Fort Worth sign permit — is your storefront sign over the limit?
Fort Worth caps your attached signs at 10% of your storefront facade, up to 500 sq ft per wall. Oversized or unpermitted signs get cited and removed. Enter your wall size for a clear read before you build.
This checks attached (wall) premise signs in Fort Worth business zoning districts. Detached/pole signs, billboards, and special sign districts route to a pro.
Width of the building wall your sign goes on.
Height of that wall face.
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
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. Confirm who may pull it
In Fort Worth only a licensed sign contractor may pull the permit — or the business owner, if the owner is doing all the work.
3. Historic or downtown district check
Downtown Design Review and Historic & Cultural Landmark districts add a separate review with stricter design standards, and the base percentage rule may not be the final word.
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 processing time are covered in "Cost, timeline & temporary banners" below — not repeated here.
Questions owners ask
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?
Digital and changeable-message displays face separate restrictions (§Ch. 6.216) and many districts limit them. 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 Building Inspection 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:
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. In Fort Worth, only a licensed sign contractor (or the business owner doing all the work themselves, within limits) can pull the permit — so most owners hire a licensed sign company that handles the permit as part of the job.
My storefront is in a historic or downtown district — is this different?
Yes. Downtown Design Review and Historic & Cultural Landmark districts add a separate review with stricter design standards, and the 10% rule here may not be the final word. Confirm your district before you design the sign.
Cost, timeline & temporary banners
What does a Fort Worth sign permit cost?
Fort Worth posts its sign-permit fees on the city's Development Services sign page, which is the figure to rely on; standard application fees commonly fall in the low hundreds of dollars, with more for larger or electronic signs. Illuminated signs add electrical permit and inspection costs, and the sign must be installed by a registered sign contractor. Confirm the exact amount on the city's fee schedule before filing.
How long does approval take?
A standard sign permit typically takes about 5–10 business days. Signs in a historic or cultural district need review by the Historic and Cultural Landmarks Commission, which runs on a meeting schedule and pushes the timeline to roughly 3–6 weeks. Submitting a complete application with all plans the first time is the main way to avoid resubmission delays.
Can I hang a "Grand Opening" banner first?
Fort Worth's temporary-sign rules are strict. 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 permitted temporary signs are limited to the "CF" and "ER" districts, max 60 sq ft, with no temporary sign within 100 ft of another. 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: City of Fort Worth Code Chapter 29 (Sign Code), §6.403–6.404; City of Fort Worth Development Services (sign permits & fees). Fees and timelines change — confirm current figures with the City of Fort Worth before filing.
Sources and official references:Fort Worth Zoning Ordinance — Sign Regulations (PDF). 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: June 2026 · confirm current rules with the city before you file