Kings County, CA Sign Regulations: Freeway-Facing Signs (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit required
- Conditional Use Permit
- Zoning district
- CH district only
- Off-site clustering cap
- Two off-premises sites per interchange
- Design requirement
- Professional engineer required
Summary
Along Interstate 5 interchanges, illuminated highway-traveler-service signs that exceed the county's standard maximum copy area need a Conditional Use Permit, must be engineer-designed, sized only for highway visibility, and confined to two off-premises sites per interchange within the CH zoning district.
In the immediate area of interchanges along Interstate-5, illuminated signs advertising highway traveler
services at that interchange which exceed the maximum copy area per site or per use allowed by Table 6-3 of this Development Code, may be permitted through a Conditional Use Permit, provided that:
A. The structure is designed by a professional engineer and does not pose a safety hazard.
B. The structure shall not be larger than is necessary to be seen clearly by travelers along Interstate 5.
C. Such structures may be located on the actual site of the business or service being advertised, or a group of signs may be clustered in two off premises sites per interchange, but within the CH zoning district at that interchange.
Signs and Signage Art. 14 Regulations Page 14 - 8
DEVELOPMENT CODE
Full Breakdown
Kings County's Development Code caps freeway sign copy area under Table 6-3, but Section 1410 carves out a narrow exception for interchanges along Interstate 5: illuminated signs advertising highway traveler services at that interchange may exceed the standard cap only through a discretionary Conditional Use Permit. The oversized structure must be engineered by a professional engineer, built no larger than needed for highway visibility, and sited either on the advertised business's own lot or clustered at up to two off-premises locations per interchange, and only within the CH commercial-highway zoning district. Violations are enforced under Article 24 of the Development Code.
Violations & Fines
Any sign built, altered, or maintained in violation of the Development Code's sign standards, including this interchange exception, is unlawful and is enforced under Article 24 of the Development Code (Sec. 1411).
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a business put up an oversized sign near the I-5 interchange in Kings County?
Where can these oversized freeway signs be located?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Kings County
California rules heatmap·Compare Kings County to another location·View the California sign regulations overview
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