Fort Worth sign permit at a glance

Question	Short answer
How big can attached signs be?	10% of the facade they are mounted on, with height counted up to 15 ft, up to 500 sq ft per wall; sign length is capped at 75% of the wall width (sizing). Other cities compared.
Do I need a permit?	Yes, before installing any exterior business sign over the exempt size; one permit per sign, applications online only (how to apply). Other cities compared.
Which signs need no permit?	§6.403 lists them, including one temporary sign per business of not more than eight square feet and 42 inches tall (no-permit signs).
What does it cost?	Application fee $38.98, plus a display area fee ($28.22, or $0.26 per square foot for each display surface, whichever is greater), a height fee and an electrical fee (fee table).
How long does it take?	The city publishes no review or processing time. Other cities compared.
Historic property?	Any change to the exterior needs a Certificate of Appropriateness before permits are issued. Other cities compared.
Who can install it?	The permit holder needs a Contractor Registration on file; illuminated signs also need a State of Texas Master Electrical Sign Contractor’s License, non-illuminated ones do not. Owners putting banners on their own commercial property are exempt. Other cities compared.
How is sign area measured?	Lines projected from the furthermost points of the logos, letters or symbols, including any border, trim or surface the message sits on; the sign structure counts only if it carries a sign (other cities compared).
Window signs?	Window signs may occupy a maximum of 25% of the window area on each building facade (§6.403(f)(1)). Other cities compared.
Grand opening banner?	30 consecutive days at most, one at a time, and a promotional banner generally needs a permit. (details) Other cities compared.
Digital or LED sign?	An electronic changeable copy sign needs a special exception from the Board of Adjustment, and no more than one message every 20 seconds. Other cities compared.
Already installed without a permit?	An investigation fee equal to the permit fee is charged on top of the permit fee, whether or not a permit is then issued (Administrative Code §109.4.2, which covers the Sign Code). Other cities compared.
When does the permit run out?	The administrative code that covers the Sign code makes a permit invalid after 180 days unless a required inspection is approved, and again when 180 days pass after the last approved inspection; a one-time extension of up to 180 days can be asked for before it expires (§105.5). Other cities compared.
Sidewalk A-frame sign?	One temporary sign per business may stand out during business hours with no permit: on private property within 10 ft of the front door, no more than 8 sq ft and 42 inches tall, not lit and not blocking pedestrians on the sidewalk. It may go in the public right-of-way only when there is no room on private property and the front door is less than 10 ft from the sidewalk edge or curb (§6.403). Other cities compared.

This checks attached (wall) premise signs in Fort Worth business zoning districts. Detached/pole signs, billboards, and special sign districts route to a pro.

Your Fort Worth 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)

Length of the sign (ft)

Use the length of your building or tenant space as the wall width above.

Projection from the building (in)

Attached signs on your other facades (sq ft)

Sizing How to apply FAQ Resources Cost & timeline No-permit signs Prohibited signs Permit fees Sign companies

How Fort Worth sizes your sign

Fort Worth limits your attached signs to 10% of the facade they're mounted on, calculated as width × height (height capped at 15 ft for the math). For buildings taller than 15 ft, you instead get 1.5 sq ft per foot of facade width. Either way, no single facade's signage tops 500 sq ft, and your total across all walls can't exceed 1,340 sq ft.

Your sign's length is also capped at 75% of the wall width. This tool figures your facade area, applies the 10% rule with the 15-ft height cap and 500 sq ft ceiling, and tells you where your plan stands before you commit.

How to apply for a Fort Worth sign permit — 4 steps

The size rule is only half of it. This is the order the permit itself comes in.

1. Check whether you're over the exempt size

A sign permit is required before installing any exterior business sign over the exempt size.

2. Prepare one application per sign

The city accepts sign permit applications online only. An attached sign needs building elevations, a sign exhibit and measurements in feet; with more than one sign, each needs its own permit and a site plan marking each location. Anyone obtaining a permit under the city’s building, mechanical, plumbing or electrical codes must have a Contractor Registration on file with Development Services; a registered sign contractor needs a State of Texas Master Electrical Sign Contractor’s License to install illuminated signs, but not for non-illuminated ones, and owners of commercial property installing banners on their own property are exempt (city Contractor Registration page). The city’s sign page says sign contractors schedule the inspections: 505 location before install, 502 pre-installation for electrical signs on the morning of install, and 500 final.

3. Historic or downtown district check

The Zoning Ordinance lists scenic preservation areas, including the Central Business District, the Stockyards and several historic districts, plus scenic corridors (§6.402), and any exterior change to a historic property needs a Certificate of Appropriateness before permits are issued, usually approved by staff (city Historic Preservation page).

