San Antonio sign permit at a glance
| Question | Short answer |
|---|---|
| Do I need a permit? | Yes for freestanding, electric and larger signs. The only no-permit attached sign is non-electric, 32 sq ft or less of facing, on private property and not in the Riverwalk Area (§28-30(b)). Other cities compared. |
| What sets my limit? | The street classification of your frontage in the Major Thoroughfare Plan, not your zoning district (street-class limits). |
| How big can attached signs be? | 25% of a building facade or a flat 50, 75 or 100 sq ft per occupancy, whichever is greater (§28-47) (calculator). Other cities compared. |
| How big can a freestanding sign be? | For one tenant, from 16 ft and 75 sf on a local street to 50 ft and 375 sf on an expressway (Table 1). Other cities compared. |
| Who files? | Only a registered or city licensed contractor may obtain a sign permit (§28-29) (how to apply). Other cities compared. |
| What does it cost? | $50.00 inspection fee and $50.00 plan review fee, plus $10.80 for the first 32 sq ft and $0.22 for each square foot over; starting work without a permit means the fee is doubled (fee table). |
| How long does it take? | No review time is published. Other cities compared. |
| Only swapping the sign face? | A reface is filed on Application “A” with drawings of the existing sign and of the new face; a freestanding sign also needs a detailed site plan (Information Bulletin 191). Other cities compared. |
| Already installed without a permit? | Starting work before the permit is issued brings a double permit fee and a violation notice to the licensed sign contractor (Information Bulletin 191). Other cities compared. |
| Historic district? | On a historic landmark or in a historic district, the Unified Development Code adds its own sign rules on top of Chapter 28. Other cities compared. |
| Digital or LED sign? | Allowed on premises under §28-48: no more than one (1) two-sided digital display per freestanding sign structure and per street frontage, at least two hundred (200) feet between electronic message centers, no video or projection on displays over thirty-two (32) square feet, and no flashing, scrolling text or sound. In a historic district or on a historic landmark, electronic changeable message boards are prohibited (UDC §35-612(a)(4)). Other cities compared. |
| Sidewalk A-frame sign? | In historic districts, river improvement overlay districts and on historic landmarks, sandwich boards are allowed as on-premises signs if the Chapter 28 permit requirements of §28-17 are met (UDC §35-612). In a river improvement overlay district one may be no larger than two (2) feet wide and three (3) feet tall, counts toward overall signage and is prohibited on the Riverwalk pathway (§35-678). Other cities compared. |
| Grand opening banner? | A banner on a facade must follow the permanent sign placement rules and needs property owner and Development Services approval before it goes up (§28-74). On a historic landmark or in a historic district, grand opening signs may stay up no more than ten (10) days and, unless more is authorized, no larger than thirty-two (32) square feet (UDC §35-612). Other cities compared. |
| When does the permit run out? | Sign permits expire after 180 days of no construction activity, and the licensed sign contractor must request any extension in writing (Information Bulletin 191). Other cities compared. |
Check one San Antonio sign against Chapter 28
Sign limits Citywide rules How to apply Checklist Fees Sign companies
City Code Chapter 28 is the binding sign code, and it splits the question in two. For attached signs, §28-47 caps the aggregate area of all attached signs at 25% of a building facade or a flat figure for each occupancy that has a separate and distinct public entrance, whichever is greater. For freestanding signs, §28-45 sets height and size from a table keyed to the classification of the street — not a percentage at all.
Chapter 28 sign limits, by street classification
Chapter 28 sorts on-premise signs by the street classification your frontage has in the Major Thoroughfare Plan, not by zoning district. Every figure below is the ordinance's own.
Freestanding signs — one tenant (Table 1)
| Street classification | Height (ft.) | Size (sf) |
|---|---|---|
| Local | 16 ft | 75 sf |
| Arterial type B / commercial collector | 24 ft | 150 sf |
| Arterial type A | 40 ft | 240 sf |
| Expressway | 50 ft * | 375 sf |
* Not to exceed 50 feet in height above the adjacent street grade, measured from the grade level of the centerline of the main-traveled way, not to exceed a maximum of 60 feet above ground level.
