Santa Barbara County, CA Sign Regulations: Window Signs (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Santa Barbara County Code Table 35.38.070
- Coverage cap
- 25 percent of the window area
- Number of signs
- No limit, if the 25 percent cap is met
- Height limit
- Not above the second story
- Illumination
- Not allowed
- Mounting
- Must be flush with the window
Summary
A nonresidential business in unincorporated Santa Barbara County can cover up to 25 percent of its window area with signage, with no cap on the number of individual signs as long as that 25 percent ceiling per window isn't exceeded. Window signs must sit flush with the glass, stay below the second story, and cannot be illuminated.
Window Signs | Nonresidential | 25 percent of the window area | No limit, provided the maximum sign area per window is not exceeded | Shall not be placed on windows higher than the second story | Shall be flush with the window | - | Not allowed
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 44 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
070, sets a specific row of standards for Window Signs limited to nonresidential development. The maximum sign area is 25 percent of the window area, and unlike most other sign types in the table there is no fixed cap on the number of signs, so a business can display as many individual window signs as it wants provided their combined area never exceeds that 25 percent-per-window ceiling. The table restricts placement to windows no higher than the second story of the building, meaning upper-floor windows above that cannot carry any signage under this category.
Window signs must be mounted flush with the window itself, unlike projecting or shingle signs that are allowed to extend outward, and the table expressly marks window signs as Not Allowed for illumination, so a backlit or internally lit window sign does not qualify under this row. 120 outdoor lighting standards. A sign exceeding the 25 percent window-area cap, illuminated in violation of the Not Allowed designation, or placed above the second story does not qualify as a window sign under the table and instead needs its own permit review as a different, non-exempt sign type, or must be removed.
Violations & Fines
A window sign that busts the 25 percent area cap, is illuminated, or is mounted above the second story is a Development Code violation subject to Chapter 35.108: the Director investigates complaints, can require the excess or noncompliant signage removed or brought into compliance, and unremedied violations can be referred to County Counsel or the District Attorney as a public nuisance, with enforcement costs billable to the property or business owner.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much of my storefront window can I cover with signs?
Can I put an internally lit sign in my window?
Can I put a sign in a second-floor office window?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Santa Barbara County
California rules heatmap·Compare Santa Barbara County to another location·View the California sign regulations overview
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