Lodi, CA Sign Regulations: Window Signs (2026)
Key Facts
- Citywide window sign cap
- 20 percent of window area
- Downtown Mixed Use exemption
- Painted signs up to 25 percent
- Allowed floors
- Ground floor and second story only
- Governing law
- Development Code § 17.34.070(E)
- Neon exception
- Transparent-background neon may hang inside glass
Summary
Lodi limits permanent and temporary window signs to twenty percent of a storefront's total window area and allows them only on ground-level and second-story windows facing the street, under Development Code Section 17.34.070(E); the Downtown Mixed Use and Mixed Use Center districts instead cap painted window signs at twenty-five percent.
(B)Painted window signs that cover a maximum of twenty-five percent of the window area. ... E.Window Signs. The following standards apply to window signs in all zoning districts where allowed:1.Window signs shall be allowed only on windows located on the ground level and second story of a building frontage.2.Permanent and temporary signs shall not occupy more than twenty percent of the total window area.3.Signage shall consist of individual letters, logos, or symbols applied to the glass surface; however, neon signs with transparent backgrounds may be hung inside the window glass line.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 68).
Full Breakdown
060. Its window sign subsection, (E), applies citywide: window signage is only allowed on windows at the ground level and second story of a building's frontage, and the combined area of permanent and temporary signs cannot exceed twenty percent of the total window area on that frontage. The code also controls how the sign is made rather than just how big it is: signage must consist of individual letters, logos, or symbols applied directly to the glass, though neon signs with transparent backgrounds are allowed to hang just inside the window glass line rather than being applied to the surface.
060(C): as an exempt category of permanent sign, a painted window sign in those districts can cover up to twenty-five percent of the window area, five points higher than the citywide cap, reflecting the denser, pedestrian-oriented storefront pattern downtown. 080, which the director may grant only for specific findings such as an unusually long business name or an exceptionally sited building.
Violations & Fines
A window sign exceeding twenty percent of the window area, or twenty-five percent downtown, is treated as a nonconforming or illegal sign that the director may declare a public nuisance under Section 17.34.110, triggering removal proceedings under Chapter 17.76 (Enforcement). Business owners in violation typically receive written notice to reduce or remove the excess signage before the city proceeds with abatement at the owner's expense.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much of my storefront window can I cover with signs in Lodi?
Can I put a sign in a third-floor window in Lodi?
Are neon signs allowed in my storefront window?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lodi
California rules heatmap·Compare Lodi to another location·View the California sign regulations overview
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Window Signs in Nearby Cities
How other cities in San Joaquin County handle window signs.