Guilford County, NC Sign Regulations: Window Signs (2026)

Section 7.7 lists the sign types the county allows in every zoning district without a sign permit, as long as they meet the specifications in Table 7.7.1, and item K on that list is window signs, defined as signs painted on or attached to the inside of a window. Table 7.7.1 spells out the limit for that category in non-residential districts: no cap on the number of signs, a maximum area of 25% of the individual window's area, no minimum setback or maximum height requirement since the sign sits on the glass itself, and direct illumination allowed, unlike several other no-permit categories on the same table such as directional signs and historical markers, which are limited to indirect illumination only.

Other no-permit signage on the same list includes flags and emblems of civic or religious organizations, temporary real estate and construction signs removed within seven days of a sale, and identification signs such as name plates and directory signs, giving a sense of how narrowly the no-permit tier is drawn compared to the county's broader sign-permit system in Subsection 7.13. A window display that exceeds the 25% coverage cap, uses indirect rather than direct lighting outside the table's terms, or otherwise strays from Table 7.7.1's specifications drops out of the no-permit exemption and instead needs a sign permit issued under UDO Subsection 7.13, Permits to Construct or Modify Signs.