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Sign Permit (Blade, Ground, Monument, Tenant Directory, and Wall Signs) in Carefree, Arizona

Carefree regulates commercial signage under Article VIII 'Signs Permitted' of the Zoning Ordinance (Town Code Chapter 16), a detailed sign code reflecting the Town's planned-community character and its art-gallery/boutique commercial district. A building permit is required for blade, ground, monument, tenant directory, and wall signs (billed under the same Table 1-A valuation schedule used for building permits); a separate 'temporary sign permit' (valid one calendar month only) is required for horizontal and projecting vertical banners. Several smaller sign types — directional, identification, menu board, real estate, and sidewalk signs — are exempt from a permit but must still meet Article VIII's size/height/placement standards. Multi-tenant complexes and mixed-use developments may instead pursue a Comprehensive Sign Plan (CSP), reviewed by the Planning Director for a flat $500 fee, for design flexibility beyond the standard caps.

Verified 2026-07-23 · Source

When you need this permit

  • Blade, ground, monument, tenant directory, and wall signs (new or modified) each require a Town of Carefree building permit under Zoning Ordinance Article VIII, Sections 8.03(1), (3), (6), (7), and (8)
  • Permitted sign types and zoning districts are governed by Table 8.1 (Section 8.02): most permanent commercial sign types are allowed only in the Garden Office (GO) and Commercial (C) districts (blade signs also allowed in GO/C only; monument and tenant directory signs allowed only in C)
  • Horizontal and projecting vertical banner signs require a 'temporary sign permit,' valid for one (1) calendar month regardless of the day of the month it is issued; a maximum of four (4) temporary sign permits may be issued per calendar year for each banner type per tenant (Section 8.04(2), 8.03(9)-(10))
  • Directional signs, identification signs, menu board signs, real estate signs, and sidewalk signs are exempt from a permit but must still comply with Article VIII's size, height, illumination, and placement standards for that sign type (Section 8.03)
  • Sidewalk signs are limited to one per business, only in Commercial (C) and Garden Office (GO) zoning, and must be removed daily at close of business (Section 8.03(13))
  • A Comprehensive Sign Plan (CSP) may be pursued by nonresidential multi-tenant complexes or mixed-use developments for design flexibility exceeding the standard height/area/number limits, reviewed and approved by the Planning Director (Section 8.08)
  • Illuminated signs using movement, flashing, internal bulb/neon lighting, roof-mounted signs, and several other categories are outright prohibited (Section 8.05)
  • All sign permit and CSP applications are submitted through the Town's online Permit & License Portal — in-person submittal was discontinued town-wide effective September 4, 2025

Required documents

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Fee schedule

Sign Permit Fee (Blade/Ground/Monument/Tenant Directory/Wall Signs) — Based on Valuation (Table 1-A)No dedicated flat sign-permit fee was found in the Town Code text; sign types Article VIII designates as requiring 'a building permit' are billed under the general Table 1-A valuation schedule referenced in Carefree Town Code Section 10-1-2(A) — the same treatment this file already documents for fence/wall and grading permits, which are likewise billed under Table 1-A absent a sign-specific line item.
Same valuation schedule as building permits: $25 flat up to $500, scaling to $11,850 + $5/additional $1,000 above $1,000,000
Comprehensive Sign Plan (CSP) Review FeeTown of Carefree Comprehensive Fee Schedule (Resolution #2025-10, effective June 6, 2025), 'Comprehensive Sign Plan' line item under Planning and Zoning/Engineering fees
$500.00 flat

Review timeline

Plan reviewCarefree’s published plan-review target
15–35 business days

How long did your Sign Permit (Blade, Ground, Monument, Tenant Directory, and Wall Signs) permit actually take in Carefree?

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

Inspection process

  1. 1

    Final

    Verifies the installed sign's location, dimensions, height, and illumination method match the approved sign permit

See the full Carefree inspection guide — scheduling & re-inspection fees →

Tips

  • Directional signs, identification signs, menu board signs, real estate signs, and sidewalk signs do NOT require a permit in Carefree, but each has strict, separately-enumerated size/height/placement limits in Zoning Ordinance Section 8.03 — read the specific subsection for your sign type before assuming it's exempt from all regulation.
  • A temporary sign permit for banners is valid for only one calendar month no matter when in the month it's issued, and capped at four permits per calendar year per banner type per tenant — plan seasonal or promotional banner campaigns around this limit.
  • Multi-tenant complexes and mixed-use developments in Carefree's Town Center should consider a Comprehensive Sign Plan ($500, reviewed by the Planning Director) for design flexibility beyond the standard per-sign-type height/area caps, especially for art-gallery/boutique storefronts seeking a unified aesthetic.
  • Ground signs and monument signs cannot coexist on the same multi-tenant property — before a permit is issued for one, any existing sign of the other type must be permanently removed (Section 8.03(3)(D), 8.03(6)(C)).
  • As of September 4, 2025, all Carefree permit applications — including sign permits — must be submitted through the online Permit & License Portal; in-person submittal at the Town Hall counter is no longer accepted.

