Portland sign permit at a glance
| Question | Short answer |
|---|---|
| Do I need a permit? | Yes for every permanent sign, at any size; a sign on an awning takes an awning permit instead (§32.62.010.B). Lawn signs, non-electrified directional signs, up to three temporary banners of 32 sq ft or less, portable A-boards and a few other temporary signs are exempt (exempt list). Other cities compared. |
| How big can my wall signs be? | 1½ sq ft of sign per foot of primary building wall, or 1 sq ft per foot if a freestanding sign stands on the same street frontage. No single sign over 200 sq ft in CE, CM3, EG, EX, IG and IH, 100 sq ft in CI2, CM2 and CX, or 50 sq ft in CM1 and RX; a ground-floor tenant space is guaranteed 32 sq ft (Table 2). Other cities compared. |
| What does it cost? | $275 for a non-illuminated sign up to 20 sq ft and $357 for an illuminated one, rising by size to $647 and $812 over 180 sq ft; a painted or adhered wall sign is $1.79 per sq ft with a $59 minimum (fee table). Other cities compared. |
| How long does it take? | PP&D publishes no review time; it says applications are reviewed in chronological order by time and date of submission (timing). Other cities compared. |
| When does the permit run out? | An issued permit expires if no inspection is approved within 180 days; each approved inspection extends it 180 days (§32.62.040). Other cities compared. |
| Who files? | The property owner, or a party the owner authorizes. If the sign has electrical parts, the permit goes only to a licensed State of Oregon electrical contractor or the owner (§32.62.020.B, §32.62.030.B). Other cities compared. |
| Sidewalk A-frame sign? | No registration needed from July 25, 2026. In the sidewalk area it may be up to 8 sq ft and 2½ ft wide, within 6 inches of the curb, leaving a clear pedestrian path at least 6 ft wide; one per public entrance, in RX, C, CI, E and I zones (§32.32.030.C and G) (A-board rules). Other cities compared. |
| Blade or projecting sign? | It may reach 6½ ft into the right-of-way or 2/3 of the distance to the roadway, whichever is less, and never within 2 ft of the roadway; no more than 30 sq ft of the face may be over the right-of-way, and the bottom must be at least 8 ft above the sidewalk (§32.32.030.C, §32.42.010.C). Other cities compared. |
| Grand opening banner? | Up to three temporary banners of 32 sq ft or less per site, one per building wall, with no registration. A bigger or extra banner must be registered for a 30-day period, at most six periods a year (§32.62.010) (banners). Other cities compared. |
| Digital or LED sign? | Changing image features are allowed in CE, CI2, CM2, CM3, CX, EG, EX, IG and IH, limited to 20 sq ft per site and 10 sq ft per sign unless they cover less than 60 percent of the face; they are prohibited in CM1 and RX (§32.32.030.D). Ordinance 192213 adds RX to the allowed zones from November 1, 2026. Other cities compared. |
| Already installed without a permit? | A sign that needed a permit and was put up without one is a prohibited sign and must be removed (§32.12.030.H). The fee schedule adds an investigation fee for starting work before a permit: $161 minimum, then $161 per hour (fee table). Other cities compared. |
Zone limits Checker Fees How to apply Timing A-boards Banners Where City pages disagree FAQ
Portland does not size signs by lot frontage or a flat number per business. It uses the primary building wall: an exterior wall that faces a street and has a public entrance to your premises (or, if your space has no such wall, a wall with a public entrance that faces a parking area). Multiply its length by 1½, or by 1 if there is already a freestanding sign on that street frontage, and that is the total area for all signs attached to buildings. Existing signs count against it.
Portland sign limits by zone (Table 2)
These are the standards for permanent signs in the commercial/mixed use, campus institution 2, employment and industrial zones and the RX zone, from §32.32.020 Table 2 and Table 3. Find your base zone on PortlandMaps before you read across.