4. File with Development Services

Applications, fees, and the official sign ordinance are on the city's Fort Worth Sign Permits (Development Services) page.

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

What other cities ask you to submit: sign permit application checklists by city.

Questions owners ask — 5 questions

How is my allowance figured?

10% of your facade area (width × height, height counted up to 15 ft), capped at 500 sq ft per wall. Taller buildings use 1.5 sq ft per foot of width instead.

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?

Fort Worth prohibits animated, flashing and running-message signs; an electronic changeable copy sign needs a special exception from the Board of Adjustment, with no more than 25% of the sign face as changeable copy and no more than one message every 20 seconds (Zoning Ordinance §6.405 and §6.411). This screen covers static/illuminated attached signs.

Special sign district?

Some districts 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 Fort Worth Development Services and a licensed sign contractor.

Official Fort Worth resources

This tool is a screening aid. For permits and the binding code, go straight to the city:

Fort Worth Sign Permits (Development Services) — applications, fees, and the official sign ordinance.

I'm not a US citizen and just opened a small shop — where do I start?

You'll need a sign permit before installing any exterior business sign over the exempt size. Applications are online only, one permit per sign. The city’s sign page puts the inspection scheduling on the sign contractor, and an electrical sign is pre-inspected on the morning of installation, when the inspector checks state licensing. The city’s Contractor Registration page requires a registered contractor for permits, with a State of Texas Master Electrical Sign Contractor’s License for illuminated signs; the sign code itself (Chapter 29) was not read because its host blocks automated access.

My storefront is in a historic or downtown district — is this different?

It can. The Zoning Ordinance lists scenic preservation areas, including the Central Business District, the Stockyards and several historic districts, plus scenic corridors (§6.402), and any exterior change to a historic property needs a Certificate of Appropriateness before permits are issued, usually approved by staff (city Historic Preservation page). Confirm your district before you design the sign.

Cost, timeline & temporary banners

What does a Fort Worth sign permit cost?

Fort Worth charges an application fee of $38.98 plus three add-ons — display area, height above grade, and electrical amperage. The full Table 1-K schedule is in what a Fort Worth sign permit actually costs below. Illuminated signs add electrical permit and inspection costs, and the sign must be installed by a registered sign contractor.

How long does approval take?

The city publishes no review or processing time for sign permits, so this page gives no number.

Can I hang a "Grand Opening" banner first?

Under the sign code, a temporary portable sign or banner is allowed for only 30 consecutive days, just one at a time, with at least 30 days between displays — and temporary signs are permitted only in the "CF" Community Facilities and "ER" Neighborhood Commercial Restricted or less restrictive districts, at no more than 60 sq ft, one per business (two per platted lot, three on lots with more than 300 ft of street frontage), and no temporary sign within 100 ft of another (§6.404).

Detail

On a historic property, any change to the exterior needs a Certificate of Appropriateness before permits are issued. Most are approved by Historic Preservation staff; the Historic and Cultural Landmarks Commission hears only new construction, demolition, waivers from the design guidelines, designations, tax-exemption verifications and appeals, and meets the second Monday of every month. The city’s list of exterior alterations does not name signs, so ask staff whether yours needs one. Submitting a complete application with all plans the first time is the main way to avoid resubmission delays.

Fort Worth's temporary-sign rules are strict. A small non-illuminated temporary sign under 42 inches tall (one per business, during business hours) is exempt, but a promotional banner generally needs a permit.

Source: Fort Worth Zoning Ordinance Chapter 6, Article 4 (Signs), §6.403–6.404; City of Fort Worth Development Services (sign permits & fees, Contractor Registration and Historic Preservation pages, read 10 October 2026). Fees and timelines change — confirm current figures with the City of Fort Worth before filing.

Signs Fort Worth lets you put up without a permit

§6.403 opens by providing that the signs it lists “are exempted from the requirements of this article and may be erected or constructed without a permit.” Exempt from the permit, and from this article’s requirements — but each item carries its own conditions, and those are the rule.

The one temporary sign a business may display — §6.403(b)(3)a

One temporary sign is permitted per business during its business hours, on these conditions:

Displayed on private property within ten feet of the front door of the business or tenant space. (1)
Not more than eight square feet. (2)
Not more than 42 inches in height. (3)
Constructed of rigid weather resistant materials and kept in good condition. (4)
Not illuminated. (5)
No moving elements. (6)
Not in the public open space easement (P.O.S.E.). (7)
Must not impede, obstruct or interfere with the flow of pedestrian traffic on a sidewalk or access to a business entrance. (8)

Detail

§6.403(b)(3)b adds a narrow path into the right-of-way: a temporary sign “may be displayed in the public right-of-way without the necessity of obtaining city council approval” where (1) there is not adequate space on the private property to place the sign, (2) the front door is less than ten feet from the sidewalk edge or the curb, whichever is closest to the business, and (3) the sign meets every criterion in (b)(3)a.2 through a.8 above. All three conditions, not one.

