Forsyth County, GA Sign Regulations: Freeway-Facing Signs (2026)
Key Facts
- General rule
- No signage facing the GA 400 limited-access corridor
- Exceptions
- Vacant lot listing, multi-unit listing, crown signs
- Size cap
- 12 ft height, 32 sq ft face
- Nonconforming conversion
- Needs state Vegetation Permit + arborist approval
- Penalty
- Up to $1,000 fine or 60 days jail
Summary
Along the limited-access stretch of Georgia 400 in Forsyth County, freeway-facing signage is banned outright. Section 66-111 allows only three narrow exceptions: a for-sale or for-rent sign on a vacant lot, a multi-unit for-sale or for-rent sign, or a crown sign under section 66-117. Any sign that qualifies is capped at 12 feet in height and 32 square feet of face.
No signage intended for viewing along a limited access highway shall be erected, except the following:(a)Sign on any property which is for sale or for rent, but is vacant and contains no building or structure, during period the property is for sale or rent;(b)Sign on any property where more than one lot or dwelling is for sale or rent for residential purposes, or where more than one building space is for sale or rent for nonresidential purposes, during the period said lots, dwellings, or building spaces are for sale or for rent; or(c)Crown signs pursuant to section 66-117. Any signage provided by this section shall be a maximum of 12 feet in height and have a maximum of 32 square feet of sign face, except for crown signs that shall adhere to standards as noted in section 66-117.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 43).
Full Breakdown
Section 66-111 of the Forsyth County sign ordinance flatly prohibits any signage intended for viewing along the limited-access GA 400 corridor, carving out only three exceptions. A vacant, unimproved lot that is for sale or for rent may carry a sign for as long as the listing lasts. A property offering more than one lot, dwelling or building space for sale or rent, whether residential or nonresidential, gets the same allowance while the listing is active. And crown signs meeting the separate standards of section 66-117, capped at 200 square feet and mounted on office building facades, are also permitted.
Any sign erected under these exceptions is limited to 12 feet in height and 32 square feet of sign face; only crown signs follow their own dimensional rules instead. The section separately lets a commercial property with GA 400 frontage that secures a state Vegetation Maintenance Permit convert a single legal nonconforming sign taller than 50 feet into two smaller monument signs, no taller than ten feet, once an enhanced landscaping plan is approved by the county arborist and the original sign is torn down; that trade-in option does not create any freestanding right to add a new sign absent a qualifying nonconforming sign to retire.
The identification exception for vacant or multi-unit listings does not require the sign's message to relate to the property at all, so long as a for-sale or for-rent listing exists.
Violations & Fines
A freeway-facing sign erected along GA 400 without qualifying under one of section 66-111's three exceptions is enforced by the director of planning and community development under section 66-72, who can cite the violator to magistrate court, seek an injunction, or remove the sign at the owner's expense. Section 66-73 sets a fine of up to $1,000.00 per violation, imprisonment up to 60 days, or both, and any sign standing in the highway right-of-way itself can be removed immediately without notice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I put up a billboard facing GA 400 in Forsyth County?
Can an old nonconforming GA 400 sign ever be replaced?
What size can a for-sale sign be along GA 400?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Forsyth County
Compare Forsyth County to another location·View the Georgia sign regulations overview
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