Bothell, WA Sign Regulations: Window Signs (2026)
Key Facts
- Window sign defined
- Any copy applied or attached to a window
- Area cap, single use
- Two square feet per lineal foot of front face
- Minimum allowance
- 36 square feet of sign area
- Temporary window sign
- 50 square feet, one per property street frontage
- Number of signs, single use
- No maximum
- Obstruction rule
- No sign can physically obstruct a door, window or exit
Summary
In the City of Bothell, Washington, a window sign is any copy applied or attached to a window. In the R-AC, NB, CB, OP, GC and LI zones, window signs share one combined area cap with wall, projecting and awning signs: two square feet per lineal foot of the front face of a building with a public entrance, with a 36 square foot minimum (BMC § 12.22.060).
B. R-AC, NB, CB, OP, GC, and LI Zones – On-Premises Sign Requirements for a Single Use (One Business or Tenant) on an Individual Lot. ... 1There is no limit to the number of wall/window/projecting/awning signs a use may have, nor is there any particular locational requirement (though they must be located on the building where the use is occurring). The total maximum sign area may be applied to one sign, or be divided among several signs. ... Other: ... Either indirect or internal illumination of signs is permitted.
Full Breakdown
BMC 12.22.020 defines a window sign as any copy that is applied or attached to a window, and it measures window sign area as the area defined by the smallest rectangle enclosing all lettering and any associated graphics and/or symbols. Under BMC 12.22.060(B), a single business on an individual lot in the R-AC, NB, CB, OP, GC and LI zones has no maximum number of wall, window, projecting or awning signs and no locational requirement beyond placement on the building where the use is occurring. The total area of all those signs cannot exceed two square feet of sign area per lineal foot of the front face of the building containing a public entrance, with a minimum of 36 square feet permitted. The total can go on one sign or be divided among several.
When two or more businesses share a lot or a retail or commercial center, subsection C applies two square feet to each lineal foot of the width of the tenant's space within the front face of the building, again with a 36 square foot minimum. A tenant on more than one floor gets sign area based on the width of its space within the building face of each occupied floor.
Temporary window signs fall under BMC 12.22.080(B): in those commercial zones, one wall, window or banner sign per property street frontage, up to 50 square feet for wall and window signs. Permanent on-premises signs need a sign permit in commercial zones under the BMC 12.22.030 table, processed as a Type I action under BMC 12.22.110. The residential tables in BMC 12.22.060(A) and 12.22.080(A) list wall and freestanding signs and no window sign category.
Two cautions come straight from the text. BMC 12.22.130(J) says no sign shall be located so as to physically obstruct any door, window or exit from a building. And the BMC 12.22.020 definition of portable signs lists posters or banners affixed to windows, while BMC 12.22.050(I) prohibits portable temporary posters.
Violations & Fines
Illegal signs fall under Chapter 11.20 BMC, enforced by the community development director through a notice of violation with a civil penalty maximum of $250.00 per day for each violation from the date set for compliance. Under BMC 12.22.130(I), owners and occupants must repair or remove an unsafe sign on notice from the director, and BMC 12.22.130(K) requires sign users to permit periodic city inspection. A banner not registered with the city must be removed until it is registered.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much window signage can a Bothell storefront have?
Do window signs count toward my wall sign allowance?
Do I need a permit for a window sign in the City of Bothell?
Are temporary window signs limited in the City of Bothell?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Bothell
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How other cities in King County handle window signs.