Window signs: 25 percent, but 10 percent is the line that touches your allowance

This is the one exemption that changes the arithmetic this screen does. Under §6.403(f)(1), window signs “may occupy a maximum of 25% of the window area on each building facade. However, signs exceeding 10% of the window area shall be included in the calculation of the maximum square footage of on-premise signage allowed as described in §6.408(f).” So the first 10 percent of the glass is free of your on-premise total; everything above it counts against the §6.408 figure this page computes. §6.403(f)(2) limits window signs to the first floor of a multi-story building, and §6.403(f)(3) provides that window area is calculated as described in §6.406(c) — a section this page has not read, so it states nothing about how that measurement is taken.

Property, sale and construction signs

Real estate — one non-illuminated sign. Temporary in nature, advertising the sale or lease of the property it stands on or announcing contemplated improvements to it. It “shall not exceed eight square feet in area in any one- or two-family dwelling district or 60 square feet in area and eight feet in height in any other district,” and on corner lots and through lots one such sign is allowed for each street the lot fronts. It must be removed within 30 days after the sale or occupancy. §6.403(i)
Estate or garage sale — one non-illuminated sign, two square feet. Temporary, advertising the sale of items on property for which a garage sale permit has been obtained, and removed within 24 hours after the sale ends. §6.403(j)
Construction — one sign. Not exceeding four square feet in area in any one- or two-family dwelling district, or 40 square feet in area and 12 feet in height in any other district. It may denote the owner, architect, financial institution, general contractor, subcontractor or any statement about the project on the property; corner and through lots get one per street frontage, and the sign must be removed within 30 days after completion of the project. §6.403(k)^*
Political signs. Signs referring to candidates or issues in a public election, where the sign is on private real property with the owner’s consent, does not exceed eight feet in height, has an effective area of no more than 36 square feet, is not illuminated, and contains no moving elements. §6.403(e)

The rest of the list

Signs on vehicles or trailers — with the proviso that a vehicle or trailer parked or located for the primary purpose of displaying the sign is prohibited under §6.405. §6.403(a)
Temporary decorative flags. §6.403(b)(1)
Temporary signs erected in accordance with the city’s banner policies — the temporary banner policy administered by the transportation and public works department for the public right-of-way, the large banner policy administered by the park and recreation department for park property, the policy governing banners on Main Street, and other temporary banner policies administered by city departments or their designees. What those policies require is not in this section, so this page states none of their terms. §6.403(b)(2)
Warning, security and directional signs for parking or vehicle access. §6.403(c)
Government signs, flags, insignia, legal notices, and informational, directional or traffic signs. §6.403(d)
Other than electrical, all signs not visible from off the property. §6.403(g)
Nameplate and street address signs not exceeding one square foot in area. §6.403(h)
“No Dumping,” “No Trespassing,” and “No Solicitation” signs. §6.403(l)^*
Noncommercial residential signs: up to four signs totalling no more than 16 square feet on a lot used for residential purposes, none over eight square feet. §6.403(m)^*
Holiday or seasonal signs displayed for not more than 45 consecutive days. §6.403(n)^*
Signs designed and used in conjunction with aircraft. §6.403(o)^*
Parking-restriction signs of not more than two (2) square feet, with a ground clearance of not more than four (4) feet, within twenty (20) feet of a driveway, with mitered or rounded corners. §6.403(p)^*
Signs erected by a public utility or transportation organization operating under a franchise agreement with the City, for public instruction, traffic control and similar uses. §6.403(q)^*

Source: Fort Worth Zoning Ordinance §6.403 (Signs not requiring a permit), read 30 September 2026. Areas, heights, percentages and day counts are reproduced as the ordinance states them. ^* The end of item (k) and items (l) to (q) are taken from the City’s Zoning Ordinance sign article PDF (pages dated 10/23/2015, Ord. No. 13286 and 19227), read 10 October 2026, where they are numbered 11 to 17; the copy read on 30 September 2026 broke off inside item (k), and the current code on American Legal refuses automated reading, so later amendments could not be compared. §6.404, §6.406(c) and §6.408(f) are cited but not described here.

Signs Fort Worth prohibits — 11 items

§6.405 lists signs “expressly prohibited within the City of Fort Worth.” Four of them carry an exception in the same breath, and dropping the exception is what turns this list into wrong advice — so each one is kept with its item.

