San Bernardino County, CA Sign Regulations: Window Signs (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing rule
- County Code § 83.13.090(h), Ord. 4011 (2007)
- Coverage cap
- 25% of window area, any zoning district
- Service stations
- Same 25% cap, one sign per window
- Permit status
- Window signs not on the exempt-sign list
- Enforcement
- Public nuisance removal, § 83.13.110
- Seized signs
- Held 30 days before forfeiture to County
Summary
County Code § 83.13.090(h) caps window display signs at 25 percent of the window area on which they're placed, one flat rule for every zoning district in the unincorporated county. Section 83.13.100(a)(5) repeats the 25 percent cap for service-station window signs and limits each window to one sign.
§ 83.13.090(h) Window Display Signs. Display signs shall not exceed 25 percent of the window area on which the sign is placed. § 83.13.100(a)(5) Window Signs. (A) Number. One per window. (B) Area. Window signs shall not cover more than 25 percent of the window area. § 83.13.110(b) The following signs are hereby declared to be public nuisances: (1) A sign or advertising structure, including flags, unlawfully constructed, placed on or unlawfully projecting over land owned in fee simple by a governmental entity, or unlawfully on or over a public right-of-way without an Encroachment Permit as provided in the County Code... (3) Illegal signs. (c) A County Enforcement Officer may, without notice, move, remove, and/or dispose of a sign or advertising structure that has been declared a public nuisance in compliance with Subdivision (b) above.
Full Breakdown
090(h), inside the section governing standards for specific sign types alongside freestanding, monument, projecting, roof, and wall signs. The rule is short and absolute: a display sign in a window cannot exceed 25 percent of the area of the window it is mounted in, and unlike some of the chapter's other standards it carries no separate size threshold that would trigger a Building Permit. 100(a)(5) applies the identical 25 percent cap specifically to service stations, adding that only one window sign is allowed per window.
030(a). 110: an oversized or otherwise illegal sign can be declared a public nuisance, and a County Enforcement Officer may remove it without notice under subsection (c). The owner of the sign, the property owner, the permittee, and any sign lessee or lessor are jointly and individually liable for the removal, storage, and repair costs under subsection (d), on top of whatever fine applies to the underlying violation. Paper, cardboard, or lightweight plastic signs that are removed can be discarded immediately; other seized signs must be held at least 30 days before the county can treat them as abandoned property under subsection (f).
Violations & Fines
A window sign over the 25 percent cap can be declared a public nuisance under § 83.13.110(b)(3) and removed by a County Enforcement Officer without prior notice. Removal, storage, and correction costs fall jointly on the permittee, the sign owner, and the property owner under subsection (d), on top of the base Code Enforcement fine, and seized signs are held 30 days before the county can treat them as abandoned and take title under subsection (f).
Frequently Asked Questions
How much of my storefront window can I cover with a sign?
Do I need a permit for a window sign?
What happens if my window sign is too big?
Are gas station window signs held to a different limit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in San Bernardino County
California rules heatmap·Compare San Bernardino County to another location·View the California sign regulations overview
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