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Sign Permit (Commercial/Business Signage) in Bullhead City, Arizona

Required for installation of commercial and business signs in Bullhead City. The City runs two parallel fee tracks for a single sign project: a Planning & Zoning 'Permits for Signs' fee based on sign square footage, and — if the sign is illuminated (outline lighting, marquees, internally lit cabinet signs, etc.) — a Building Division Electrical Permit for the sign's electrical hookup, billed under the standard Electrical Permit unit-fee schedule.

Verified 2026-07-23 · Source

When you need this permit

  • A permit is required for installation of a commercial/business sign, submitted per the City's Sign Handout checklist: one completed permit application worksheet, two copies of an 8.5" x 11" site plan, and two complete sets of plans (materials, heights, dimensions, installation details, square footage, text and logos)
  • The Planning & Zoning sign permit fee is tiered by sign square footage (Comprehensive Fee Schedule, Section A3.40.022.03)
  • Illuminated signs (outline lighting, marquees) additionally require an Electrical Permit for the sign's power hookup, billed under the Building Division's Electrical Permit System Fee Schedule (Section A3.40.021.06)
  • Some sign designs require sealed/signed plans from an Arizona Board of Technical Registration-licensed registrant; one submitted plan set must bear the registrant's original signature, the second set can be a copy
  • A separate Flood Plain Development permit is required for freestanding signs if the lot is in a FEMA-designated flood zone
  • Installation of a sign without a permit incurs a penalty equal to the amount of the fee that would otherwise have applied
  • Contractors on projects valued at $50,000 or more must provide an Arizona Department of Revenue Bond Exemption Certificate (or a one-time bond exemption), plus their AZ Registrar of Contractors license number, TPT number, and City of Bullhead City business license number Contractor
  • Subject to the City's general A.R.S. § 9-835 review timeframe (see 'Building and Zoning Permits Guide'): 15 working days Administrative Completeness Review, then 45 working days Substantive Review (60 working days combined) — no sign-specific expedited timeline was found

Required documents

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Fee schedule

Permits for Signs (Planning & Zoning), up to 18 square feetCity of Bullhead City Comprehensive Fee Schedule FY2025-2026, Section A3.40.022.03; figure confirmed by rendering the fee schedule PDF page to an image and reading it directly (visually verified)
$39.45 per permit
Permits for Signs (Planning & Zoning), 19-50 / 51-100 / 101-200 / over 200 square feetCity of Bullhead City Comprehensive Fee Schedule FY2025-2026, Section A3.40.022.03
$61.99 (19-50 sq ft); $87.96 (51-100 sq ft); $101.44 (101-200 sq ft); $140.91 (over 200 sq ft), per permit
Promotional display signsCity of Bullhead City Comprehensive Fee Schedule FY2025-2026, Section A3.40.022.03
$60.78 per permit
Portable sign recovery feeCity of Bullhead City Comprehensive Fee Schedule FY2025-2026, Section A3.40.022.03; applies when the City recovers a non-compliant/unpermitted portable sign
$67.63 per recovery
Installation without a permitCity of Bullhead City Comprehensive Fee Schedule FY2025-2026, Section A3.40.022.03
Penalty equal to the amount of the applicable permit fee
Electrical Permit Issuance, each permit (if sign is illuminated)City of Bullhead City Comprehensive Fee Schedule FY2025-2026, Section A3.40.021.06
$26.48
Signs, outline lighting and marquees — supplied from one branch circuit / additional branch circuits within the same signCity of Bullhead City Comprehensive Fee Schedule FY2025-2026, Section A3.40.021.06, System Fee Schedule. The pdftotext text-layer extraction of this specific table mis-paired labels and dollar amounts (a known extraction bug in this corpus); these figures were confirmed by rendering the fee schedule PDF page to a 200dpi image and reading the table directly.
$27.72 each (one branch circuit); $5.36 each (each additional branch circuit within the same sign)

Review timeline

Plan reviewBullhead City’s published plan-review target
45–60 business days

How long did your Sign Permit (Commercial/Business Signage) permit actually take in Bullhead City?

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

Inspection process

  1. 1

    Final

    Verifies installed sign height, area, materials, and placement against the approved Sign Handout submittal and site plan; no separately published sign-specific inspection checklist was found beyond this general final verification

  2. 2

    Electrical Rough-In/Final (if illuminated)

    Wiring and connections for the sign's electrical hookup, under the associated Electrical Permit

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

Tips

  • An illuminated sign needs two permits in Bullhead City: the Planning & Zoning sign-area permit (A3.40.022.03) and a Building Division Electrical Permit for the power hookup (A3.40.021.06) — budget for both fees.
  • The pdftotext text layer of the Electrical Permit's 'Signs, outline lighting and marquees' fee line was misaligned in the source PDF (labels and dollar figures did not pair correctly in the extracted text); the values used here ($27.72 for one branch circuit, $5.36 per additional branch circuit) were confirmed by rendering the actual fee schedule page to an image and reading it visually, per this corpus's verification standard.
  • A freestanding sign on a lot in a FEMA-designated flood zone needs a separate Flood Plain Development permit in addition to the sign permit.
  • Installing a sign before the permit is issued triggers a penalty equal to the fee that would have applied — there is no grace period noted in the Fee Schedule.

Frequently asked questions

Yes. Signs, outline lighting, and marquees are billed under the Electrical Permit's System Fee Schedule (A3.40.021.06) in addition to the Planning & Zoning sign permit fee (A3.40.022.03) — both apply to an illuminated sign.

