Every sign permit article written about Colorado Springs before February 2026 is now wrong. Not slightly out of date. Wrong, because the code they describe no longer exists.
On February 2026 the City of Colorado Springs completed a full repeal and replace of its sign code and adopted Sign Ordinance No. 26-01. Part 13 of Article 4 of the Unified Development Code was repealed and reordained, which is the legal way of saying the old rules were deleted and a new set took their place. Sizes, exemptions, permit process, electronic sign limits, and enforcement all moved.
This guide covers what the current code says, section by section, in language you can use at a landlord meeting. Our team pulls permits under this ordinance every week, so where the code is silent and experience fills the gap, we say so. Nothing here is legal advice, and the city is the final word on any specific property.
What Changed in February 2026
The headline change is structural. The new code is written to be content neutral, meaning the rules regulate where a sign goes, how big it is, and how bright it is, not what it says. That follows a line of federal court decisions, and it is why the code now talks about "commercial messaging" as a category rather than listing sign purposes.
Four practical shifts matter to a business owner:
- Allowances follow the use of the property. Commercial, industrial, office, civic, and residential uses each get their own table. Two buildings on the same street can have different allowances because of how the property is used.
- Wall sign area is tied to elevation length. Your number comes from measuring the building face the sign sits on, not from a flat citywide cap.
- Electronic message centers got a full rewrite. Static messages only, a ten second hold time, brightness limits, and one per property.
- Maintenance and nonconforming signs got teeth. Abandoned signs become a nuisance after 30 days, and a legal-nonconforming sign that loses half its area cannot be repaired.
Under the new code, a sign permit will not be approved for a new sign on a property where an existing noncompliant sign is standing. If the previous tenant left something out of code on the building, that becomes your problem the day you apply.
Do You Need a Sign Permit in Colorado Springs?
The code answers this cleanly: a permit is required before erecting any sign covered by Part 13, unless the sign is specifically exempted. Major sign types always require a permit. Minor sign types generally do not, with a few exceptions written into the table.
| Sign type | Permit? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Wall signs, channel letters, dimensional letters | Yes | Area based on use and elevation length |
| Freestanding and ground signs | Yes | Area and height based on lot frontage |
| Electronic message centers | Yes | Plus a signed letter of compliance |
| Projecting and blade signs | Yes | Anything extending over 12 inches from the wall |
| Canopy and awning signs | Yes | 0.5 sq ft per linear foot of structure |
| Temporary banners | Yes | 120 days per calendar year, scheduled at permitting |
| Directional and directory signs | Yes | Minor type, but the table requires a permit |
| Window signs at 25% or less | No | Ground level only |
| Vehicle graphics and wraps | No | Conditions apply, see section 7 |
| Portable A-frame signs | No | 4 ft by 2 ft, business hours only |
| Building plaques and flags | No | 6 sq ft plaque, 3 ft by 5 ft flags |
| Face changes on a permitted sign | No | As long as nothing structural changes |
That last row is the one that saves the most money. Swapping the face of an existing permitted sign, repainting it, or re-lamping it is exempt as long as the sign is not raised, lowered, removed, or changed structurally. APG produces replacement faces for exactly this reason.
The Exemption List, in Plain English
Ordinance 26-01 exempts thirteen categories of signs from Part 13 entirely. These are the ones a Colorado Springs business is most likely to use:
Signs displayed inside a building at least two feet away from exterior windows. Move it closer to the glass and it becomes a window sign.
Face replacement, repaint, re-lamp, and general upkeep of previously permitted signage, provided the sign is not raised, lowered, removed, or structurally changed.
Signs with no commercial message and no advertising, up to three square feet each, maximum three per property.
Vertical banners on existing light poles on private property, up to 24 by 48 inches, hung 8 feet above grade in pedestrian areas and 14 feet in vehicular areas.
A cover used for no more than 60 days while a new permanent sign or component is being fabricated. Useful during a rebrand.
Signs oriented only to the property they sit on, not substantially visible from the public right of way, set back more than 15 feet or not visible from the lot line.
Also exempt: works of art with no commercial message, official government signs, legal notices, street numbers and addresses, human-held signs, non-commercial displays and decorations, and inward facing advertising at recreational venues.
"Previously permitted" is doing real work in that sentence. The exemption covers maintenance of a sign that was legally permitted. It does not legalize a sign that never had a permit, and it does not cover raising, lowering, relocating, or restructuring.
What Your Wall Actually Allows
This is the number every tenant wants before they call anyone. Under the current tables, wall sign area is calculated from the length of the building elevation the sign goes on:
| Property use | Wall sign allowance | Canopy or awning |
|---|---|---|
| Commercial and industrial | 1.5 sq ft x elevation length | 0.5 sq ft x structure length |
| Commercial, set back over 200 ft from the right of way | 2 sq ft x elevation length | 0.5 sq ft x structure length |
| Office and civic | 1 sq ft x elevation length | 0.5 sq ft x structure length |
| Residential (3-family and up) | 50 sq ft per sign, max 2 | 0.5 sq ft x structure length |
A worked example
Say you lease a 40 foot storefront in a commercial center on Academy. Your elevation length is 40 feet, so your allowance is 40 x 1.5, or 60 square feet of wall signage on that face. That is a generous set of channel letters. You can split it into multiple signs on the same elevation as long as the total stays under 60.
