This checks attached (wall) premise signs in Dallas business zoning districts. Detached/pole signs, billboards, and special sign districts (Downtown, Arts District, Deep Ellum) route to a pro.

Your Dallas business address

Storefront wall width (ft)

Width of the building wall your sign goes on.

Storefront wall height (ft)

Height of that wall face.

Planned sign area (sq ft)

How Dallas sizes your sign

Dallas takes a different approach than most big cities. Instead of tying your sign to street frontage, the Development Code (Article VII) limits an attached premise sign to 15% of the facade it's mounted on for streamlined (director) review. Go bigger and you're pushed into committee review — slower, costlier, and easy to get rejected. A permit is required for any sign over 20 sq ft, and signs over 100 sq ft trigger public notification.

This tool figures your facade area from your wall dimensions, applies the 15% rule, and tells you where your plan stands before you commit.

How to apply for a Dallas sign permit

Dallas has a gate before the sign permit and a threshold that decides whether you get streamlined review or a committee.

1. Get the Certificate of Occupancy approved first

Your business needs an approved Certificate of Occupancy before a sign permit can be issued — this is the step most owners miss.

2. Check whether you need a permit at all

A permit is required for any sign over 20 sq ft. Small non-illuminated signs of 20 sq ft or less are exempt — but that is not the same as a banner being allowed.

3. Stay inside the 15% facade share for director review

An attached premise sign limited to 15% of the facade it is mounted on gets streamlined (director) review. Go bigger and you are pushed into committee review. Signs over 100 sq ft trigger public notification.

4. Special or historic district check

Downtown, the Arts District, the West End, Deep Ellum and others override the base rules with committee review, and a sign in a Historic Overlay District needs a Certificate of Appropriateness from the Landmark Commission first.

5. File with Dallas Building Inspection

Illuminated signs add an electrical component and require a registered electrical or sign-electrical contractor.

Steps assembled from the confirmed items on this page. Fees and processing time are covered in "Cost, timeline & temporary banners" below — not repeated here.

Questions owners ask

What counts as my "facade"?

The area of the building wall your sign is mounted on — width × height. The attached-sign limit is a percentage of that.

Pole or monument (detached) sign?

Detached signs follow separate rules (height, setback, spacing) and aren't covered here — we'll route you to a pro for those.

Digital / LED display?

Digital and changeable-message displays face separate restrictions (§51A-7.216) and many districts limit them. This screen covers static/illuminated attached signs.

Special sign district?

Downtown, Arts District, West End, Deep Ellum and others override these rules with committee review. If your address is in one, confirm with a pro.

Is this an official ruling?

No. It's a first-pass risk filter on the public code, not a permit or legal advice. Final dimensions are confirmed by Dallas Building Inspection and a licensed sign contractor.

Cost, timeline & temporary banners

What does a Dallas sign permit cost?

Dallas charges flat fees that differ by sign type — a premise attached sign (mounted on your building) or a sign reface is billed at one rate, and a new premise detached (freestanding) sign at a higher one. We publish no amounts here: a stale fee is worse than none, and the Dallas development services fee pages did not respond to us. Confirm the current figures with Dallas Development Services before you file. Illuminated signs add an electrical component and require a registered electrical or sign-electrical contractor. One catch most owners miss: your business needs an approved Certificate of Occupancy before a sign permit can be issued.

How long does approval take?

The city says a sign permit typically takes around two business days to approve if everything required is submitted correctly. In practice, complex signs, electronic displays, or anything in a special or historic overlay district run longer (commonly 10–15 business days or more). Signs in a Historic Overlay District like the West End need a Certificate of Appropriateness from the Landmark Commission first.

Can I hang a "Grand Opening" banner first?

Be careful here — Dallas generally does not allow temporary signs in standard business and non-business zoning districts, and won't issue permits for them there. Temporary/"special purpose" signs are only allowed where a Special Provision Sign District or planned development expressly permits them. Small non-illuminated signs (20 sq ft or less) are exempt from a permit, but that's not the same as a banner being allowed. Check your zoning before you hang anything.

Source: City of Dallas Building Inspection (Signs); Dallas Development Code Chapter 51A, Article VII. Fees and timelines change — confirm current figures with the City of Dallas before filing.

Sources and official references: Dallas Development Code — Sign Regulations. Measured on 21 August 2026: the code library returns the sign article as text and carries the percentage limits quoted on this page. The permit-fee amounts are set in the annual fee schedule rather than the code, and no machine-readable copy of that schedule was obtained, so those figures go unchecked.

Last inspected against the official code: June 2026 · confirm current rules with the city before you file