Placentia, CA Sign Regulations: Freeway-Facing Signs (2026)
Key Facts
- Approval
- Planning commission recommendation, then city council decision
- Parcel
- Minimum two acres, 100 feet frontage on Chapman or Orangethorpe
- Distance
- Within 1,500 lineal feet of the Orange 57 Freeway
- Height
- No more than 60 feet
- Area
- 300 square feet per face, 600 total
- Count
- One per business, site or integrated development
Summary
In the City of Placentia, California, an off-premises freeway sign needs approval from the planning commission and city council, a parcel of at least two acres on Chapman or Orangethorpe Avenue within 1,500 feet of the Orange 57 Freeway, and a height of no more than 60 feet.
(a) Off-premises freeway signs may be permitted subject to the following limitations: ... (2) The business(es) shall occupy the entire building area on a parcel that is a minimum of two (2) acres in size with a street frontage of at least one hundred (100) lineal feet on either Chapman or Orangethorpe Avenues and be located within one thousand five hundred (1,500) lineal feet of the Orange 57 Freeway right-of-way; and ... (c) Off-premises freeway signs shall meet all of the following requirements: (1) The sign shall be oriented to the freeway and set back at least fifteen (15) feet, but no more than fifty (50) feet from the freeway right-of-way and at least one hundred (100) feet from any residential zoned property or other freestanding freeway sign; ... (4) The sign shall not exceed sixty (60) feet in height; (5) The sign shall not exceed a maximum of three hundred (300) square feet per sign face and the sign shall be single or two-sided only. The total sign area of all faces shall not exceed a maximum of six hundred (600) square feet;
Full Breakdown
Off-premises freeway signs are the only freeway-oriented advertising signs the Placentia Municipal Code lets a business place away from its own property, and § 23.90.195 sets strict eligibility. Section 23.90.010 defines the sign as an outdoor advertising sign adjacent to or visible from the freeway identifying a business at some location other than the property where the sign is displayed, and it does not include billboards.
Eligibility under § 23.90.195(a): the advertised business is in the C-1, C-2, C-M or SP-5 districts, occupies the entire building area on a parcel of at least two (2) acres with at least one hundred (100) lineal feet of frontage on Chapman or Orangethorpe Avenues, and sits within one thousand five hundred (1,500) lineal feet of the Orange 57 Freeway right-of-way. The sign design must also be compatible with nearby structures.
Approval under subsection (b) runs through Chapter 23.75, development plan review. The planning commission forwards a recommendation, and the city council makes its own determination and can approve, modify or disapprove it.
Design limits in subsection (c): oriented to the freeway, set back at least fifteen (15) feet but no more than fifty (50) feet from the freeway right-of-way, and at least one hundred (100) feet from residentially zoned property or another freestanding freeway sign; set back ten (10) feet from any structure and five (5) feet from any public right-of-way or property line; no more than sixty (60) feet high; no more than three hundred (300) square feet per face and single or two-sided only, with six hundred (600) square feet total. Only one such sign is allowed per business, site or integrated commercial development, and other on-site signs must conform before a building permit issues.
On-premises freeway signs follow § 23.90.180(8). Next to a freeway or ramp, a commercial business can have a wall sign facing it or a freestanding sign of thirty (30) square feet per one hundred (100) lineal feet of freeway frontage, up to three hundred (300) square feet, and no more than twenty (20) feet above the freeway driving surface. In the M district, § 23.90.200(8) allows only wall signs facing the freeway.
Violations & Fines
Chapter 23.90 has no penalty clause of its own. Under § 1.08.020, a Title 23 violation can be charged as a misdemeanor, punished under § 1.08.010 by a fine not exceeding $1,000 or imprisonment up to one year, or both, or as an infraction with fines not exceeding $100, $200 and $500 for the first, second and each additional violation within one year. Each day is a separate offense. The building department is authorized by § 23.90.050 to stop any sign installation carried on in violation of the title.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a business put up a billboard-style sign along the 57 Freeway in Placentia?
Which parcels qualify for an off-premises freeway sign in Placentia?
How tall can a freeway sign be in Placentia?
Who approves freeway signs in Placentia?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Placentia
California rules heatmap·Compare Placentia to another location·View the California sign regulations overview
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