Chattanooga, TN Sign Regulations: Freeway-Facing Signs (2026)
Key Facts
- Sign control district width
- 660 ft each side of ROW
- Off-premise sign setback
- 20 ft minimum from ROW
- Maximum sign height
- 50 ft above the roadway
- Maximum sign area
- 675 sq ft
- Sign spacing
- 1,000 ft apart, same side
Summary
Chattanooga regulates off-premise signs facing interstates and other controlled-access highways within a 660-foot-wide sign control district, capping their setback, height, size, and spacing.
There is hereby established a sign control district, which shall consist of a strip of land six hundred sixty (660) feet wide on each side of the right-of-way of all controlled access facilities, as defined herein, within the City, within which district all signs that are primarily oriented toward and are designed or situated to be observed from the controlled access facility are hereby regulated. For the purposes of this Article, "right-of-way" shall include all entrance and exit ramps of controlled access facilities.
(Ord. No. 14216, § 1, 4-8-25)
Sec. 3-33. - Standards and restrictions. The following standards and requirements shall govern signs within the sign control districts:
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 40 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
Along every controlled-access highway in Chattanooga, including the interstates, the city establishes a sign control district covering the outermost 660 feet on each side of the right-of-way. Any off-premise sign inside that strip that is oriented toward the highway must sit back at least 20 feet from the right-of-way, may rise no higher than 50 feet above the roadway, cannot exceed 675 square feet of sign area, and must be spaced at least 1,000 feet from the next off-premise sign on the same side of the highway.
Violations & Fines
Violating Chapter 3's sign rules is a misdemeanor: $25 to $50 per day the violation continues, plus city abatement, a property lien, and permit revocation for repeat offenders.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a billboard face I-24 or I-75 in Chattanooga?
How far apart must freeway billboards be in Chattanooga?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Chattanooga
Compare Chattanooga to another location·View the Tennessee sign regulations overview
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