Source: San Antonio City Code Chapter 28 (Signs), §28-45(c), read 10 October 2026 on Municode.
Freestanding signs — multiple tenant (Table 2)
| Street classification | Height (ft.) | Size (sf) |
|---|---|---|
| Local | 20 ft | 125 sf |
| Arterial type B / commercial collector | 32 ft | 250 sf |
| Arterial type A | 50 ft | 500 sf |
| Expressway | 60 ft (2) | 650 sf (1) |
(1) The maximum size for an individual tenant's portion of a freestanding multiple tenant sign in a nonresidential zoning district may not exceed the maximum size allowed for a freestanding sign in a nonresidential zoning district as specified in Table 1 of this section.
(2) Not to exceed sixty (60) feet in height above the adjacent street grade, measured from the grade level of the centerline of the main-traveled way, not including a frontage road or controlled access highway, closest to the sign at a point perpendicular to the sign location, not to exceed a maximum of seventy (70) feet above ground level.
** Note: Sign height and square footage may vary depending on special districts and overlays.
No single tenant shall exceed 375 square feet of advertising on a multi-tenant sign at any given time.
Both tables print the size cells with a foot mark after the number — "Local | 16 ft | 75 ft" — but the column they sit in is headed Size (SF), so this page writes those figures as square feet.
Source: San Antonio City Code Chapter 28 (Signs), §28-45(c), §28-45(d), §28-45(e), read 10 October 2026 on Municode.
Attached signs — the greater of 25% of the facade or the flat figure
| Street classification | Facade share | Flat alternative, per occupancy with a separate and distinct public entrance |
|---|---|---|
| Local streets | 25% of a building facade | 50 square feet |
| Arterials type A and B / commercial collectors | 25% of a building facade | 75 square feet |
| Expressways | 25% of a building facade | 100 square feet |
The aggregate area of all attached signs may not exceed the facade share or the flat figure, whichever is greater.
Source: San Antonio City Code Chapter 28 (Signs), §28-47(b)(2), §28-47(c)(2), §28-47(d)(2), read 10 October 2026 on Municode.
The other type limits the copy states
| Sign type | Number | Area | Height, projection or spacing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Freestanding, any street class | One per platted lot, and one per street on a lot with frontage on more than one street; one freestanding sign for each 150 feet of street frontage | Table 1 or Table 2 above; every subsequent freestanding sign on the lot is capped at 75% of the allowable height and size | Set back a minimum of 5 feet from the street right-of-way and 10 feet from all interior side lot lines on a local street; on arterials and expressways a minimum of 10 feet from street rights-of-way if the sign exceeds 25 feet in height |
| Additional freestanding signs on arterials and expressways | Permitted with a minimum spacing of every 150 linear feet | 75% of the allowable size | 75% of the allowable height |
| Wall signs — channel letters | — | Counted in the attached-sign aggregate above | May not extend more than 18 inches from the facade |
| Businesses on a local street, extra allowance | In addition to other authorized signs | Up to 8 square feet of sign area; if attached to a freestanding sign it counts toward that sign's allowable area | — |
| Ground-mounted flag / feather type signs | Conditions in §28-47(e)(3) | Maximum area of 20 square feet | Maximum height of 12 feet, measured from ground to top of the sign; each spaced a minimum of 50 feet from any other, except up to three in a grouping |
| On-premises digital displays | No more than one two-sided digital display per freestanding sign structure, and no more than one per street frontage for an individual premise | In no case more than 375 square feet; digital projection and video prohibited on displays greater than 32 square feet | No more than 60 feet in overall height; minimum spacing between electronic message centers 200 feet |
| Signs needing no permit | — | Non-electric or non-illuminated signs not exceeding 32 square feet of facing, with a frame or trim not more than 3 inches wide; on-premise signs not exceeding 1 square foot of facing, non-lit, for home occupation | — |
Source: San Antonio City Code Chapter 28 (Signs), §28-45(c), §28-47(b), §28-47(c), §28-47(d), §28-47(e), §28-48, §28-30, read 10 October 2026 on Municode.
