Maricopa, AZ Sign Regulations: Freeway-Facing Signs (2026)
Key Facts
- Billboards
- Prohibited outright, § 18.115.050(A)(1)
- Off-site signs
- Prohibited, § 18.115.050(A)(5)
- Code definition
- "Billboard. See Sign, off-site."
- Gas stations
- No freeway/interstate frontage sign, § 18.115.090(I)(1)
- "Public street"
- Excludes limited access freeways
- Enforcement
- Removal by zoning administrator
Summary
Maricopa bans billboards outright and prohibits off-site advertising signs citywide under Maricopa City Code § 18.115.050(A)(1) and (A)(5), which is why the city has no freeway-facing billboard corridor. The code's own definitions equate the two: 'Billboard. See "Sign, off-site."' A separate provision even denies gas stations a freestanding sign on freeway or interstate frontage.
A. Prohibited Signs. Any sign not specifically listed as permitted by this chapter is prohibited, including but not limited to the following: 1. Billboards; ... 5. Off-site signs, except those listed in MCC 18.115.120 and 18.115.130...
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 26-10, passed April 21, 2026).
Full Breakdown
Freeway-facing advertising has no path to approval in Maricopa. 050(A) makes clear that 'any sign not specifically listed as permitted by this chapter is prohibited,' and lists two categories that cover freeway billboards directly: '1. Billboards' and '5. ' The code's definitions section ties the two together explicitly: 'Billboard. "' An off-site sign is defined as 'a sign located outside the legal description of the property that directs attention for a commercial purpose to a business, commodity, service, entertainment, product or attraction that is not sold, offered, or existing on the property where the sign is located,' which is exactly how a freeway billboard operates.
130, are both small-format and don't create a carve-out for large freeway displays. 090(I)(1) to 'one freestanding sign per street frontage on which the service station has frontage; but not including freeway or interstate frontage,' denying them a sign on freeway frontage even for their own on-site business. 090(C).
Violations & Fines
An illegal billboard or off-site freeway sign is subject to removal by the zoning administrator under Maricopa City Code § 18.115.190(A)(1) and prosecution under § 1.10.010: a Class 1 misdemeanor carrying up to a $2,500 fine and six months' imprisonment, or a civil citation starting at $100 per day for a first offense and escalating to $400 per day for repeat violations, with a lien against the property recorded through the Pinal County recorder if the judgment goes unpaid.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a business put up a billboard along the freeway in Maricopa?
Can a gas station near the freeway put its sign facing the highway?
What counts as an off-site sign under Maricopa's code?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Maricopa
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