Frequently asked questions

Carefree requires a sign permit (blade, ground, monument, tenant directory, and wall signs) for: Blade, ground, monument, tenant directory, and wall signs (new or modified) each require a Town of Carefree building permit under Zoning Ordinance Article VIII, Sections 8.03(1), (3), (6), (7), and (8); Permitted sign types and zoning districts are governed by Table 8.1 (Section 8.02): most permanent commercial sign types are allowed only in the Garden Office (GO) and Commercial (C) districts (blade signs also allowed in GO/C only; monument and tenant directory signs allowed only in C); Horizontal and projecting vertical banner signs require a 'temporary sign permit,' valid for one (1) calendar month regardless of the day of the month it is issued; a maximum of four (4) temporary sign permits may be issued per calendar year for each banner type per tenant (Section 8.04(2), 8.03(9)-(10)); Directional signs, identification signs, menu board signs, real estate signs, and sidewalk signs are exempt from a permit but must still comply with Article VIII's size, height, illumination, and placement standards for that sign type (Section 8.03); Sidewalk signs are limited to one per business, only in Commercial (C) and Garden Office (GO) zoning, and must be removed daily at close of business (Section 8.03(13)); A Comprehensive Sign Plan (CSP) may be pursued by nonresidential multi-tenant complexes or mixed-use developments for design flexibility exceeding the standard height/area/number limits, reviewed and approved by the Planning Director (Section 8.08); Illuminated signs using movement, flashing, internal bulb/neon lighting, roof-mounted signs, and several other categories are outright prohibited (Section 8.05); All sign permit and CSP applications are submitted through the Town's online Permit & License Portal — in-person submittal was discontinued town-wide effective September 4, 2025. If your project isn't listed, confirm with Town of Carefree Building Department at 480-488-3686 before starting work.

In Carefree, the published Sign Permit Fee (Blade/Ground/Monument/Tenant Directory/Wall Signs) — Based on Valuation (Table 1-A) is: Same valuation schedule as building permits: $25 flat up to $500, scaling to $11,850 + $5/additional $1,000 above $1,000,000. Additional published fees: Comprehensive Sign Plan (CSP) Review Fee — $500.00 flat. These are the jurisdiction's own published figures — see the fee schedule table and source citations on this page.

Carefree's published plan-review target for a sign permit (blade, ground, monument, tenant directory, and wall signs) is 15–35 business days.

You'll need: Sign Permit / Temporary Sign Permit Application; Sign Elevation / Site Plan. Depending on your project, Carefree may also ask for: Comprehensive Sign Plan (CSP) Submittal Package. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Carefree requires 1 inspection(s) for a sign permit (blade, ground, monument, tenant directory, and wall signs), in order: Final. Schedule each through Town of Carefree Building Department (480-488-3686).

Apply through Town of Carefree Building Department at 8 Sundial Circle, P.O. Box 740, Carefree, AZ 85377. Phone: 480-488-3686, email: buildingofficial@carefree.org. Office hours: Town Hall main line 480-488-3686 (fax 480-488-3845); building permits are submitted in person at Town Hall (application form completed at the counter) or by mail to 8 Sundial Circle / P.O. Box 740, Carefree, AZ 85377. The current Building Official is Robert McCoy (buildingofficial@carefree.org), per the Town's live Building Department webpage.. Official information: https://www.carefree.org/page/building.

It depends on the sign type. Blade, ground, monument, tenant directory, and wall signs require a Town of Carefree building permit under Zoning Ordinance Article VIII. Directional, identification, menu board, real estate, and sidewalk signs are exempt from a permit but must still meet Article VIII's size, height, and placement standards. Banners require a separate temporary sign permit valid for one calendar month.

A Comprehensive Sign Plan (CSP) is an optional process for nonresidential multi-tenant complexes or mixed-use developments that lets the Planning Director approve signage exceeding the standard height, area, and number limits in exchange for superior design, materials, and installation methods. It costs a flat $500 and is reviewed under Zoning Ordinance Section 8.08.

Sources & verification

Verified against official sources. Last reviewed 2026-07-23.

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 Carefree building department before you submit. PermitBase is an independent reference and is not affiliated with any government agency.

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