Charlotte sign permit at a glance
| Question | Short answer |
|---|---|
| Do I need a permit? | Yes, from the Planning Department, to install, construct, enlarge, move or replace any sign not exempt under UDO 22.6 (how to apply). Other cities compared. |
| How big can wall signs be? | Wall, projecting, awning and canopy signs together: 10% of the tenant’s leasable building wall square footage or 300 square feet, whichever is less, in every district (calculator). Other cities compared. |
| How big can a ground sign be? | 36 square feet in N1, N2, NC, CAC, TOD-CC, TOD-TR, Campus and IMU districts; 84 square feet in CG, CR, ML-1 and ML-2; prohibited in RAC, UE, UC, TOD-UC and TOD-NC (limits by type). Other cities compared. |
| Window signs? | No more than 25% of each window area; 65% for a vacant ground-floor nonresidential space. Other cities compared. |
| What does it cost? | Charlotte publishes no sign-specific permit fee we could confirm, so this page prints no amount. |
| How long does it take? | The Planning Department shall examine the plans within 15 business days (UDO 22.4.B.1) (timeline). Other cities compared. |
| Who is involved? | Zoning review by City of Charlotte Planning; building inspection by Mecklenburg County, which may also require a building or electrical permit. |
| How is sign area measured? | One continuous perimeter around the outermost letters, logos and artwork, plus any background color or material that is part of the display; supports with no copy are not counted. For window signs, mullions do not divide the window area (UDO 22.5) (other cities compared). |
| Sidewalk A-frame sign? | Allowed in the listed commercial and mixed-use districts: one per establishment, within 15 feet of the primary entrance, up to six square feet per side and four feet tall, a six-foot clear sidewalk kept, out only during business hours, no lighting. Other cities compared. |
| Who files? | Sign contractors file online through AccelaMeck, which needs a Mecklenburg County bond account; customers without one can use the county’s manual process for a nominal fee. Other cities compared. |
| When does the permit run out? | It becomes null and void if work has not visibly started within six months of issue, or if the work is suspended or abandoned for one year (UDO 22.4). Other cities compared. |
| Historic district? | Historic District Commission (HDC) design-guideline review comes before the permit is issued. Other cities compared. |
| Digital or LED sign? | Allowed for all uses in the Neighborhood Center, Activity Center, Innovation Mixed-Use, Commercial, Manufacturing and Logistics, Campus and Transit Oriented Development districts, one per lot; each message static for at least eight seconds, with no scrolling, flashing, animation or transition effect (UDO 22.9.C). Other cities compared. |
| Grand opening banner? | No sign permit is needed. Banners are allowed for nonresidential uses in all zoning districts: one per establishment, up to 32 square feet outside the UC district, securely attached to a building wall, for at most 14 consecutive days with at least ten days between display periods (UDO 22.6.C). Other cities compared. |
| Only swapping the sign face? | No sign permit is needed to change or replace the sign face within an existing sign structure, as long as no structural changes are made and the face is not made larger (UDO 22.3). Other cities compared. |
Check one Charlotte sign against UDO Article 22
Sign limits How to apply Checklist Timeline Sign companies
Under UDO Article 22, "wall-mounted signs" (wall, projecting, awning, and canopy signs) are permitted for nonresidential uses in any zoning district — and multi-family dwellings. The maximum is 10% of the tenant’s leasable building wall square footage or 300 square feet, whichever is less, the same in every district; in a multi-tenant building it is allocated by tenant along each building facade. Marquee, skyline, roof, and painted wall signs are regulated separately and don't count toward that wall-mounted total. Your district matters for the other types: ground signs are 36 sq ft and 7 ft in most districts, 84 sq ft and 30 ft in CG, CR and ML, and prohibited in RAC, UE, UC, TOD-UC and TOD-NC (Table 22-3).
UDO Article 22 sign limits, by sign type
Article 22 sets the wall-mounted allowance by sign type, not by zoning district. Districts decide which types are allowed and, for ground signs, the size (Table 22-3). The rows below are the ordinance’s own divisions.