Planning & Zoning bills by sign area: $39.45 (up to 18 sq ft) up to $140.91 (over 200 sq ft) per permit. Promotional display signs are a flat $60.78. If the sign is illuminated, add a $26.48 Electrical Permit issuance fee plus $27.72 (one branch circuit) or $5.36 (each additional branch circuit). Source: City of Bullhead City Comprehensive Fee Schedule FY2025-2026, Sections A3.40.022.03 and A3.40.021.06.

Bullhead City's published plan-review target for a sign permit (commercial/business signage) is 45–60 business days.

You'll need: Permit Application (rev. 09/2022); Sign Handout; Site Plan; Sign Plans. Depending on your project, Bullhead City may also ask for: Electrical Plans. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Bullhead City requires 2 inspection(s) for a sign permit (commercial/business signage), in order: Final, Electrical Rough-In/Final (if illuminated). Schedule each through City of Bullhead City Development Services Department — Building Division (928-763-0124).

Apply through City of Bullhead City Development Services Department — Building Division at 2355 Trane Road, Bullhead City, AZ 86442. Phone: 928-763-0124, email: schooniyom@bullheadcityaz.gov. Office hours: City Hall, 2355 Trane Road, Bullhead City, AZ 86442. Building Division main line 928-763-0124 (fax 928-763-0131); Inspection Requests line 928-763-0172. Development Services Director/Building Official: Saritti "Billy" Chooniyom, CBO (schooniyom@bullheadcityaz.gov). Sr. Plan Review/Administrative Manager: Wendy Lewis (wlewis@bullheadcityaz.gov). Manufactured-home permitting contact: dking@bullheadcityaz.gov. Permit Application Packets are submitted in person or by mail to the Building Division/Planning & Zoning Division at City Hall. Source: City of Bullhead City Building and Renovating page and 2025 AZBO Directory.. Official information: https://www.bullheadcityaz.gov/business-development/building-and-renovating/.

Bullhead City, Arizona has adopted: Arizona has NO statewide mandatory building code floor for general construction — code adoption is a per-city/county authority under state enabling statutes (A.R.S. Title 9, §§ 9-831 through 9-840). The City of Bullhead City runs its own Development Services Department / Building Division and independently adopts and administers its own construction codes; it does not defer permitting to Mohave County. Source: City of Bullhead City 'Adopted Building Codes' notice (effective 07/01/2026) and 'Work Exempt From Permits' handout (effective 07/01/2024).; 2018 International Building Code (IBC), as published by the International Code Council, adopted with local amendments (Bullhead City Municipal Code (BHCMC) Chapter 15.12). Source: City of Bullhead City Adopted Building Codes notice, effective 07/01/2026.; 2018 International Residential Code (IRC), for one- and two-family dwellings and associated accessory structures, adopted with local amendments (BHCMC Chapter 15.14). Source: City of Bullhead City Adopted Building Codes notice, effective 07/01/2026; City of Bullhead City 2018 IRC Design Criteria sheet, effective 07/01/2024.; 2017 National Electrical Code (NEC), as published by the National Fire Protection Association, adopted with local amendments (BHCMC Chapter 15.20) — one edition behind the 2018 ICC code set. Source: City of Bullhead City Adopted Building Codes notice, effective 07/01/2026. The City Council approved adoption of the 2018-cycle ICC codes and 2017 NEC on 04/16/2024, effective for applications beginning 07/01/2024. Source: Mohave Daily News, 'Bullhead City moves toward updating building codes.'; 2018 International Mechanical Code (IMC), adopted with local amendments (BHCMC Chapter 15.28). Source: City of Bullhead City Adopted Building Codes notice, effective 07/01/2026.; 2018 International Plumbing Code (IPC), adopted with local amendments (BHCMC Chapter 15.32). Source: City of Bullhead City Adopted Building Codes notice, effective 07/01/2026.; 2018 International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC), adopted with local amendments (BHCMC Chapter 15.34). Source: City of Bullhead City Adopted Building Codes notice, effective 07/01/2026.; 2018 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), adopted with local amendments (BHCMC Chapter 15.22). Source: City of Bullhead City Adopted Building Codes notice, effective 07/01/2026.; 2018 International Existing Building Code (IEBC), adopted with local amendments (BHCMC Chapter 15.26). Source: City of Bullhead City Adopted Building Codes notice, effective 07/01/2026.; 2018 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code (ISPSC), adopted with local amendments (BHCMC Chapter 15.30). Source: City of Bullhead City Adopted Building Codes notice, effective 07/01/2026.; 2018 International Fire Code (IFC) is referenced by the City for demolition/fire-safety provisions, but fire code administration in Bullhead City is handled by the Arizona Department of Fire, Building and Life Safety, which has separately adopted the 2024 International Fire Code; contact the Bullhead City Fire Department at (928) 758-3971 / planreview@bullheadfire.org for fire plan review. Source: City of Bullhead City Adopted Building Codes notice, effective 07/01/2026.; 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design (ADAAG Manual, US Access Board) adopted, no local BHCMC chapter assignment (NA). Source: City of Bullhead City Adopted Building Codes notice, effective 07/01/2026.; Manufactured homes, factory-built buildings, and park model trailers are separately regulated through the City's intergovernmental agreement with the Arizona Department of Housing (ADOH) for installation, reinspection, additional inspections and extensions (fees per the ADOH Fee Schedule, A.R.S. Title 41, Chapter 37, Article 3); the City separately issues Zoning Clearance permits for placement/siting. Source: City of Bullhead City Comprehensive Fee Schedule FY2025-2026, Section A3.40.022.07.. Local amendments apply — see the Bullhead City overview page for the full list.

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

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