Bellevue, WA Sign Regulations: Window Signs (2026)
Key Facts
- Window sign cap
- 15 sq ft or 10% of window area
- Governing section
- BCC 22B.10.030(H)
- Counts toward primary sign area
- No, excluded
- Enforcing office
- Development Services director
- Violation type
- Civil violation or misdemeanor
- Variance limit
- Max 15% beyond stated dimension
Summary
Bellevue caps window signs at 15 square feet total, or 10 percent of the window area, whichever applies, under BCC 22B.10.030(H). Window signs don't count toward a building's primary sign allotment, but they carry their own hard ceiling enforced by the Development Services director.
H. Window Signs. The total surface area of all window signs shall not exceed 15 square feet, or 10 percent of the window area. Such signs shall not be included in determining the number of primary signs, nor in determining the permissible sign area for each facade; provided, that such signs shall not exceed an area total to 15 square feet, or 10 percent of the window area.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 6929, passed July 14, 2026).
Full Breakdown
030(H) governs window signs in Bellevue's business, commercial, manufacturing and medical institution land use districts (OLB, CB, downtown, BelRed, GC, LI and related zones). The rule sets a single combined ceiling: the total surface area of all window signs on a storefront cannot exceed 15 square feet, or 10 percent of the window area, and the code repeats that cap twice in the same subsection to make clear it is not stacked with any other allowance. 030(A) through (E) and still add window displays, but only up to that 15-square-foot or 10-percent ceiling.
020 as any sign located inside or affixed to or within three feet of a window, temporary or permanent, lighted or unlighted, viewable from outside; loose merchandise displayed near the glass does not count. 18 (monetary penalty plus abatement) and, in addition or as an alternative, a misdemeanor. The Development Services director administers and enforces the chapter and may inspect the premises during business hours to check compliance. 180, but the director cannot grant relief beyond 15 percent of any dimensional limit, so a window-sign variance tops out well short of doubling the allowance.
Violations & Fines
Exceeding the 15-square-foot/10-percent window sign cap is a civil violation under BCC Chapter 1.18, carrying a monetary penalty and possible abatement order, and the code separately authorizes prosecuting it as a misdemeanor under BCC 22B.10.170(C). The director enforces through inspection and can require excess signage removed; a property owner seeking more area must apply for a Process II variance under 22B.10.180, capped at 15 percent beyond the stated dimension.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much window signage can a Bellevue business display?
Do window signs count against my building's regular sign allotment?
What happens if a storefront exceeds the window sign limit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Bellevue
Compare Bellevue to another location·View the Washington sign regulations overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.
Window Signs in Nearby Cities
How other cities in King County handle window signs.