Worked from the tables
Two of the rows are proportional, so the figure depends on your own measurement. These are the ordinance's arithmetic on facade and table inputs we chose to show both sides of each comparison.
- Attached signs on a local street, facade 1,200 sq ft. 25% × 1,200 sq ft = 300 sq ft, against the 50 square foot flat alternative — the percentage is greater, so the aggregate allowance is 300 sq ft.
- Attached signs on an arterial type A, facade 260 sq ft. 25% × 260 sq ft = 65 sq ft, against the 75 square foot flat alternative — the flat figure is greater, so the aggregate allowance is 75 square feet.
- A second freestanding sign on an arterial type A lot. Table 1 gives 40 ft and 240 sf for the first sign; every subsequent sign is capped at 75% of both — 75% × 40 ft = 30 ft tall and 75% × 240 sf = 180 sf.
Source: San Antonio City Code Chapter 28 (Signs), §28-45(c), §28-47(b)(2), §28-47(c)(2), read 10 October 2026 on Municode.
The conditions the copy attaches
Platted lots fronting on two or more streets are allowed the permitted freestanding signage for each frontage, but such signage cannot be transferred from one frontage to another. On lots with frontage on more than one street, the per-150-feet rule and the 75% reduction for subsequent signs apply to each street.
The expressway standards in Tables 1 and 2, excluding the 10 ft increase for adjacent grade allowance, also apply to lots within 500 feet of an expressway that have no expressway frontage. Such a sign must be set back a minimum of 100 feet from the nearest street easement or right-of-way and a minimum of 200 feet from the nearest residential zone, and must be oriented to the expressway.
A double-faced sign is permitted the allowed area for a single-faced sign on each of the two faces; sign area is computed on a sign face basis. For channel letter signs the sign area is the smallest rectangle that will encompass the limits of the writing, including spaces between the letters.
Signs on property abutting a platted lot zoned and used for single-family residential purposes require a minimum ten-foot setback from that property line and are a maximum of 8 feet in height, unless set further back one foot for each foot of height above 8 feet. On a corner lot with a required front yard, nothing may be maintained within the triangular area formed at points 25 feet from the intersection, measured along the street lines.
The tables note that sign height and square footage may vary depending on special districts and overlays. The Riverwalk Area is outside the §28-30(b) permit exception.
Source: San Antonio City Code Chapter 28 (Signs), §28-41(b)(2), §28-42(1), §28-45(b), §28-45(c), §28-45(f), §28-30(b), read 10 October 2026 on Municode.
The rules that apply citywide — 5 items
Beyond the facade table, these are confirmed in the UDC and Sign Code (Chapter 28). Use them as a sanity check before you talk to a fabricator:
- The 32 sq ft line is an exception, not a threshold. §28-30(b) exempts non-electric or non-illuminated signs of 32 sq ft or less of facing, of durable material, wholly on private property and securely affixed to a building, fence or wall with frame or trim no more than 3 inches wide — and the exception does not apply in the Riverwalk Area. An electric or illuminated sign needs a permit at any size.
- Attached-sign area is 25% of a building facade or a flat per-occupancy figure, whichever is greater (§28-47), for each occupancy with a separate and distinct public entrance.
- Inside a designated urban corridor, wall signs follow §28-64(e) instead: 20% of the wall area for cabinet signs and 25% for channel-letter signs, along all street frontages; where a corridor ordinance conflicts with the rest of Chapter 28, the most restrictive rule applies (§28-64(a)).
- On-premises digital displays: no flashing, strobing or scrolling ticker text, no sound, video only on displays of 32 sq ft or less; one two-sided display per freestanding structure and per street frontage, 200 ft between electronic message centers, at most 375 sq ft and 60 ft high (§28-48). In residential zones no sign may move, flash, rotate or change its illumination (§28-46).
