Historic district signs at a glance
| Question | Short answer |
|---|---|
| Does a historic district change my sign permit? | Yes, in every city below: the district adds its own review or rules on top of the regular sign code, and in five of them (Boston, Charlotte, Denver, Fort Worth and Phoenix) the city text puts that review before the sign permit. |
| What do I need first? | Often a Certificate of Appropriateness: Fort Worth, Indianapolis and Phoenix name it, and Phoenix defers the sign permit until the certificate is obtained. New York City requires a Landmarks Preservation Commission permit even where the Department of Buildings requires none. |
| Are some sign types ruled out? | Denver does not allow plastic or internally illuminated signs in a historic district. Indianapolis allows no digital display in or within 600 feet of a historic district, and San Antonio prohibits electronic changeable message boards there (digital sign rules). |
What each city says
| City | Historic district review |
|---|---|
| Atlanta | A historic-district committee or the Urban Design Commission reviews signs in those areas (how to apply). |
| Austin | In the historic sign district, the historic preservation officer checks the application against any historic sign district guidelines; if it does not comply, the Historic Landmark Commission decides after at least 10 days’ notice, and the application counts as approved if the Commission has not reviewed it by the 40th day after filing (§25-10-122). |
| Boston | An additional commission must approve your sign before the city will issue a permit (historic districts). |
| Charlotte | Historic District Commission (HDC) design-guideline review comes before the permit is issued. |
| Denver | Landmark Preservation design review comes first; plastic and internally illuminated signs are not allowed there. |
| Fort Worth | Any change to the exterior needs a Certificate of Appropriateness before permits are issued. |
| Indianapolis | The Indianapolis Historic Preservation Commission decides the sign through a Certificate of Appropriateness (Sec. 744-903.C). |
| Nashville | Inside a historic overlay the overlay can govern signs too (Broadway overlay). |
| New York City | A sign that affects the exterior of an individual landmark or a building in a historic district needs a Landmarks Preservation Commission permit, filed through Portico, even if the work needs no Department of Buildings permit (LPC permit types). |
| Phoenix | The sign needs a Certificate of No Effect or a Certificate of Appropriateness first (§811(E)), and the sign permit is deferred until that certificate is obtained (§812(A)). |
| San Antonio | On a historic landmark or in a historic district, the Unified Development Code adds its own sign rules on top of Chapter 28. |
| San Diego | A historic review may be required if the site has a designated historic resource, is within a designated historic district, or contains a structure 45 years or older (sign permit page; Information Bulletin 581). |
Cities not listed
The other cities we cover also have historic districts, but their city page does not yet state how sign review works there, so this page says nothing about them. Check whether your address is in a district before you order the sign.
Each line is taken from the city page, which links the code text it was read from.
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