Jacksonville, FL Sign Regulations: Window Signs (2026)
Key Facts
- Window sign cap
- 35 sq ft or 20% of window area
- Measured
- Per side of street frontage
- Permit needed
- No, exempt under Sec. 656.1334(b)(3)
- Applies in
- Downtown Sign Overlay Zone (DIA area)
- Base ground-floor sign allowance
- 1 sq ft per linear ft frontage
- Under-canopy sign limit
- 4 sq ft per tenant
- Civil penalty for violations
- $50-$500 per violation, per day
Summary
In Jacksonville's Downtown Sign Overlay Zone, temporary window signs cannot collectively exceed 35 square feet or 20 percent of a storefront's total window area, whichever is smaller, per side of street frontage under Ordinance Code Sec. 656.1333(b)(2)(i)(B). The rule applies only inside the Downtown Investment Authority's boundary, not citywide.
(b)Ground floor signs:(1)Types:(i)Multi-Story buildings with ground floor retail sales or services tenants are allowed one square foot of signage per every linear foot of street frontage for additional wall, window, awning, canopy, or projecting signs....(2)Number:(i)Multiple signs permitted under Section 656.1333(2)(a) are allowed, however the aggregate square footage of all such signs shall not exceed one square foot per one linear foot of street frontage. Multiple signs shall be designed with a unified program of graphics, materials, illumination, etc.... In addition to other signs allowed under this Subsection 656.1333(2), the following additional signs are allowed:(A)Under canopy signs, not to exceed one under canopy sign per tenant and four square feet in area for each such sign.(B)Temporary window signs, so long as such signs do not collectively exceed, per side of street frontage, 35 square feet or 20 percent of the total window area, whichever is less.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 6 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
Sec. 1332 defines the Downtown Sign Overlay Zone as coextensive with the jurisdiction of the Downtown Investment Authority (DIA). Within it, Sec. 1333(b) governs ground floor signs: multi-story buildings with ground floor retail or service tenants get one square foot of wall, window, awning, canopy or projecting signage per linear foot of street frontage under (b)(1)(i), and the aggregate square footage of those signs cannot exceed that same one-square-foot-per-linear-foot ratio under (b)(2)(i). Multiple signs require a unified graphics program and, where several tenants share the allowance, a comprehensive sign plan submitted to the Downtown Development Review Board (DDRB) showing how the allowance is divided.
On top of that base allowance, (b)(2)(A) permits one under-canopy sign per tenant up to four square feet, and (b)(2)(B) permits temporary window signs up to 35 square feet or 20 percent of the total window area per side of street frontage, whichever is less. Unlike most downtown signage, which needs a DDRB design-review recommendation before the Building Inspection Division will issue a permit under Sec. 1336, these temporary window signs need no permit, fee or design review at all: Sec. 1333(2)(b)(i)(B)' outright. Other downtown sign applications face a five-working-day completeness review and up to a 45-day DDRB decision on sign packages requiring design review.
Violations & Fines
Exceeding the 35-square-foot or 20-percent window-area cap turns a temporary window sign into an unpermitted sign, a civil infraction under Sec. 656.111 punishable by $50 to $500 per violation, with each day of noncompliance counted separately. Permanent ground floor signage erected without DDRB approval can be denied a permit outright: the Building Inspection Division will not issue one until the DDRB recommends approval under Sec. 656.1336(c), and unresolved violations route to the Municipal Code Compliance Division under Sec. 656.110.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit for a temporary window sign in downtown Jacksonville?
Does the 20 percent window rule apply outside downtown Jacksonville?
What other ground floor signage can a downtown storefront add besides window signs?
What happens if my window signage goes over the limit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Jacksonville
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Jacksonville to another location·View the Florida sign regulations overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.