- Digital displays must have a dimmer control and a photocell that auto-adjusts to ambient light, and must stay under the code's brightness (nits) limits.
- In the Riverwalk Area the §28-30(b) no-permit exception does not apply, so every sign there needs a permit. The Riverwalk and historic-district sign standards sit in the Unified Development Code, summarized in the next section.
Source: San Antonio City Code Chapter 28, §28-29 (permit required), §28-30 (permit exceptions) and §28-43 (digital displays). §28-46, §28-48 and §28-64, read 10 October 2026 on Municode.
Attached-sign area is the greater of 25% of the building facade or the flat figure §28-47 gives your street group, and freestanding signs come off the §28-45 tables instead. Look the street up in the Major Thoroughfare Plan before you size anything. Only a registered or city licensed contractor may obtain a sign permit (§28-29).
Not sure how the code reads for your sign?
Send your dimensions and we will reply with how the San Antonio 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 →Riverwalk, River Improvement Overlay and historic-district signs
Inside a River Improvement Overlay (RIO) district, on the riverside of property abutting the river or San Pedro Creek, or on a historic landmark or in a historic district, the Unified Development Code adds its own sign rules on top of Chapter 28. Where the UDC rule is stricter, it controls (§35-678(a)(5)).
- Approval comes before the permit. Every sign in a RIO district needs approval of the historic preservation officer, and the permit is issued only after a certificate of appropriateness (§35-678(a)(1)). The same order applies to landmarks and historic districts (§35-612(a)).
- Up to three signs, fifty square feet in total per building in a RIO district, unless the Historic and Design Review Commission approves more (§35-678(e)(1)). Each face of a double-faced or projecting sign counts toward the total (§35-678(e)(2)).
- Riverside of the Riverwalk: one sign per business, at most eight square feet. Only a building with an entrance directly onto the Riverwalk may display a sign there (§35-681(c)(2), (c)(4), (c)(5)). In RIO-7 the creek-side limit along the Paseo is twelve square feet.
- No internal illumination on the riverside in RIOs 1 through 6. Exterior lighting must be steady and concealed by a hood; flashing lights, rope lighting and exposed neon are prohibited. RIO-7 allows halo-lit letters (§35-681(c)(6)).
- No digital or LED signs. Electronic changeable message boards are prohibited, and a changeable message area may cover at most twenty-five percent of the sign (seventy-five percent for gasoline price signs) (§35-678(a)(3), §35-678(k)(9)).
- Freestanding signs at most six feet tall, two-sided, perpendicular to the street and outside the right-of-way (§35-678(e)(4)). Projecting arm poles on the riverside may be up to seven feet high with a pole diameter of up to three inches (§35-681(c)(12)).
- Prohibited in a RIO district: billboards, portable signs, pole-mounted cabinet and pylon signs, revolving or moving signs, and roof signs unless approved (§35-678(k)).
- Small signs: pedestrian menu boards up to two square feet, sandwich boards no larger than two feet wide and three feet tall and never on the Riverwalk pathway, incidental signs up to four square feet per business (§35-678(f)(4), (g), (h)).
- Temporary signs: one at a time. Grand opening signs up to thirty-two square feet for ten days (§35-678(j)(4)). Facing the river, eight square feet in RIO-3 and twenty-four square feet in other RIO districts (§35-681(c)(13)).
Source: San Antonio Unified Development Code, Article VI, §35-612, §35-678 and §35-681, read 10 October 2026 on Municode.
How to apply for a San Antonio sign permit — 6 steps
The applicant is a licensed contractor: §28-29 lets only a registered contractor or city licensed contractor obtain sign permits. These are the steps the owner should see happen.
