapter shall) Medium relevance show source text
• Newman Zoning Code (§ 5.18.060.) Medium relevance show source text
• Newman Zoning Code Medium relevance show source text
• Newman Zoning Code Medium relevance show source text
• Newman Zoning Code (§ 5.18.080.) Medium relevance show source text
• Newman Zoning Code Medium relevance show source text
• CBC § 5.18.030 (§ 5.18.030.) Medium relevance show source text
• Newman Zoning Code (§ 5.18.070.) Medium relevance show source text
• Newman Zoning Code (Chapter 5.18.) Medium relevance show source text

Cited sections

• Newman Zoning Ordinance — Title 5, Chapter 5.18 (Sign Regulations): **§ 5.18.010–§ 5.18.160** (purpose, applicability, approvals, exemptions, prohibitions, temporary signs, tenant signs, removal/abatement, murals) . (Title 5)
• Sign approvals, expiration, and requirements: **§ 5.18.030** . (§ 5.18.030)
• Exempt signs (window signs, informational, political, nameplates, flags, plaques): **§ 5.18.050** . (§ 5.18.050)
• Prohibited signs (public right-of-way, animated, roof signs, portable signs rules): **§ 5.18.060** . (§ 5.18.060)
• Temporary sign rules (grand opening, construction, subdivision signs): **§ 5.18.070** and **§ 5.18.080–§ 5.18.090** (directional/tenant signs) fileciteturn1file5. (§ 5.18.070)
• Downtown vs. outside-downtown attached sign area and industrial/commercial size standards (ground sign limits, etc.): downtown rules and industrial rules as shown in the code (parallel attached sign formulas; max per sign **200 sq ft**; ground sign sizes) — see the downtown/industrial excerpts in the code (§ 5.18.*) fileciteturn1file0. (§ 5.18.)
• Removal, abatement, inventory, unsafe/dilapidated rules: **§ 5.18.130**; **§ 5.18.140**; **§ 5.18.150** fileciteturn0file5. (§ 5.18.130)
• Mural permit and downtown mural definition: **§ 5.18.160** . (§ 5.18.160)
• Sign and related definitions (A-frame, ground sign, projecting sign, sign area, sign types): definitions across **§ 5.01.070** and sign definitions sections in Title 5 (see the definitions block) fileciteturn1file9. (§ 5.01.070)
• For structural/installation permitting and related building‑code technical rules consult the California Building Standards Code for sign construction/permitting requirements (uploaded reference) — see the city's building department and Title 24 for building permit triggers; building permit fees are referenced in sign fees § **5.18.040** fileciteturn1file3. (Title 24)
• Newman_ZoningCode.md
• 2025 California Building Code.md

• Official Newman code library