Off-premise signs, unless provisions for such signs are contained within these regulations. §6.405(a)
Signs erected in violation of city building, electrical or sign codes or other applicable local regulations. §6.405(b)
Signs erected in violation of federal or state law. §6.405(c)
Pole signs. Flatly, with no exception in this item. §6.405(d)
Portable signs — except those allowed under §§6.403 and 6.404, which is where the one temporary sign per business above comes from. §6.405(e)
Animated signs, flashing signs, running message, twinkle or running light signs, and revolving signs or any other sign that moves — but electronic changeable copy signs may be permitted by special exception from the board of adjustment in accordance with §6.411. §6.405(f)
Signs illuminated to such intensity or brilliance as to cause glare or impair vision. Lighting “shall be shielded upward to prevent beams or rays from being directed at any portion of a traveled roadway or an occupied residential area,” and nothing in the section permits lighting near airports that would conflict with Federal Aviation Administration regulations adopted in furtherance of air safety. The requirement does not apply to internally lit signs with a lighting intensity of less than 150-foot lamberts. §6.405(g)
Signs erected in or projecting into the public right-of-way — unless an encroachment agreement is executed in accordance with the requirements of the sign code (Chapter 29 of the city code) and any other ordinances regulating encroachments. §6.405(h)
Signs on vehicles or trailers parked or located for the primary purpose of displaying the sign. The section supplies the test: it is prima facie evidence that the primary purpose is to display a sign if the vehicle or trailer is parked on a site for a continuous period exceeding 72 hours. §6.405(i)
‘V’ type signs with a face that protrudes from the opposite face at an interior angle greater than 25 degrees; this does not prevent oval, cylindrical or box type signs. §6.405(j)
Signs with a sign structure larger than is reasonably necessary to support the sign. §6.405(k)

That is the whole of §6.405 as the city’s published ordinance PDF prints it (items 1 to 11 there; lettered (a) to (k) here).

Source: Fort Worth Zoning Ordinance §6.405 (Prohibited signs), read 30 September 2026 and checked against the full city PDF on 10 October 2026. Every exception in the list is reproduced with the item it belongs to, including the 150-foot lamberts carve-out and the §6.411 special exception. §6.404, §6.411 and Chapter 29 of the city code are cited but not described.

Sources & how this page is maintained

Sources and official references: Fort Worth Zoning Ordinance — Sign Regulations (PDF). Development Services — Contractor Registration and Development Services — Historic Preservation, read 10 October 2026. Measured on 21 August 2026: the ordinance PDF extracts as text and carries every allowance, cap and ratio quoted on this page. It is the source of record; the Development Services permit page is application guidance, not binding text.

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

How much does a Fort Worth sign permit cost?

Fort Worth does not charge one flat permit fee. A new sign permit is the application fee plus three add-ons: display area, height above grade, and electrical amperage.

Permit fee for a new sign = application fee + display area fee + height above grade fee + electrical amperage fee

Fee component	Amount
Application fee	$38.98
Display area fee	$28.22, or $0.26 per square foot for each display surface — whichever is greater
Height above grade, 1–20 ft	$28.22
Height above grade, 21–30 ft	$56.47
Height above grade, 31–40 ft	$84.75
Height above grade, 41–50 ft	$113.00
Height above grade, 51–60 ft	$142.00
Height above grade, over 60 ft	$198.00
Electrical, 1–40 amps	$39.55
Electrical, 41–60 amps	$56.47
Electrical, 61–80 amps	$84.75
Electrical, 81–100 amps	$113.00
Electrical, over 100 amps	$170.00

Banners and temporary signs are charged on a shorter formula: application fee + display area ($28.22) + height above grade ($28.22).

Source: City of Fort Worth, Development Fees schedule (PDF), Table 1-K Schedule of Sign Fees — Ordinance 26-28781, effective October 1, 2026. Read 7 October 2026. Fort Worth revises this schedule; confirm the current amount with Development Services before filing.

Fort Worth 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
Signs Manufacturing	(817) 587-0240	7820 Colfax Ln, Fort Worth, TX 76134	We can also handle the sign permits and other paperwork required before your signs can be installed at your location.	our fabrication team will handle the next step, which is getting your signs made according to the right specifications.
High Value Signs	972-915-6970	8320 Sterling St, Irving, TX 75063	we handle every aspect of sign permitting in Fort Worth, TX	-
Signs and Branding	(214) 484-9258	-	we submit it directly to the city on your behalf	Our designers sit meters away from our fabrication shop

Each company's website is linked from its name. Source pages read 7 October 2026.

Not sure your sign qualifies? Send your dimensions and we will tell you how the Fort Worth code reads for it →

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Send your dimensions and we will reply with what the Fort Worth code allows for that sign. No charge. We are not a sign contractor and not a permit agent.