How Edmond Handles Sign Regulations: A Practical Guide

Edmond maintains 82 local ordinances across all categories, and 3 of those deal specifically with sign regulations. Here is a breakdown of what the city actually requires, what is prohibited, and where Edmond falls on the strict-to-permissive spectrum compared to other cities.

Digital Billboards

Edmond prohibits electronic message signs outright, including digital billboards, with no variance allowed, carving out only time-temperature displays and gasoline pricing signs that otherwise meet the sign code.

Key details: Rule: Electronic message signs banned citywide. Variance: Not available for this ban. Exceptions: Time-temperature & gas price signs only. Adopted: Voter referendum, April 2015.

Installing or operating a prohibited electronic message sign is a sign code violation citable by the Code Enforcement Official; because the ban excludes variances, there is no administrative path to approve one after the fact.

This is not one of those rules that cities tend to ignore. Edmond actively enforces its digital billboards requirements.

Holiday Displays

Edmond exempts temporary holiday decorations and lighting displays from sign permitting entirely, so long as they're incidental to a recognized holiday: no permit and no size or duration cap written into the exemption.

Key details: Governing section: § 15.01.030(4), sign code exemptions. Permit required: None: exempt from sign permitting. Duration limit: None stated in this exemption. Covers: Holiday/religious/national decorations.

A display that genuinely qualifies as holiday-incidental sits outside the sign code's enforcement provisions; a display that isn't holiday-related, or that functions as ordinary advertising, loses the exemption and becomes an unpermitted sign under § 15.01.050.

Edmond is more permissive than most cities when it comes to holiday displays. That said, there are still limits.

Window Signs

Edmond caps permanent window signs at 35% of street-level window area and temporary window signs at 50%, with temporary signs limited to seven days and no window signs allowed above the second floor.

Key details: Permanent window signs: 35% of window area, 25% ceiling. Temporary window signs: 50% of window area, 7-day limit. Above 2nd floor: No window signs allowed. Temporary sign permit: Not required.

A permanent window sign exceeding the 35%/25% caps, an illuminated temporary sign, or a temporary sign left up past seven days is a sign code violation; each 24-hour period of noncompliance is a separate violation under § 15.01.050.

The Bottom Line

Edmond's sign regulations rules are a mixed bag. Some areas are strict, others are relaxed, and the details matter. The best approach is to check the specific rule that applies to your situation rather than assuming Edmond is broadly strict or permissive.

This guide is based on Edmond's current municipal code. Local rules can and do change, so check the individual ordinance pages for the latest details, penalties, and FAQs.