Bradenton, FL Sign Regulations: Window Signs (2026)

Window signs in the City of Bradenton sit on the exempt-sign list in Land Use Regulations § 5.5.4. Painted or paper signs in windows are limited to one-fourth of the total window area, not to exceed 30 square feet, and they cannot be blaze-colored. Exempt does not mean unregulated. The same section says compliance with all applicable provisions of the sign section and the city's Land Use Regulations must still be met, and signs over ten square feet or illuminated signs, regardless of size, require a building and/or electrical permit. A small neon or lit sign in the glass therefore needs a permit even though it skips the sign permit.

Two neighboring exemptions also reach windows. Show window or shingle signs, listed with directory signs, cannot exceed four square feet in area. Incidental signs attached flush to a window or door are limited to credit cards accepted, official notices of services required by law, or trade affiliations. Each such sign is capped at five square feet, and all incidental signs attached to one sign together are capped at ten square feet.

The Land Use Regulations define a window sign as a sign located on a window or within two feet inside a building or other enclosed structure that is visible from the exterior through a window or other opening. Signs hung behind the glass are counted the same as painted ones. Revolving, flashing and animated signs are on the prohibited list in § 5.5.5, and a variance under § 5.5.10 cannot allow any sign that § 5.5.5 prohibits. Signs must be removed within 60 days after a business has been vacated. Questions go to the Planning and Community Development department, and a decision on a sign permit can be appealed within 30 days of the alleged error.