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Sign Permits

Sign Ordinance Purpose

The Mayor and Council find that signs provide an important medium through which individuals may convey a variety of noncommercial and commercial messages. However, left completely unregulated, signs can become a threat to public safety as a traffic hazard and a detriment to property values and the city's overall public welfare as well as an aesthetic nuisance.

Therefore the City Council has enacted a sign ordinance which is intended to balance the rights of individuals to convey their messages through signs and the right of the public to be protected against the unrestricted proliferation of signs as well as promoting the aesthetic qualities of the city. The sign ordinance is also designed to promote economic development and protect property values by minimizing the possible adverse effects and visual blight caused by signs.

When Permit Required

A sign permit is required prior to the installation, relocation, expansion, construction or structural alteration of any sign regulated by the City of Chamblee except for those signs specifically exempted under City Code Section 1311(B).

Permits are issued by the Permits and Inspections Department.

Residential Signs

A sign permit is not generally required for temporary event signs placed on residential property by an individual property owner or tenant or with the property owner’s permission for the duration of a temporary event (as defined in the city code), such as the sale or lease of a property, an election, a yard sale, a public announcement and other temporary events other than a special business promotion.

These temporary signs must still conform to the following standards:

  • Must be placed a minimum of 10 ft back from curb or out of the right of way, whichever is greater (utility poles are always in the right of way so if the sign is closer to the road than the utility pole, it is in the right of way as well)
  • Non-permanent but water resistant construction materials may be used;
  • The words, letters, figures, etc. shall be permanently applied to the sign’s face;
  • May not be illuminated;
  • Shall not exceed four (4) square feet in area, and three (3) feet in height;

Number of signs allowed:

  • Sale or lease of a building or premises. - One (1) freestanding sign per street frontage;
  • Election cycle signs. - One (1) election cycle sign (which may be double-faced) per road frontage, per candidate or ballot question;
  • Yard sale signs:
    • May be placed two (2) days prior to the announced date of the sale, and must be removed the day after the sale or by 8:00 a.m. Monday;
    • Signs for yard sales relating to the same property shall not be placed more often than once each four (4) months;
    • One (1) sign per street frontage on the property related to the yard sale and a maximum of ten (10) signs per yard sale citywide.

Prohibited Signs
Certain types of signs are prohibited. The following are some of the more common types which are prohibited. For the entire list please refer to the sign ordinance.

  • Signs attached to utility poles or trees;
  • Signs painted on trees, curbs, utility poles, rocks or other natural formation;
  • Air or gas-filled balloons or other devices which have a capacity for air or gas which exceeds three (3) cubic feet and then with a maximum of one such device per lot;
  • Animated and flashing signs;
  • Banners (see the sign ordinance for exceptions);
  • Strings of ribbons, pennants, streamers, etc. designed to move in the wind;
  • Inflatable signs with a capacity for greater than three (3) cubic feet of air or gas;
  • Obscene signs as defined by GA State Code 16-12-80(b)