San Antonio, TX Sign Regulations: Window Signs (2026)
Key Facts
- Window sign defined at
- UDC Sec. 35-612(b)(1)L
- Facade coverage cap
- 20% per facade
- Building-wide sign cap
- 50 sq ft absent HDRC waiver
- Max signs per building
- 3, applicant discretion
- Promotional window signs
- 6 sq ft, 24-hr removal
- Approval required
- Certificate of Appropriateness
- Applies only in
- Historic districts and landmarks
Summary
Inside any San Antonio historic district or on a designated landmark, a window sign, defined under UDC Sec. 35-612 as anything placed inside a window or on the glass to communicate business or event information, counts as a building-mounted sign. It shares the same facade cap as any other sign there: no more than 20 percent of the facade and 50 square feet total per building without a variance.
B.Building mounted sign means a sign attached to, painted on, inscribed upon or deriving its major support from a building, including a wall sign, a projecting sign or an awning sign. For the purposes of this chapter, permanent signs painted on windows or doors, attached to windows or doors, or hung behind and within three (3) feet of the windows or doors, either illuminated or non-illuminated, shall be considered a building mounted sign subject to the sign area regulations contained in this chapter. ... L.Window sign means any sign, picture, symbol, or combination thereof, designed to communicate information about an activity, business, commodity, event, sale, or service, that is placed inside a window or upon the window panes or glass and is visible from the exterior of the window. A window sign does not include merchandise or models of products or services incorporated in window display.
Full Breakdown
Sec. 35-612 governs 'all signage within a historic district or on a designated historic landmark,' and requires approval from the historic preservation officer and a certificate of appropriateness before any sign, including a window sign, is painted, installed, or altered. Subsection (b)(1)L defines a window sign as any sign, picture or symbol placed inside a window or on the window panes or glass and visible from outside, excluding merchandise or product models in a window display. Subsection (b)(1)B goes further: any permanent sign painted on or attached to a window or door, or hung within three feet of one, is treated as a 'building mounted sign' subject to the same area regulations as a wall sign.
Under subsection (e)(1), an applicant may seek up to three signs total for a building, with no single facade carrying more than 20 percent sign coverage, and total signage per building capped at 50 square feet unless the Historic and Design Review Commission approves more. Temporary promotional window signs get a narrower carve-out: subsection (i)(9) allows up to 6 square feet advertising a special event or sale, provided it is removed within 24 hours after the promotion ends, capped at five such events per property per calendar year.
Digital or LED-lit window signs are generally barred under subsection (j)(11), with only narrow transit-shelter exceptions. Outside a historic district or landmark, Chapter 28's general sign code (Sec. 28-6) defines a window sign but sets no dedicated coverage percentage for it; the Sec. 35-612 cap applies only inside designated historic districts and on designated landmarks.
Violations & Fines
Installing, painting, or altering a window sign in a historic district or on a landmark without a certificate of appropriateness and the historic preservation officer's prior approval violates Sec. 35-612(a)(1). Exceeding the 20-percent-of-facade or 50-square-foot building cap, or leaving a promotional window sign up longer than 24 hours after the event ends, is also a violation, and the city can order the sign brought into compliance or removed at the owner's expense under Chapter 28's sign enforcement provisions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does San Antonio limit how much of my storefront window can carry a sign?
Do I need a permit for a window sign in a historic district?
Can I put a temporary sale sign in my shop window in a historic district?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in San Antonio
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