Rules
Denver signage laws: sign permits and sandwich boards
Denver signage laws: what the sign permit application requires, how Zoning Code Article 10 is organized, and the DOTI sandwich board rules.
What to take away
- Denver signage laws work in three layers for a storefront promotion: the Zoning Code sets sign standards by zone district, the city's sign application asks for specific documents, and a sandwich board on the sidewalk needs its own permit.
- Denver sign standards are written by zone district, so find your district before you plan a sign.
- Denver permit requirements mean a zoning permit for the sign, plus building and electrical permits for structural or illuminated signs.
- Temporary sandwich boards in the public right-of-way need a separate permit from the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure, and the permit is issued for a calendar year.
- Permit lead times push sign ordering ahead of the launch date, and compliance documentation shortens the conversation if a sign is questioned.
The Denver signage rules that most often catch small businesses
Denver writes its own sign rules. Article 10 of the Denver Zoning Code governs signs in its Division 10.10, and the Community Planning and Development department issues the permits. Many owners compare notes through a chamber of commerce, but Aurora, Lakewood and Englewood each run separate codes, so an approved sign nearby proves nothing about your block.
Three parts of the code cause the most trouble. Size and placement limits decide what you can put up. Permit requirements decide what you must file first. Temporary sign rules decide what a sandwich board or banner needs before it goes outside.
Enforcement usually starts with a complaint from a neighbor, a competitor or a passerby. An inspector then compares your sign against the approved plan set and the standards for your zone district.
Denver's Landmark Preservation Commission reviews signs in the city's designated historic districts, and that review adds time. If your storefront sits in one, treat the sign as a design project rather than a purchase.
Federal advertising rules can touch a promotion as well. The Federal Register business and industry topic tracks federal rules that affect advertising and business operations, but a storefront sign is governed locally, and the sign application needs a site plan, a sign depiction or photo simulation, building elevations showing existing and proposed signage, and a sign schedule. Prepare those four documents before you call a fabricator.
Rule one: where Denver writes its size and placement standards
Denver sign size limits come from the zone district rather than one citywide number. Division 10.10 writes separate sign standards for each family of zone districts: Section 10.10.9 for Residential Mixed Use districts, Sections 10.10.11 and 10.10.12 for Mixed Use Commercial districts, Section 10.10.13 for Industrial districts and Section 10.10.14 for Downtown districts, with further sections for Cherry Creek North in Section 10.10.19 and the Civic Center area in Section 10.10.20.
The stated intent in Section 10.10.1.1 is to enhance the appearance and economic value of the visual environment by regulating and controlling the type, location, and physical dimensions of signs and sign structures. Look up your zone district first, then read the matching section of Division 10.10, which sets the standards for that district.
Freestanding signs are limited by height and setback instead, and those caps tighten next to residential blocks.
Placement is checked just as closely. Signs cannot block sight lines at intersections, cover windows needed for emergency egress, or extend into the public right of way without separate approval. Projecting signs need clearance over the sidewalk, and many districts restrict or bar roof signs.
Overlay districts can tighten the numbers further. A design overlay or historic district may require a smaller sign, a specific material, or an externally lit sign instead of an illuminated cabinet.
Measure the wall or pole before you call a fabricator. A shop that orders a sign larger than the zone district allows has bought itself a violation.
If your promotion leans on a sandwich board rather than a permanent sign, the rules change. Our guide to sidewalk sign promotion covers how to keep a board legal and visible.
Rule one: size and placement limits
| Sign type | What usually triggers review |
|---|---|
| Wall sign | Area relative to the building wall and zone district |
| Projecting sign | Clearance over the sidewalk and projection distance |
| Freestanding sign | Height, setback and lot frontage |
| Roof sign | Restricted or prohibited in many districts |
| Temporary banner | Permit window, size and attachment method |
Rule two: permit requirements and review timelines
Denver permit requirements start with a zoning permit for the sign itself: the city's sign application is titled a zoning permit application, and it asks whether the sign is permanent or temporary, with an expiration date for a temporary sign. Structural signs also need a building permit, and illuminated signs need an electrical permit and a licensed electrical contractor.
The sign schedule lists each sign by type (wall, window, ground, awning, projecting, roof, canopy or arcade, or other), location, area, number of faces, illumination, and height measured to the top of the sign from grade. Fees are set in the city's fee schedule, so check the current sign permit fee before you budget.
