Sign Regulations in Columbus, OH (2026)
4 verified sign regulations for Columbus, Ohio, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Garage Sale Signs
Columbus lets residents post an on-premise garage or yard sale sign up to four square feet without a zoning permit, but the sale itself is capped at two events a year, four days at a time.
Garage Sale Sign Rules in Columbus
Some RestrictionsColumbus City Codes § 3375.09(C)
A temporary, nonilluminated, on-premise sign with a graphic area of 10 square feet or less, subject to the display limitations for maximum size, height, and display period as contained in C.C. 3376.10 or C.C. 3377.28, or a yard sale or garage sale sign, with a maximum graphic area of four square feet, in compliance with C.C. 3375.14(B).D.A street address not larger than ten square feet in aggre...
Digital Billboards
Columbus limits automatic changeable copy billboards to C-3, C-4, C-5 and M districts, caps brightness at 0.3 foot-candles above ambient, and requires 8-second static message holds.
Columbus Digital Billboard Brightness Rules
Some RestrictionsColumbus City Codes § 3378.06
For billboards located no more than 500 feet from a residential use or institutional district...Illumination of a billboard shall be limited to the hours between 6:00 a.m. and 11:00 p.m....Each automatic changeable copy billboard shall be equipped with a light sensing device that automatically adjusts the brightness of the billboard as ambient light conditions change...No automatic changeable c...
Window Signs
Columbus caps window signage at 25% of the window's area per City Code § 3377.23, with permanent signs over 10 square feet counted against a business's total allowed graphic area.
Columbus Window Sign Coverage Limit
Some RestrictionsColumbus City Codes § 3377.23
A permanent window sign, along with any removable window sign and any self contained graphic displayed in a window, shall not exceed 25 percent of the area of the window with which it is associated. A permanent window sign with a graphic area greater than ten square feet shall be counted as part of the allowable graphic area for the activity or use.
Freeway-Facing Signs
Columbus bars signs in or overhanging Interstate System right-of-way and sets a 660-foot line for both on-premises and off-premises signs.
Columbus Freeway-Facing Sign Setbacks
Some RestrictionsColumbus City Codes § 3379.01
D.A permanent on-premises sign may be erected within 660 feet of any interstate system right-of-way line in conformance with this Graphics Code. No mechanical movement, automatic changeable copy, or flashing lights or other special effect shall be utilized.E.Temporary on-premises signs may be displayed along Interstate System frontages. Such signs shall be subject to all standards pertaining to...
Looking for Franklin County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Columbus city rules.
Sign Regulations in Franklin County →