Sign Regulations in Norman, OK

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

Garage Sale Signs

Norman allows only one temporary sign to advertise a garage sale, and NCC section 20-1103 requires it to be placed in the front of the sale location itself, not at nearby intersections or on someone else's property to steer traffic in.

Key details: Signs allowed: one per sale. Sign type: temporary. Placement: front of the sale location. Off-site directional signs: not authorized by this section. Tied to: a valid permit under sections 20-1101/20-1102.

Posting more than one garage sale sign, or placing a sign somewhere other than the front of the sale location, violates NCC section 20-1103. No sign-specific fine is set in this chapter, so the Code's general penalty at section 1-114 applies: up to a $750.00 fine or 60 days' imprisonment, or both, with each day a violation continues chargeable as a separate offense.

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

Political Signs

Norman lets political signs sit in the right-of-way strip between the property line and the curb in front of or beside a single-family home, but only with the homeowner's permission and only if the sign is no wider than 30 inches or taller than 20 inches under NCC 28-105(9). On private property, political signs face no size or number limit.

Key details: ROW exemption: Single-family lots only, NCC 28-105(9). Max size: 30 inches wide by 20 inches tall. Requires: Property owner's permission. Removal: City Manager may remove as a nuisance. Private property: Not regulated in size or number.

A political sign erected in the right-of-way outside the NCC 28-105(9) single-family exemption is declared a public nuisance and may be removed and disposed of immediately by the City Manager or designee. Beyond removal, placing or maintaining a noncompliant sign is a violation of NCC 28-302, carrying a fine of $50.00 to $750.00 per violation, with each day counted separately.

Window Signs

Norman caps window signs in commercial zones at 35 percent of total window area at street level, not to exceed 25 percent of the district's overall sign area allowance, under NCC 28-505. A temporary window sign displayed for 90 days or less needs no permit or fee under NCC 28-101. Signs above the second floor are barred outright.

Key details: Coverage cap (commercial): 35% of window area at street level. Secondary cap: 25% of district's max sign area. Temporary window sign: Up to 90 days, no permit needed. Height limit: No signs above second floor windows. Fine: $50 to $750 per violation, NCC 28-302.

A window sign that exceeds the 35 percent coverage cap, stays up beyond the 90-day temporary-sign window without becoming a compliant permanent sign, or is illuminated beyond 100 footlamberts is a violation of NCC 28-302, punished by a fine under the City's penalty and fine schedule of $50.00 to $750.00 per violation, with each day the noncompliant sign remains counted as a separate offense.

Freeway-Facing Signs

Industrial and Commercial lots within 1,320 feet of the I-35 right-of-way get one extra ground sign under NCC 28-504 and 28-505, on top of the district's normal sign allowance. The additional sign must face the interstate, can rise as high as 80 feet, and its allowed face size scales up with how far its bottom edge sits off the ground.

Key details: Qualifying zones: Industrial or Commercial within 1,320 ft of I-35. Extra sign height: Up to 80 feet. Minimum ground clearance: 25 feet at sign bottom. Residential setback: 4 times the sign's own height. Face size range: 75 to 150 square feet per side.

Erecting the extra I-35-facing sign without meeting the 80-foot height cap, 25-foot minimum clearance or residential setback formula is a chapter 28 violation the Code Compliance Officer can cite under NCC 28-902. Unlike the sign code's prohibited-signs violations, this one is not excluded from board review, so a denied permit or a citation over the freeway sign's dimensions can be appealed to the Board of Adjustment under NCC 28-901. Absent a specific fine in chapter 28, NCC 1-114's general penalty applies: up to $750.00 or 60 days imprisonment.

Digital Billboards

Norman allows one electronic digital sign per business, but only in areas zoned commercial or industrial, under NCC 28-413. A digital sign must hold each static message for at least 12 seconds, cap brightness at 300 NITs after dark and 5,000 NITs by day, and sit at least 50 feet from a signalized intersection and 200 feet from a residential zoning district if visible from one.

Key details: Allowed zones: Commercial and industrial districts only. Signs per business: One digital sign per business. Message dwell time: At least 12 seconds per message. Night brightness cap: 300 NITs. Day brightness cap: 5,000 NITs.

Installing a digital sign that violates NCC 28-413's placement, dwell-time or brightness limits is a chapter 28 violation subject to citation by the Code Compliance Officer, with each 24-hour period of a continuing violation counted as a separate offense. Because chapter 28 sets no specific fine for this section, the Code's general penalty in NCC 1-114 applies: a fine of up to $750.00 or up to 60 days imprisonment, or both. A rejected sign permit or a citation may be appealed to the Board of Adjustment under NCC 28-901.

The Bottom Line

Norman'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 Norman is broadly strict or permissive.

Keep in mind that Norman 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.