Sign Regulations in Durham, NC (2026)
4 verified sign regulations for Durham, North Carolina, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Political Signs
Durham's UDO lets political and election signs go up in the public right-of-way without a permit, but the (City only) provision caps each sign at six square feet and four feet in height, keeps them clear of intersection sight lines, and enforces a strict clock: up 45 days before the election, down within 15 days after.
Durham Political Sign Size & Timing Rules
Some RestrictionsDurham UDO § 11.5.1
(City only) Signs erected in connections with elections, referenda, or current political events provided that they do not exceed six square feet per sign in area and are no more than four feet in height. The signs shall be located so as not to obstruct drivers' vision clearances at intersections. Such signs may be posted 45 days prior to an election in which a person identified on the sign is a...
Garage Sale Signs
Durham allows one yard sale sign per lot without a permit, capped at four feet in height and six square feet in area. UDO Sec. 11.4.2.R also sets a strict timing window: the sign can go up no more than five days before the sale and must come down within two days after it ends.
Durham Yard Sale Sign Rules
Some RestrictionsDurham UDO § 11.4.2.R
R. Yard sale signs A sign advertising a yard or garage sale. Standards Yard sale signs shall not exceed four feet in height and six square feet in area per sign. Limited to one sign per lot. Such signs may be erected up to five days prior to the event and shall be removed within two days after the event.
Digital Billboards
Durham's UDO bans animated, blinking, chasing, flashing or moving-effect signs, the standard for digital billboards and LED message boards, in every zoning tier except Downtown, where one is allowed only with a discretionary minor special use permit. Static changeable-copy displays are allowed on-premise in nonresidential and institutional settings but capped at 50% of sign area (80% for theaters) and no more than eight copy changes a day.
Durham Changeable Copy & Animated Sign Ban
Significant RestrictionsDurham UDO § 11.3.1; § 11.2.7
11.2.7. Changeable copy on on-premise signs ...changeable copy shall be allowed only on on-premise signs that are: in nonresidential districts, associated with nonresidential uses in the PDR District, or associated with places of worship and institutional uses in any district... No more than 50% of the area of a sign shall be devoted to changeable copy, except for signs for theaters which can d...
Window Signs
Durham caps window signage at 10% of the window area on each building façade. UDO Sec. 11.4.2.Q defines a window sign as anything attached to, painted on, etched into, or displayed within 12 inches of a window and legible from outside, and no permit is required as long as combined coverage stays under that 10% ceiling.
Durham Window Sign Coverage Limit
Some RestrictionsDurham UDO § 11.4.2.Q
Q. Window Signs ...Signs that are attached to, painted on, or etched into a window or displayed within 12 inches (measured horizontally) of the window and are legible from outside of the window. Standards Such signs in combination with other window signs shall not exceed 10% of the window area on each façade. Such signs in combination with all other signs on the lot shall not exceed the maximum...
Looking for Durham County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Durham city rules.
Sign Regulations in Durham County →