US Sign Code  / Los Angeles
LA Municipal Code · §14.4

Is your storefront sign over the limit?

Los Angeles sizes your legal wall sign by a formula tied to your street and building frontage — and caps the combined area of all your signs separately. Go over and a sign violation is a misdemeanor. Enter your frontage and get a clear read before you build.

This checks on-premise wall signs in LA commercial/manufacturing zones. Off-site signs, billboards, and supergraphics are not covered. Digital/LED displays need separate review.
Lot width along the street.
Width of the building wall facing the street.

How LA sizes your sign

Unlike many cities, Los Angeles doesn't give each zoning district its own sign table. Instead, LAMC §14.4.10 sets a formula: a single-story building's wall signs facing a street can total 2 sq ft per foot of street frontage plus 1 sq ft per foot of building frontage. Taller buildings earn 10% more per story, capped at 50% over the single-story figure. Individual-letter signs that use the wall as background get a 20% bonus.

On top of that, §14.4.10 A.5 caps the combined area of all your signs — wall, projecting, monument, pole, roof, window — at 4 sq ft per foot of street frontage. Owners who max out the wall-sign formula and then add a monument or window sign are the ones who blow past the combined cap. A sign violation in LA is a misdemeanor, so this is worth checking before you build.

Questions owners ask

What's "street frontage" vs "building frontage"?
Street frontage is the width of your lot along the street. Building frontage is the width of your building wall facing that street. The formula uses both.
Does my zoning change the number?
For commercial and manufacturing zones (C1, C2, C4, CM, M1, etc.) the wall-sign formula is the same. Residential zones and specific-plan areas have different rules — if your address is in one, we'll tell you and route you to a pro.
Digital / LED sign?
Digital displays face separate restrictions (LAMC 14.4.4) and many areas restrict or ban them. This screen covers static and illuminated wall signs; a digital sign needs its own review.
Is this an official ruling?
No. It's a first-pass risk filter on the public LAMC formula, not a permit and not legal advice. Final dimensions are confirmed by a licensed LA sign professional and LADBS.