San Antonio, TX Sign Regulations: Freeway-Facing Signs (2026)

Sec. 28-65 designates the I.H. 10 West/Loop 1604 urban corridor outside the city limits. It covers both sides of I.H. 10 West between Wurzbach Road and Boerne Stage Road and both sides of Loop 1604 between Northwest Military Highway and Hausman Road, each for 500 feet from the street right-of-way. Babcock Road (Loop 1604 to Camp Bullis Road) and Camp Bullis Road (I.H. 10 West to Babcock Road) are covered for 200 feet. Chapter 28 reaches the extraterritorial jurisdiction under Sec. 28-5(a), so a sign beside these highways is regulated even though the land is not inside San Antonio.

Off-premises signs are prohibited in the corridor. For on-premises signs, Sec. 28-65(e) sets height and area by the class of street the sign faces. On an expressway the cap is 40 feet for a pole sign and 50 feet for a multiple tenant sign, and the area cap is 350 square feet for a pole sign and 500 square feet for a multiple tenant sign. On a collector or arterial such as Babcock Road the caps drop to 30 and 40 feet, with 200 and 350 square feet. On a local street they are 10 and 15 feet, with 64 and 96 square feet.

Sec. 28-65(c) adds the mandatory provisions of Sec. 28-64 and Sec. 28-5. Under Sec. 28-64, animated, moving, flashing or rotating signs and roof signs are prohibited, though digital displays and electronic message centers are allowed up to 25 percent of the allowable sign area. Banners, pennants, streamers and small balloons are limited to 30 days each six months, and signs over 32 square feet need a permit. A lot gets one pole sign per 200 linear feet of frontage, at least 200 feet apart, or on an expressway one per 100 linear feet if each sign is 250 square feet or less. Sec. 28-64(a) says the most restrictive standard applies when a corridor rule and the general chapter conflict. Height is measured from the adjacent primary street grade and cannot exceed 60 feet above ground level.

A permit from the development services department is required before a sign is erected, and each sign carries a decal as evidence of the permit. Government signs, small non-electric directional signs and signs under 15 square feet not meant for the traveling public are exempt. A nonconforming sign must be brought into conformance when repairs or alterations exceed 50 percent of the sign's value.