Sign Regulations in Kirkland, WA

If you live in Kirkland or are thinking about moving there, sign regulations are one of those things you probably won't think about until they affect you directly. Kirkland has 3 specific rules on the books covering different aspects of sign regulations, and some of them might surprise you.

Digital Billboards

Kirkland bans any sign that rotates, turns or moves by electrical or mechanical means, which sweeps in electronic message displays. A changing message center escapes that ban only if it is included in an approved master sign plan under KZC 100.85.

Key details: Governing rule: Moving/electronic signs banned, KZC 100.85(1)(f). Exception path: Master sign plan approval, KZC 100.85(2)(e). Lighting limit: Only exempt from incandescent-lamp ban, KZC 100.110(4). Correction window: 30 days after notice, KZC 100.90. Definition scope: Same lamp bank, changing copy, KZC 5.10.115.

An electronic display installed without master sign plan approval is a prohibited device under KZC 100.85 and subject to code enforcement action; the city can require repair, reprogramming to a static face, or removal. Damaged or noncompliant signs generally must be corrected within 30 days of notification under KZC 100.90, and nonconforming signs removed within 14 days of a business closing.

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

Window Signs

Kirkland's sign code does not regulate signs placed on the interior side of a window, so there is no citywide coverage-percentage cap on window signage, unless the property sits under a master sign plan or design regulations.

Key details: Default rule: Interior window signs excluded from Chapter 100. Exception trigger: Master sign plan or design regulations. Permit required: No, absent an exception. Governing section: KZC 100.15(11). Enforcing department: Planning and Building Department.

Because interior window signs fall outside Chapter 100's scope, the Planning and Building Department does not cite them under the sign code's area or permit rules unless a master sign plan or subarea design regulations apply to the property; in that case, the sign is treated as a regulated sign and enforcement follows the plan's own terms plus KZC 100.90, Sign Maintenance and Removal.

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

Garage Sale Signs

Kirkland regulates garage sale signs as temporary event signs under its zoning code. Each sign can't exceed six square feet per face, with no cap on how many you post, and every sign must come down within four hours after the sale ends. No permit is required, but placement is limited to the sale property or specific rights-of-way.

Key details: Max sign area: 6 square feet per sign face. Number of signs allowed: No limit. Allowed timing: 2 days before sale to 4 hrs after. Permit needed: None, if within KZC 100.115 limits. Allowed placement: Sale property or right-of-way, not travel lanes.

A garage sale sign that exceeds the six-square-foot limit, stays up past the four-hour post-sale window, or sits in a paved travel lane, parking area, driveway apron or center median loses its KZC 100.115 exemption. At that point it's treated as an unpermitted sign subject to the Planning and Building Department's standard sign-permit and removal process under KZC 100.25, and the city can require the sign taken down.

The Bottom Line

Kirkland'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 Kirkland is broadly strict or permissive.

These rules come from Kirkland's publicly available municipal code. For complete penalty schedules, exemption details, and answers to common questions, see the individual ordinance pages throughout this guide.