| Standard | CE, CM3, EG1, EG2, EX, IG1, IG2, IH | CI2, CM2, CX | CM1, RX |
|---|---|---|---|
| Area for signs on buildings | 1 sq ft per 1 ft of primary building wall if a freestanding sign is on the same street frontage; 1½ sq ft per 1 ft if there is none | ||
| Number of building signs | No limit within the size allocation | ||
| Largest single building sign | 200 sq ft | 100 sq ft | 50 sq ft |
| Guaranteed area, ground-floor tenant space | 32 sq ft | ||
| Projecting signs | Allowed, but not if a freestanding sign is on the same street frontage; rooftop signs are prohibited | ||
| Freestanding signs, number | 1 per site, or 1 per 300 ft of arterial street frontage | 1 per arterial street frontage | 1 per arterial street frontage |
| Freestanding area and height | 1 sq ft per ft of arterial frontage, up to 200 sq ft; 25 ft tall | Same allocation, up to 100 sq ft; 20 ft tall | Same allocation, up to 50 sq ft; 15 ft tall |
| Changing image (digital) features | Allowed | Allowed | Prohibited (RX allowed from November 1, 2026) |
| Lighting | Direct, indirect or internal | ||
Source: Portland City Code Chapter 32.32, Base Zone Regulations, §32.32.020 Tables 2 and 3 (amended by Ordinance 191959, effective March 1, 2025), read on portland.gov 23 October 2026.
More numbers from Chapter 32.32 — 7 items
- Pedestrian districts use the CX standards. In pedestrian districts shown in the Transportation Element of the Comprehensive Plan, the sign standards of the CX zone apply (§32.32.020.C), so a 100 sq ft per-sign cap replaces 200 sq ft in a CE or CM3 site there.
- Near a freeway or a bridge. A sign face within 100 feet of a freeway right-of-way and visible from it may not exceed 200 sq ft; within 100 feet of a Willamette River, Columbia River or Columbia Slough bridge or its approach ramps, and visible from it, 100 sq ft. Freestanding and changing image signs are prohibited in both places, apart from those below the level of the roadway (§32.32.020.B).
- Fascia (flat wall) signs may not extend more than 6 inches above the top of the wall or more than 18 inches out from it, or past the corner of the building (§32.32.030.E.3).
- Projecting signs may not rise more than 6 inches above the roof line, and the sign edge may not be more than 1 foot from the building wall. A projecting sign that reaches more than 3 feet into the right-of-way may not be within 20 feet of another projecting or freestanding sign that does the same, where their heights overlap (§32.32.030.C and E.5).
- Changing image features are capped at a combined 20 sq ft per site; no single sign may have more than 10 sq ft unless the features cover less than 60 percent of the sign face. Brightness is governed by the glare standards of Chapter 33.262 (§32.32.030.D).
- Directional signs up to 6 sq ft (freestanding ones up to 42 inches tall, fascia ones up to 8 ft high) and lawn signs up to 3 sq ft are not counted against your allocation (§32.32.030.H and J).
- Residential and open space zones are different. Under Table 1, townhouses, multi-dwelling buildings, group living, day care and nonresidential uses not listed there get 1 sign per building, up to 10 sq ft; commercial and industrial uses in those zones follow the RX standards (§32.32.010).
Source: City Code Chapter 32.32, read on portland.gov 23 October 2026.
Check your sign against your zone
This applies §32.32.020 Tables 2 and 3, §32.32.030 and §32.42.010 to a sign attached to a building in the commercial, employment, industrial and RX zones, and prices it from the PP&D fee schedule effective July 10, 2026. Plan districts, design overlays and historic resources can add rules it does not see.
Calculated from City Code Chapter 32.32 Tables 2 and 3 and §32.32.030, Chapter 32.42 §32.42.010.C, and the Sign, Awning Permit and Registration Fee Schedule effective July 10, 2026, all read on portland.gov 23 October 2026. The separate electrical permit fee for a lit sign is not included.
Signs that need no permit or registration — 8 items
§32.62.010.A lists what is exempt from both a permit and registration. Exempt signs still have to meet the size and placement rules of Title 32.
- Lawn signs (up to 3 sq ft, outside the right-of-way, unlit).
- Directional signs that are not electrified.
- Temporary banners: up to three per lot, each no larger than 32 sq ft, and no more than one on each building wall or separate structure.
- Temporary fascia signs installed for 360 or fewer days.
- Temporary freestanding signs installed for 360 or fewer days.
- Portable signs (A-boards).
- Temporary portable signs.
- Signs re-erected after repair and maintenance, if you tell the Director in writing before the sign comes down; otherwise the re-erected sign is treated as a new sign.
Separately, §32.12.020 takes some signs out of Title 32 altogether: signs not visible from a right-of-way or another property, signs inside a building (but illuminated window signs are covered in the OS, RF through RM4, RMP, CI1, CR and IR zones), signs carved into a building, flags, signs required by federal, state or city law up to 32 sq ft, public art and permitted original art murals.
Source: City Code Chapter 32.62, Permits and Registration, §32.62.010 (amended by Ordinance 192204, effective July 25, 2026); Chapter 32.12, §32.12.020. Read on portland.gov 23 October 2026.
How much does a Portland sign permit cost?
