Navajo County, AZ Sign Regulations: Window Signs (2026)
Key Facts
- Window sign coverage limit
- 50% of window/door glass area
- Permit needed if under limit
- No
- Governing section
- § 1702, item 4
- Other exempt signs
- Plaques, flags, temporary signs 10 days
- Zone where rule applies
- All unincorporated zoning districts
Summary
Storefront window and glass-door signs in unincorporated Navajo County skip the sign-permit process entirely as long as the sign's copy covers no more than half the glass. Section 1702, item 4, sets that fifty-percent threshold as the dividing line between an exempt window display and a permitted sign requiring county approval.
Section 1702 - Signs not Requiring a Permit The following types of signs are exempted from permit requirements and allowed in all zones, but shall be in conformance with all other requirements of this ordinance: ... ... 4. Signs located on windows or glass doors that do not have a copy area exceeding fifty percent (50%) of the total window or glass door size.
Full Breakdown
§ 16-1019, and short-lived temporary signs removed within ten days. Item 4 adds window and glass-door signs to that exempt list, but with a percentage test rather than a fixed square-footage cap: the copy area painted, taped, or hung on the glass cannot exceed fifty percent of the window or door's total size. A business with a large storefront window can therefore post a proportionally larger sign than a business with a small door pane and still stay exempt, because the limit scales with the glass itself.
Cross the fifty-percent line and the exemption disappears; the sign then has to meet whichever permitted-sign category applies to the property's zoning, single-family residential under Section 1703, multi-family under Section 1704, or commercial and industrial under Section 1705, each of which imposes its own size cap, height limit, and illumination rule and requires a sign permit from the Community Development Department before installation.
Violations & Fines
A window sign that exceeds the fifty-percent coverage threshold without the required permit is treated as an unpermitted sign under Article 21. County Code Enforcement Officers investigate such complaints under Section 2103, the Director may pursue the case through the County Attorney's Office under Section 2105, and the Hearing Officer can impose civil penalties under A.R.S. §§ 11-815 and 11-866, with no further permits issued for the parcel until the sign is brought into compliance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a sign permit for a window decal at my unincorporated Navajo County business?
What if I want to cover my whole storefront window with a sign?
Are there other signs that don't need a Navajo County sign permit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Navajo County
Compare Navajo County to another location·View the Arizona sign regulations overview
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