| Sign type | Maximum number | Maximum area | Maximum height / projection |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wall-mounted signs (wall, projecting, awning and canopy signs together) | — | 10% of the tenant’s leasable building wall square footage or 300 square feet, whichever is less; in a multi-tenant building allocated by tenant with leasable building wall square footage along each building facade | — |
| Projecting signs | One per tenant with frontage on a street; on a corner lot one per street frontage | 75 square feet, counted toward the maximum sign area of all wall-mounted signs | Projection of four feet from the building facade or up to four feet from the future back of curb, whichever is less; mounted within the first four stories |
| Awning and canopy signs | One per tenant with a facade abutting a public or network-required private street, or public right-of-way | Sign copy limited to 30% of each surface area; a valance is a separate surface area | A canopy sign face above the top of the canopy: maximum height of 24 inches |
| Skyline signs | One per facade | By building height — 50′ to 75′: 300sf; greater than 75′ to 100′: 480sf; greater than 100′ to 200′: 600sf; greater than 200′ to 500′: 720sf; greater than 500′: 850sf | Placed within the top 20% of the height of the structure; may project up to 24 inches above the roofline or parapet |
| Ground signs (Table 22-3) | One per street frontage under 400 feet; one more on a frontage of 400 feet or more, 200 feet apart | 36 square feet in N1, N2, NC, CAC, TOD-CC, TOD-TR, Campus and IMU districts; 84 square feet in CG, CR, ML-1 and ML-2; prohibited in RAC, UE, UC, TOD-UC and TOD-NC | 7 feet; 30 feet in CG, CR, ML-1 and ML-2, where a pole sign (one per lot, 84 square feet) is allowed |
| Wall signs (within the wall-mounted total) | On each facade | — | Projection of 18 inches from the wall; channel letters without a background may rise 24 inches above the roofline |
| Window signs | — | No more than 25% of the surface of each window area, including transparent areas of doors and entryways; 65% for vacant ground floor nonresidential use spaces | Up to and including the third story; ground floor only in N2; not permitted in N1 |
| Banners | — | One per establishment, 32 square feet, 14 consecutive days with 10 days between displays; in the UC Zoning District all banners combined may not exceed 1,000 square feet or 10% of the wall area, whichever is less, per building wall | Shall not extend above the second-floor level of a building or 45 feet above grade, whichever is less |
| A-frame signs | One per establishment, including one for each tenant in a multi-tenant development | Six square feet in area per side | Four feet in height; placed within 15 feet of the primary entrance |
| Commercial flags | One per establishment for each tenant on the first and second stories where the tenant’s facade abuts a public or private right-of-way | 12 square feet | — |
| Changeable message / electronic components | — | Up to 50% of the total area of the sign; within the I-277 loop such a component may comprise 100% of the total area of a sign | — |
Source: Charlotte Unified Development Ordinance Article 22, read 10 October 2026 on charlotteudo.org.
Worked from the table
Three of the rows are proportional, so the figure depends on your own measurement. These are the ordinance’s arithmetic on inputs we chose to show the two sides of each limit.
- Wall-mounted signs, 2,000 sq ft of leasable wall. 10% × 2,000 = 200 sq ft, against the 300 sq ft cap — the percentage is less, so the allowance is 200 sq ft.
- Wall-mounted signs, 4,000 sq ft of leasable wall. 10% × 4,000 = 400 sq ft, against the 300 sq ft cap — the cap is less, so the allowance is 300 sq ft.
- Banners in the UC district, 6,000 sq ft of wall area. 10% × 6,000 = 600 sq ft, against the 1,000 sq ft cap — the percentage is less, so the combined banner allowance is 600 sq ft for that building wall.
Source: Charlotte Unified Development Ordinance Article 22, read 10 October 2026 on charlotteudo.org.
The conditions the copy attaches
Wall-mounted signs are wall, projecting, and awning and canopy signs. Marquee, skyline and roof signs that may also be mounted on a wall are regulated separately and do not count toward the maximum sign area of wall-mounted signs; painted and projected wall signs are likewise not counted. The wall-mounted limit applies to each tenant, and square footage cannot be transferred from one tenant of a structure to another or from one facade of a structure to another.
Skyline signs are permitted only for nonresidential buildings and multi-family dwellings of 50 feet or more in height, and only in these zoning districts: Neighborhood Center Zoning District; Community Activity Center Zoning Districts; Regional Activity Center Zoning Districts; Innovation Mixed-Use Zoning District; Commercial Zoning Districts; Manufacturing and Logistics Zoning Districts; Campus Zoning Districts; and Transit Oriented Development Zoning Districts. If a skyline sign is erected on a building, a roof sign is prohibited.
All ground signs shall be of monument type construction, except for ground signs in the Manufacturing and Logistics Zoning Districts and the CG and CR Zoning Districts; for nonresidential uses in those districts a ground sign may be of pole sign type construction, and that is the only place the copy allows a pole sign.
Window signs are permitted in the N2, NC, CAC, RAC, IMU, Commercial, ML, Campus and TOD districts, and not in Neighborhood 1. The 65% allowance applies to vacant ground floor nonresidential spaces in those districts; once occupied, the 25% limit controls again. Window signs may be internally or naturally lit, never externally. Perforated window film counts in full, and a shadowbox display within two feet of the glass counts as a window sign (22.5.A.2).
