Sign Regulations in Auburn, WA (2026)
4 verified sign regulations for Auburn, Washington, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Political Signs
Auburn exempts temporary political signs from its sign code entirely: any temporary sign limited exclusively to noncommercial speech, the category political and campaign signs fall into, is not regulated under the size, permit or duration rules that govern commercial signage.
Auburn Political Sign Exemption Rules
Few RestrictionsAuburn City Code (ACC) 18.56.030(H)(11)
H. Exemptions. Unless otherwise specified or unless expressly prohibited, it is not the intent of this chapter to regulate the following signs: ... 11. Temporary signs limited exclusively to noncommercial speech.
Digital Billboards
Auburn allows electronic changing message center signs only in specific commercial and industrial zones, one per frontage, capped at 8,000 nits by day and 500 nits at night, with a minimum 1.5-second dwell time between message changes.
Auburn Digital Message Sign Rules
Significant RestrictionsAuburn City Code (ACC) 18.56.030(F)
F. Changing Message Center Signs. ... 1. Where Allowed. Changing message center signs shall only be allowed in the I, P-1, C-1, C-2, DUC, M-1 and M-2 zones. ... 4. Display. a. The display of the sign shall not change more rapidly than once every one and one-half seconds. ... 5. Light Levels. ... d. The brightness level shall not exceed 8,000 nits when measured from the sign's face at its maximu...
Window Signs
Auburn caps any window sign meant to be seen from the street at half the window's area, and treats permanent window signage as a wall sign subject to the wall sign area limits for the property's zoning district.
Auburn Window Sign Coverage Limits
Some RestrictionsAuburn City Code (ACC) 18.56.030(B)(3)-(4)
3. Signs which are placed upon or within a window and which are intended to be viewed from the right-of-way shall not exceed 50 percent of the window area; 4. Permits are not required, except that signs exceeding the allowable size and time duration must receive a permit issued by the planning, building and community director if special circumstances exist that warrant the additional signage.
Freeway-Facing Signs
Auburn bans billboards outright citywide: the large off-premises advertising signs typically aimed at freeway traffic cannot be erected or placed anywhere in the city under the sign code's list of prohibited signs.
Auburn Ban on Billboards and Off-Site Highway Signs
Heavy RestrictionsAuburn City Code (ACC) 18.56.030(I)(13)
I. Prohibited Signs. From and after the effective date of the ordinance codified in this chapter it shall be unlawful for any person to erect or place within the city, except as otherwise authorized: ... 13. Billboards;
Looking for King County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Auburn city rules.
Sign Regulations in King County →