San Jacinto, CA Sign Regulations: Window Signs (2026)

San Jacinto Municipal Code § 17.335.100(D) sets the window sign standards for the City of San Jacinto. Temporary window signs cannot occupy more than 25% of the total window area on either a designated primary or secondary building frontage, and a window means any glazed area, including glass curtain walls. Section 17.335.050(H)(13) repeats the cap in the prohibited sign list: window signs exceeding 25% of the window area are prohibited in all zones, except holiday window painting.

The definition of a window sign in § 17.335.040 is wide. It covers any sign, whether or not temporary in nature, that is applied or attached to a window or located within five feet of the inside of a window in a manner that makes it visible from outside the structure. Section 17.335.100(D)(5) backs that up by counting interior signs within five feet of a storefront window toward the window coverage calculation.

Placement rules add to the percentage. Window signs are allowed only on windows located on the ground floor and second story of a primary or secondary building frontage, and none are allowed above the second story. Signs must be painted or mounted on the inside of windows and doors, and their placement must allow unobstructed observation by safety personnel such as City police and private security. Luminous tube lighting such as neon cannot be used to outline or frame doors and windows under § 17.335.050(F). Permanent window signs follow the separate standards in Section 17.335.080.

Two exemptions matter to shop owners. Holiday window painting, meaning signs and decorations painted on or applied to windows for holidays and seasonal events, is exempt from the 25% cap and from sign permits, but everything must be removed within 10 days following the holiday (§ 17.335.120(B)(2)(j)). Incidental signs such as hours of operation, menus and credit card information are exempt from a permit when they total four square feet or less for all of them combined, and incidental window signs are left out of permanent window sign area calculations unless illuminated. Otherwise § 17.335.120(A)(1)(a) requires a sign permit to erect or alter any permanent or temporary sign.