The following information is provided to Developers and Sales Agents to assist in the legal placement of development-related signs in the City of Lafayette.  It is important to have sign permits prior to construction or placement of permanent or temporary signs.  Please do not risk possible removal/destruction by the City for illegal or off-premises signs!

The following is a summary of the City's sign code pertaining towards developers and sales agents. 

Points to remember: 
1. All signs and temporary banners require a sign permit application.   There is a $10 fee for all temporary signs and banners.
2. You can fax (303-665-2153) or mail or deliver your permit application to the Community Development Department located on the second floor of the Lafayette City Hall building at 1290 S. Public Rd.

Sign Code Summary

• Development related signs must be free-standing and require a permit.
• Signs are limited to 64 square feet in total area (or 32 per face) and no higher than 8 feet.
• Signs must not have any additional riders or attachments.
• You are limited to one sign per street frontage or entrance from a major thoroughfare.
• Signs must be located on the property they pertain to. (Except Open House signs.)
• Standard set back is 10 feet from any property line adjacent to a street.
• Model homes are limited to one sign per lot not to exceed 6 square feet.
• Open House signs are limited to one square foot and no more than a total of five signs.
• Flag poles are designated as accessory structures and require a building permit.  They are also limited to 20 feet in height and require a 1 foot set back.

Here is the actual wording of pertinent code sections.  See Section 26-21 of the Lafayette Municipal Code for the complete Sign Code Regulations.

Sec. 26-21-16. Temporary signs.
(a)     Signs advertising subdivision, development, construction or other improvement of a property in any zoning district are permitted only if they are:

(i)     Limited to free-standing, wall or window signs not exceeding sixty-four (64) square feet in total area or thirty-two (32) square feet per face and not exceeding eight (8) feet in height, with no riders or attachments.

(ii)     On-premise sign:  An on-premise sign may be displayed on the property to which the sign pertains, up to one (1) such sign per street upon which the property either has frontage or has an entrance from a major thoroughfare, but the minimum distance between signs on any single subdivision or property is one thousand (1,000) feet.

(iii)     Off-premise sign:  A permit may be issued for a temporary off-premise free-standing sign advertising subdivision, development, construction, or other property improvement projects to be placed at a major intersection located at a distance no greater than one-half (1/2) mile from the referenced location.  The permit may be issued upon a finding by the planning director that (1) the signage placed within the development/subdivison project cannot be reasonably viewed from a major thoroughfare, and (2) the signage will not impede or otherwise interfere with vehicular or pedestrian traffic.  The permit for a temporary off-premises sign shall state the approved duration thereof, and shall not exceed one (1) year, subject to renewal by the City.  The sign shall be limited to the promotion of residential and commercial subdivision developments that have received final plan approval within 24 months of the permit application, and shall not be deemed appropriate for individual commercial businesses.  No more than two (2) temporary off-premises signs shall be allowed per development, only one (1) of which may be permitted at any intersection.  A maximum of two (2) temporary off-premise signs may be permitted at the same intersection corner.  No permit shall be issued for a temporary off-premises sign within the City without the applicant providing the City with proof of permission from the property owner where such temporary off-premises sign is proposed to be located.  Off-premise signs shall be setback from the street right-of-way a minimum of twenty-five (25) feet. 

(iv)     In the case of a subdivision, displayed on or after the date of official filing of the subdivision plat and removed within two (2) years from the date of issuance of the first building permit in the project or within thirty (30) days from the time that seventy-five (75) percent of the lots or dwellings in the subdivision or filing thereof have been sold, whichever time period is shorter, or removed pursuant to time extensions granted by the city council.

(v)     In the case of construction other than a subdivision, displayed only for the duration of construction until issuance of a certification of occupancy.

(vi)     In residential developments consisting of five (5) dwelling units or less, no more than six (6) square feet per face for each dwelling unit being constructed.

(vii)     In the case of a model home sign identifying each different model, limited to an area not exceeding six (6) square feet and no more than one (1) such sign on each lot upon which a model home is located and removed at the time the unit ceases to be a model home.

(viii)     In the case of an open house sign, which is displayed for the purpose of advising the general public that a particular residential home may be viewed for the purpose of sale, the following shall apply: the total sign area of a real estate open house sign shall not exceed one (1) square foot per face and no more than five (5) off-premises open house signs may be placed in conjunction with an open house.  Such signs shall be placed for a time period not to exceed two (2) eight-hour periods in any two week period. This subsection is not applicable and shall not apply to a subdivision being developed, model homes within a new subdivision, or to more than one (1) residential home under the same ownership.

Sec. 26-21-3. Permits and application.
(a)     Except as provided in section 26-21-8, no person shall display, erect, relocate or alter any sign without first applying to the planning director or his designee and obtaining a permit under this chapter.

