Moreno Valley, CA Sign Regulations: Freeway-Facing Signs (2026)

Freeway signs sit on the city's list of signs that require a sign permit under Section 9.12.060(A)(1)(d), so a business cannot erect one without filing with the community development department and paying the processing fee under Section 9.12.020(B). Section 9.12.060(E) sets the physical standard: "One freestanding on-site sign shall be permitted per parcel or business complex, unless otherwise approved by the community development director, provided that the sign is located within 660 feet of a freeway right-of-way. Such sign shall not exceed 45 feet in height and 150 feet in sign area." The 150-square-foot cap is not absolute: the same section lets the director approve a larger sign area if a determination is made that an increase is needed to improve compatibility with the development's architecture.

Freeway signs also get a changeable-copy allowance the rest of the sign code does not: subsection E.1 lets the director approve up to 100% of the sign's area for changeable copy, well above the citywide 50% cap in Section 9.12.060(A)(2), provided the display still identifies at least one on-site business either in the changeable copy or the sign structure itself. That changeable content can advertise "establishments, products, services and activities that are sold, produced, and/or furnished on-site or off-site," unlike a true off-site billboard. Once installed, a freeway sign is subject to the same construction, illumination and maintenance rules as any other sign under Sections 9.12.090 and 9.12.100.