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Sign Permit in Aurora, Colorado

Required before any permanent sign is erected on commercial, industrial, or institutional property in Aurora — wall, projecting blade, monument, and window signs only. Unlike small Colorado towns with no dedicated sign ordinance, Aurora runs a real sign-permitting program: a flat $402 fee (2026 Flat Rate Fee Permits, Form #A175), a dedicated City-licensed Sign Contractor requirement, and a specific sign code chapter (Aurora Unified Development Ordinance, Chapter 146, Article 4.10). Temporary or public-right-of-way signage is handled separately under the city's general Temporary Use Permit rather than this permit type.

Verified 2026-08-13 · Source

When you need this permit

  • A Sign Permit is required from the City of Aurora through a licensed Sign Contractor before any permanent sign is erected — commercial, industrial, and institutional properties may only display wall, projecting blade, monument, and window signs
  • Businesses are limited to five permanent signs total, including window signage, unless a waiver or an approved site plan specifies otherwise
  • Must be submitted online via Aurora4Biz.org by a City of Aurora-licensed Sign Contractor — registration with the Building Division plus 3 years of documented experience is required to hold this contractor license (Form #A105, Revised 02/2026); property owners cannot self-file a permanent sign permit Contractor
  • Submittal must include landlord approval or Design Review Committee approval, sign plans showing measurements of all signs to be installed, and structural engineered plans for any monument sign exceeding 7 feet in height
  • Governed by the Aurora Unified Development Ordinance, Chapter 146, Article 4.10 (the city's sign code), referenced directly by the Building Division's own Sign Codes and Permits page
  • Temporary signage and private use of the public right-of-way for sign placement (e.g., banners, portable signs) are NOT covered by this permit — they instead require the city's general Temporary Use Permit, capped at six permits per calendar year with each application not to exceed nine consecutive days

Required documents

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Fee schedule

Commercial Signs (flat rate)City of Aurora 2026 Flat Rate Fee Permits, Form #A175, Revised 08/2026 (fetched and confirmed live 2026-08-13). Note for controller reconciliation: this is a newer revision date than the 01/2026 revision cited elsewhere in this file's other flat-rate fee entries (e.g. demolition, deck/patio cover, roofing) — the schedule itself appears to have been updated between those entries' verification dates and this one, and several other flat-rate figures (e.g. Single Family Residential Roof Replacement, now $350; Commercial Roof Replacement, now $650) differ from what is currently recorded elsewhere in this file. This sign-permit entry is grounded in the actual live 08/2026 PDF; other entries were not re-verified against it as part of this addition and may need a future refresh pass.
$402.00
Temporary Use Permit (for temporary/right-of-way signage only, not a permanent sign)City of Aurora Temporary Use Permits page (auroragov.org), confirmed live 2026-08-13 — covers 'private use of a public right-of-way, excluding medians, by placement of a sign, advertisement, or merchandise,' capped at six permits per calendar year, nine consecutive days each. Distinct from, and not a substitute for, the $402 Commercial Signs flat-rate permit for a permanent sign.
$85.25

Review timeline

Plan reviewTypical estimate — confirm current times with the Aurora building department
~1–10 business days

How long did your Sign Permit permit actually take in Aurora?

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Inspection process

  1. 1

    Final

    Verify sign placement matches approved plans, structural attachment (monument signs), and electrical connection if the sign is illuminated

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

Tips

  • Permanent sign permits in Aurora must be filed by a City-licensed Sign Contractor (Building Division registration plus 3 years of documented experience, Form #A105) — a property owner cannot submit this permit application directly, unlike many of the trade-flat-rate permits elsewhere in this file.
  • Confirm your business is within the five-permanent-sign cap (including window signs) before ordering signage — exceeding it requires a waiver or an approved site plan that specifies otherwise.
  • Don't confuse the $402 permanent Commercial Signs flat-rate permit with the separate $85.25 Temporary Use Permit that covers banners, portable signs, and other temporary or right-of-way signage — they are different permit types with different fees and different limits (the Temporary Use Permit is capped at six uses per year, nine consecutive days each).

