Privacy Policy & Terms
Who we are
US Sign Code (ussigncode.com) is a free informational tool that helps business owners estimate whether a storefront sign is likely to comply with their city's sign ordinance. We are not a government agency and are not affiliated with any city.
What this tool does
You pick your zoning district and enter sign details, and the page compares your sign against the published ordinance rules to produce a risk estimate. On the Chicago, New York and Phoenix pages an address you enter is also used to look up the zoning district from the city’s public zoning data. The result is informational only — it is not a permit, a legal determination, or professional advice.
Information we collect
We do not require you to create an account, and we do not ask for your name, email, or payment information to use the checker.
- Analytics: We use Google Analytics to understand how the site is used (pages viewed, general location, device type, and anonymous interaction events such as running a check). This data is aggregated and does not personally identify you.
- Address input: Eleven city pages have an optional address box. An address typed there is sent from your browser to the U.S. Census Geocoder (NYC Planning Labs GeoSearch on the New York page) to match it, and on the Chicago, New York and Phoenix pages the matched location is sent to the city’s public zoning data service. The address does not pass through or get stored on our servers.
- Sign question form: The optional form on city pages sends what you enter (business name, sign type, dimensions, frontage, email and, if given, phone) to us through Formspree, a form-delivery service, which handles it under its own privacy policy. At present it is used only to reply about your sign, and it is not sold or passed to sign companies; if that changes, this policy will say so first.
- Email: If you write to hello@ussigncode.com, your address and message are used to reply and to correct pages. We do not sell or share them, and we do not add you to any mailing list.
Advertising
This site is supported by advertising. We use Google AdSense to display ads. Third-party vendors, including Google, use cookies to serve ads based on your prior visits to this and other websites. Google's use of advertising cookies enables it and its partners to serve ads based on your visits.
- You can opt out of personalized advertising by visiting Google Ads Settings.
- You can learn more about how Google uses data at Google's Privacy & Terms.
- For more on third-party ad cookies, visit aboutads.info.
Cookies
We and our partners (Google Analytics, Google AdSense) use cookies and similar technologies for analytics and advertising. You can control or delete cookies through your browser settings. Disabling cookies may affect how ads are shown but will not prevent you from using the checker.
Third-party data sources
Address matching and zoning lookups use public services: the U.S. Census Geocoder, NYC Planning Labs GeoSearch, NYC Open Data (PLUTO), the City of Chicago Data Portal and the City of Phoenix zoning map service. Form messages are delivered by Formspree. Their use is governed by their own terms and privacy policies.
Terms of use & disclaimer
US Sign Code provides a first-pass risk estimate based on public ordinance data, which may be incomplete, out of date, or superseded by special districts, overlays, building codes, or local amendments. We make no warranty as to accuracy or completeness.
- The output is not a permit, a legal opinion, or a substitute for professional review.
- Always confirm sign dimensions and permitting with your city's building or zoning department and a licensed sign professional before fabricating or installing a sign.
- We are not liable for any decision made, cost incurred, fine assessed, or sign removed based on use of this tool. You use it at your own risk.
Children's privacy
This site is intended for business owners and is not directed at children under 13. We do not knowingly collect information from children.
Changes
We may update this policy. Material changes will be reflected by the "last updated" date above.
Contact
Questions about this policy can be sent to hello@ussigncode.com. For sign permitting questions, contact your city's building department directly.
No sources to cite. This page states no rule figures, so it has nothing to cite and nothing for the numeric check to match.