Palm Springs, CA Sign Regulations: Window Signs (2026)
Key Facts
- Main sign coverage limit
- 40% of glazed area or 15 sq ft, whichever smaller
- Accessory window sign limit
- 6 sq ft flat cap
- Letter height cap
- 10 inches, both sign types
- Location limit
- First floor of building only
- Applies in
- Downtown/Uptown sign district
- Permit required
- Yes, Sec. 93.20.06(A) and (B)
Summary
In Palm Springs' Downtown/Uptown sign district, a window sign used as a business's Main Sign cannot exceed 40% of the total glazed area or 15 square feet, whichever is smaller, under Section 93.20.06(A). A separate accessory window sign on glazing without a Main Sign is capped at 6 square feet under Section 93.20.06(B).
• Window Sign: 40% of the total glazed area or 15 square feet, whichever is smaller. Each glazed area on either side of a customer entrance may contain an identical sign; the combination of such signs shall be deemed as one sign. Letters shall not exceed a maximum of 10 inches in height. Signs on glazing shall be limited to the first floor of the building.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4923139; v14 updated 2026-06-24).
Full Breakdown
03. " A glazed area on either side of the customer entrance can carry an identical sign, but the pair is "deemed as one sign" for area purposes, so the business cannot double its allowance by splitting it across two panes. If the Main Sign is not a Window Sign, a business may instead take a Window Sign as its one Accessory Sign under Subsection (B), but only on glazing that does not already carry the Main Sign, capped at a flat 6 square feet with the same 10-inch letter limit and first-floor restriction.
05 list Window Sign as a permitted Main Sign type but size it under the same frontage-based formula as any other sign type rather than a percentage-of-glass rule. 06(A) and (B).
Violations & Fines
A window sign exceeding the 40%/15-square-foot Main Sign cap or the 6-square-foot Accessory Sign cap is unpermitted signage subject to Section 93.20.13's criminal sanctions and administrative penalties under Municipal Code Chapters 1.01 and 1.06, and to nuisance abatement under Section 93.20.11, including a written notice of non-compliance and, for signs left uncorrected, an amortization schedule tied to the sign's permit value before removal.
Frequently Asked Questions
How big can a store's window sign be in downtown Palm Springs?
Can I put a window sign on both sides of my store entrance?
Do window signs need a sign permit in Palm Springs?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Palm Springs
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