Hillsborough County, FL Sign Regulations: Window Signs (2026)
Key Facts
- Coverage limit
- 25% of window surface area
- Permit required
- No, exempt under Sec. 7.01.00.I
- Measured on
- Windows facing street or parking lot
- Building sign area
- Calculated separately, not combined
- Over-limit signs
- Prohibited under Sec. 7.02.01
Summary
Window signs in unincorporated Hillsborough County need no sign permit, but Land Development Code Section 7.03.00.F caps them at 25 percent of the window surface area facing a public street or parking lot. Signs under that cap don't count toward a building's separate Aggregate Sign Area allowance for building signs.
PART 7.01.00 EXEMPT SIGNS. The following signs are exempt from the permit requirements of Section 7.07.01, provided, however, that such signs must comply with all other requirements of the Sign Regulations. ... I. Window signs ... F. Window Signs: Window signs shall be permitted, provided that such signs, in Aggregate Sign Area, do not cover more than 25 percent of the total window surface area of the premises facing a public street or parking lot. Window Signs shall not be included in calculating the Aggregate Sign Area for building signs.
Full Breakdown
Article VII of the Land Development Code treats window signs differently from every other on-premises sign category. 01, so no application, fee or sign tag is required before one goes up. 00's opening line requires every exempt sign to still comply with all other requirements of the Sign Regulations. F: Aggregate Sign Area from window signs cannot cover more than 25 percent of the total window surface facing a public street or parking lot, measured per elevation facing that street or lot. 25 square feet per linear foot of building frontage, up to 200 square feet.
00, narrows what counts: a Window Sign is one painted on, attached to or visible through a window, and the code specifically states the display of merchandise is not a window sign, so product displays don't count against the 25 percent cap at all.
Violations & Fines
Window signs skip the permit process, but they are not unregulated. Section 7.02.01 states that any sign not permitted by the Sign Regulations is prohibited, so a window display exceeding the 25 percent Aggregate Sign Area cap in Section 7.03.00.F becomes a prohibited sign, exposing the property to a Hillsborough County code enforcement violation even though no permit was ever required for it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit for a window sign in Hillsborough County?
How much of my storefront window can a sign cover?
Does a merchandise display in the window count as a sign?
What happens if my window sign covers more than 25 percent of the window?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Hillsborough County
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Hillsborough County to another location·View the Florida sign regulations overview
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