Frequently asked questions

Aurora requires a sign permit for: A Sign Permit is required from the City of Aurora through a licensed Sign Contractor before any permanent sign is erected — commercial, industrial, and institutional properties may only display wall, projecting blade, monument, and window signs; Businesses are limited to five permanent signs total, including window signage, unless a waiver or an approved site plan specifies otherwise; Must be submitted online via Aurora4Biz.org by a City of Aurora-licensed Sign Contractor — registration with the Building Division plus 3 years of documented experience is required to hold this contractor license (Form #A105, Revised 02/2026); property owners cannot self-file a permanent sign permit; Submittal must include landlord approval or Design Review Committee approval, sign plans showing measurements of all signs to be installed, and structural engineered plans for any monument sign exceeding 7 feet in height; Governed by the Aurora Unified Development Ordinance, Chapter 146, Article 4.10 (the city's sign code), referenced directly by the Building Division's own Sign Codes and Permits page; Temporary signage and private use of the public right-of-way for sign placement (e.g., banners, portable signs) are NOT covered by this permit — they instead require the city's general Temporary Use Permit, capped at six permits per calendar year with each application not to exceed nine consecutive days. If your project isn't listed, confirm with City of Aurora Development Services Department — Building Division at (303) 739-7420 before starting work.

A permanent commercial sign permit is a flat $402.00 fee per the City of Aurora's 2026 Flat Rate Fee Permits schedule (Form #A175, Revised 08/2026). Temporary or right-of-way signage instead uses the city's general Temporary Use Permit, which costs $85.25.

Plan review for a sign permit in Aurora typically runs 1–10 business days. This is an estimate, not a published figure — confirm current review times with City of Aurora Development Services Department — Building Division at (303) 739-7420.

You'll need: Sign Permit Application (Aurora4Biz.org); Landlord or Design Review Committee Approval; Sign Plans. Depending on your project, Aurora may also ask for: Structural Engineered Plans. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Aurora requires 1 inspection(s) for a sign permit, in order: Final. Schedule each through City of Aurora Development Services Department — Building Division ((303) 739-7420).

Apply through City of Aurora Development Services Department — Building Division at 15151 E. Alameda Parkway, Ste. 2400, Aurora, CO 80012. Phone: (303) 739-7420, email: permitcounter@auroragov.org. Office hours: Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri 7:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.; Wed 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.. Official information: https://www.auroragov.org/business_services/building_division/permits.

Aurora, Colorado has adopted: 2021 International Building Code (IBC) — with City of Aurora Amendments (Aurora City Code Ch. 22); 2021 International Residential Code (IRC) — with City of Aurora Amendments; Table R301.2(1) climatic/geographic criteria amended locally; 2021 International Mechanical Code (IMC) — with City of Aurora Amendments; 2021 International Plumbing Code (IPC) — with City of Aurora Amendments; 2021 International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC) — with City of Aurora Amendments; 2021 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) — with City of Aurora Amendments; 2021 International Existing Building Code (IEBC) — with City of Aurora Amendments; 2021 International Fire Code (IFC) — with City of Aurora Amendments; 2017 ICC/ANSI A117.1 Accessibility Standard; 2023 National Electrical Code (NEC) — City of Aurora will transition to the 2026 NEC for electrical permit applications received on/after August 1, 2026. Local amendments apply — see the Aurora overview page for the full list.

No. A City of Aurora Sign Permit must be submitted online via Aurora4Biz.org by a City-licensed Sign Contractor (Building Division registration plus 3 years of documented experience, per Form #A105). Property owners cannot self-file a permanent sign permit application.

Sources & verification

Verified against official sources. Last reviewed 2026-08-13.

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

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Sign Permit in other cities

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