Sign Regulations in Cabarrus County, NC (2026)
3 rules for unincorporated Cabarrus County, North Carolina.
Verified from official government sources
Digital Billboards
Ground-mounted signs in unincorporated Cabarrus County may include a changeable copy or electronic message board face, but Development Ordinance § 11-16 caps that digital or reader-board area at 50 percent of the total sign face. Table 11-1.2 lists which zoning districts allow changeable copy and electronic message boards at all.
Cabarrus County Electronic Message Board Sign Cap
Some RestrictionsCabarrus County Code of Ordinances § 11-16
Changeable Copy Area and Electronic Message Board Area Changeable copy (reader board) area and electronic message board area are permitted provided that the changeable copy or electronic message board area does not exceed 50 percent of the total area of the sign face area. See Table 11-1.2 for districts where changeable copy and electronic message boards are permitted.
Window Signs
Cabarrus County lets businesses place window signs without a sign permit, but only if the lettering or graphics cover no more than 25 percent of the glass area of the entire storefront, per Development Ordinance § 11-12. Cover more than a quarter of the glass and the display is reclassified as a wall sign subject to the zoning district's wall sign rules.
Cabarrus County Window Sign Coverage Limit
Some RestrictionsCabarrus County Code of Ordinances § 11-12
Window Signs Signs placed or painted on the interior or exterior of glass windows or doors provided that such signs cover no more than 25 percent of the glass area of the entire storefront. Window signs that cover more than 25 percent of the glass shall be considered as wall signs and shall meet requirements for wall signs within the appropriate zoning district.
Freeway-Facing Signs
Off-premise signs, the billboard category advertising something not located on the site, are flatly prohibited throughout unincorporated Cabarrus County under Development Ordinance § 11-10. The same section bars signs within any right-of-way of a state-maintained road and bans glare-producing illumination that impairs driver vision on streets, roadways, or Concord Regional Airport approach paths.
Cabarrus County Bans Off-Premise Billboards
Heavy RestrictionsCabarrus County Code of Ordinances § 11-10
The following signs are prohibited within the unincorporated areas of the County: Signs which approximate official highway signs, warning signs or regulatory devices ... Off-Premise signs ... Signs placed within or extending into the right-of-way of state maintained streets and roads, except those signs in compliance with NCGS §136-32 ... Indirect illumination, such as floodlights, erected in s...
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