Chattanooga, TN Sign Regulations: Window Signs (2026)

Sec. 3-185's table applies the same 25%-of-window-or-door-area cap and 'none' illumination rule in every character area the Sign Code recognizes: Brainerd Overlay, General, Highway Commercial, Lovell Field Gateway Overlay, Residential, Scenic Areas/Corridors, and Veterans Bridge alike, unlike awning, canopy, or freestanding signs that carry different limits by district. Sec. 1 adds three operating conditions: the signage must stay in a clean, orderly condition; it can't obstruct visibility through the window in a way that impairs pedestrian or vehicular safety; and it has to be placed so there's still clear visibility through the glass for security purposes, meaning police and passersby can see into the storefront.

Window signs aren't on the Code's list of permit-exempt sign types in Article XVII (that list covers banners, sandwich boards, yard signs, and similar items), so a window sign still needs a sign permit from the Director of the Land Development Office under Sec. 3-192, with a $70 fee for a non-electric on-premise sign or $330 if wired for illumination, which the window-sign rule otherwise prohibits, reviewed within fifteen business days of a complete application. 'Attached Sign' is defined elsewhere in the Code as any on-premises sign painted onto or attached to a building, canopy, awning, marquee, or exterior mechanical equipment, and sign area is measured as the rectangle enclosing the sign's message under Sec. 3-139.