Santa Clara, CA Sign Regulations: Window Signs (2026)

42's Standards for Specific Sign Types, governs both permanent and temporary window signs. Item 1 restricts window signs to windows on the ground floor and second story of a structure; they are not allowed above the second story. Item 2 keeps window signs out of the maximum allowable sign area calculation for the building, so they do not eat into a tenant's other sign allotment. Item 3 requires the bottom 24 inches of every ground-floor window to be left clear so Santa Clara Police Department, County Sheriff, or private security can observe the interior unobstructed.

Item 4 caps coverage at 25 percent of each individual window on either a primary or secondary building frontage, and defines a window broadly as any glazed area, including glass curtain walls. Item 5 bans window advertisements applied with specialized window chalk or window markers, and Item 6 prohibits illumination of window signs entirely. 120(L)(6). Together the two sections mean a compliant window sign under the 25 percent threshold, on the right floors, and unlit is permit-exempt, while anything larger, higher, or illuminated needs Sign Permit review and can be denied or conditioned by the Community Development Department.