Electronic signs are limited to the NC, CAC, RAC, IMU, Commercial, ML, Campus and TOD districts (plus listed civic uses anywhere), one per lot, each message static for at least eight seconds, with no animation outside UC (22.9.C). Feather flags, balloon signs, pennants, portable sign structures and vehicle signs are prohibited (22.12).
Source: Charlotte Unified Development Ordinance Article 22, read 10 October 2026 on charlotteudo.org.
Signs in Charlotte's local historic districts require Historic District Commission (HDC) design-guideline review before a permit is issued, (UDO 22.4.B.2). An existing sign can be designated a landmark or historic sign by the Zoning Administrator; where it is tied to a local landmark or sits in a historic district, the Planning Department first takes a recommendation from the Historic Landmark Commission or the Historic District Commission (22.11.D).
Not sure how the code reads for your sign?
Send your dimensions and we will reply with how the Charlotte code reads for that sign, at no charge. We are not a sign contractor and do not file permits; the sign companies listed on this page say they handle the permit.
Send your sign details →Get my free sign quote →How to apply for a Charlotte sign permit — 6 steps
Charlotte ties the wall allowance to your wall, the ground sign to your district, and adds a design review in historic districts.
Sources: UDO 22.4 (read 10 October 2026); City of Charlotte, How to use Accela Citizen Access for Zoning Use Permits, Signs and Zoning Verification Letter (10/1/2024); Mecklenburg County, Sign Permits. We do not publish a fee amount: UDO 22.4.C says only that all fees in the associated fee schedule are paid, and we hold no sign-specific rate.
Charlotte sign checklist — 5 items
Before you design or order anything, confirm:
- What's my zoning district, and my leasable wall square footage on each facade?
- Is it a projecting sign (max 75 sq ft, counts toward wall total) or a separate skyline/marquee sign?
- Does my sign have an electronic or changeable-copy component? → 50% cap (100% only inside I-277).
- Is my window sign over 25% of the glass? → not allowed (65% only while a ground-floor nonresidential space is vacant; back to 25% once it's occupied).
- Am I in a local historic district? → HDC review required before permit.
Official Charlotte resources
Go straight to the city for permits and the binding code:
Charlotte Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) — Article 22 (Signs), zoning districts, and sign permits.
UDO Article 22. Signs on charlotteudo.org — the full article text, read 10 October 2026.
Other US city sign guides
Sources & how this page is maintained
Sources and official references: Charlotte Unified Development Ordinance, Article 22. Signs, read 10 October 2026 in full; a copy is kept on file and the monthly check reads the same page. The permitting steps also rest on the City’s Accela guide and the Mecklenburg County sign permit page, read the same day.
How long a Charlotte sign permit takes
Charlotte's sign ordinance puts a deadline on the city, not on you: on filing, the Planning Department shall examine the plans and specifications within 15 business days, and may inspect the premises (UDO 22.4.B.1). Once issued, a sign permit becomes null and void if work has not visibly started within six months, or if the work is suspended or abandoned for one year (22.4.B.3).
On cost, Charlotte publishes no sign-specific permit fee that we could confirm applies to commercial signs. UDO 22.4.C says only that to obtain a sign permit, all fees in accordance with the associated fee schedule shall be paid. We print no amount here rather than quote a figure we cannot tie to sign permits.
Source: Charlotte UDO Article 22, Section 22.4, read 10 October 2026. An earlier version of this section cited Chapter 13 of the former Zoning Ordinance (amended 2020); this page now cites the UDO.
Charlotte sign companies that say they handle the permit
Compiled from each company's own public website. We are not affiliated with any of them and we are not paid to list them. Confirm licensing and pricing yourself before you hire.
| Company | Phone | Location | What their site says about permits | In-house |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carolina Signs and Wonders | (704) 625-2345 | 1700 University Commercial Pl, Charlotte, NC 28213 | we handle the permitting process from start to finish, including drawings and city submissions | All signage is produced in-house using high-quality, professional-grade materials. |
| The Sign Factory | 704.321.0040 | 3540 Toringdon Way Suite 200 Charlotte, NC 28277 | we handle the permitting process alongside the design, manufacture and installation of the finished marker | - |
| FASTSIGNS of Charlotte, NC - South Tryon | (704) 981-8530 | 3400 South Tryon St, Ste A, Charlotte, NC 28217-1314 | Our specialists will perform accurate surveys and procure the appropriate permits to ensure your signage is in full compliance. | - |
Each company's website is linked from its name. Source pages read 7 October 2026.
Ask us how the code reads for your sign
Send your dimensions and we will reply with what the Charlotte code allows for that sign. No charge. We are not a sign contractor and not a permit agent.