PP&D prices a sign by its area in 20 sq ft bands, with one column for signs that have direct (neon), internal or changing image lighting or other electrical components, and one for signs without them. These amounts are from the schedule effective July 10, 2026.
| Sign area | Illuminated (electric) | Non-illuminated |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 20 sq ft | $357.00 | $275.00 |
| Over 20, up to 40 sq ft | $440.00 | $374.00 |
| Over 40, up to 60 sq ft | $511.00 | $440.00 |
| Over 60, up to 80 sq ft | $559.00 | $458.00 |
| Over 80, up to 100 sq ft | $609.00 | $474.00 |
| Over 100, up to 120 sq ft | $680.00 | $510.00 |
| Over 120, up to 140 sq ft | $712.00 | $527.00 |
| Over 140, up to 160 sq ft | $743.00 | $559.00 |
| Over 160, up to 180 sq ft | $783.00 | $609.00 |
| Over 180 sq ft | $812.00 | $647.00 |
| Other sign and awning charges | Fee |
|---|---|
| Wall painted or adhered sign (vinyl, paper or similar) | $1.79 per sq ft, $59.00 minimum |
| Structural plan review: fascia signs over 400 lb, all projecting signs, freestanding signs over 6 ft tall, pitched roof signs, all awnings | 65% of the permit fee, $228.00 minimum |
| Structural alteration to an existing sign | Same fee as a new sign |
| Additional plan review (changes, additions, revisions) | $114.00 for a half-hour or less; $228.00 per hour beyond |
| Checksheets: 2 allowed, each additional one | $324.00 |
| Awning without signs | $14.49 per linear ft |
| Sign and awning combination | $2.45 per sq ft of sign area |
| Reinspection | $161.00 per inspection |
| Investigation fee, work started before a permit | $161.00 minimum, $161.00 per hour |
| Permit reactivation | Half the new-permit fee, $228.00 minimum |
| Early assistance sign code meeting | $125.00 |
| Temporary banner registration | $66.00 per month, up to six months per lot per year |
| Temporary balloon registration (once per lot per year) | $66.00 |
| Temporary fascia or freestanding sign registration | $126.00 per sign per year |
Source: Portland Permitting & Development, Sign, Awning Permit and Registration Fee Schedule for the City of Portland (PDF), effective July 10, 2026, read 23 October 2026. §32.68.020 says the fees are set in the Fee Schedule adopted by City Council and updated annually or as needed.
Refunds
If you ask for a refund and the City was not at fault, it keeps the cost of plan review or inspections already done plus 20 percent of what remains. Ask within six months of payment or issuance, whichever came last; state surcharge fees come back only if the permit was issued in error (§32.68.030, Chapter 32.68).
How to apply for a Portland sign permit — 7 steps
Steps from PP&D, Sign and awning permits, read 23 October 2026, and City Code §32.62.020 and §32.62.030. In person: the Development Services Center, 1900 SW 4th Ave, Tuesdays and Thursdays 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
How long it takes
PP&D does not publish a review time for sign permits. Its page says the application review is completed in chronological order based on the time and date of submission, and that a checksheet goes out if more information is needed. Ask at 503-823-7300 for the current queue before you book an installer.
Source: City Code §32.62.040, amended by Ordinance 192204 effective July 25, 2026; PP&D Sign and awning permits. Read 23 October 2026.
Sidewalk A-boards (portable signs)
From July 25, 2026 a portable sign needs neither a permit nor registration (§32.62.010.A.6). PBOT's page says the same: “Starting July 25, 2026, you will not need to register portable signs.” The size and placement rules still apply.
- Where: allowed in the RX, C, CI, E and I zones, not counted against your permanent sign area (§32.32.030.G.1).
- How many: one per public entrance to a building; a tenant space or cart that serves only through a window gets one; a commercial parking facility gets one per vehicle entrance, no more than four.
- On private property: up to 12 sq ft, one side counted, no taller than 42 inches including its support (§32.32.030.G.3).
- In the sidewalk area: no larger than 8 sq ft, the face no wider than 2½ ft and no taller than 4 ft; within 6 inches of the curb; leaving a continuous pedestrian zone at least 6 ft wide; clear of street corners, curb ramps, transit stops, disabled parking and building exits (§32.32.030.C.3).
- Not allowed: attaching it to trees, poles, meters or the pavement; lights, electrical parts or changing images. PBOT adds that portable signs are not allowed in the right-of-way in the Hillsdale Plan District.
