Official Web Site of the City of Phoenix

The applicant is responsible for providing the following information to the Development Services Department, Sign Services, 200 W. Washington St., 2nd Floor, Counter Number Three, Phoenix AZ 85003. For additional information, please call 602-495-0301 or 602-495-0284.

Minimum Submittal Requirements:

• Two (2) dimension drawings of proposed sign with material specifications identified.
• Completed Permit Application Worksheet - See attached sample application for further instructions. Please be sure that the same format is used on the sample plot map for wall and ground signs.

Sign permit requests can be very diverse in the information that is required based on the specific request. Therefore, a variety of different permit requests are noted below along with the additional information that will be required to accompany the permit application.

• Ground Signs
  • Two sets of engineering drawings are required when the area of the face of one sign or the aggregate area of all signs on the sign structure exceeds thirty-five square feet and the structure exceeds six feet in height. The engineered drawings must be sealed by an architect or engineer with an Arizona seal.
  • Permission to encroach in any utility easement is required. Encroachments into right-of-way easements is prohibited. It is the applicant's responsibility to obtain these clearances.
  • Permission to place a sign in a retention area requires approval from a City Civil Engineer. This approval can be obtained from Counter Number 6 at the Development Center.
  • All ground signs, with the exception of corner parcels, require an address to be placed on the sign. The minimum size of numbers is six (6) inches.
  • If proposed ground sign is for a new project subject to site plan review, then design review is applicable to the sign, be sure that you have incorporated architectural elements and materials and textures used in the building design. Attach the design review worksheet to the application and provide staff with the site plan number. No fees are required for this type of design review, unless additional height or area is requested.
  • If design review is requested for overheight, overarea, separation from building, or above the roofline. A fee, per Appendix A.2 of the Phoenix City Code, will be charged at the time of permit application.
• Wall
  • Provide two copies of building elevation showing the sign at the proposed location. Show the building height and length and the height to the top of the sign.
  • All businesses are entitled to a minimum fifty (50) square feet of sign area.
  • Wall signs are only permitted over the occupied leased area in which the business is located.
  • Wall signs over 25 feet or higher are required to be no closer to the roofline than one-half (1/2) the vertical dimension of the sign. No wall sign is permitted to break the building silhouette.
  • Wall signs 56 feet or higher require approval through a comprehensive sign plan.
  • Wall signs on attached walls within the building setbacks and signs proposed above the roofline require design review approval. Attach completed design review worksheet with application. A fee, per Appendix A..2 of the Phoenix City Code, will be charged for the design review.
  • If photograph is submitted with application, you may receive over the counter approval. You must provide photographs for all building elevations.
• Directional Signs
  • Business identification is only permitted on one directional sign at the driveway entrance. The identification is limited to no more than twenty-five (25%) percent of the entire copy area. Be sure that you have shown the dimensions of the business identification on the sign drawing.
• Window Signs
  • Provide two (2) elevation drawings of the building with the dimensions of the window(s) shown on the drawing. With the exception of the Downtown Core, Warehouse District and Urban Residential District, only thirty (30%) of the window area can be used for signage. With the exception of pedestrian signage, the sign ordinance prohibits signage on the door.
• Construction Signs
  • Provide a copy of the building or grading permit. Sign permits can only be issued after a building or grading permit has been obtained.
  • Only one construction sign is permitted per street front.
• Subdivision Sales Signs
  • A copy of the recorded plat must be submitted along with permit application. This information is required to determine the amount of square footage that can be permitted.
• Temporary Signs
  • These permits are typically issued over the counter. Requests for balloons must include the setbacks from property line and the height of the balloons.

Common Corrections Required to Sign Permit Applications

By becoming more familiar with the most common reasons that a sign permit is turned down, you can avoid making the errors that cause them and receive permit approval the first time around! To ensure that you are providing us with the best information possible, we advise that you conduct a site survey prior to submitting a sign permit application. Take a photograph of the site and all building elevations, bring them with you at the time of application, it may be possible to receive your permit over the counter, saving you an additional trip to City Hall! This document is broken down to three categories; general reasons for turndowns and reasons specific to ground and wall signs.

General Reasons for Permit Turndown

Frontage Information Not Provided - If the request is for a wall sign, you must provide the building length on the permit application. If the request is for a ground sign, you need to provide the street frontage where the sign is located. Requests for window signs requires the dimensions of the windows.

