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Sign Permit in Unincorporated Apache County, Arizona

Required for all new signs in unincorporated Apache County. The Apache County Zoning Ordinance, Article 7 (Sign Use), Section 705.1 states that 'permits shall be required for all new signs except those exempt signs listed in Section 703,' and adds that 'the alteration of sign faces by painting or overlay shall be considered as construction of a new sign.' Apache County splits sign permitting in two: an on-site sign permit administered by the Community Development Department, and an off-premises sign use permit governed by Article 26 (Off-Premise Sign Ordinance), which applies inside the county-wide Sign Overlay (S-O) zone — an overlay encompassing all properties that adjoin at any point a county road, state route, or federal highway or freeway. Off-premises sign use permits are recommended by the Planning and Zoning Commission and granted or denied by the Board of Supervisors, run with the land, and are effective for a period not to exceed ten years.

Verified 2026-08-15 · Source

When you need this permit

  • A permit is required for all new signs except the exempt categories listed in Zoning Ordinance Section 703 (Section 705.1); altering a sign face by painting or overlay counts as constructing a new sign
  • Maintenance, touch-up, repainting or repair of a legal sign does not require a sign permit (Section 705.2)
  • All signs must be located on the same lot as the use they are associated with, unless they qualify as off-premise signs (Section 705.3)
  • All exterior signs must be engineered to withstand a minimum wind load of thirty (30) pounds per square foot (Section 705.5)
  • Each sign requiring a permit that is erected or remodeled must bear, in a permanent position, an identification plate stating the date the sign was erected and the name of the person, firm or entity responsible for its construction and erection (Section 705.9)
  • Illumination must be shaded, shielded and directed so light intensity does not generate glare onto nearby residential areas between sun-up and sun-down; neither direct nor reflected light may create a traffic hazard as determined by the Apache County Engineering Department; no exposed reflective bulbs or incandescent lamps exceeding 36 watts on the exterior surface of a sign (Section 705.8)
  • Commercial and Industrial zones: no single sign may be larger than 300 square feet; up to two square feet of sign area per linear foot of building facade for wall signs; no more than one free-standing sign per parcel per street frontage; electrical service to free-standing signs must be underground (Sections 707.2 through 707.5)
  • Residential zones: freestanding sign height may not exceed ten (10) feet or the height of the building being advertised; building-mounted signs must be flush mounted and may not be roof mounted or project above the roofline; only indirect or internal illumination for letter faces and logos (Sections 706.3 and 706.4)
  • Off-premises signs in the Sign Overlay zone require a sign use permit granted by the Board of Supervisors after review and recommendation by the Planning and Zoning Commission (Article 26, Section 2608)
  • Off-premises sign applications must include a site plan drawn to scale showing structures, property lines, adjacent roads, yards, parking and traffic flow, drainage, proposed sign location and design, and location of leach fields or sewers (Article 26, Section 2609.1)
  • Off-premises signs (other than billboards) may not exceed eight (8) feet from grade to the highest point, may not exceed 100 square feet of advertising sign face, must be set back a minimum of ten (10) feet from every property boundary, and must leave a minimum of 25 percent of the lot as open space (Article 26, Sections 2609.7 through 2609.10)
  • Off-premises signs must be a minimum of 500 feet from any other sign or structure, must be constructed to prevent collapse or wind damage from 80-mile-per-hour winds, and must be freestanding with guy wires and similar appurtenances not exposed (Article 26, Section 2610)
  • Billboards are prohibited in all Sign Overlay areas except on property immediately adjacent to Interstate 40 from the west county line to the east county line (Article 26, Section 2606.2)
  • Signs on properties in an approved PUD district, Master Planned Community, or covered by an approved Conditional Use Permit are reviewed and approved as part of the development plan (Section 708)

Required documents

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Fee schedule

On-site Sign Permit (any size)Apache County Community Development New Fee Schedule — Planning and Zoning Department, approved by the Board of Supervisors December 1, 2009 and amended August 7, 2017. Read from a 200 dpi page render of the county's published one-page fee schedule, not from text extraction.
$100.00
Sign Use Permit — 4x8Apache County Community Development New Fee Schedule (Planning and Zoning Department), read from render. This is the off-premises sign use permit track governed by Zoning Ordinance Article 26.
$100.00
Sign Use Permit — larger than 4x8Apache County Community Development New Fee Schedule (Planning and Zoning Department), read from render
$250.00
All AppealsApache County Community Development New Fee Schedule (Planning and Zoning Department), read from render. Applies to an appeal of a sign permit decision to the Board of Adjustment and Appeals.
$300.00
All PenaltiesApache County Community Development New Fee Schedule (Planning and Zoning Department), read from render. Applied where work proceeds without the required permit.
Double the Fees

Review timeline

Plan review
Not published — contact the department

How long did your Sign Permit permit actually take in Unincorporated Apache County?

Anonymous — one question, no email. Answers are combined and only shown once at least 5 people have reported.

Inspection process

  1. 1

    Sign Identification Plate Verification

    Each sign requiring a permit that is erected or remodeled must bear, in a permanent position, an identification plate stating the date the sign was erected and the name of the person, firm or entity responsible for its construction and erection (Zoning Ordinance Section 705.9)

  2. 2

    Zoning Compliance / Enforcement Check

    The Community Development Director enforces sign standards, may require the removal or repair of any sign in a dangerous or defective condition, and may cause immediate removal where a defective sign poses immediate danger, assessing costs against the property owner (Section 710.1). Signs on property that becomes vacant and unoccupied for thirty days or more are treated as abandoned and must be removed (Section 710.2).

