Salem, OR Sign Regulations: Freeway-Facing Signs (2026)
Key Facts
- Freeway sign height cap
- 40 feet from grade
- General outdoor ad height cap
- 35 feet (14 ft display surface)
- Display surface max
- 300 sq ft
- Dwelling setback
- 200 feet
- Spacing (same side of street)
- 500 feet minimum
- Civil penalty
- Up to $2,000 per violation, per day
Summary
SRC 900.135(g)(3) limits any outdoor advertising sign primarily viewed from Interstate 5 to 40 feet in height, tighter than the general 35-foot cap that applies elsewhere, on top of a 300-square-foot display cap and setbacks running from 100 to 200 feet from homes and zones.
(g)Height.(1)Maximum height of the display surface and border and trim of an outdoor advertising sign shall be 14 feet.(2)Maximum height to the top of the permanent portion of an outdoor advertising sign shall not exceed 35 feet above the grade below the outdoor advertising sign; provided, however, that lawfully erected signs erected prior to April 28, 1969...may have up to ten percent additional height...(3)Outdoor advertising signs primarily to be viewed from the Interstate 5 Freeway shall not exceed 40 feet in height measured from the top of the sign to the grade below the sign.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 26 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
135(g) sets a general maximum height of 14 feet for an outdoor advertising sign's display surface, border, and trim, and 35 feet to the top of the sign's permanent portion above grade, with a ten percent bonus for signs lawfully erected before April 28, 1969. Subsection (g)(3) then singles out freeway-facing signs: an outdoor advertising sign "primarily to be viewed from the Interstate 5 Freeway" is capped at 40 feet measured from the top of the sign to the grade below it, five feet taller than the general limit because of the freeway's elevation and viewing distance.
These signs remain subject to the rest of Chapter 900's outdoor advertising standards: a 300-square-foot maximum display surface under (f), setbacks of 100 feet from residential, public, Commercial Office, Central Business District, South Waterfront Mixed-Use, Neighborhood Hub, and Fairview Mixed-Use zones, 200 feet from any dwelling unit, 200 feet from the Civic Center, and 200 feet from the Capitol Mall under (i), plus spacing rules under (j) barring another outdoor advertising sign within 500 feet on the same side of the road or 250 feet on the opposite side, and no more than three such signs along both sides of a street within 1,000 linear feet. Outdoor advertising signs are prohibited outright in any urban renewal district under (a), regardless of zone or height.
Violations & Fines
Under SRC 900.225(b), any violation of the outdoor advertising standards, including exceeding the 40-foot freeway height cap, carries a civil penalty of up to $2,000 per violation, with each day of continued violation a separate offense; agents assisting the violation face the same exposure. The Director may issue a stop work order or revoke the sign permit, the City withholds the notice of final occupancy until the violation is cured and any penalty paid, and the City may seek injunctive relief for up to five years against a person who willfully constructed, erected, enlarged, altered, or relocated a sign in violation of the chapter. Appeals of a revocation or removal order go to the Hearings Officer within 15 business days under SRC 900.230.
Frequently Asked Questions
How tall can a billboard facing I-5 be in Salem?
Are there older, taller billboards along I-5 still legal in Salem?
How far must an I-5 billboard be from a house in Salem?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Salem
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