Bend, OR Sign Regulations: Window Signs (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit-free threshold
- 25% or less of window area
- Illuminated window sign cap
- 15% of window area
- Small exempt sign
- 3 sq ft, nonilluminated
- Second story allowance
- One 3 sq ft nonilluminated sign
- Violation class
- Class A infraction, per day
- Enforcement tool
- Nuisance abatement and removal
Summary
The City of Bend lets window signs covering 25 percent or less of the window area go up without a sign permit, but larger window signs need a permit and count toward the building's total allowed sign area under BC 9.50.090.
Window sign means any sign applied, painted, or affixed to a window, or displayed inside the building within two feet of a window or building opening so that it is oriented to the window. Customary displays of merchandise behind a store window are not considered window signs. ... D. ... One nonilluminated wall or window sign located on or below the second story window opening for nonresidential uses with a maximum sign area of three square feet or one nonilluminated sign located on site in a residential zone with a maximum sign area of three square feet. ... i. ... Window signs 25 percent or smaller of the total window area are allowed without a sign permit and do not count toward the maximum building sign area allowed under BC 9.50.090(A). ii. Window signs larger than 25 percent of the total window area require a sign permit and the total square footage of the window sign area is counted toward the maximum building sign area allowed under BC 9.50.090(A). iii. Illuminated window signs must not exceed 15 percent of the total window area in which they are displayed.
Full Breakdown
030 defines a window sign as any sign applied, painted, or affixed to a window, or displayed inside the building within two feet of a window or opening so that it is oriented toward it; ordinary merchandise displayed behind a store window does not count as a window sign. 090(A). Cross that 25 percent line and the entire window sign needs a sign permit, with its full square footage then counted against the building's overall sign area allowance. Illuminated window signs face a tighter cap regardless of the general threshold: they cannot exceed 15 percent of the total window area in which they are displayed.
050(D) carves out a small exemption that applies without any permit or registration at all: one nonilluminated wall or window sign on or below the second story window opening for a nonresidential use, up to three square feet, or one nonilluminated sign up to three square feet on a residential-zoned site. 090(B)(4)(c). 50, including the citywide prohibition on flashing, chasing or intermittent illumination.
Violations & Fines
Installing a window sign over the 25 percent coverage threshold without first obtaining a sign permit, or exceeding the 15 percent illuminated cap, is a violation of BC Chapter 9.50 enforced as a Class A infraction under BC 9.50.200, with each day treated as a separate violation. The City may also declare a noncompliant sign a nuisance and abate it, and may remove any sign placed in the right-of-way in violation of the chapter and bill the owner for removal costs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit for a window sign in Bend?
How big can an illuminated window sign be in Bend?
Are small window signs ever exempt from Bend's sign permit entirely?
What counts as a window sign under Bend's code?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Bend
Compare Bend to another location·View the Oregon sign regulations overview
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