Monroe County, FL Sign Regulations: Window Signs (2026)

Monroe County's Land Development Code exempts window signs from the sign-permit requirement but still caps how much glass they can cover. Section 142-8(a)(12), part of the list of signs that shall not require a permit, allows window signs that collectively cover 35 percent or less of the window glass surface area, and specifically excludes business information and business affiliation signs from that 35 percent computation, so a store's payment-method decals or trade-association placards do not eat into the window-sign allowance. A separate, narrower rule governs temporary window signage under Section 142-7(b): a temporary sign displayed on a window surface must be posted on the inside of the glass, must also stay within that same 35 percent ceiling, and cannot be illuminated.

Because Section 142-7 sits in the Temporary signs article and Section 142-8 sits in Permanent signs, the county applies the identical 35 percent coverage ceiling to both a shop's everyday window lettering and to short-term paper or vinyl signage taped up for a sale or event, while reserving the added restrictions of interior placement and no illumination for the temporary category. Both provisions fall under Chapter 142's general standards in Section 142-6, including the Florida Building Code compliance and licensed-contractor requirements that apply to any sign requiring a permit, though window signs under the 35 percent threshold are exempt from the permit process itself.