Fullerton's Sign Regulations: The Rules That Matter

Every city handles sign regulations a little differently. In Fullerton, California, there are 5 distinct rules that residents and property owners should be aware of. Some are stricter than what neighboring cities enforce, and others are more relaxed. Here is what you need to know.

Garage Sale Signs

Fullerton allows up to three garage sale signs, each no larger than two square feet, displayed only during daylight hours and removed the moment the sale ends. Signs cannot go in the public right-of-way, and posting one on someone else's property requires that owner's written permission, under Fullerton Municipal Code section 15.17.030(O)(4).

Key details: Max signs: 3 per sale. Max sign size: 2 sq ft each. Display hours: Daylight hours only. Removal deadline: At termination of the sale. Off-site posting: Requires written owner permission.

Posting more than three signs, using a sign larger than two square feet, leaving one up overnight or past the end of the sale, placing one in the public right-of-way, or posting on someone else's property without written permission is a code violation the city can enforce by ordering the sign removed and citing the resident. Once the limits are exceeded the display is treated as illegal signage rather than a lawful garage-sale accessory.

Fullerton is more permissive than most cities when it comes to garage sale signs. That said, there are still limits.

Political Signs

Fullerton's sign code exempts election and campaign signs from the sign-permit requirement in § 15.49.060(A)(1)(f), and separately defines an ELECTION/CAMPAIGN SIGN as one "related to the vote in a near-future election of candidates and/or issues" under § 15.49.015. Even without a permit, owners must keep sign areas clear of unauthorized political signs under § 15.49.090(A).

Key details: Permit: not required for election/campaign signs. Definition source: § 15.49.015. Owner duty: remove unauthorized political signs. Violation status: declared a public nuisance. Still banned: inflatable or portable campaign displays.

An unauthorized or leftover election/campaign sign is treated as ordinary sign clutter under § 15.49.090(A) and, per § 15.49.110, any sign maintained in violation of Chapter 15.49 is declared a public nuisance subject to the abatement procedure in Chapter 6.01. The Director of Community and Economic Development can order removal, and sign types the code does prohibit outright, such as a portable A-frame or inflatable sign used for a campaign display, are removable under § 15.49.050(A).

Fullerton is more permissive than most cities when it comes to political signs. That said, there are still limits.

Window Signs

Fullerton's sign code makes an exception inside its own exemption list: a sign inside a building is normally exempt from the chapter's design standards, but § 15.49.030(A)(5) pulls that exemption back the moment the sign is "painted on an exterior window or door, or so placed as to be viewed primarily from outside a building."

Key details: Exemption limit: lost if painted on exterior window/door. Governing section: § 15.49.030(A)(5). Permit: not required for window/door-painted signs. Area limit still applies: Table 15.49.020. Main entrance side: 3 sq ft per lineal foot.

A window or door sign that exceeds the BUILDING SIGN area allowance in Table 15.49.020, or an interior display aimed at the sidewalk that ignores the § 15.49.030(A)(5) carve-out, is a sign "erected, constructed or placed in violation of the provisions of this chapter" and is declared a public nuisance under § 15.49.010(B), enforceable through the Chapter 6.01 nuisance-abatement process referenced in § 15.49.110.

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

Digital Billboards

Freeway-oriented electronic billboards within 200 feet of the SR-57 or SR-91 right-of-way need a conditional use permit and a development agreement under § 15.49.120, and are allowed only in the General Commercial, Commercial Manufacturing, Manufacturing Park or General Manufacturing zones. Off-site billboards are otherwise banned citywide under § 15.49.050(A)(2).

Key details: Location: within 200 ft of SR-57/SR-91 ROW. Entitlements: CUP plus a development agreement. Zones: G-C, C-M, M-P, M-G only. Spacing: 1,000 ft minimum between billboards. Display faces: max two, only one may be digital.

An electronic billboard installed without the required conditional use permit and development agreement is unauthorized under § 15.49.120(C) and, like any sign erected in violation of Chapter 15.49, is declared a public nuisance abatable under Chapter 6.01 per § 15.49.010(B) and § 15.49.110. Section 15.49.120(F)(5) also guards against malfunction: a billboard must freeze on one static image, show a full black screen, or shut off if it malfunctions, rather than display errant content.

This is one of the stricter rules in Fullerton's municipal code. If you are unsure whether your situation complies, it is worth checking with the city before proceeding.

Freeway-Facing Signs

A freestanding FREEWAY SIGN, defined as a pole-type structure sited to be seen from a freeway, is capped at 250 square feet under Table 15.49.020, limited to one sign per property, and allowed only where the property fronts a freeway right-of-way. A bigger sign, a taller structure, or a flashing readerboard needs a conditional use permit.

Key details: Signs per property: one freeway sign. Frontage requirement: property must front a freeway ROW. Max sign area: 250 square feet. Extra size/height: requires a conditional use permit. Flashing readerboard: requires a conditional use permit.

A freeway sign built larger or taller than the Table 15.49.020 allowance, or fitted with flashing readerboard copy, without the conditional use permit the table's notes and § 15.49.050(B) require, is an unpermitted sign structure. Under § 15.49.010(B) any sign erected in violation of Chapter 15.49 is a public nuisance, and § 15.49.110 subjects it to the abatement process in Chapter 6.01, which can include a city order to remove or modify the structure.

The Bottom Line

Compared to many U.S. cities, Fullerton gives residents more room on sign regulations. 3 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 Fullerton 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.