Merced, CA Sign Regulations: Freeway-Facing Signs (2026)
Key Facts
- Max freeway signs per parcel
- 1 pole/pylon sign
- Max sign size
- 100 sq ft per side
- Max height
- 90 feet
- Residential setback (single sign)
- 40 feet
- Shared sign uses allowed
- Up to 6 businesses
Summary
Parcels within Merced's Freeway Overlay District can add one pole or pylon sign per parcel through a freeway-oriented sign permit, up to 100 square feet per side and 90 feet tall, set back at least 10 feet from property lines and 40 feet from residential zones. Shared pylon signs for up to six businesses on one or adjacent parcels follow larger setbacks.
B.In addition to the signs allowed in Section 20.62.100, parcels in the Freeway Overlay District with a commercial use may, upon issuance of a freeway-oriented sign permit, establish a pole sign or a pylon sign consistent with the following standards:1.There shall be a maximum of one (1) such pole or pylon sign per parcel.2.The sign shall have a maximum of two (2) sides.3.The maximum size shall be one hundred (100) square feet per side.4.The maximum height shall be ninety (90) feet.5.The sign shall be set back a minimum of ten (10) feet from all property lines and rights-of-way.6.The sign shall be set back a minimum of forty (40) feet from any residential zone district.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 85 - 1-26).
Full Breakdown
130-1 and -2. A single commercial parcel may add one pole or pylon sign, with a freeway-oriented sign permit, up to two sides and 100 square feet per side, capped at 90 feet tall, set back at least 10 feet from all property lines and rights-of-way, at least 40 feet from any residential zoning district, and planted in a landscaped bed at least 3 feet wider than the sign base on every side. Subsection C lets up to six commercial uses on the same parcel or adjoining parcels share one pylon sign instead, sized at 100 square feet per use per side (so the total area scales with the number of participating businesses) at the same 90-foot height cap, but with larger setbacks: 15 feet from property lines and rights-of-way and 80 feet from any residential zone.
Subsection D allows internal illumination only, no external lighting, and requires compliance with Chapter 2 of the California Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices governing highway and private-road signage.
Violations & Fines
A freeway pole or pylon sign built without the required freeway-oriented sign permit, exceeding the 100-square-foot-per-side or 90-foot height limits, placed inside the mandatory setback from a residential zone, or lit with external illumination violates Section 20.62.130 and is enforceable the same as any other unpermitted sign, subject to removal and denial of future freeway signage on that parcel.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I put up a freeway pole sign for my business in Merced?
How tall can a freeway sign be in Merced?
Can multiple businesses share one freeway sign?
Can freeway signs be lit up at night in Merced?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Merced
California rules heatmap·Compare Merced to another location·View the California sign regulations overview
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