Sign Regulations in Maricopa County, AZ (2026)

4 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 10 cities in Maricopa County, Arizona.

Verified from official government sources

Note: These county rules apply to unincorporated areas of Maricopa County. If you live within an incorporated city, that city's own rules apply: see the city list below.

Political Signs

Political signs in unincorporated Maricopa County are regulated by the MCZO and Arizona state law (ARS 16-1019). Signs may be displayed 60 days before an election and must be removed within 30 days after. Political signs must be placed on private property only, not in public rights-of-way or intersection sight triangles. Arizona law protects the right to display political signs on residential property.

Signs: Political Signs

Few Restrictions

ARS §16-1019

16-1019. Political signs; printed materials; tampering; violation; classification; definitions C. Notwithstanding any other statute, ordinance or regulation, a city, town or county of this state shall not remove, alter, deface or cover any political sign if the following conditions are met: 1. The sign is placed in a public right-of-way that is owned or controlled by that jurisdiction. 2. The s...

Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Digital Billboards

Unincorporated Maricopa County allows digital billboards only in C-2/C-3 zoning under MCZO Article 1103.3.1, with a mandatory 11 p.m.-to-sunrise lights-out curfew, 300-nit evening dimming cap, and a ban on animation or flashing.

Maricopa County Digital Billboard Rules

Some Restrictions

Maricopa County Zoning Ordinance § 1103.3.1(10)(D)-(E)

Digital billboards shall adhere to the provisions of Article 1101.3 of this Chapter, except that from 11:00 p.m. until sunrise all digital billboard illumination shall be extinguished, and all digital billboards shall be equipped with an automatic device to assure compliance. ... Display time shall not change-message more than once every 8 seconds. There shall be no animation, flashing, blinkin...

Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Window Signs

Small interior window signs are exempt from Maricopa County's sign rules in unincorporated areas, but the exemption is narrow: Section 1101 caps exempt "public service" window signs at two square feet and limits them to noncommercial messages like "open," "closed," "vacancy," or "will return." Anything larger, or commercial in content, falls under the full chapter's permit and area standards.

Maricopa County Window Sign Exemption Limit

Light Restrictions

Maricopa County Zoning Ordinance § 1101, Exemptions (All Zoning Districts), ¶ 5

Exemptions [All Zoning Districts]: The following signs are permitted in all zoning districts and exempt from the regulations of this Chapter: ... 5. Public service signs, not exceeding two (2) square feet in area, placed in the interior of an establishment's building window or glass door, such as "open or closed," "vacancy," "will return," "no smoking," and other noncommercial messages; placed ...

Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Freeway-Facing Signs

In unincorporated Maricopa County, freeway-facing pylon signs are limited to C-S and C-2 zoning districts, capped at 65 feet (80 feet with cellular antennas), and must sit back at least 20 feet from any property line.

Maricopa County Freeway Pylon Sign Rules

Some Restrictions

Maricopa County Zoning Ordinance § 1103.2.5

Freeway Pylon Signs shall be permitted in the C-S and C-2 Zoning Districts only... Shall not exceed sixty-five (65) feet in height unless designed in such a way as to accommodate Wireless cellular panel antennas in which case sign height shall not exceed eighty (80) feet... Shall provide at the base a setback of not fewer than twenty (20) feet from any property line.

Full ordinance details →Official source ↗