Sign Regulations in Federal Way, WA

If you live in Federal Way or are thinking about moving there, sign regulations are one of those things you probably won't think about until they affect you directly. Federal Way has 5 specific rules on the books covering different aspects of sign regulations, and some of them might surprise you.

Garage Sale Signs

A garage sale sign in Federal Way needs no permit or fee, but it is still a regulated temporary sign: it must come down within 10 days of the sale, and in the right-of-way it is capped at six square feet and four feet tall.

Key details: Permit or fee: None required. Removal deadline: Within 10 days of sale's close. Annual duration cap: 120 consecutive days per year. Right-of-way size limit: 6 sq ft, 4 ft tall. Enforcement: City may summarily remove, FWRC 19.140.115.

FWRC 19.140.115(3) lets the city or its agents summarily remove any sign placed on a right-of-way or public property in violation of the sign chapter; a recovered sign is held for two weeks before destruction and release requires paying the administrative fee on the city's fee schedule, which applies in addition to any civil penalty imposed under Title 19.

Window Signs

Federal Way exempts window signs from permitting only when they cover no more than 25 percent of the window area and advertise on-site products, business identification, hours, address, or emergency information; beyond that they need a sign permit.

Key details: Max exempt coverage: 25% of window area. Permit needed above cap: Yes, under FWRC 19.140.040. Allowed content: On-site products, ID, hours, address, emergency info. 3-foot rule: Commercial signs within 3 ft of window count as window signs.

A window sign covering more than 25 percent of the window area, or one carrying off-site advertising or other content outside the exempt list, no longer qualifies for the exemption in FWRC 19.140.060(1)(n) and must obtain a sign permit under FWRC 19.140.040; operating without the required permit is enforceable as a code violation under Chapter 19.140 FWRC's general sign enforcement provisions.

The rules around window signs in Federal Way lean permissive, but that does not mean anything goes.

Freeway-Facing Signs

Non-residential property within 1,320 feet of the I-5 right-of-way may add one extra wall sign oriented to the freeway, capped at 200 square feet and 25 feet in height, on top of the standard sign allowance under FWRC 19.140.065.

Key details: Qualifying distance: Within 1,320 ft of I-5 right-of-way. Extra signs allowed: One additional wall sign. Max area: 200 square feet. Max height: 25 feet. Roofline limit: May not extend above roofline.

A freeway-facing wall sign that exceeds 200 square feet, exceeds 25 feet in height, extends above the roofline, or is erected without the required sign permit under FWRC 19.140.040 does not qualify for the FWRC 19.140.065(4)(f) bonus and is subject to the city's standard sign code enforcement, including permit denial or required removal.

Political Signs

Federal Way treats campaign and political signs as temporary signs under FWRC 19.140.050: no permit or fee is required, but placement outside the right-of-way is capped at 120 consecutive days per calendar year, and signs tied to a specific event must come down within 10 days of the event's close.

Key details: Permit required: None for temporary signs. Max duration (private property): 120 consecutive days per calendar year. Removal after event: Within 10 days of event close. Right-of-way size limit: 6 sq ft per sign face. Right-of-way height limit: 4 feet above grade.

A temporary political sign left up beyond the 120-day limit, left in place more than 10 days after the related event, placed inside a median or roundabout, or exceeding the six-square-foot/four-foot right-of-way limits is a code violation subject to the city's general sign enforcement and removal process under Chapter 19.140 FWRC. Signs that obstruct sight distance, block the 48-inch clear pedestrian path, or are anchored to utility poles or trees can be removed by the city.

The rules around political signs in Federal Way lean permissive, but that does not mean anything goes.

Digital Billboards

Federal Way bans billboards outright in every zone under FWRC 19.140.085(2), except for signs already legally nonconforming under FWRC 19.140.092. An on-premise electronic changeable message sign, defined at FWRC 19.05 as a sign whose content changes through electronic programming, is not a billboard and is specifically exempted from the city's separate ban on flashing signs.

Key details: Billboards: Banned outright, all zones (FWRC 19.140.085). Nonconforming exception: Pre-existing legal billboards only. EMC signs: Exempt from the flashing-sign ban. EMC threshold: 8+ message changes/day = EMC sign. Removal authority: City removes prohibited signs, owner pays.

Installing a new billboard anywhere in Federal Way violates FWRC 19.140.085(2) unless it already qualifies as legally nonconforming under FWRC 19.140.092, and the city can order it removed at the owner's or user's expense under FWRC 19.140.115. Beyond removal, sign violations are treated as Title 19 zoning violations enforced through FWRC 1.15.040's notice-and-correct process, with penalties starting at $100 for a first violation and rising to $500 for continued or repeated violations.

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

The Bottom Line

Compared to many U.S. cities, Federal Way gives residents more room on sign regulations. 2 of the 5 rules here are rated permissive. But permissive does not mean unregulated. There are still requirements, and the city does enforce them when violations are reported.

Keep in mind that Federal Way can amend these rules at any council meeting. For the most current version of any rule mentioned here, check the specific ordinance page, where we track updates as they happen.