Sources: San Antonio City Code §§28-29 to 28-36 and §28-47, read 10 October 2026 on Municode; DSD Information Bulletin 191 (revised March 2025) for the application, the doubled fee, contractor duties and the 180-day expiry. No review time is published: §28-31(c)(2) says only that the director examines a complete application “within as reasonable time.”
What other cities ask you to submit: sign permit application checklists by city.
San Antonio sign checklist — 6 items
Before you design or order anything, confirm:
- What street class does my public entrance face? It picks the row in the §28-45 Table 1 and Table 2 figures above.
- What is 25% of my building facade, and is that more or less than the flat figure §28-47 gives my street group?
- Is my sign electric, freestanding, or over 32 sq ft of facing? → outside the §28-30(b) exception, so a permit is required.
- Does a digital display flash, strobe or scroll? → prohibited (§28-48).
- Is it a digital display? → dimmer + photocell + nits limits required.
- Am I in the Riverwalk Area or an urban corridor? → no permit exception on the Riverwalk; corridor wall signs at 20% (cabinet) or 25% (channel letters) of the wall (§28-64(e)).
Official San Antonio resources
Go straight to the city for permits and the binding code:
San Antonio Sign & Billboard Permits (Development Services) — applications, fees, and the filing route.
Read 10 October 2026 in full: San Antonio City Code Chapter 28 (Signs and Billboards) on Municode, the source for the section numbers and figures on this page.
Other US city sign guides
Sources & how this page is maintained
Sources and official references: San Antonio City Code Chapter 28 — Signs, the binding ordinance and this page’s monitored source: read 10 October 2026 in full on Municode, with a copy kept on file, and the origin of the section numbers and figures quoted here. San Antonio Sign & Billboard Permits (Development Services) for the application route.
How much does a San Antonio sign permit cost?
San Antonio builds the permit from several line items: a flat inspection fee and plan review fee, then charges by sign area, by lighting type and by height, with two percentage fees added on top.
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Sign inspection fee | $50.00 |
| Plan review fee | $50.00 |
| First 32 sq ft or less | $10.80 |
| Over 32 sq ft | $0.22 for each square foot over |
| Gas tube, electric or LED | $10.80 |
| Incandescent signs | $5.40 plus $0.22 per socket |
| Sign height for a new freestanding sign | $2.00 per foot |
| Digital display / EMC fee | $15.00 |
| Technological fee | plus 3% |
| Development Services fee | plus 3% |
Temporary and special signs are on their own list.
| Temporary sign | Amount |
|---|---|
| Banners | $50.00 |
| Street light pole | $5.40 |
| Inflatables | $50.00 |
| Feather sign permit fee | $50.00 |
| Feather sign decal fee | $5.40 each |
The same form also lists across-the-street banners and flag lines. We could not read those two amounts cleanly from the published file, so we print no figure for them here — read them on the bulletin itself.
Source: City of San Antonio Development Services, Information Bulletin 191 — Sign Permit Application Process (PDF), dated April 12, 2013, revised November 2018 and March 2025. Read 7 October 2026. The bulletin states that the Director renders a decision within the time allotted by Chapter 28, Section 28-31(C), and prints no number of days; confirm the current amount with Development Services before filing.
San Antonio 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FASTSIGNS of San Antonio, TX - South | (210) 791-9045 | 1714 SW Military Dr, Ste 106, San Antonio, TX 78221-1418 | We then handle survey and permitting by preparing drawings and submitting permit applications as needed. | We handle design, survey and permitting, production, and installation as a single coordinated service. |
| Republic Sign | 210-308-5900 | 8107 Interchange Pkwy, Ste. 101, San Antonio, TX 78218 | Republic Sign can pull permits from not only San Antonio and Austin, but also from the surrounding service areas. | We can fabricate custom signs, banners, decals, ADA signs, graphics and more |
| FASTSIGNS of San Antonio, TX - Central | (210) 750-6594 | 10118 San Pedro Ave, San Antonio, TX 78216 | 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 San Antonio code allows for that sign. No charge. We are not a sign contractor and not a permit agent.