Sign Regulations in Raleigh, NC (2026)
2 verified sign regulations for Raleigh, North Carolina, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Digital Billboards
Raleigh bans digital signs almost everywhere, carving out narrow exceptions only for major DX-district venues. UDO Sec. 7.3.13.N prohibits any LCD, LED, or projection digital sign except a 750-square-foot wall sign on a civic building seating 10,000 or more, or a 100-square-foot ground sign for a civic building seating 2,100+ or an outdoor sports/entertainment facility seating 5,000+, all within the DX- district.
Raleigh Bans Digital Signs Except Big Venues
Heavy RestrictionsRaleigh Unified Development Ordinance § 7.3.13.N
DX Digital Signs Notwithstanding the provision of Sec. 7.3.2., signs that use technologies such as LCD, LED and Projection to display content such as digital images, video, streaming media, and information. Digital signs are prohibited except for the following:Attached, as a wall sign, not exceeding 750 square feet in area, per sign, to a civic building in the DX- zoning district where the civi...
Window Signs
Raleigh doesn't require a permit for window signs, but UDO Sec. 7.3.7 caps how much glass they can cover: no more than 50% of the window area facing any street, per floor, per side of the building, with a floor of at least 32 square feet even where 50% of the glass would be less. The rule only reaches mixed-use and frontage districts; window signs aren't a listed use in the R-1 through R-10 residential districts.
Raleigh Window Sign Coverage Limits
Light RestrictionsRaleigh Unified Development Ordinance § 7.3.7
A window sign is an on-premise sign attached flat but parallel to the inside of a window or is within 12 inches of the inside of the window. A sign permit is not required. ... Area per business (max combination of all windows covered by window signs): 50% per side of the building facing along any street per floor and not less than 32 square feet per side of the building facing along any street ...
Looking for Wake County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Raleigh city rules.
Sign Regulations in Wake County →