Knox County, TN Sign Regulations: Window Signs (2026)
Key Facts
- Window sign cap
- 10% of window surface
- Applies in
- TC, Town Center Zone only
- Approval required
- Master signage plan via planning commission
- Civil penalty
- $10 to $500 per day
- Enforcing agency
- Dept. of Code Administration and Enforcement
- Appeal body
- Knox County Board of Zoning Appeals
Summary
In Knox County's TC, Town Center Zone, window signs cannot cover more than 10 percent of a storefront's window space. That cap sits inside a five-category sign list, monument, shingle, directional, wall and window signs, that only becomes legal once the Knoxville-Knox County Planning Commission approves a master signage plan for the development.
B.Types of signs permitted, subject to approval of master signage plan.1.Monument signs. Surface area not to exceed twenty (20) square feet on lots with a frontage of one hundred (100) feet or less and thirty (30) square feet on other lots within the zone...5.Window signs, not exceeding ten (10) percent of that window space.C.Advertising signs, billboards, and ground signs, with the exception of monument signs, are prohibited.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 23).
Full Breakdown
Knox County's zoning resolution regulates signage in the Town Center Zone through Sec. 11. Subsection A requires a master signage plan as part of the development plan before any sign goes up; planning commission staff can approve minor changes administratively, including a size increase of up to 10 percent, as long as the new size still fits within the maximums below. Subsection B lists what is allowed: monument signs up to 20 square feet on lots with 100 feet of frontage or less (30 square feet on larger lots, up to 100 square feet at zone entrances, two-sided), shingle signs up to 12 or 18 square feet depending on frontage with a 6-foot height cap, directional signs, wall signs including projected and face-mounted types, and window signs capped at 10 percent of the window's surface.
Subsection C then bans advertising signs, billboards, and ground signs outright, carving out only monument signs from that prohibition. 91 of the county's zoning ordinance; it is a Knox County Commission-adopted zoning classification, not a City of Knoxville rule, even though both governments share planning staff at the Knoxville-Knox County Planning Commission.
Violations & Fines
The zoning resolution's general enforcement section, Sec. 6.20.02.A, governs sign violations here: anyone who violates, disobeys, or refuses to comply with the zoning resolution is subject to a civil penalty of not less than $10 and not more than $500, assessed by the department of code administration and enforcement, with each day of continued violation counted as a separate offense. A property owner or sign owner hit with a violation notice or penalty assessment can appeal to the Knox County Board of Zoning Appeals under subsection 6.60.05.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the 10 percent window sign rule apply across all of unincorporated Knox County?
Who has to approve signage in the Town Center Zone before it goes up?
What happens if a business installs an oversized window sign in the Town Center Zone?
Are billboards allowed in Knox County's Town Center Zone?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Knox County
Compare Knox County to another location·View the Tennessee sign regulations overview
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