Applications go through the city's online permitting portal. Expect to upload a site plan, dimensioned drawings of the sign, material and attachment details, and the installer's license number.
Denver review has two gates rather than one. A completeness check comes first, and a plan set missing dimensions or a site plan is sent back before a reviewer reaches the design. Zoning review then runs ahead of design or historic review.
Plan on roughly two to four weeks for zoning review alone, longer when an overlay, historic review or a resubmittal is involved. From application to a sign on the wall, four to six weeks is a realistic Denver timeline.
Start the permit before you commit to a launch date. A promotion tied to one weekend can be derailed by a resubmittal request.
Rule three: sandwich boards and other temporary signs
Temporary sign rules in Denver cover banners, pennants, A-frame boards and inflatables, and they run on permits with a clock attached.
A sandwich board on the sidewalk falls under the Denver Revised Municipal Code, Chapter 49, Section 437. The Department of Transportation and Infrastructure (DOTI) issues that permit, and its requirements sheet sets out these points:
- A temporary sign, as the DOTI requirements define it, is a sandwich board type sign or a sign mounted on an H type base. The sign is not more than three feet above grade at its tallest point and no wider than thirty inches at its widest point.
- Allow a minimum of 15 working days for the application review process.
- The requirements sheet refers you to a separate DOTI fee page for the current permit fee.
- No more than one sign per street-level business with direct street-level access, per street front.
- Keep an 8 feet minimum clear path on sidewalks 16 feet or greater in width and a 5 feet minimum clear path on narrower sidewalks.
- The sign may only advertise the establishment it is placed in front of.
- Placement is limited to business, main street, industrial and certain mixed-use zone districts, and a sandwich board is not allowed in the Cherry Creek North district.
- The permit year runs from January 1 to December 31 and is not prorated for part of a year.
- If the property stops complying with the Denver Sign Code, the permit is revoked and not issued for one year.
- You apply with the Temporary signs in the right-of-way application, a sketch of the sign with dimensions, and a site plan with dimensions.
Leaving a banner or board up after the window closes turns a permitted sign into a violation, even though nothing about the sign itself changed. The zoning sign application asks for an expiration date for a temporary sign, so write the window on the application and take the sign down on that date.
Division 10.10 of the Zoning Code also includes a section titled Signs Permitted In All Districts, Section 10.10.3, so ask Community Planning and Development whether a small temporary window sign is covered before you apply, and ask before you hang anything.
If you plan several temporary signs at once, count them together. A cluster of boards and banners can exceed the allowance even when each piece is small.
If you are planning a launch, our grand opening ideas piece covers promotions that work without a large budget.
Planning a promotion calendar around permit lead times
Work backward from the promotion date. Zoning review, fabrication and installation each take time you cannot compress at the end.
- Fix the promotion date and work backward through zoning review, fabrication and installation.
- Look up your zone district and any overlay or historic designation on the property.
- File the zoning permit through Denver's online portal with the site plan, sign depiction and sign schedule.
- Order the sign only after zoning approval, and hold the building and electrical permits for the signs that need them.
- Book installation and the city inspection, then photograph the finished sign for your file.
A bakery planning a fall launch on Tennyson Street files zoning paperwork for a wall sign, waits out review, then orders fabrication and books the electrical inspection for the same week as installation.
Keep a week of buffer before the event. A shorter banner run is easier to absorb than a pushed launch date.
A simple set of local promotion ideas small business owners can follow keeps these steps in order so nothing gets skipped under deadline pressure.
What to document if a sign is questioned
Keep one file per sign. For a permanent sign, that means the approved zoning permit and its number, the stamped plan set, the building and electrical permit cards, the installer's license number, and the inspection sign-off.
For temporary signs, write down the permit window and the dates the sign went up and came down.
- Approved zoning permit letter and permit number
- Stamped plan set with dimensions and materials
- Site plan showing placement on the property
- Building and electrical permit cards for structural or lit signs
- Installer name and license number
- Inspection sign-off and photos from the street
- Start and end dates for any temporary sign
If you are unsure whether a sign needs a permit, ask before installing. A removal order costs more than a phone call.
If your launch also involves local press, see how to pitch local media small business coverage, and settle the sign approval first.
