Sign Regulations in Jefferson County, AL (2026)
6 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 3 cities in Jefferson County, Alabama.
Verified from official government sources
Political Signs
Jefferson County's Zoning Resolution caps political signs at two per parcel and four square feet apiece, and requires them to be non-illuminated and temporary. Section 1403.01(g) allows them in any zoning district where county zoning applies, alongside real-estate and builder signs, for up to six months before they must meet permanent-sign standards. Inside the U.S. Highway 280 Corridor, Section 1502.09(c)(11) separately exempts political campaign signs on private property from that corridor's sign-permit process.
Jefferson County Political Sign Size and Time Limits
Some RestrictionsJefferson County Zoning Resolution § 1403.01(g)
1403.01 Signs permitted in all zoning districts. In all zoning districts, the following signs shall be permitted without limitation: ... g. Non-illuminated temporary real estate for sale signs, for rent signs, political signs, or builder/renovator signs, maximum two (2) per parcel, measuring no more than four (4) square feet in area. The signs shall be posted for a period of not more than six (...
Garage Sale Signs
A garage-sale sign counts as a temporary sign under Jefferson County's Zoning Regulations: it needs a sign permit and can stay up no more than 30 days before it must meet full permanent-sign standards. Signs cannot be nailed, wired or otherwise fixed to any pole, tree or fence in a public right-of-way.
Jefferson County Temporary Sign Permit, 30-Day Cap
Some RestrictionsJefferson County Zoning Regulations § 1403.04 (Temporary Signs)
1403.04 Temporary signs. Temporary signs are non-illuminated signs including banners and free-standing signs or posters made of materials not intended to be permanent and for purposes of advertising temporary promotions such as grand openings or closings and special events. These signs are subject to permit requirements and are allowed for a maximum of 30 days. Any sign posted for a longer per...
Holiday Displays
Within the U.S. Highway 280 Corridor Overlay District, Jefferson County's sign regulations exempt holiday lights and decorations from the permit, site-plan and inspection requirements that otherwise apply to signage. The exemption sits in Zoning Resolution Section 1502.09(c), the corridor's Exempt Signs list, administered by the Department of Development Services. Outside the Highway 280 Corridor, the countywide sign code contains no equivalent holiday-display exemption.
Jefferson County Holiday Light Displays Sign Exemption
Few RestrictionsJefferson County Zoning Resolution § 1502.09(c)(4)
c. Exempt Signs: The following signs are exempt from the requirements of this Section, provided they do not create a safety hazard as determined by the appropriate governmental authority. ... 4. Holiday lights and decorations.
Digital Billboards
Jefferson County's billboard article sets a tighter minimum spacing for digital billboards than for standard ones: ordinary billboards on the same side of a road must sit at least 1,000 feet apart, but that gap grows to 1,500 feet whenever one or both signs are digital, under Zoning Section 1404.02.
Jefferson County Digital Billboard Spacing Rule
Significant RestrictionsJefferson County, AL Zoning Regulations § 1404.02(b)-(c) (Billboards — Location)
b. Billboards shall not exceed six hundred seventy-two (672) square feet, have more than two (2) faces, nor be erected closer than one thousand (1,000) feet to another legally erected billboard, as measured along the same side of the street or highway or no closer than one thousand five hundred (1,500) feet as measured along the same side of the street or highway if one or both are digital bill...
Window Signs
Jefferson County's sign code exempts window signs from its general permitting and design standards, but only up to a point: a sign posted inside a window counts as exempt only while it covers less than 40 percent of that window's glass area, per Zoning Section 1403.03.
Jefferson County Window Sign Coverage Exemption
Light RestrictionsJefferson County, AL Zoning Regulations § 1403.03(d) (Exempt Signs — Window Signs)
1403.03 Exempt signs. The following signs are exempt from these regulations: a. Addresses. Address numerals used for the sole purpose of providing addresses; b. Directional. Directional signs of less than four (4) square feet in area with or without logos; c. Fuel pump logo. Corporate or brand logos attached to fuel pumps; d. Window signs. Signs posted inside of windows comprising less than 40%...
Freeway-Facing Signs
Jefferson County restricts billboards to a short list of designated highway corridors rather than allowing them anywhere: Interstates 22, 20, 59, 65 and 459, Alabama Highways 75 and 79, and U.S. Highway 78, under Zoning Section 1404.02. Any other road requires discretionary Special Use approval.
Jefferson County Billboard Interstate-Only Siting
Significant RestrictionsJefferson County, AL Zoning Regulations § 1404.02(b) (Billboards — Location)
b. ... All billboards shall be located only along the roads or highways specified below: Interstates 22, 20, 59, 65, 459 or any federally-designated Interstate Alabama Highways 75, and 79 US Highway 78. Billboards may also be permitted, subject to these regulations, on other roadways only as a Special Use approved by the Planning and Zoning Commission except in Overlay Districts.
Sign Regulations by City in Jefferson County
3 cities in Jefferson County have their own sign regulations rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
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