Mobile, AL Sign Regulations: Window Signs (2026)
Key Facts
- Commercial/industrial cap
- 20% of window area
- Size ceiling
- 200 sq ft maximum
- Historic district cap
- also 20% of window area
- Governing law
- UDC § 64-4-14(K)
Summary
In Mobile's commercial and industrial zoning districts, window signage on a single-establishment site is capped at 20 percent of window area, with a 200-square-foot ceiling, under UDC § 64-4-14(K).
(g)Commercial and industrial districts. Permits are required for all allowed signs and must conform to the following criteria:(1)Minimum setbacks. All signs and sign structures must be located at least eighteen (18) inches from right-of-way or ten (10) feet from any side property line if adjacent to property zoned R-1, single-family residential, or R-2, two-family residential.(2)Building sites with one (1) establishment. Any establishment located on a building site with one (1) establishment may erect signs as follows:a.Permitted number: Maximum of three (3) signs, but in no case shall two (2) freestanding signs be allowed on the same building site.b.Types: Wall, awning, canopy, marquee, projecting, freestanding, monument and window.c.Maximum size and height:1.Wall, awning or canopy: Thirty (30) percent usable wall area, three hundred fifty (350) square feet maximum, not above roofline.2.Freestanding and monument: One (1) square foot per linear foot of street frontage, two hundred (200) square feet display area per side maximum and a maximum height of thirty-five (35) feet.3.Marquee: Thirty (30) percent usable wall area, two hundred (200) square feet maximum; not above roofline.4.Projecting: One (1) per linear foot of building frontage, one hundred twenty-five (125) square feet maximum, no more than five (5) feet above parapet.5.Window: Twenty (20) percent of window area and a maximum of two hundred (200) square feet.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 67).
Full Breakdown
Mobile's Unified Development Code sets window-sign limits by district. On a commercial or industrial building site with one establishment, § 64-4-14(K)(2)(g) allows up to three signs total; window signs within that allowance are capped at 20 percent of window area and a 200-square-foot maximum. A separate provision, § 64-4-14(J)(4)(l), sets the same 20-percent-of-window-area cap for signs in the city's locally designated historic districts. Both figures differ from the Spring Hill Overlay's own 10-percent window-sign cap under § 64-13-7(C)(13), so the limit that applies depends on which zoning district or overlay the property sits in.
Violations & Fines
Oversized window signage is treated as an illegal sign under § 64-4-14(G): the director can order it brought into conformance or removed, and new sign permits are withheld until it is.
Frequently Asked Questions
What percentage of my storefront window can carry signage in Mobile?
Is the limit different in a historic district?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Mobile
Compare Mobile to another location·View the Alabama sign regulations overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.