How San Antonio Handles Sign Regulations: A Practical Guide

San Antonio maintains 213 local ordinances across all categories, and 6 of those deal specifically with sign regulations. Here is a breakdown of what the city actually requires, what is prohibited, and where San Antonio falls on the strict-to-permissive spectrum compared to other cities.

Garage Sale Signs

Garage sale signage in San Antonio is regulated under Chapter 16, Article XII (Garage Sales) and Chapter 28 (Signs). Residents may post up to 3 signs to advertise their sale, beginning 2 days before the event. All signs must be removed when the sale ends. Signs may not be placed on telephone poles, light standards, street signs, or city right-of-way. A garage sale permit ($16) must be obtained before the sale.

Key details: Code Section: Chapter 16, Art. XII; Chapter 28. Sign Limit: Maximum 3 signs per sale. Posting Window: May post 2 days before the event. Removal: All signs must be removed when sale ends. Prohibited Locations: Poles, light standards, street signs, right-of-way.

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

Freeway-Facing Signs

Along the IH-10 West/Loop 1604 corridor outside city limits, San Antonio bans off-premise billboards outright and caps on-premise freeway-facing signs at 40 feet (pole) or 50 feet (multi-tenant) in height, and 350 or 500 square feet in area, under Code of Ordinances Sec. 28-65. The overlay runs 500 feet from the right-of-way along each expressway.

Key details: Corridor width: 500 feet from right-of-way (expressways). Off-premise signs: Prohibited outright in corridor. Expressway pole sign: Max 40 ft tall, 350 sq ft. Expressway multi-tenant sign: Max 50 ft tall, 500 sq ft. Permit required: Development services department, before erection.

Erecting an off-premises sign or an oversized freestanding sign in the corridor without a Sec. 28-65 permit is a Chapter 28 violation, punishable as a misdemeanor with a fine up to $500 under Sec. 28-9, with each day of noncompliance a separate offense; the director can also order removal at the sign owner's expense within 60 days or treat a nonconforming sign as abandoned after 180 days of business closure.

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

Window Signs

Inside any San Antonio historic district or on a designated landmark, a window sign, defined under UDC Sec. 35-612 as anything placed inside a window or on the glass to communicate business or event information, counts as a building-mounted sign. It shares the same facade cap as any other sign there: no more than 20 percent of the facade and 50 square feet total per building without a variance.

Key details: Window sign defined at: UDC Sec. 35-612(b)(1)L. Facade coverage cap: 20% per facade. Building-wide sign cap: 50 sq ft absent HDRC waiver. Max signs per building: 3, applicant discretion. Promotional window signs: 6 sq ft, 24-hr removal.

Installing, painting, or altering a window sign in a historic district or on a landmark without a certificate of appropriateness and the historic preservation officer's prior approval violates Sec. 35-612(a)(1). Exceeding the 20-percent-of-facade or 50-square-foot building cap, or leaving a promotional window sign up longer than 24 hours after the event ends, is also a violation, and the city can order the sign brought into compliance or removed at the owner's expense under Chapter 28's sign enforcement provisions.

Holiday Displays

Inside San Antonio's Military Lighting Overlay Districts near Lackland AFB, Randolph AFB, Camp Bullis/Camp Stanley and Martindale Army Air Field, decorative holiday lighting is exempt from the district's strict color-temperature, foot-candle and shielding rules only from November 15 through the following January 15.

Key details: Exempt window: November 15 through the next January 15. Where it applies: Only inside MLOD overlay zones. MLOD reach: Within 5 miles of 4 military installations. Administering agency: Planning and Development Services Department. Relief mechanism: Board of Adjustment variance or special exception.

Holiday lighting kept up past January 15 on an MLOD-zoned property loses its exemption and must meet the district's regular standards: full cutoff fixtures, a maximum 3000K or 4000K color temperature depending on the Military Lighting Region, and trespass-light limits measured at the property line. The Planning and Development Services Department administers compliance under Sec. 35-339.04(22); noncompliant fixtures found outside the exempt window are treated as unpermitted outdoor lighting subject to the section's full requirements, with relief available only through a Board of Adjustment variance or special exception under subsection (23).

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

Digital Billboards

New off-premises digital signs, digital billboards, are prohibited across San Antonio and its ETJ. Only the roughly 13 LED billboards from a 2007 pilot program, plus narrowly council-authorized additions, may operate, and each must meet strict dwell-time, spacing, and brightness limits.

Key details: New digital billboards: Prohibited citywide + ETJ. Pilot-program cap: 15 permits (13 built). Minimum dwell time: 10 seconds. Spacing from another digital: 2,000 feet. Max brightness, full color day: 7,000 NITS.

A Chapter 28 violation is a misdemeanor punished by a fine up to $500 (Sec. 28-9), with each day a separate offense. Unpermitted or unregistered off-premises signs are removed at the owner's expense.

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

Political Signs

Political signs in San Antonio are regulated as temporary signs under Chapter 28 (Signs) of the Code of Ordinances. They may be displayed for up to 90 consecutive days, must be staked to the ground or securely affixed, and cannot be placed on city-owned property. Signs must have property owner approval and cannot create hazardous conditions. Violations are punishable through Municipal Court with fines up to $500.

Key details: Code Section: Chapter 28, Art. IV, Div. 2, SubDiv. F. Duration: Maximum 90 consecutive days. Placement: Private property only with owner approval. Prohibited: City-owned property. Penalty: Up to $500 per violation via Municipal Court.

If you are coming from a city with tighter rules, you will find San Antonio gives residents more flexibility on political signs.

The Bottom Line

Compared to many U.S. cities, San Antonio gives residents more room on sign regulations. 3 of the 6 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 San Antonio's current municipal code. Local rules can and do change, so check the individual ordinance pages for the latest details, penalties, and FAQs.