Two useful adjustments. If your building face is shorter than 16.5 feet, the code guarantees a minimum of 25 square feet, which protects small tenant spaces. And in a multi-tenant building, tenants can borrow allocation from the rest of the building with the owner's written consent, up to 1.5 times their own entitlement.
The height and roof rules
- A sign cannot extend past the pitch or peak of a pitched roof.
- On a parapet or flat roof edge, no more than 50 percent of the sign's vertical height may extend above the roof line.
- Signs attached directly on top of a flat roof are prohibited outright.
- Anything extending more than 12 inches from the wall is treated as a projecting sign, which needs 8 feet of clearance over a walkway, 14 feet over a drive, and cannot stick out more than 6 feet.
For a deeper walkthrough of wall sign math and the compliance check our team runs before quoting, see our guide to wall sign permits in Colorado Springs.
Freestanding Signs and Frontage Math
Freestanding signage is calculated from lot frontage rather than building length. For commercial and industrial property:
- Under 160 feet of frontage: one sign, up to 42 square feet, 7 feet tall.
- 160 feet or more: 0.35 square feet per linear foot of frontage, with height at 0.07 feet per linear foot up to a 30 foot cap, and a 150 square foot maximum size.
- 1,000 feet or more: two signs, plus one more for every additional 1,000 feet of frontage.
Office and civic uses run lower, at 34 square feet under 160 feet of frontage and 0.25 square feet per linear foot above it. Every parcel is entitled to at least one freestanding sign. On a corner lot, you pick which frontage does the math, so pick the long one.
Our team produces storefront and building signs, channel letters, dimensional lettering, lobby signs, ADA signs, wayfinding signs, and select face replacements, and we handle permitting and installation as part of the project. We do not construct freestanding structures, so if your site plan calls for one, we will tell you that up front and talk through the options.
Windows, A-Frames, and Banners
These three carry most of the day to day visibility for a small business, and the rules on them are the most commonly broken in the city.
Window signs
No permit, up to 25 percent of the window area, lighting allowed. The catch that trips people up: window signs are prohibited above ground level. Second floor offices do not get window graphics under the current code. Measure the glass, not the frame, and count everything applied to it.
Portable A-frames
No permit. Maximum 4 feet by 2 feet, one per tenant or building entrance, 4 feet tall, placed within 15 feet of the entrance, and displayed only during business hours. It cannot sit in the public right of way without a revocable permit from the city.
Banners
Banners do need a permit, and the limits are specific: 48 square feet per facade on a single story building, 96 square feet on a multi story building, and a total of 120 display days per calendar year across all banners on the property. You schedule those days when you pull the permit. Banners strung between posts or vehicles are not allowed.
Feather, wave, blade, and sword banners are prohibited citywide. So are flashing or varying intensity lights, searchlights, animated signs, signs attached to fences, light poles, trees, or rocks, pavement markings used as branding, and parking a vehicle or trailer so that it functions as a freestanding sign. If a provider offers you feather flags for a Colorado Springs location, they have not read the new code.
Vehicle Wraps Are Not Signs
The single most common question our team gets: does a wrapped van need a sign permit? No. Motor vehicle signs are a minor sign type under the code and require no permit, which is a large part of why vehicle graphics are the fastest visibility a Colorado Springs business can buy.
The code does attach conditions, and they are all reasonable:
- The graphics must be permanently painted or affixed to the vehicle.
- Nothing may project more than one foot above the vehicle's roofline.
- The vehicle has to be in normal operation and regularly moved, not parked as a display.
- It must move at least once every 72 hours.
- When not in use it parks on the business owner's or operator's premises, in a legal space.
- It cannot block another legally permitted sign, and electronic message centers on vehicles are prohibited.
Park the van as a billboard and it stops being a vehicle and starts being an illegal sign.
That is the whole test. A working van with a wrap is exempt. A trailer parked at the corner of the lot for six months with your phone number on it is a prohibited freestanding sign, and the code names that specifically. If a landlord's sign allowance is tight or a permit is going to take weeks, a wrap or a set of door decals gets your name on the street immediately. Pricing for that starts at $350 to $900 for lettering and decals, with full wraps at $3,500 to $6,500. These ranges are typical and are not project specific estimates.
How to Apply, Step by Step
Sign permits are reviewed by the city's Manager before the Building Official issues anything, and the sign must also meet the Regional Building Code. Here is the sequence:
- Confirm the use is established. The type of use requesting the sign has to be legally established on the property first, or established at the same time. Sign plans are not approved until the building permit for the principal use has been issued.
- Inventory every sign on the parcel. The application requires a project statement identifying all existing and proposed signage, not just yours. This is where most applications fall apart.
- Show the math. The statement must demonstrate how the request meets the review criteria, which means elevation lengths, frontage measurements, and square footage worked out on paper.
