How Garland Handles Sign Regulations: A Practical Guide

Garland maintains 144 local ordinances across all categories, and 5 of those deal specifically with sign regulations. Here is a breakdown of what the city actually requires, what is prohibited, and where Garland falls on the strict-to-permissive spectrum compared to other cities.

Freeway-Facing Signs

Garland allows conventional billboards facing IH-635, IH-30 or State Highway 190 to convert to digital display only if the existing sign face is at least 350 square feet, and only under a Building Official permit with a mandatory sign-removal exchange elsewhere in the city.

Key details: Minimum conventional face: 350 square feet to qualify for conversion. Maximum digital face: 700 square feet. Exchange ratio: 3 sq ft removed per 1 sq ft converted. Spacing between digital boards: 1,500 feet, same direction. Residential setback: 300 feet, measured radially.

The Building Official enforces Section 4.73 through the permit and demolition-permit process; a conversion completed without satisfying the exchange ratio or spacing/setback rules is not a legally authorized digital billboard and the permit application can be denied or the structure ordered brought into compliance. Digital billboard operators must respond to any display malfunction within one hour of notification and remedy it within 12 hours, freezing the display in the interim, per Section 4.73(I).

This is not one of those rules that cities tend to ignore. Garland actively enforces its freeway-facing signs requirements.

Window Signs

Garland caps window signage at 25 percent of total window surface area per leased space, and 25 percent in aggregate per building facade visible from a public street, under GDC § 4.67(G). No sign permit is required for a compliant window sign, but LED and strip lighting used to form letters or borders within 3 feet of a window counts toward that same limit.

Key details: Per-tenant window coverage cap: 25% of that space's window area. Per-facade coverage cap: 25% combined, all tenants. Permit required: No, if within coverage limits. LED/strip lighting rule: Counts as window sign, no blinking/scrolling.

A window display that exceeds the 25 percent per-space or per-facade coverage cap, or LED/strip lighting that blinks, flashes, rotates, scrolls, or changes color or intensity, is an unpermitted, noncompliant sign, since Section 4.67 exempts window signs from a permit only while they satisfy those limits. The Building Official can require the excess signage removed or reduced to bring the tenant space or facade back within the 25 percent threshold.

Digital Billboards

Converting a conventional billboard to digital in Garland requires a Building Official-approved permit under GDC § 4.73, limited to conventional signs of at least 350 square feet along IH-635, IH-30, or State Highway 190. New digital faces cap at 700 square feet, must sit 1,500 feet from another digital billboard and 300 feet from any residential lot, and cannot exceed 50 feet in height.

Key details: Minimum conventional sign size to convert: 350 square feet. Maximum digital face size: 700 square feet. Spacing from another digital billboard: 1,500 feet minimum. Setback from residential lot: 300 feet minimum. Max height: 50 feet (or 42.5 ft above highway).

Operating a digital billboard, or converting a conventional sign to digital, without an approved Section 4.73 permit and a completed demolition/exchange-ratio removal is an unpermitted sign under the Garland Development Code, enforceable through the Building Official's sign-removal authority in Section 4.74. A malfunctioning digital display that isn't frozen and fixed within the Section 4.73(I) 1-hour/12-hour response window is a separate compliance failure the Building Official can act on directly.

Compared to other cities, Garland takes a harder line on digital billboards. The enforcement and penalty structure reflects that.

Garage Sale Signs

Garland regulates temporary signs through its sign ordinance and the I-Sign program that targets illegal signs. Garage sale signs may be placed on the property where the sale occurs. Signs in the public right-of-way, on utility poles, or on traffic signs are prohibited and actively removed by Code Compliance through the I-Sign program.

Key details: On-Property: Allowed during active sale. Right-of-Way: Prohibited. I-Sign enforcement. Utility Poles: Strictly prohibited. Removal: Must remove after sale ends. Enforcement: Code Compliance I-Sign program.

The rules around garage sale signs in Garland lean permissive, but that does not mean anything goes.

Holiday Displays

Garland does not have specific ordinances restricting holiday displays on private residential property. Seasonal decorations are permitted as temporary displays. The city hosts Garland's annual Christmas on the Square event and has a strong holiday decorating tradition. Displays must not create traffic hazards or violate electrical safety codes.

Key details: Permit Required: None for residential displays. Duration: Seasonal: no strict city deadline. Safety: Must not create traffic hazards. Electrical: Must comply with electrical codes. HOA: May impose additional rules.

The rules around holiday displays in Garland lean permissive, but that does not mean anything goes.

The Bottom Line

Garland'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 Garland is broadly strict or permissive.

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