Jackson, TN Sign Regulations: Window Signs (2026)

The City of Jackson defines a window sign as any sign installed inside a window for viewing from outside the premises, excluding merchandise placed in a window, under the sign chapter's definitions section. Sign area is regulated by building elevation under § 14-406(3)(a): wall (facia) signage may cover up to 25 percent of the solid wall area of each elevation, while window signage is capped separately at 25 percent of the glass area of that same building face. Businesses cannot pool the allowance from one elevation with another; each building face is measured on its own.

A retailer with a storefront on two public streets, for example, must keep each street-facing glass area under its own 25 percent ceiling rather than combining both fronts into one larger display. Because a window sign meets the code's general definition of a sign, it requires a sign permit from the administrator under § 14-403(1) before installation, unless it falls under an exempt category. Permit applications go to the sign administrator with drawings showing the sign's location, dimensions and materials. The administrator inspects new installations and can declare a sign unlawful if it is dilapidated, abandoned or otherwise unsafe under § 14-404(4).

Property owners who dispute a permit denial or a sign's window-area calculation may appeal to the sign code board of appeals within ten days of the administrator's decision under § 14-413(5).