Sign Permit (Commercial/Business Signage) in Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation, Arizona

Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation requires a sign permit (commercial/business signage) for: Obtain a sign permit before erecting, re-erecting, constructing, or altering any sign, except for the stated exemptions (nameplate signs; signs 6 sq ft or less; repainting/copy change; Tribal-Council-required relocation; holiday-sales signs erected no earlier than Thanksgiving and removed within 10 working days after New Year's Day; political signs per Sec. 1300.15; interior signs not visible from the public right-of-way; grand-opening signs) (Sec. 1300.12(1)-(2)); Submit a written application on forms provided by the Planning Department, stating the sign's location by street/number and the business owner's and/or sign contractor's name and address, together with two (2) copies of plans and specifications per sign showing size, materials, method of support/attachment, designer's name and address, and a plot plan showing the sign's location on the premises — one copy is returned to the applicant when the permit is issued (Sec. 1300.12(3)(2)); Obtain a separate electrical permit for any electrically illuminated sign, per the adopted National Electrical Code (Sec. 1300.12(1), Sec. 1300.12(10)(2)); Obtain a Tribal-Council-approved lease for billboards or certain freestanding signs where required (Sec. 1300.12(3)(2)); billboards are permitted only along the Beeline Highway and only by lease, subject to detailed siting/spacing/illumination standards (Sec. 1300.14(7)(6)); Design and construct the sign in conformance with all applicable adopted codes referenced in Sec. 1610 (the Uniform Building Code governs structural aspects; the National Electrical Code governs illuminated signs); Comply with the applicable district's sign-area and height limits (Sec. 1300.14): e.g., 'COM-1' — 1 sq ft of attached-sign area per linear foot of business frontage, one detached sign up to 100 sq ft, max height 20 ft; 'COM-2' — 2 sq ft per linear foot (attached sign cap 200 sq ft), detached-sign rules scaled to frontage, max height 30 ft; 'COM-3' Highway Commercial — 2 sq ft per linear foot (attached sign cap 250 sq ft), max height 35 ft, with Beeline Highway billboards permitted; Industrial districts follow COM-3 standards; single-family residence limited to one 2-sq-ft, 5-ft-high nameplate sign; Commence actual work within ninety (90) days of permit issuance or the permit becomes null and void (Sec. 1300.12(3)(3)); Comply with location restrictions: no obstruction of fire escapes/exits/standpipes, no obstruction of motorist sightlines, no erection over public sidewalks/streets/alleys without authorization, no unauthorized signs in the public right-of-way, and restrictions on vehicle-mounted signs (Sec. 1300.12(9)); Maintain the sign in good order and repair; a nonconforming sign that is damaged or vandalized must be restored within ninety (90) days or removed at the owner's expense (Sec. 1300.5, Sec. 1300.12(12)). If your project isn't listed, confirm with Planning & Development (Community & Economic Development Division, Planning Board / Planning Department) at 480-789-7741 before starting work.

Sec. 1300.12(4) sets the fee at five percent (5%) of the value of the sign plus $0.50 per square foot, with a minimum fee of $50.00. If work begins before the permit is issued, this fee is doubled.

Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation does not publish a plan-review timeline for this permit. Contact Planning & Development (Community & Economic Development Division, Planning Board / Planning Department) at 480-789-7741 for current turnaround.

You'll need: Sign permit application; Plans and specifications (two copies per sign). Depending on your project, Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation may also ask for: Tribal Council-approved lease (billboards/certain freestanding signs); Electrical permit (illuminated signs only). See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation requires 4 inspection(s) for a sign permit (commercial/business signage), in order: Footing inspection, Electrical inspection, Structural inspection (braces, anchors, supports, connections), Shop and/or site inspection. Schedule each through Planning & Development (Community & Economic Development Division, Planning Board / Planning Department) (480-789-7741).

Apply through Planning & Development (Community & Economic Development Division, Planning Board / Planning Department) at 17661 E. Yavapai Road, Fort McDowell, AZ 85264 (mailing: P.O. Box 17779, Fountain Hills, AZ 85269). Phone: 480-789-7741, email: emccalvin@fmyn.org. Office hours: Not published on the FMYN Departments page or in the Chapter 18 Planning Ordinance text. Only a general Tribal Administration switchboard number (480-789-7000) and Planning & Development's own contact line are published. Disclosed as a gap rather than assumed to be standard business hours. Note: this file's research pass found two inconsistent staffing/title figures for Planning & Development across different fetches of fmyn.org on the same day (2026-07-07) — one fetch listed Erika McCalvin as 'Planning Project Manager' (480-789-7741) under an 'Acting Division Director' Orlando Moreno (480-789-7163); a second, more direct fetch of the live Departments page listed Erika McCalvin as 'Acting Director' of the entire Community & Economic Development Division (480-789-7742), with Planning & Development as one of five sub-departments (Planning & Development, Environmental, Public Works, Housing, License & Property Use). Both figures are reported here rather than silently picking one; confirm current staffing/direct-line phone number with the Nation's general switchboard (480-789-7000) before relying on either number.. Official information: https://fmyn.org/departments/.

Yes. Chapter 18, Sec. 1300 (the Nation's own Sign Code) requires a permit for erecting, re-erecting, constructing, or altering nearly any sign, with a short list of exemptions (small nameplate signs, signs 6 sq ft or less, repainting/copy changes, certain temporary/political/grand-opening signs). The permit is issued by the Planning Department, and a separate electrical permit is required if the sign is illuminated.

Yes, and they vary by zoning district. For example, in the 'COM-3' Highway Commercial District, attached signs are capped at 250 sq ft and detached signs at 450 sq ft combined, with a maximum height of 35 feet; the 'COM-1' district is more restrictive (100 sq ft detached sign cap, 20-foot maximum height). Source: Chapter 18, Sec. 1300.14.