Sign Permit in South Tucson, Arizona

When you need this permit

• City Code Sec. 19-66(a): 'No sign shall be erected, relocated, posted, painted or maintained, and no advertising structure shall be erected, relocated or maintained by any person without first having a written permit from the city. Electrical signs shall also require electrical permits.'
• Sec. 19-66(b): repainting or cleaning an advertising structure, changing the message of a sign by repainting or by changing letters on an interchangeable letterboard, changing paper advertising copy, changing rotating billboard copy, or rotating vehicle advertising signs is NOT an erection or alteration and does not require a sign permit. Any other change of structure, copy or message does require a permit. Notice of rotating billboard copy or vehicle advertising signs must still be furnished to the inspector.
• Sec. 19-66(c): the following are subject to Chapter 19 but require no permit and no permit fee — real estate private signs; a professional or semiprofessional nameplate not exceeding one (1) square foot; signs forming an integral part of a marquee or canopy stating only the occupant's name, nature of business and street address; a construction sign not exceeding one per street frontage and not exceeding forty-eight (48) square feet stating only the architect, engineer, prime contractor and major subcontractors and the name, purpose and character of the structure (treated as a temporary sign, removed immediately on completion); and signs on buses and taxicabs.
• Sec. 19-67(a): the application is made on forms furnished by the city, by the owner or occupant of the premises on which the sign is to be placed, or by the owner, erector or user of the sign.
• Sec. 19-67(b): before issuance the applicant may be required to give the property owner's name and address and show the owner's permission (if the applicant is not the owner); give the name of the sign erector; submit plans of the subject property showing sign location, size, type, height and construction and the area of all existing signs; have plans prepared by a registered professional engineer or architect where the inspector deems it necessary in the interest of public safety; agree in writing to indemnify and hold the city harmless; and agree in writing that the city may enter the premises to inspect, and may remove and dispose of the sign at the permittee's cost if it is hazardous or violates the chapter.
• Sec. 19-67(c): applicants for political signs thirty-two (32) square feet or smaller are exempt from the engineer/architect-prepared-plans and indemnification requirements.
• Sec. 19-68(b): where plans and specifications are required, one-half (1/2) of the sign permit fee is additionally assessed.
• Sec. 19-68(c): where a sign is erected, placed or maintained, or work started on it, before obtaining a sign permit, a late fee equal to TWICE the amount of the sign permit fee applies. The late fee does not excuse full compliance and may be in addition to other charges or penalties. Sec. 19-68(d): no refund of the fee if a permit is revoked.
• Sec. 19-69: a sign permit is issued upon compliance with the chapter and payment of the required fees, and may be withheld from an applicant or premises if prior assessed charges are unpaid. No permit may be issued for a sign that would violate a proposed ordinance under written study by the council, for up to sixty (60) days after that proposal is reduced to written form.
• Sec. 19-70: a permit for installation of a sign expires if work is not started within sixty (60) days, or not completed within one hundred twenty (120) days after work is commenced; a new permit is then required.
• Sec. 19-72: where required, the applicant must notify the sign inspector when the sign is fully erected or completed.
• Sec. 19-91 through 19-92 and the zoning-district sign tables in Chapter 19, Article III set the permitted sign types, maximum numbers and maximum square-foot areas district by district (for example in the SR-1 single-family residence district: maximum two signs for the first fifty feet of street frontage plus one per additional twenty-five feet; maximum total sign area of one square foot per foot of street frontage; minimum twenty-foot setback from street property lines, twelve feet for a bulletin board).
• Sec. 19-54: the board of adjustment may grant variances as to the LOCATION of signs but may NOT grant variances as to maximum sign areas; a fee of thirty-five dollars ($35.00) is paid on application for a variance.
• Sec. 19-51: the sign inspector enforces Chapter 19, may delegate to assistants and employees, may inspect signs at any reasonable time, and may inspect signs or advertising structures at the point of manufacture if in the city or its vicinity.
• All contractors performing work in the City must hold an Arizona Registrar of Contractors license in the applicable classification AND an active City of South Tucson business license. Contractor