See the full Unincorporated Apache County inspection guide — scheduling & re-inspection fees →

Tips

  • Apache County's Sign Overlay (S-O) zone is county-wide in effect, not a small district: the ordinance defines it as an overlay encompassing all properties in the county that adjoin at any point a county road, state route, or federal highway or freeway. If your parcel touches any of those, the off-premises sign rules in Article 26 are in play.
  • The cheapest mistake to avoid: repainting or overlaying a sign face is treated as constructing a new sign under Section 705.1 and needs a permit, while ordinary maintenance, touch-up, repainting or repair of a legal sign under Section 705.2 does not. Confirm which side of that line your work falls on with Community Development at 928-337-7526 before you start.
  • Off-premises signs are a Board of Supervisors decision, not a counter transaction. Article 26 routes them through a Planning and Zoning Commission recommendation and a Board approval, with a 21-calendar-day filing deadline before the Commission meeting and a 10-calendar-day on-site notice posting. Plan on months, not days.
  • Billboards are effectively confined to Interstate 40 frontage. Article 26, Section 2606.2 prohibits billboards in all Sign Overlay areas except property immediately adjacent to I-40 between the west and east county lines, and Section 2606.3 lists a long schedule of specific state and U.S. highway segments where new off-premises signs are prohibited outright.
  • An off-premises sign use permit runs with the land but expires: Article 26, Sections 2614 and 2615 make it effective for a period not to exceed ten years, extendable by up to an additional five years on the Commission's recommendation and the Board's approval. Existing pre-ordinance signs must reapply every ten years under Section 2607.1.
  • The county does not publish a downloadable sign permit form. Article 26, Section 2609 says applications are filed 'with the Director on a form provided by the Director' — call Community Development (928-337-7526) to get the current form rather than assuming the general Building Permit Application covers it; that form's permit categories are New Const., Remodel, Solar, Addition, Manu.Hm, Gas, Electrical, Plumbing, Demo. and Other, with no sign box.

Frequently asked questions

Yes for any new sign that is not on the exempt list. Apache County Zoning Ordinance Article 7, Section 705.1 provides that permits shall be required for all new signs except those exempt signs listed in Section 703, and that altering a sign face by painting or overlay is considered construction of a new sign. Section 703 exempts categories including safety and information signs, institutional signs, integral signs, on-site directional signs under six square feet, nameplates under two square feet, temporary parade or event signs, menu signs, warning signs, window decals and political signs up to twenty-four square feet. Source: Apache County Zoning Ordinance, amended 12/3/2019, Article 7, Sections 703 and 705.

The Apache County Community Development New Fee Schedule for the Planning and Zoning Department charges $100.00 for an On-site Sign Permit of any size. Off-premises signs run on the Sign Use Permit line: $100.00 for a 4x8 sign and $250.00 for anything larger than 4x8. Appeals are $300.00 and all penalties are double the fees. The schedule was approved by the Board of Supervisors on December 1, 2009 and amended August 7, 2017; these figures were read from a 200 dpi render of the county's published schedule. Source: Apache County Community Development New Fee Schedule, Planning and Zoning Department.

Unincorporated Apache County does not publish a plan-review timeline for this permit. Contact Apache County Community Development Department — Building Safety Division at 928-337-7527 for current turnaround.

You'll need: Sign Permit Application. Depending on your project, Unincorporated Apache County may also ask for: Site Plan; Engineering / Wind Load Documentation. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Unincorporated Apache County requires 2 inspection(s) for a sign permit, in order: Sign Identification Plate Verification, Zoning Compliance / Enforcement Check. Schedule each through Apache County Community Development Department — Building Safety Division (928-337-7527).

Apply through Apache County Community Development Department — Building Safety Division at 75 West Cleveland Street, PO Box 238, St. Johns, AZ 85936. Phone: 928-337-7527. Office hours: Mon–Fri (hours not published on county site; call 928-337-7527 to confirm). Official information: https://www.apachecountyaz.gov/building-safety.

Unincorporated Apache County, Arizona has adopted: 2015 International Residential Code (IRC) — adopted by Apache County; governs all residential (one- and two-family dwelling) construction per the county's Building Safety Ordinances page and Requirements for One- and Two-Family Dwellings sheet; 2015 International Building Code (IBC) — adopted by Apache County; governs commercial, multi-family, and non-residential construction; 2015 International Plumbing Code (IPC) — adopted by Apache County for all plumbing work; 2015 International Fire Code (IFC) — adopted by Apache County; 2015 International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC) — adopted by Apache County; National Electrical Code (NEC) — adopted by Apache County; the county's published Building Safety Ordinances list names it '2014 International Electric Code' but the county's own Building Safety FAQ (question 11) states the applicable edition is the 2011 NEC for all non-residential/general construction electrical work. Both sources are county-published; this discrepancy is disclosed rather than resolved by guessing — treat 2011 NEC as the FAQ's more specific statement pending direct confirmation from the Building Safety Division at 928-337-7527.. Local amendments apply — see the Unincorporated Apache County overview page for the full list.

The S-O or Sign Overlay Zone is defined in Article 26, Section 2601.4 as an overlay zone encompassing all properties in the county that adjoin at any point a county road, state route, or federal highway or freeway. Inside it, off-premises signs are allowed only after the Board of Supervisors grants a sign use permit, billboards are prohibited except immediately adjacent to Interstate 40 between the west and east county lines, and a long list of specific state and U.S. highway segments is closed to new off-premises signs entirely. Source: Apache County Zoning Ordinance Article 26 (Off-Premise Sign Ordinance), adopted August 25, 2009.

Sources & verification

Verified against official sources. Last reviewed 2026-08-15.

Fees, timelines, and adopted codes are researched from each jurisdiction's published records — see how we verify. Requirements change and vary by project, so always confirm the current details with the Unincorporated Apache County building department before you submit. PermitBase is an independent reference and is not affiliated with any government agency.

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