Tracy, CA Sign Regulations: Freeway-Facing Signs (2026)
Key Facts
- Max distance from freeway
- 350 feet
- Max height
- 15 ft from freeway crown, or 45 ft
- Max area
- 300 sq ft per sign face
- Min ground clearance
- 8 feet
- Permit required
- Conditional use permit, not standard sign permit
- Signs per parcel
- One freeway sign maximum
Summary
A freestanding sign in Tracy meant to be seen from a freeway, a freeway sign under section 10.08.4440, can only sit within 350 feet of the freeway, tops out at 15 feet (or 45 feet, whichever is less) and 300 square feet per face, and needs a conditional use permit rather than a standard sign permit under section 10.08.4500(f).
"Freeway sign" shall mean a freestanding sign designed to be viewed from vehicles travelling upon a freeway and located within three hundred fifty (350') feet of the freeway. ... (f)Freeway signs.(1)Maximum height: Fifteen (15') feet measured from the crown of the nearest freeway or forty-five (45') feet, whichever is less.(2)Maximum area: 300 square feet per sign face.(3)Minimum ground clearance: Eight (8') feet from the bottom of the sign.(4)Permitted sites: The sign and the site(s) being advertised must be within 350 feet of a freeway.(5)Permitted zones: GHC, CS, M-1, M-2, HS, and as permitted in a PUD or Specific Plan zone, subject to first securing a conditional use permit.(6)Sign permit needed: No. Requires a conditional use permit.(7)Maximum number of signs permitted: One sign per parcel, advertising a business on the parcel or immediately adjacent to the parcel. No business may be advertised on more than one freeway sign.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 69).
Full Breakdown
Section 10.08.4440 defines a freeway sign as a freestanding sign designed to be viewed from vehicles travelling upon a freeway and located within three hundred fifty feet of the freeway. Section 10.08.4500(f) then sets the operating standards: maximum height is 15 feet measured from the crown of the nearest freeway, or 45 feet, whichever is less; maximum area is 300 square feet per sign face; minimum ground clearance is 8 feet from the bottom of the sign; and both the sign and the business it advertises must sit within 350 feet of the freeway.
Freeway signs are limited to the GHC, CS, M-1, M-2 and HS zoning districts, plus any PUD or Specific Plan zone that allows them, and every freeway sign requires a conditional use permit rather than the standard sign permit used for most other sign types. Tracy caps the total at one freeway sign per parcel, and that sign can only advertise a business located on the parcel itself or on a parcel immediately adjacent to it; the code specifically bars any business from being advertised on more than one freeway sign at a time, closing off the practice of buying up multiple freeway-facing panels across the city.
Violations & Fines
A freeway sign built without the required conditional use permit, or one that exceeds the 15/45-foot height cap, 300-square-foot area limit, or the one-sign-per-parcel cap in section 10.08.4500(f), is an unpermitted sign subject to removal under sections 10.08.4530 and 10.08.4550. The City issues written certified notice demanding compliance within 30 days, followed by a citation and Council-set fine if the owner does not comply or seek a variance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a regular sign permit for a freeway sign in Tracy?
Which zones allow freeway signs in Tracy?
Can one business put up more than one freeway sign?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Tracy
California rules heatmap·Compare Tracy to another location·View the California sign regulations overview
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Freeway-Facing Signs in Nearby Cities
How other cities in San Joaquin County handle freeway-facing signs.