Sign Regulations in Merced, CA (2026)
4 verified sign regulations for Merced, California, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Garage Sale Signs
Garage sale signs in Merced can go on someone else's property only with the owner's permission, can never be placed in the public right-of-way or on public property like utility poles and traffic signals, and must come down within 24 hours after the sale ends under Section 9.54.020.C.
Merced Garage Sale Sign Rules
Some RestrictionsMerced, CA, Municipal Code Sec. 9.54.020.C (Requirements: Signage)
Signage: Any sign used in connection with advertising a garage sale shall comply with the following standards:1.With property owner permission, signs may be posted on property other than the site of the garage sale.2.No sign advertising a garage sale shall be in the public right-of-way or on public property, including, but not limited to, electrical poles and traffic signals.3.Signs shall be re...
Digital Billboards
Merced requires a conditional use permit for digital display signs and limits them to freestanding signs in commercial, overlay, and equivalent planned development zones. Brightness, refresh rate, and content are all separately capped, and digital displays are barred from billboards entirely.
Merced Digital Display Sign Standards
Significant RestrictionsMerced, CA, Municipal Code Sec. 20.62.250 (Digital display signs)
A. Digital display signs are allowed on freestanding signs with a conditional use permit issued pursuant to this title only within the Thoroughfare Commercial zone, Regional/Central Commercial zone, General Commercial zone, Neighborhood Commercial zone, Commercial Shopping Center zone, Freeway Overlay District, Old 99 Overlay District, and any Planned Development zone that has the equivalent ge...
Window Signs
Merced caps window signage at 20 percent of each window's area. Section 20.62.180 also requires an unobstructed view into the premises and exempts window signs from the building's overall temporary or permanent sign area allowance.
Merced Window Sign Coverage Limit
Some RestrictionsMerced, CA, Municipal Code Sec. 20.62.180 (Signs placed in windows)
A. Signs affixed to windows shall not cover more than twenty (20) percent of each window and shall be placed so that there is an unobstructed view of the interior of the premises. B. Signs in windows shall not be counted toward the maximum allowable temporary or permanent building sign size.
Freeway-Facing Signs
Parcels within Merced's Freeway Overlay District can add one pole or pylon sign per parcel through a freeway-oriented sign permit, up to 100 square feet per side and 90 feet tall, set back at least 10 feet from property lines and 40 feet from residential zones. Shared pylon signs for up to six businesses on one or adjacent parcels follow larger setbacks.
Merced Freeway Overlay Sign Standards
Some RestrictionsMerced, CA, Municipal Code Sec. 20.62.130(B)
B.In addition to the signs allowed in Section 20.62.100, parcels in the Freeway Overlay District with a commercial use may, upon issuance of a freeway-oriented sign permit, establish a pole sign or a pylon sign consistent with the following standards:1.There shall be a maximum of one (1) such pole or pylon sign per parcel.2.The sign shall have a maximum of two (2) sides.3.The maximum size shall...
Looking for Merced County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Merced city rules.
Sign Regulations in Merced County →