Sign Regulations in Lancaster, CA

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

Political Signs

Lancaster allows political signs on private property with size limits. Signs in public rights-of-way are typically prohibited. First Amendment protections apply. Removal required within a set period after elections.

Holiday Displays

Lancaster exempts holiday decorations from its residential sign rules, but only for a set stretch of the year. Municipal Code Sec. 17.08.120.A.5.b excuses 'holiday decorations in season' from the ban on pennants, banners, and similar attention-getting devices, capping their use at an aggregate of 60 days in any one calendar year.

Key details: Holiday decoration limit: 60 days aggregate per year. Governing section: Municipal Code Sec. 17.08.120.A.5.b. Applies in: Residential (R) zones. Industrial-zone version: 90 days, Sec. 17.16.150. Past the limit: Treated as prohibited sign.

Holiday decorations that stay up beyond the 60-day aggregate in any calendar year fall out of the Section 17.08.120.A.5.b exemption and are treated as a prohibited sign under Section 17.08.120.A.5, the same category as pennants, banners, and flashing attention-getting devices. Code enforcement can require removal of the display, and repeated or unaddressed prohibited-sign violations proceed through the city's general sign-compliance process rather than a holiday-specific citation track.

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

Window Signs

Window signs on Lancaster commercial buildings cannot cover more than 25% of the window area, and any lighting used may not flash or run in a continuous or sequential flashing pattern, under Municipal Code Section 17.12.160.D.

Key details: Max window sign coverage: 25% of the window area. Lighting: Internal or external allowed. Prohibited: Continuous or sequential flashing. Governing section: Municipal Code § 17.12.160.D. Related temporary rule: Sec. 17.12.210.F, 10 days/month.

A window sign that exceeds the 25% window-area cap, or that uses prohibited flashing or sequential lighting, is a sign-code violation under Title 17 and is enforceable, like other unpermitted sign violations in the C zone, under Municipal Code Section 17.04.220 and Chapter 1.12: up to a $1,000 misdemeanor fine and/or six months in county jail, or escalating $100 to $500 infraction fines for repeat offenses, with each day the oversized sign remains posted counted as a separate violation.

Digital Billboards

Digital advertising displays on Lancaster billboards are capped at 675 square feet per face, may not show motion or video, and each image must hold for at least 6 seconds, under Municipal Code Section 17.40.210.P. New off-premises billboards are otherwise barred citywide.

Key details: Max DAD face size: 675 sq ft single, 1,350 double. Standard sign face cap: 300 sq ft (600 double). Height limit: 32 feet, freeway exception. Minimum image hold time: 6 seconds. Nighttime brightness cap: 0.3-foot candles over ambient.

Installing a digital advertising display that exceeds the sign-face size or height allowances, depicts prohibited motion or video, or fails to meet the minimum 6-second display and photometric-sensor requirements of Section 17.40.210.P violates Title 17 and is prosecutable under Section 17.04.220 and Chapter 1.12: up to a $1,000 misdemeanor fine and/or six months in county jail, or infraction fines of $100 to $500 for repeat violations, with each day of noncompliance a separate offense; the director's review approval can also be revoked or conditioned further.

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

Garage Sale Signs

Garage sale signs count as temporary signs under Lancaster's zoning code and can run up to 16 square feet without a permit if posted less than 90 days. They cap out at 6 feet tall, can't be lit, can't go on public property or the right-of-way, and must come down within 14 calendar days of the sale.

Key details: Max sign area (<90 days, no permit): 16 sq ft one-sided / 32 sq ft two-sided. Max height, freestanding: 6 feet. Lighting: Not permitted. Placement: No public property or right-of-way. Removal deadline: Within 14 calendar days after the event.

A garage sale sign left up past the 14-day removal window, one that exceeds 16 square feet or 6 feet in height, or one that is illuminated or placed on public property or in the public right-of-way is an unauthorized temporary sign under Section 17.08.120(B)(10) and is subject to immediate removal by the city without compensation. The city may bill the removal cost to the responsible individual named on the statement of responsibility, or pursue enforcement under Section 17.04.220.

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

The Bottom Line

Compared to many U.S. cities, Lancaster 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.

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