Sign Regulations in Butte County, CA (2026)
5 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 1 city in Butte County, California.
Verified from official government sources
Political Signs
Political signs in unincorporated Butte County run on an election calendar. Section 24-108(C) allows them to go up no earlier than 90 days before an election and requires removal no later than seven days after, and it bars placing any political sign within the public right-of-way regardless of timing.
Butte County Political Sign Timing Rules
Light RestrictionsButte County Code of Ordinances § 24-108(C)
C.Political Signs.1.Signs shall be installed no earlier than ninety (90) days prior to the election and removed no later than seven (7) days following the election.2.Signs shall be prohibited within the public right-of-way.
Garage Sale Signs
A Butte County resident can post one garage sale sign without any permit. Section 24-101(A)(10) allows "one (1) garage sale sign at the residence where the garage sale is taking place, with a maximum area of sixteen (16) square feet," but the sign must stay on that property and cannot be planted in the road right-of-way, on a neighbor's parcel, or on a tree.
Butte County Garage Sale Sign Rules
Light RestrictionsButte County Code of Ordinances § 24-101(A)(10)
A.Types of Signs. The following signs are allowed without a permit and do not count towards the allowable area or number of signs on a site. ... 10.One (1) garage sale sign at the residence where the garage sale is taking place, with a maximum area of sixteen (16) square feet.
Digital Billboards
Digital billboards are tightly regulated in unincorporated Butte County. Section 24-106(E) requires each still image to hold for at least eight seconds with no motion or flashing, an automatic dimmer and photocell, and brightness capped at three-tenths of a footcandle above ambient light generally and one-tenth near residential zones. A Minor Use Permit is required for any off-site digital sign.
Butte County Digital Billboard and Sign Standards
Significant RestrictionsButte County Code of Ordinances § 24-106(E)
E.Digital Signs, Off-Site, Freestanding, and Monument. Off-site, freestanding, and monument digital signs shall be permitted only if all of the following criteria are met:1.All digital display faces must be oriented primarily for viewing from the adjacent roadway.2.The sign may only present a series of still images, each of which is displayed for at least eight (8) seconds. The still images may...
Window Signs
Butte County caps window signage at a quarter of the glass. Zoning Ordinance Section 24-106(D) says window signs cannot cover more than 25 percent of any window, with multi-pane windows measured as the framed area of all panes combined, and the sign tables for commercial, industrial, and agricultural zones repeat that 25 percent cap while allowing no maximum number of signs.
Butte County Window Sign Coverage Limit
Some RestrictionsButte County Code of Ordinances § 24-106(D)
Q.Window Sign. A sign posted, painted, placed, or affixed in or on a window exposed to public view. ... D.Window Signs. Window signs shall not cover more than twenty-five (25) percent of any window. If a window has multiple panes, the window's total area shall be measured as the framed area of all panes.
Freeway-Facing Signs
Butte County limits freeway signs to businesses serving the "freeway-motoring public." Section 24-106(A) requires the sign to sit on the same parcel as the business, within 800 feet of State Route 99 or State Route 70, and advertise a use like gas, food, or lodging. Commercial and industrial zones allow one 100-square-foot single-face sign up to 40 feet tall per parcel.
Butte County Freeway Sign Size and Location Rules
Some RestrictionsButte County Code of Ordinances § 24-106(A)
A.Freeway Signs. Freeway signs shall be permitted only if all of the following criteria are met:1.The sign is located on the same parcel as the business being advertised;2.The sign is located on a parcel that is located a maximum distance of eight hundred (800) feet from the centerline of State Route 99 and/or State Route 70 at its closest point; and3.The sign advertises a business that provide...
Sign Regulations by City in Butte County
1 cities in Butte County have their own sign regulations rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
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