This checks attached (wall) premise signs in Atlanta business zoning districts. Detached/pole signs, billboards, and special sign districts (Downtown, Arts District, Deep Ellum) route to a pro.
Width of the building wall your sign goes on.
Height of that wall face.
How Atlanta sizes your sign
Atlanta limits your combined building signs to 10% of your ground-floor front wall, with no single sign over 200 sq ft. There's a floor too: every business is guaranteed at least 60 sq ft regardless of wall size. You also get a maximum of 3 building signs, only one of which can be a projecting or suspended sign. Billboards are banned citywide.
This tool figures your front-wall area from your dimensions, applies the 10% rule with the 200 sq ft cap and 60 sq ft floor, and tells you where your plan stands before you commit.
Questions owners ask
How is my allowance figured?
10% of your ground-floor front wall area (width × height), capped at 200 sq ft per sign. Every business is guaranteed at least 60 sq ft even if 10% is less.
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 (§16-28A.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 Atlanta Building Inspection and a licensed sign contractor.
Cost, timeline & temporary banners
What does an Atlanta sign permit cost?
Application fees generally run about $75 to $200 depending on sign type and complexity, with the City's Office of Revenue handling the current fee schedule. Illuminated signs require an affidavit confirming the lighting complies with the Code, and electrical signs add separate forms. One Atlanta-specific catch: a projecting or suspended sign that hangs over a public street or sidewalk must carry $1,000,000 in liability insurance per occurrence, with the City named as additional insured.
How long does approval take?
Simple signs in non-historic areas typically take about 5–10 business days; signs in special or historic districts can run 3–4 weeks or longer because the Urban Design Commission or a historic-district committee reviews them. By ordinance, the City acts on an application — permit or denial — within 30 days of submission. Start 30–45 days before your target install date.
Can I hang a "Grand Opening" banner first?
Temporary banners require a permit and are tightly time-limited — commonly 14–30 days per calendar quarter, and in C-1 through C-5, I-1, I-2, SPI-1 and SPI-9 districts a maximum of 30 consecutive days per year. The code defines a temporary sign as one displayed no more than 180 consecutive days. Small window signs under 4 sq ft and covering less than 30% of the window are exempt from a permit, but still must follow the Code.
Source: City of Atlanta Code of Ordinances Chapter 28A (Sign Ordinance); City of Atlanta Office of Revenue. Fees and timelines change — confirm current figures with the City of Atlanta before filing.
Last inspected against the official code: June 2026 · confirm current rules with the city before you file