Pomona's Sign Regulations: The Rules That Matter

Every city handles sign regulations a little differently. In Pomona, 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.

Political Signs

Pomona allows political signs on private property in any zoning district only during the election window, from the close of candidate nomination or ballot measure qualification until election day. City Code Sec. 42-2 requires removal by the Monday after the election.

Key details: Placement window: Close of nomination/qualification until election. Removal deadline: Monday following the election. City removal trigger: 7 days past removal deadline. Removal cost billed to: Candidate or political organization. Public property signs: Never allowed, min. $25 abatement cost.

A political sign left up on private property past the Monday following the election, and not removed within the following seven days, is removed by the city, with the cost charged to the candidate or the responsible political organization rather than treated as a fine on the property owner. A political sign posted on public property at any time is separately a nuisance under Sec. 42-1, remediable by criminal proceeding, civil proceeding, or city abatement carrying a presumed minimum cost of $25.00 assessed against the person who posted it, the person or business advertised, and the property owner where an advertised activity is held.

Freeway-Facing Signs

Pomona bans advertising displays on property next to a freeway if the display is designed to be seen primarily by freeway travelers. City Code Sec. 42-3 exempts only displays specifically allowed by the comprehensive zoning ordinance.

Key details: Governing section: City Code Sec. 42-3. Test: Designed to be viewed primarily from the freeway. Exception: Only if allowed by the zoning ordinance. Freeway defined by: State Streets and Highways Code. Enforcement: Nuisance abatement, min. $25 cost, Sec. 42-1.

Sec. 42-3 does not carry its own separate penalty clause, so an unlawfully placed or maintained freeway-facing advertising display falls under the general signs-chapter nuisance remedy in Sec. 42-1: it is a nuisance remediable by criminal proceeding, civil proceeding, or city abatement, with a presumed minimum abatement cost of $25.00 assessed against the person who posted the sign, the business or person advertised, and the owner of the property where the advertised activity is held.

Compared to other cities, Pomona takes a harder line on freeway-facing signs. The enforcement and penalty structure reflects that.

Garage Sale Signs

Pomona limits a garage sale to two signs, and both come down the moment the sale ends. City Code Section 30-754 caps each unlighted sign at six square feet, bans posting them on telephone poles, streetlights, traffic signs or sidewalks, and lets the code/zoning manager treat any noncompliant sign as a nuisance subject to immediate abatement.

Key details: Sign limit: 2 unlighted signs per sale. Max size: 6 square feet each. Placement ban: No poles, sidewalks or streetlights. Where allowed: Private property only. Display window: Matches the sale dates only.

A sign that doesn't comply with Section 30-754, too big, illuminated, posted on a pole or in the right-of-way, or displayed outside the sale's scheduled dates, is declared a nuisance and subject to immediate abatement by the code/zoning manager, without waiting for a normal violation notice to expire. Because sign violations fall under Article XII's general penalty provision, conducting the underlying occasional sale improperly is an infraction, stepping up to a misdemeanor after more than three violations of the same provision within a year (Section 30-752).

Window Signs

Pomona limits window signs to 50% coverage of any window panel under Zoning and Development Code Sec. 630.F.2.g, whether the signs are temporary, permanent, or a mix of both. Window signs are restricted to ground-floor windows, capped at 2 per lot (or per 30 feet of building frontage, whichever is greater), and combined with a business's total building sign area allowance.

Key details: Max window coverage: 50% of any window panel. Window signs allowed only: Ground floor. Max signs per lot: 2, or 1 per 30 ft frontage. Opaque-background sign cap: 10 sq ft. Neon/illuminated window sign cap: 4 sq ft.

A window display that blows past the 50% coverage cap or exceeds the per-lot sign count is enforced the same way as any other sign violation: Sec. 630.D.6.a requires nonconforming or excess signage to be removed and any residue cleaned up, and the property owner can also be cited under the City Code's general penalty, Sec. 1-7, as an infraction (up to $500 for a repeat violation within a year) or a misdemeanor carrying up to a $1,000 fine and six months in jail.

Digital Billboards

Pomona bans digital billboards twice over: Sec. 630.C.8 prohibits any electronic sign that displays video or multimedia content or text citywide, and Sec. 630.C.12 separately bans all off-site billboards under Proposition L, a 1993 voter initiative that can't be overridden without another citywide vote. No digital or static off-site advertising sign can be built, relocated or structurally altered anywhere in the city.

Key details: Digital/electronic signs: Prohibited citywide (Sec. 630.C.8). Off-site billboards: Prohibited citywide (Sec. 630.C.12). Ban source: Proposition "L", Nov. 2, 1993. Change requires: Citywide voter approval. Noncommercial swap allowed: Only on existing on-site signs.

Anyone who erects a digital sign or a new off-site billboard faces mandatory removal: Sec. 630.D.6.a requires prohibited signs to be removed immediately by the property owner, with all visual trace of the sign, including residue, cleared away. Beyond removal, an illegal billboard or digital sign is also a City Code violation under the general penalty, Sec. 1-7, punishable as an infraction (up to $500 for repeat offenses within a year) or a misdemeanor carrying up to a $1,000 fine and six months in jail.

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

The Bottom Line

Pomona is tougher than many cities when it comes to sign regulations. Out of the 5 rules covered here, 2 are rated strict. If you are a homeowner, renter, or business owner in Pomona, take the time to understand these requirements before they become a problem. Most violations come with fines, and some repeat violations can escalate.

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