Sign Regulations in Chattanooga, TN (2026)
6 verified sign regulations for Chattanooga, Tennessee, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Political Signs
Chattanooga exempts political yard signs from its temporary sign permit, but requires them removed within 15 days after the election they refer to.
Political Yard Sign Rules in Chattanooga
Light RestrictionsChattanooga City Code §§ 3-145(1), 3-146(3)(e)
1.Permit Required. All temporary signs other than political signs must be permitted in accordance with Section 3-192 prior to placement or erection of such sign or banner. ... (e)All such political yard signs shall be removed within fifteen (15) days after the election to which they refer has been held. Such signs erected for a primary election may remain only if they continue to be valid for t...
Garage Sale Signs
Chattanooga limits garage sale yard signs to 32 square feet, displayed no more than 15 days before and 30 days after the sale.
Garage Sale Sign Rules in Chattanooga
Some RestrictionsChattanooga City Code § 3-146(3)
Yard Signs. All yard signs including but not limited to garage sales, construction or real estate purposes, and sports leagues and excluding political signs shall be limited to fifteen (15) days before and no more than thirty (30) days following the event. Yard signs shall have a sign area of thirty-two (32) square feet or less and shall be subject to the following restrictions:(a)No such yard ...
Holiday Displays
Chattanooga's on-premise Sign Code exempts holiday decorations from its Article XIX character-area sign rules: displays with lighting that are clearly incidental to, and customarily associated with, a national, state, local, or religious holiday need no sign permit and don't count toward a property's sign-area cap. The same exemption clears governmental signs, civic/political flags, and memorial plaques citywide.
Chattanooga Holiday Lighting Display Exemption
Few RestrictionsChattanooga City Code § 3-174(2)(d)
2.Exclusions from Article. The following shall not be subject to the provisions of this Article:a.Signs provided or required by a duly constituted governmental body, including traffic or similar regulatory devices, or legal notices.b.Flags or emblems of a political, philanthropic, educational, or religious organization.c.Memorial plaques or tablets.d.Holiday decorations which are clearly incide...
Digital Billboards
Chattanooga's off-premise sign code caps digital billboards to static images with automatic dimming: daytime brightness at 90% max and nighttime cut to 30%, with every LED permit reviewed by the City Traffic Engineer.
Chattanooga Digital Billboard Dimming Rules
Some RestrictionsChattanooga City Code § 3-19(d)
Any signs which contain light emitting diode (LED), liquid crystal display (LCD) illumination or any sign capable of its message/display being changed by electronic/remote means shall comply with the following requirements or equivalent:i.All LED signs and off-premise message centers shall be mounted on permanent sign structures only. Vehicle-mounted LED displays of any type, including parked o...
Window Signs
Window and door signs in Chattanooga can cover no more than 25% of the glass or door area they're mounted on, per Chattanooga City Code §§ 3-185, 3-185.1. The sign can't rise above the top of the window, can't be internally or externally illuminated, and must stay clean, orderly, and clear enough that people can still see through the glass for safety.
Chattanooga Window & Door Sign Rules
Some RestrictionsChattanooga City Code §§ 3-185, 3-185.1
Sec. 3-185. - Window and Door Signs. SIGN TYPE: WINDOW AND DOOR. REGULATION applies in Brainerd Overlay, General, Highway Commercial, Lovell Field Gateway Overlay, Residential, Scenic, Veterans Bridge: Sign Area 25% of Window/Door Area; Sign Height/Placement Cannot exceed height of window; Illumination Type None. Sec. 3-185.1. - Additional Regulations. 1.Signage must be maintained in a clean an...
Freeway-Facing Signs
Chattanooga regulates off-premise signs facing interstates and other controlled-access highways within a 660-foot-wide sign control district, capping their setback, height, size, and spacing.
Freeway-Facing Sign Rules in Chattanooga
Some RestrictionsChattanooga City Code §§ 3-32, 3-33
There is hereby established a sign control district, which shall consist of a strip of land six hundred sixty (660) feet wide on each side of the right-of-way of all controlled access facilities, as defined herein, within the City, within which district all signs that are primarily oriented toward and are designed or situated to be observed from the controlled access facility are hereby regulat...
Looking for Hamilton County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Chattanooga city rules.
Sign Regulations in Hamilton County →