How to get a sign permit in Phoenix: who applies, review times and no-permit signs
Confirm with the city before you build or bid. This page is a plain-English summary for planning only. It is not legal advice and not the official code. The City Clerk's Office has the official version of the Phoenix Zoning Ordinance [1]. Planning & Development Sign Section: 602-495-0301, pdd.signservices@phoenix.gov [2]. If anything here disagrees with the code or city staff, the city is right.
Who needs a permit and who can apply
| Rule | Requirement | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Do signs need a permit? | Unless §705 says otherwise, yes: a sign permit is needed before a sign is erected, displayed, relocated or altered | ZO §705.B.1.a [1] |
| Who can apply? | The owner, tenant or lessee of the property, or their authorized agent, a contractor licensed by the State of Arizona, a registered architect or a registered engineer | ZO §705.B.1.b [1] |
| Typical review time | The city's Sign FAQ (rev. 08/22): with complete, accurate information, a wall/window sign is usually approved within 7 days of submittal; ground signs typically take 14 days | Sign FAQ, TRT/DOC/00615 [3][4] |
Steps
- Check for special approvals and districts. The code provides comprehensive sign plans (§705.E.2) and the Downtown Redevelopment Area sign district (§705.F.1). [1]
- Prepare plans. Applications need plans showing the scope and structural detail of the work, details of connections, guy lines, supports and footings, and a plot layout showing sign locations relative to buildings and lots (§705.B.1.d(2)). For ground signs, the city's submittal checklist (TRT/DOC/00298, rev. 5/13), under "A. Ground Sign Location", asks for the shortest distance from the sign's leading edge to the property line, the distance from any driveway, sign height from street grade, and the sight distance triangle if at an intersection or driveway. [1] [5]
- Apply. The Sign FAQ (rev. 08/22) says applications are submitted at the signs counter in the Development Center, second floor of Phoenix City Hall, 200 W. Washington St. The Planning & Development fee schedule (effective 1/20/2026) lists the department at "200 W Washington St. - 3rd Floor", so the FAQ's floor may be out of date; confirm where the sign counter is before going in. The submittal checklist notes that multiple copies are not required when submitting through the Electronic Plan Review system. Over-the-counter approvals are possible solely at staff discretion (Sign FAQ). [4][6] [5] [3]
- Pick up the permit. If a permit is not obtained within ninety days after the applicant is notified that plans are approved, the application is considered withdrawn (§705.B.1.h). [1]
- Start work. A permit is void if work does not start within one hundred eighty days of issuance or is suspended for sixty days (§705.B.1.f). [1]
- Tag the sign with the city's permit tag; electric signs also need an electrical component tag or an approved testing-laboratory tag (§705.B.1.j). [1]
Engineering
Engineering. Plans and calculations sealed by an Arizona-registered engineer or architect are required for (§705.B.1.d(1)): [1]
| Sign type | Engineering required when | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Roof, canopy and marquee signs | roof, canopy and marquee signs over twenty-five square feet | §705.B.1.d(1) [1] |
| Combination signs | combination signs over fifty square feet | §705.B.1.d(1) [1] |
| Projecting signs | projecting signs over fifty square feet or twelve feet wide | §705.B.1.d(1) [1] |
| Ground or pole signs | ground or pole signs over thirty-five square feet when the structure exceeds six feet in height | §705.B.1.d(1) [1] |
| Alternatives | a fabricator may file an approved standard design (§705.B.1.d(3)), and a sealed contractor certification for faces, cabinets and attachment may be accepted in lieu of formal engineering (§705.B.1.d(4)) | [1] |
For ground signs, the city documents conflict. Both are shown; ask the Sign Section which applies.
| Document | What it says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Sign FAQ (rev. 08/22) | ground signs that exceed six feet in height and thirty-two square feet in area require structural engineering sealed by an Arizona registered architect or structural engineer | [4][1] |
| ZO §705.B.1.d(1)(d) | requires engineered plans for ground or pole signs when sign area exceeds thirty-five square feet and the structure exceeds six feet in height | [4][1] |
Signs that don't need a permit
These need no permit or annual sign regulation charge, but must still meet §705.C and applicable Building Code sections. [1]
| Sign | Condition | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Not visible or on-site directional | Signs not visible from public streets or from one property to another, and signs whose sole purpose is on-site directional or locational information (a). | [1] |
| Political signs | Political signs of thirty-two square feet or less, provided the person or organization first files with the Planning and Development Department the name, address and telephone number of a person responsible for erecting and removing them, and the signs are removed within ten days after the election; primary-election signs may remain only if they continue to be valid for the next general election (h). | [1] |
| Nameplates and street address signs | Nameplates and street address signs containing no advertising copy: up to two square feet and one per street front per use for residential uses (j); street address signs and wall-mounted nameplates up to six square feet for commercial and industrial uses (k). | [1] |
| Copy changes and maintenance | Changing copy, or maintenance with no structural changes (n). Repainting a painted wall sign after more than fifty percent of the copy has been removed requires written notice to the Planning and Development Department at least three days before. "Change on any sign when an increase in square footage occurs, shall require a permit." | [1] |
| Real estate and construction signs | Temporary, nonilluminated real estate signs up to six square feet (o), and temporary, nonilluminated construction signs up to sixteen square feet (p). | [1] |
| Vehicle signs | Signs on operating, registered vehicles and equipment actively used in the business, subject to conditions (f). | [1] |
| Fuel pumps | Business names or logos on the face of fuel pumps (r). | [1] |
| Temporary window signs | Temporary window signs need no permit | §705.B.2.g [1] |
Confirm with the City of Phoenix Sign Section (602-495-0301, pdd.signservices@phoenix.gov) before you fabricate or submit. [2] Codes and fees change. Last checked October 2026.
Section numbers (§) refer to the city's zoning ordinance unless noted. Each statement on this page is checked against a saved copy of an official city source, and where official sources disagree we show both. Spotted an error or an outdated fee? Report an error.