- Temporary portable signs (open houses, garage sales) may be up to 4 sq ft and 24 inches tall, only from 6 p.m. Friday to 8 p.m. Sunday and 6 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday; on a sidewalk under 8 ft wide they may not be placed on the sidewalk (§32.32.030.C.3.i and K.7).
Sources: City Code §32.32.030 C and G; PBOT, Portable signs (A-boards). Both read 23 October 2026. Questions: [email protected].
Temporary banners and temporary signs — 5 items
- No registration: up to three banners per site, none larger than 32 sq ft, one per building wall or structure. Banners are not allowed at all on sites with houses, duplexes and attached houses (§32.32.030.K.3).
- Bigger or extra banners must be registered. In CM2, CI2, CM3 and CX one banner may be up to 50 sq ft, and in CE, E and I zones up to 100 sq ft; no site may have more than four, and the larger or extra banners may hang for up to 180 days per calendar year. In OS, R, CR, CM1 and CI1 zones a larger or extra banner must meet the permanent sign standards.
- Registration periods are 30 days, one banner per period, no more than six periods a year (§32.62.010.D, §32.62.040.B). The fee schedule charges $66 per month.
- Temporary fascia and freestanding signs may be up to 32 sq ft, one per street frontage (fascia) or one per site (freestanding), for two periods of up to 180 days a year; past 360 days they must be registered, for at most 360 days more.
- A balloon sign is allowed once a year for up to one week in RX, C, CI, E and I zones, no taller than 25 ft, and must be registered.
Source: City Code §32.32.030.K and §32.62.010 and §32.62.040, read 23 October 2026.
Where the City's own pages disagree
We found four places where a City web page and the code text do not match. Where they differ we follow the code text.
- A-board height. PBOT's page gives a maximum height of 4 feet (48 inches) in the sidewalk area, with an editor's note that it is “different on registration form and code”. §32.32.030.C.3 does cap the face at 4 ft tall, but §32.32.030.G.3 limits any portable sign, support included, to 42 inches. Build to 42 inches.
- A-board registration fee. The fee schedule effective July 10, 2026 still prices portable sign registration ($120 for 1 year, $214 for 2, $383 for 4). From July 25, 2026 §32.62.010.A.6 exempts portable signs from permit and registration, and both PP&D and PBOT say registration is no longer needed.
- Narrow sidewalks. PBOT says A-boards are not allowed on sidewalks less than 8 feet wide. In the code that 8-foot rule is written for temporary portable signs (§32.32.030.C.3.i); a regular A-board must still sit within 6 inches of the curb and leave a 6-foot clear path, which a narrow sidewalk usually cannot give.
- Banner registration. PP&D's sign permit page says registration is required for temporary banners on private property. The code exempts up to three banners of 32 sq ft or less, one per wall; only larger or extra banners must be registered (§32.62.010.A.3 and D).
Sources: PBOT Portable signs (A-boards); PP&D Sign and awning permits; fee schedule effective July 10, 2026; City Code Chapter 32.62. All read 23 October 2026.
Coming on November 1, 2026
Ordinance 192213, the Regulatory Improvement Code Amendment Package 11 (RICAP 11), passed August 6, 2026 and takes effect November 1, 2026. Its seven Title 32 amendments move the RX zone into the column that allows changing image sign features (Table 3), send Parks and Open Areas uses in residential and open space zones to the RX standards, allow their changing image signs at a sports field or on a site of at least 5 acres, and let a park site of at least 50 acres ask for more than 20 sq ft. The wall sign allocation and the per-sign caps in Table 2 do not change.
Source: City of Portland, Ordinance 192213, and Exhibit B, RICAP 11 Recommended Draft as amended, Section IV, read 23 October 2026.
Portland sign permit questions
Answers from City Code Chapter 32.62, Chapter 32.32 and PP&D Sign and awning permits, read 23 October 2026.
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Sources & how this page is maintained
Sources and official references: Portland City Code Title 32, Signs and Related Regulations · Chapter 32.32, Base Zone Regulations · Chapter 32.62, Permits and Registration · Chapter 32.42, Structural and Electrical Regulations · Sign, Awning Permit and Registration Fee Schedule, effective July 10, 2026 (PDF) · PP&D — Sign and awning permits · PBOT — Portable signs (A-boards) · Ordinance 192213, Exhibit B (RICAP 11). All read on 23 October 2026 directly from portland.gov and the City's efiles record system. Chapter 32.68 (fees) points to the adopted fee schedule and prints no amounts itself.
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Send your dimensions and we will reply with what the Portland code allows for that sign. No charge. We are not a sign contractor and not a permit agent.