Puyallup, WA Sign Regulations: Window Signs (2026)
Key Facts
- Coverage cap
- 25 percent of each building facade
- Below the cap
- No sign permit required
- At or above cap
- Treated as a facade sign, permit required
- Sign area credit
- Doesn't count toward total allowable sign area
- Legibility test
- Legible from eight feet outside the window
- Measured
- Separately per building facade
Summary
Window signs in Puyallup need no sign permit as long as they, alone or combined, cover no more than 25 percent of a building facade under PMC § 20.60.015(3). Cross that threshold and the entire display is reclassified as a facade sign, requiring a permit and full compliance with facade sign standards.
(3) Any window sign; provided, that no individual sign or combination of signs shall exceed 25 percent coverage of each facade. Furthermore: (a) If the area of window signs, as allowed under this section, does not exceed 25 percent of window coverage per facade then the window sign area shall not count towards the total allowable sign area permitted for a particular property; and (b) If a window sign or combination of signs is equal to or exceeds 25 percent window coverage per facade, then it shall be considered a facade sign and shall adhere to all regulations governing facade signs including the requirement to obtain a sign permit;
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4985225; v6 updated 2026-07-21; through 07-21-2026).
Full Breakdown
005(40) defines a window sign as any temporary or permanent sign placed inside a window or on window glass that communicates information about a business, activity, commodity, sale, service or event and is legible from eight feet outside the window; a retail merchandise display in the window is not a sign at all under this definition. 015(3). The cap applies facade by facade, not per property as a whole, so a business with signage on two street-facing walls gets a separate 25 percent allowance on each one.
60. 015(3)(b) converts the entire window display into a regulated facade sign, which must meet every facade sign standard in the chapter and obtain a sign permit from the development services department before installation, including a site plan and a building elevation or photograph showing where the sign will be placed. The rule applies inside Puyallup city limits only; it has no reach onto the Puyallup Tribe of Indians' reservation or trust land, which is not subject to the municipal code.
Violations & Fines
Exceeding the 25 percent threshold without first obtaining a facade sign permit is treated like any other unpermitted sign: the development services director can order it removed under PMC § 20.60.080(2), with written notice given first unless the sign sits in the public right-of-way. PMC § 20.60.080(3) also exposes the owner to the hearing and penalty procedures of Chapter 20.95 PMC beyond removal alone.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit for a window sign in Puyallup?
Is the 25 percent window sign limit measured per building or per facade?
Does a window display of merchandise count against my sign area?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Puyallup
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Window Signs in Nearby Cities
How other cities in this county handle window signs.