Auburn, WA Sign Regulations: Window Signs (2026)
Key Facts
- Temporary window sign cap
- 50% of window area
- Permit for compliant window signs
- None required
- Permanent window sign treatment
- Counted as wall sign
- Governing section
- ACC 18.56.030(B)(3)
Summary
Auburn caps any window sign meant to be seen from the street at half the window's area, and treats permanent window signage as a wall sign subject to the wall sign area limits for the property's zoning district.
3. Signs which are placed upon or within a window and which are intended to be viewed from the right-of-way shall not exceed 50 percent of the window area; 4. Permits are not required, except that signs exceeding the allowable size and time duration must receive a permit issued by the planning, building and community director if special circumstances exist that warrant the additional signage.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 7023, passed July 6, 2026).
Full Breakdown
030(B)(4) unless the size or duration exceeds what the chapter allows. 020, distinguishes temporary from permanent window signs: subsection PP defines a 'window sign' as any sign located inside or affixed to a window, temporary or permanent, lighted or unlighted, viewable from outside the building, while subsection OO folds any window sign that does not meet the 'temporary sign' definition into the wall sign category, meaning a permanent window sign counts against the property's wall sign area allowance rather than the 50 percent window rule.
040, for example 100 square feet calculated at one square foot per one and one-half lineal feet of frontage in several commercial zones. A window sign combining temporary and permanent elements is measured under whichever definition its individual components meet.
Violations & Fines
A window display exceeding 50 percent of the window's area, or a permanent window sign that pushes a building's total wall signage over its district's square-footage allowance, is a code violation handled through the building official's sign permit and code compliance process under Chapter 18.56 ACC.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much of my storefront window can I cover with a sign in Auburn?
Is a permanent window sign treated differently than a temporary poster in Auburn?
Do I need a sign permit for a temporary window display in Auburn?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Auburn
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Window Signs in Nearby Cities
How other cities in King County handle window signs.