Santa Clara County, CA Sign Regulations: Window Signs (2026)
Key Facts
- Coverage cap
- 25% of window frame area
- Animation
- Not allowed
- Merchandise displays
- Count if within 12 inches of glass
- Applies to
- Unincorporated county only
Summary
In unincorporated Santa Clara County, window signage on nonresidential buildings is capped at 25% of the window frame area and cannot be animated under the Zoning Ordinance's sign chapter.
H.Window signs. Window signs may be allowed and shall not reduce otherwise allowed signage. They shall comply with all of the following provisions:1.Window signs must comply with all of the following:a.The total aggregate sign area of permanent and temporary signs shall not exceed 25 percent of the window frame area;b.The sign is not animated; andc.Internal displays of stock-in-trade are considered window signs if the display is located within 12 inches of the windowpane and is visible from a public right-of-way.2.Window signs shall not be allowed above the first floor, except as follows:a.Window signs may be displayed by second-story occupancy frontages with no separate ground-level frontage; andb.In the CN district, window signs may be displayed on first- and second-story occupancy frontages.I.Marquees.1.The maximum sign area of marquees and the maximum amount of other signage on an occupancy frontage with a marquee shall be subject to architecture and site approval but shall not be subject to other size and quantity restrictions in this section.2.Marquees shall not be allowed in the OA district.J.Lightbox signs. The signage allowed for lightbox signs for gasoline service stations shall be limited to 20 percent of the surface area of the lightbox up to a maximum of eight square feet.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 65).
Full Breakdown
Businesses in the unincorporated county's commercial districts can cover a window with permanent and temporary signs up to 25 percent of the window frame area, per Zoning Ordinance § 4.40.050(H). The sign cannot be animated (no motion, flashing, or electronic changeable copy), and merchandise displayed within 12 inches of the windowpane and visible from the street counts toward the same cap. This applies only outside the 15 incorporated cities, each of which sets its own window-sign rules.
Violations & Fines
County code enforcement can require removal of noncompliant window signage; general Ordinance Code violations are misdemeanors punishable by up to $1,000 per day and up to six months in jail under Sec. A1-28.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I put a flashing sign in my shop window in unincorporated Santa Clara County?
Do window sign rules apply inside San Jose or Sunnyvale?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Santa Clara County
California rules heatmap·Compare Santa Clara County to another location·View the California sign regulations overview
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