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Thurston County, WA Sign Regulations: Window Signs (2026)

Some Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Window sign cap
30% of pedestrian-level glass
Where it applies
Grand Mound UGA districts only
Governing rule
Wall-sign criteria, §20.36.050(2)
Stacking
Adds to countywide Chapter 20.40 rules
Trigger for compliance
Structural alteration of the sign

Summary

Inside the Grand Mound Urban Growth Area's Arterial Commercial, Planned Industrial, and Light Industrial districts, Thurston County's design guidelines cap window signage at thirty percent of pedestrian-level windows. The limit sits inside the wall-sign rules of Section 20.36.050 and applies on top of, not instead of, the countywide sign standards in Chapter 20.40.

These county ordinances apply to unincorporated areas of Thurston County. Incorporated cities within the county may have their own rules that take precedence over county-level regulations.

2.Permitted Signs.a.Arterial Commercial District and Commercial Uses Within All Other Districts.i.Monument signs shall be permitted...ii.Wall signs shall be permitted in accordance with the following criteria:...F.Wall signs shall not extend above the eave or parapet of the building.G.Window signs shall not cover more than thirty percent of pedestrian-level windows....b.Industrial Uses Within Planned Industrial and Light Industrial Districts....ii.Wall signs shall be permitted in accordance with the following criteria:...D.Wall signs shall not extend above the eave or parapet of the building.E.Window signs shall not cover more than thirty percent of pedestrian-level windows.

View official code

Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 77).

Full Breakdown

36, apply to new commercial, industrial, and multifamily development (five or more units) in the Arterial Commercial, Planned Industrial, Light Industrial, Residential 3-6, and Residential 4-16 zoning districts within the Grand Mound Urban Growth Area, an unincorporated growth area centered on the Interstate 5/US 12 interchange. 40. 050(2)(b)(ii)(E). The same subsection also bars wall signs from extending above the building's eave or parapet, ties the maximum wall sign allowance to street frontage (two square feet per linear foot up to 360 square feet for single-occupancy commercial buildings), and permits one pedestrian-oriented sign per business entrance. 020(2)(d). 050(3)(a).

Violations & Fines

A window display that covers more than thirty percent of a storefront's pedestrian-level glass in the Grand Mound Urban Growth Area's commercial or industrial districts is a nonconforming sign under Chapter 20.36 and must be reduced to comply before the county will approve a new sign permit, a structural alteration, or an expansion or remodel valued at fifty percent or more of the building's assessed improvement value. The county's zoning enforcement process, not a set fine schedule in this chapter, handles noncompliant signage.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the 30% window sign limit apply countywide in Thurston County?
No. It applies only within the Grand Mound Urban Growth Area's Arterial Commercial, Planned Industrial, and Light Industrial districts under the Grand Mound Design Guidelines, Chapter 20.36. Businesses elsewhere in unincorporated Thurston County follow the general sign standards in Chapter 20.40 instead, which do not include this specific window-coverage cap.
What counts toward the 30% window sign coverage limit?
The guideline measures coverage against pedestrian-level windows, the storefront glazing visible to people walking by, rather than a building's total window area. Section 20.36.050(2)(a)(ii)(G) applies the cap to wall-mounted window signage in commercial developments, and an identical cap applies to industrial uses under subsection (2)(b)(ii)(E).
Can I keep an existing oversized window display if I remodel my Grand Mound storefront?
Only if the remodel costs less than fifty percent of the building's assessed improvement value. Once a project crosses that threshold, or a sign is structurally altered, Sections 20.36.020(2)(d) and 20.36.050(3)(a) require the signage, including window coverage, to come into full compliance with the thirty-percent limit.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Thurston County

Freeway-Facing SignsSignificant RestrictionsPolitical SignsSome RestrictionsDigital BillboardsHeavy RestrictionsGarage Sale SignsSome RestrictionsHoliday DisplaysFew RestrictionsNoise Ordinances: Barking DogsSome RestrictionsParking Rules: Loading ZonesSome RestrictionsParking Rules: Driveway RulesSome RestrictionsParking Rules: Abandoned VehiclesSome RestrictionsFence Regulations: Retaining WallsSome RestrictionsAnimal Ordinances: Cat RulesSome Restrictions

All Thurston County rules

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