Pleasanton, CA Sign Regulations: Window Signs (2026)

Window signs in the Downtown Revitalization District are governed by Table 1 under Section 18.74.130, sign standards written specifically for Main Street and the surrounding downtown overlay rather than Pleasanton's citywide sign chapter. Subsection D of the table caps window sign coverage at 25 percent of any individual window or door area that is visible from outside the building, and flatly prohibits window signs above the second level of a building. A 'window sign' is defined in the same table as any sign painted, posted or displayed within three feet of an interior translucent or transparent surface, or any interior sign clearly visible from a public street or sidewalk, so the rule reaches posters and displays set back from the glass, not just decals applied to it.

Temporary window signs get a second, overlapping limit: Subsection F caps them at no more than 25 percent of the total window area of a business and restricts display to 30 days at a time. Second-story businesses get an explicit window-sign allowance too, again capped at 25 percent coverage per window or door, under Subsection J.

Section 18.74.130(B) sets the broader framework these window-sign limits sit inside: up to 75 percent of a business's total permitted sign area downtown may be used for vehicle-oriented signs, with the remaining share reserved for pedestrian-oriented signage such as window signs, projecting signs and overhang signs, as the zoning administrator determines. Sign content is limited to identifying the business, though window signs may reference the general type of product or service offered. All signage under this chapter is subject to design review approval.