Illegal Signs - Take note of any unpermitted signs, banners, balloons, pennants or portable signs on site. Inform your customer of the action required to correct any illegal signs and instruct him them continued violations could result in the voiding of the sign permit.

Electrical Information Not Provided - All electrical signs are required to have a label from a National Recognized Testing Laboratory, such as Underwriters Laboratory. If there is no label, a component inspection is required and should be noted on the application. Also, the amount of amperage used by the sign is required on the application.

Legal Address Not Provided - All applications must provide the legal address where the sign is to be located and the suite number when applicable. An address can be obtained from Counter Number Eight at the Development Center.

Building Permit Not Issued - A sign permit can not be issued prior to the building permit. The reason for this is because a sign is an accessory use and the primary use must first be established.

Proposed Illuminated Sign Closer than Sixty Feet to Residential Use - Illuminated signs can not be located closer than sixty (60) feet to a residential use, unless it is not oriented to the use or a use permit is obtained.

Non-Compliance With Comprehensive Sign Plan - Many large commercial centers, industrial parks and hospitals have comprehensive sign plans. Be sure that you have obtained landlord approval when required. In addition be sure the design criteria is in compliance with the plan.

Ground Signs

1. Setback Information Not Provided or Provided Incorrectly - Sign setbacks should be provided from property lines to the proposed sign location. A driveway curb or another permanent structure may be used for the interior location when it is closer than the property line. Without this information a complete review of the application can not be completed.
2. Sign Located in the Visibility Triangle - There are visibility triangles at all intersections (33 feet by 33 feet) and driveways (10 feet by 20 feet).
3. No Engineering Provided When Required - All ground signs require engineering when the area of the face of one sign or the total area of all signs on the sign structure exceeds thirty-five (35) square feet in area and the structure height exceeds six (6) feet. State law requires that engineering be sealed by an Arizona registrant.
4. No Address Provided on Sign Structure - The ordinance requires the address to be on all ground signs with the exception of signs on a corner parcel. The address should have a minimum of six-inch numerals. Address signs that do not exceed six (6) square feet in area do not require a permit, nor does the area count against the square footage.
5. Too Many Items of Information - The ordinance permits a maximum of ten items of information. An item of information is a business name and/or logo. Any other items such as product modifiers, symbols, lines count as an individual item of information.
6. No Application of the Design Review Guidelines - All sites that are subject to site plan review require the ground sign to receive design review approval. Be sure to obtain the approved elevation drawings from your client so that you can incorporate architectural and textures used in the building into the sign design.
7. High Volume Signage Used When Low Volume Required - Signs on local and minor collector streets must use the low volume height and area per Table D-1 in Section 705 of the Phoenix Zoning Ordinance. Also, signs located within one hundred-fifty feet of a residential use must also use the low volume numbers.
8. Sign Placed in Easements and/or Retention areas - An encroachment clearance must be obtained in order to construct signs in easements and/or retention areas. A copy of this form is attached to this packet. Signs are never permitted to encroach in right-of-way easements. It is the applicant's responsibility to obtain permission to encroach in easements or retention areas.
9. Spacing Not Met - All ground signs must maintain a minimum of one hundred (100) feet spacing from any other ground sign.
10. Non-Compliance with Zoning Restrictions - Some sites have zoning stipulations placed on them that restrict the size, height, location, etc., as a condition of zoning. Other sites may have restrictions because they are located within an overlay district, a specific plan, a redevelopment area, or a historic district or site.

Wall Signs

1. Sign Area Exceeds What is Permitted - The formula for wall signs is one square foot of sign area for each linear foot of building frontage occupied. All businesses are entitled to a minimum of fifty (50) square feet in area. The maximum square footage is five hundred (500) square feet. Sign area can not be transferred from one elevation to another.
2. Sign Not Placed Over Occupied Space - Wall signs are only permitted over the space occupied by the business that is being signed.
3. Sign Located Above the Roofline and Design Review Not Requested - All signs that are located above the roofline require design review approval.
4. Sign Is Located Closer to the Roofline than what is permitted - Wall signs over twenty-five (25) feet in height can be no closer to the roofline than one-half (1/2) the vertical dimension of the sign.
5. Sign Exceeds Fifty-Six Feet in Height - Wall signs that exceed fifty-six (56) feet in height require approval through a comprehensive sign plan. A different formula is used to determine the square footage permitted and signs below fifty-six (56) feet do not count against this square footage.