- Include the construction plan and anything else the Manager requires, including mounting details and electrical information for illuminated signs.
- Handle shared signage paperwork. If two or more parties share the sign, you need an agreement covering ownership and management plus the property owner's approval.
- Sign the EMC letter of compliance if the project includes an electronic message center.
- Submit with fees and wait for approval, approval with conditions, or denial.
Review criteria the Manager applies
Compliance with the sign standards, light that is shaded, shielded, or directed so it does not affect adjacent properties or driver and pedestrian visibility, no obstruction of sight visibility at intersections, alleys, or driveways, and mitigation of significant off-site impacts.
Fees and timing
Fee amounts are set by the city's current fee schedule rather than by the ordinance text, and illuminated signs also carry building and electrical permit costs through Pikes Peak Regional Building Department. Confirm current figures with the city before you budget. In our team's experience, plan on two to six weeks from submittal to approval for a typical storefront sign, longer if the project sits in a historic district or needs a coordinated sign plan. Permit review is almost always the longest step in a sign project, which is why we start it the week an estimate is approved.
Five Reasons Applications Get Sent Back
From the permits our team files, these are the repeat offenders:
- An incomplete signage inventory. The application asks for all existing and proposed signage on the parcel. Listing only the new sign is the fastest way to a correction request.
- A noncompliant sign already on the property. New permits are not approved while one is standing. Sort out the old sign first, even if you did not install it.
- Square footage math that does not match the drawings. Elevation length, sign area, and the measurement method have to agree with each other and with the code's measurement rules.
- Missing electrical detail or EMC paperwork. Illuminated work needs the electrical side documented, and an electronic message center needs its executed letter of compliance.
- No landlord authorization. Shared or multi-tenant signage requires the owner's approval and, where signage is shared, a written agreement between the parties.
A sixth, less common but expensive: setback and sight visibility errors near a driveway or intersection. The Manager reviews sight visibility triangles against the Engineering Criteria, and a sign that clips one gets denied regardless of how good the design is.
What Happens If You Skip It
The code is direct about this. If work starts before a permit is issued, the contractor and the property owner are jointly and severally liable, and additional fees may be due. Paying those fees does not relieve anyone from compliance or from the penalties in the code. In plain terms, you pay more and you still have to fix it.
The knock-on effects tend to hurt more than the fees:
- Your next permit is frozen. No new sign permits on a property with an existing noncompliant sign.
- Nonconforming signs are fragile. A legal-nonconforming sign may stay only if it is not raised, lowered, removed, replaced, structurally altered, or abandoned. If 50 percent or more of the sign area is destroyed, for any reason, it cannot be repaired and has to come down.
- Abandoned signs become a nuisance. After 30 days out of use, the code declares the sign a nuisance and the Building Official or Manager can require the owner to replace or remove it.
- Permits expire. A sign permit is good for 180 days. One courtesy extension of another 180 days may be authorized before it lapses, and anything past that costs additional fees.
None of this is meant to be scary. It is meant to be specific, because a permit handled correctly the first time costs less than any of the above. APG pulls the permit as part of the projects we produce and install, so the paperwork, the measurements, and the corrections are ours to manage, not yours. For what a permitted storefront set actually costs, see our channel letter cost guide, and if you are lit, our LED and electronic message center rules guide covers the brightness and hold time limits in detail.
The Short Version
- Colorado Springs repealed and replaced its sign code in February 2026 with Sign Ordinance No. 26-01. Every guide written before then describes rules that no longer exist.
- A permit is required before erecting any sign unless it is specifically exempt. Allowances are based on the use of the property and the length of the wall the sign sits on.
- Commercial and industrial walls allow 1.5 square feet of sign per linear foot of building elevation, or 2 square feet when set back more than 200 feet from the right of way.
- Window signs at 25 percent coverage or less need no permit but are prohibited above ground level. A-frames need no permit. Banners do, and are capped at 120 display days per year.
- Vehicle wraps and lettering need no sign permit, provided the vehicle is in normal use and moves at least once every 72 hours.
- Face replacement, repaint, and re-lamping of a previously permitted sign is exempt as long as nothing structural changes.
- Starting work without a permit makes the contractor and the owner jointly and severally liable, and a noncompliant sign on the property blocks any new sign permit.
Where this information comes from
- City of Colorado Springs, Unified Development Code Chapter 7, Article 4, Part 13 (Signs), as adopted by Sign Ordinance No. 26-01, February 2026. Sections 7.4.1304 Applicability and Exemptions, 7.4.1305 Sign Permits, 7.4.1307 Sign Types and Criteria, 7.4.1308 Prohibited Signs.
- City of Colorado Springs, Sign Regulations and Permitting overview, coloradosprings.gov/signs.
- Pikes Peak Regional Building Department, building and electrical permit requirements for illuminated signage.
- APG permit and installation records, Colorado Springs office. Observed review timelines and rejection patterns reflect our own filings and are not city published figures.
This guide summarizes a municipal code for general information. It is not legal advice, code language changes, and the city is the final authority on any specific property.
