Sign Regulations in Madera County, CA (2026)
4 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 1 city in Madera County, California.
Verified from official government sources
Political Signs
Unincorporated Madera County allows an extra 32 square feet of campaign-sign area per parcel, but signs can't go up more than 90 days before an election or stay more than 10 days after.
Madera County Campaign Sign Rules
Some RestrictionsMadera County Code §§ 18.90.030(H), 18.90.110(B)
H."Campaign sign" means a sign advertising a candidate for political office, a political party or a measure scheduled for an upcoming election, or announces a campaign, drive or event of a civic, philanthropic, educational or religious organization. No campaign sign shall be displayed earlier than ninety days prior to, or later than ten days after, the date of the election or the event. ... B.A...
Digital Billboards
Madera County bans moving parts and intermittent lighting on every sign in the unincorporated county, which rules out digital and electronic message billboards outright under the general sign ordinance.
Madera County Digital Billboard Ban
Heavy RestrictionsMadera County Code § 18.90.150
No sign shall contain moving parts. No sign may be illuminated by intermittent light. Only on-premises and off-premises signs may be illuminated within commercial, industrial or institutional zone districts. Only signs displaying a property address may be illuminated in a residential and agricultural zone district.
Window Signs
In the Oakhurst/Ahwahnee Plan Area of unincorporated Madera County, a window sign under three square feet needs no sign permit at all, but anything larger counts against the building's overall sign area. Madera County Code Sections 18.91.040(B)(1)(a) and 18.91.050(A)(7) set that three-square-foot line for decals and illuminated window signs alike.
Madera County Oakhurst Window Sign Limit
Some RestrictionsMadera County Code §§ 18.91.020, 18.91.040(B)(1)(a), 18.91.050(A)(7)
"Window sign" means a sign permanently painted upon a window, or intended to be viewed only from outside a window, including appurtenant signs. ... a.Window signs: window signs exceeding three square feet in area shall be computed in the building sign area. Appurtenant signs shall be computed in the window sign area. ... 7.Total window sign area for a business including decals and illuminated s...
Freeway-Facing Signs
Businesses near a Highway 99 interchange in unincorporated Madera County share a single freeway sign per interchange quadrant instead of putting up individual roadside signs. Madera County Code Section 18.90.160 caps that shared sign at 1,200 square feet and 90 feet tall, bans animated and neon signage, and requires a planning commission variance for anything larger.
Madera County Freeway 99 Sign Program
Some RestrictionsMadera County Code § 18.90.160(A), (B), (C)(1)
A.Purpose. As development interest along the county's main transportation corridors has increased, limitations in existing county policies and standards have become apparent. The proliferation of unregulated signage has the potential to negatively impact viewsheds along the highway corridor. ... B.Overview. There are eight existing highway interchanges. All parcels within a one-half-mile radius...
Sign Regulations by City in Madera County
1 cities in Madera County have their own sign regulations rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
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