Tempe, AZ Sign Regulations: Window Signs (2026)
Key Facts
- Window sign area cap
- 25% of window's total area
- Permit required
- no
- Above ground floor placement
- needs Development Plan approval
- Glass doors
- count as windows
- Illumination
- not permitted (temporary sign type)
Summary
Tempe caps window signs, Sign Type M, at 25% of a window's total area in commercial, industrial, and mixed-use districts, requires no permit, but bars placement above the ground floor without Development Plan approval.
M T Any sign in or on a window within commercial, industrial or mixed-use districts are classified as a sign type M. Shall be limited to twenty-five percent (25%) of the window's total area. Glass doors are considered windows, requirements may be modified by Community Development for security or crime prevention reasons, shall not be placed above the ground floor of the building without Development Plan approval. No ...Temporary signs and signs on residential use properties cannot be illuminated either internally or externally at any time.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: City Code: Supplement 33 Update 4 | Zoning and Development Code: Supplement 11 Update 2).
Full Breakdown
Table 4-903B in the Zoning and Development Code classifies any sign in or on a window within commercial, industrial, or mixed-use districts as Sign Type M, a temporary sign category. The size limit is a straight percentage test: window signage is limited to 25% of the window's total area. The table adds that glass doors count as windows for this purpose, that Community Development can modify the requirements for security or crime-prevention reasons, and that a window sign cannot be placed above the ground floor of a building without Development Plan approval.
No sign permit is required for a Type M window sign, per the table's permit column. Because Type M is designated a temporary ('T') sign type, it also falls under the sign table's general note that temporary signs and signs on residential-use properties cannot be illuminated, internally or externally, at any time, meaning an internally lit window display sign would fall outside what qualifies as a compliant Type M sign even while staying under the 25% area cap.
Violations & Fines
A window sign covering more than 25% of the window area, placed above the ground floor without Development Plan approval, or illuminated in violation of the temporary-sign lighting ban, does not meet Sign Type M's standards under Table 4-903B. The Community Development Department can require the sign reduced, relocated, or de-illuminated, and a non-compliant sign can be treated as unauthorized under Section 4-902(C).
Frequently Asked Questions
How much of my Tempe storefront window can I cover with signage?
Can a Tempe window sign be lit up at night?
Can I put a window sign on the second floor of my Tempe building?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Tempe
Compare Tempe to another location·View the Arizona sign regulations overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.
Window Signs in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Maricopa County handle window signs.