Whittier, CA Sign Regulations: Window Signs (2026)
Key Facts
- Coverage cap
- 25% of window area maximum, all signs combined
- Number allowed
- 3 signs up to 50 sq ft; 5 up to 100 sq ft
- Window type
- Transparent windows only; opaque windows barred
- Neon
- Neon window trim/framing counts toward 25% cap
- Citation
- Whittier Municipal Code § 18.76.050, Table 5
- Default penalty
- Up to $500 fine or 6 months jail
Summary
Whittier's zoning code limits permanent window signs to 25% of a window's glass area and caps the number allowed based on window size. Only transparent windows may carry them; opaque windows cannot display any window sign at all. Municipal Code Section 18.76.050, Table 5, sets the standard, enforced by the community development department.
A. Number 1. Maximum 3 signs for windows up to 50 square feet in area.
2. Maximum 5 signs for windows up to 100 square feet in area.
B. Location 1. Only allowed in transparent windows.
2. Opaque windows may not contain either permanent or temporary window signs.
C. Background Sign Area 1. Total area of all window signs ≤ 25% of the window area.
2. Illuminated neon around the contours of a window, or used to create a frame within a window, constitute a window sign, and are subject to the 25% of the window area limitation.
Full Breakdown
050, Table 5, sets permanent window sign standards citywide. Businesses may install a maximum of three signs in windows up to 50 square feet, rising to five signs for windows up to 100 square feet. Signs are only allowed in transparent windows; opaque windows may carry neither permanent nor temporary window signs, closing off the option of frosting a window to add more signage. The total area of all window signs combined cannot exceed 25% of the window's glass area, and the code explicitly folds illuminated neon into that cap: neon run around a window's contours or used to frame the interior of a window counts as a window sign and is measured against the same 25% limit.
Window signs must be professionally constructed to industry standards and kept in good repair; a sign that becomes faded, broken, discolored, or otherwise deteriorated must be removed and replaced. The code also treats window signs as automatically abandoned once the business or tenant they identify no longer occupies the space, meaning a departing tenant's signage loses its legal status even without a formal removal order. 120 additionally caps sign illumination spillover onto residential property at two foot-candles above ambient light, which reaches any illuminated window sign facing a home. 050 offers no variance or waiver route for exceeding the 25% cap.
Violations & Fines
Window signs that exceed the 25% coverage cap, appear in opaque glass, or go unmaintained are code violations under Whittier Municipal Code Title 18. Because Section 18.76.050 is not listed among the specific infractions in Section 1.08.015, a violation defaults to the general penalty in Section 1.08.010: a misdemeanor punishable by up to a $500 fine and six months in jail, or, if charged as an infraction, escalating fines of $100, $200, then $500 for repeat violations within a year.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much of my storefront window can I cover with signs in Whittier?
Can I put a sign in a frosted or painted-over window?
Does neon lighting around my window count as a sign?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Whittier
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