Durham, NC Sign Regulations: Window Signs (2026)

Durham's Unified Development Ordinance treats a window sign as any sign attached to, painted on, or etched into a window, or displayed within 12 inches, measured horizontally, of the window, as long as it can be read from outside. A poster taped to the glass, vinyl lettering, a painted storefront name and a placard propped just behind the pane all fall inside that definition. Section 11.4.2.Q then sets two standards. First, window signs in combination with the other window signs cannot exceed 10% of the window area on each façade, so the cap is counted per side of the building, not per window and not per storefront as a whole. Second, window signs in combination with all other signs on the lot cannot exceed the maximum permitted sign area for the lot, so a window display competes with your wall signs, freestanding signs and every other sign for the same lot allowance.

Window signs sit in Section 11.4, Signs Allowed in All Districts without a Permit. Section 11.4.1 adds the ground rules that apply to the whole group. The signs are allowed in all zoning districts, no sign permit is required, and the property owner's consent must be obtained before the sign goes up, which matters for tenants. Other than vending machines, automatic tellers and gasoline pumps, no sign allowed under the section may be illuminated, and every sign must stay outside the public right-of-way and outside any required sight distance triangle.

The UDO definition of a sign includes the structure or the face on which the message is displayed, and it excludes trade dress, meaning architectural features identified with a product or business. Durham's published code was last amended on June 15, 2026 for the City and June 22, 2026 for the County, and the online copy carries a disclaimer that it is not the official version, so the City-County Planning Department is the place to confirm anything that affects a specific storefront.