(b)     The owner of multi-tenant property or an agent of the owner shall apply for all sign permits for the property or shall develop a plan for apportioning permitted sign area among tenants and file such plan with the planning director, in which case each tenant may apply for a sign permit in conformity with the plan.

(c)     No permit is required for maintenance, as defined in this chapter, but replacing or repairing a sign or sign structure that has been damaged to an extent exceeding fifty (50) percent of its replacement cost, as determined by the planning director, is maintenance only when the sign conforms to all of the applicable provisions of this chapter and only when the damage resulted from an act of God or violent accident.

(d)     No person issued a sign permit under this chapter, shall change, modify, alter or otherwise deviate from the terms or conditions of the permit without first requesting and obtaining approval to do so from the planning director.

(e)     The owner or tenant of the property on which the sign is to be located or an authorized agent thereof or a sign contractor shall apply for a sign permit in writing on forms furnished by the planning director, shall sign the application and shall pay the fee prescribed in section 26-21-7.

(f)     Within five (5) working days of the date of the application, the planning director shall either approve or deny the application or refer it back to the applicant for further information. 

Sec. 26-21-5. Identification and marking of signs.
Each sign erected or remodeled shall bear thereon a clearly legible identification plate not exceeding fifteen (15) square inches in area that states the name of the person responsible for its construction and erection, with installation date and permit number thereon. All electrical signs shall be marked with input amperes at full load input.

Sec. 26-21-7. Sign permit fees.
(a)     An applicant for a sign permit shall be assessed fees in accordance with the permit fee provisions of that version of the uniform building code that is currently adopted by the city.

(b)     An applicant for an appeal or variance to the zoning board of adjustment shall pay a fee as set by city council resolution. 

Sec. 26-21-11. Required setbacks for free-standing signs.
Free-standing signs in any zoning district shall be set back the following distances, and no point on any such sign may extend beyond the required setback line:

(a)     Sign up to and including seven (7) feet in height shall be set back ten (10) feet from any property line adjacent to a street except when buildings on adjoining lots have front setbacks of less than ten (10) feet in which event the setback of the adjoining buildings shall be the minimum sign setback; provided, however, that if the property is located on Public Road north of Spaulding Street and south of Baseline Road or on Simpson Street west of Michigan Avenue and east of Public Road, a zero-foot setback for all signs of seven (7) feet in height or less and a ten-foot setback for signs over seven (7) feet high to twenty-five (25) feet high or one and twenty-five one hundredths (1.25) times the height of the building, whichever is less, shall be allowed.

(b)     The minimum setback distances for signs over seven (7) feet in height is twenty-five (25) feet from any property line adjacent to a street.
(c)     No signs in business and industrial districts may be located less than twenty-five (25) feet from any property line adjacent residential zoning district line.
(d)     In planned unit developments, the city council may vary the setback requirements of this section.
(e)     A flag, pennant or insignia of any nation, organization of nations, state, county, city, religious, civic or fraternal organization or any educational institution may be located closer to the required setback line if located on a building.

Sec. 26-21-18. Signs in planned unit developments.
Signs located in planned unit developments shall conform to all regulations of this section, including those of the district in which the planned units are located, unless specifically exempted therefrom as a part of the site plan approval by the city council.

Sec. 26-21-19. Signs accessory to uses permitted by special review.
Signs that are accessory to those uses specified in the zoning sections as "special review uses" shall conform to all requirements of this section, including those of the district in which the use is to be located, unless specifically exempted therefrom as a part of the special review approval procedure.

Sec. 26-21-9. Prohibited signs.
No person shall erect, install or maintain the following signs in the city:

(e)     Wind signs, except as permitted in section 26-21-21(h).
(Wind sign means a sign consisting of one (1) or more banners, flags, pennants, ribbons, spinners, streamers, captive balloons, or other objects or material; fastened in such manner as to move upon being subjected to pressure by wind.)

(i)     Signs not permanently affixed or attached to the ground or to any structure except for real estate signs or noncommercial signs attached to posts driven into the ground, window signs, temporary barriers and signs carried by persons.

(j)     Any sign or structure that is structurally unsafe, constitutes a hazard to safety or health by reason of inadequate maintenance or dilapidation, is not kept in good repair, or is capable of causing electrical shock to persons likely to come into contact with it.

(l)     Any sign that obstructs free ingress to or egress from a required door, window, fire escape or other required exit way.

(o)     Off-premises advertising signs or any other sign not appurtenant and clearly incidental to the permitted use on the property where located, except for noncommercial signs and signs permitted under the provisions of section 26-21-33.

SIGN PERMIT APPLICATION.PDF(35.6KB) Use this form when applying for a sign permit or a temporary sign or banner.