Any sign visible from US 101, I-280, I-680, I-880, SR-87, or SR-85 in San Jose requires a Caltrans Outdoor Advertising permit under California Business and Professions Code §5200. The city additionally enforces SJMC Title 23 zoning, height, and lighting limits on freeway-facing displays.
California's Outdoor Advertising Act (Business and Professions Code §5200 et seq.) gives Caltrans exclusive authority over signs that advertise to traffic on state highways and freeways. In San Jose this covers US 101, I-280, I-680, I-880, SR-87, SR-85, and SR-17. Off-premise billboards along these corridors require a Caltrans permit and are limited to specific zones; on-premise business signs visible from the freeway also need clearance if their primary purpose is to attract freeway traffic. San Jose layers its own SJMC Title 23 sign code on top, restricting height, illumination, and digital faces. Federal Highway Beautification Act standards also apply along Interstate freeways.
Erecting a freeway-visible sign without a Caltrans permit violates B&P §5400 with civil penalties, removal orders, and removal-cost recovery. San Jose can independently cite the owner under SJMC Title 23 for unpermitted construction and zoning violations.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
San Jose, CA
San Jose Municipal Code Title 7 (Animal Care and Control) requires dogs in public places, city parks, and trails to be on a leash no longer than six feet, re...
San Jose, CA
San Jose imposes no general restriction on year-round lawn ornaments, statuary, or religious displays on private residential property. The sign code (SJMC Ch...
San Jose, CA
San Jose has no city ordinance specifically regulating residential inflatable holiday displays. Size, height, and motor noise are not restricted by the munic...
San Jose, CA
San Jose has no ordinance limiting the duration, brightness, or hours of residential holiday lighting. The general nuisance provisions in SJMC Title 6 and th...
San Jose, CA
A built-in outdoor kitchen in San Jose typically requires multiple permits: a building permit for any structural roof or counter exceeding the patio cover ex...
San Jose, CA
San Jose does not have a dedicated ordinance for backyard smokers, pellet grills, or wood-fired ovens. Use is governed by the multifamily balcony restriction...
See how San Jose's freeway-facing signs rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.