West Covina, CA Sign Regulations: Window Signs (2026)

Section 26-100(i) of the Development Code exempts window signs from the sign permit process, but only within a specific coverage limit and only in non-residential zones. The aggregate area of window signage on any single window cannot exceed 50 percent of that window's area, calculated per window rather than across the whole storefront, so a business with several display windows has to keep each one under the cap individually. The stated purpose behind the ceiling is to maintain reasonable visibility into the business for security purposes, meaning code enforcement and the Community Development Department read the standard as protecting sightlines for police and passersby, not just limiting clutter.

Because window signs are listed among the exempt signs in Sec. 26-100, their area is excluded from the calculation of a parcel's maximum total sign area under Sec. 26-102, unlike wall signs, monument signs, and other permanent signage that count against that citywide allowance. The exemption applies only where the sign is not illuminated and does not create a public nuisance, per the general conditions that open Sec. 26-100; an illuminated window sign, such as a lit sign or a backlit poster, falls outside the exemption and must instead comply with the permitted-sign and permit standards elsewhere in the sign article, including Sec.

26-99 (permit required) and Sec. 26-102 (allowed signs by zoning district). The 50 percent threshold applies uniformly across the city's non-residential zones and is not adjusted by street frontage, tenant size, or business type.