Fort Worth, TX Sign Regulations: Freeway-Facing Signs (2026)
Key Facts
- Location
- Only on property adjacent to a designated freeway
- Prohibited corridor
- Chisholm Trail Parkway (SH 121) scenic corridor
- Max height
- 25 ft at ROW, up to 35 ft with setback
- Admin-approved max height
- 50 ft to clear travel lanes by 20 ft
- Max width
- 24 feet
- Max message area
- 320 square feet
- Frontage cap
- 600 sq ft total on freeway/toll-road frontage
Summary
Fort Worth limits freeway signs to property immediately adjacent to a designated freeway, under Zoning Ordinance Section 6.409. Height tops out at 25 feet at the right-of-way (up to 35 with setback, or 50 with administrative approval), and the message area is capped at 320 square feet.
(3) Freeway signs are only permitted on property immediately adjacent to a designated freeway. Provided however, freeway signs are prohibited along the Chisholm Trail Parkway (SH 121) freeway scenic corridor. ...
(d) Freeway signs.
(1) Maximum height. Twenty-five feet allowed at the right-of-way line and one additional foot in height for each one foot of setback, up to 35 feet. Setback sign one foot for each foot in height from all adjacent property lines. (Administrative approval allowed for up to 50 feet in height to allow sign to be 20 feet above adjacent main travel lanes of freeway.)
(2) Maximum width. Twenty-four feet.
(3) Maximum advertised message area. Three hundred and twenty square feet.
(4) Minimum ground contact. Twenty-five of structure's width.
Full Breakdown
409 governs detached on-premise signs in Fort Worth's commercial and industrial districts and treats freeway signs as their own category alongside monument and pylon signs. Subsection (a)(3) permits freeway signs only on property immediately adjacent to a designated freeway, and expressly bars them along the Chisholm Trail Parkway (SH 121) freeway scenic corridor. Subsection (d) sets the dimensional envelope: maximum height of 25 feet at the right-of-way line, increasing one foot for every foot of setback up to 35 feet, with administrative approval available for up to 50 feet where needed to clear the freeway's main travel lanes by 20 feet; maximum width of 24 feet; maximum advertised message area of 320 square feet; and minimum ground contact of 25% of the structure's width.
These freeway-sign standards sit inside the broader frontage-based cap in subsection (f), which allows up to 600 square feet of total on-premise signage on property fronting a freeway or toll road, the highest of the street-classification tiers listed there. 401.
Violations & Fines
Sign code violations are enforced under Chapter 29 of the City Code as misdemeanors, punishable by a fine not to exceed $500 for most violations (up to $2,000 for fire-safety or public health and sanitation violations). Each day a violation continues is a separate offense, and the building official may issue a stop-work order on noncompliant construction.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I put a freeway sign anywhere in Fort Worth?
How tall can a Fort Worth freeway sign be?
How big can a freeway sign face be in Fort Worth?
Are freeway signs regulated differently than monument or pylon signs?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Fort Worth
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