Sign Permit in Arvada, Colorado

Arvada requires a sign permit for: A sign permit is required for any sign visible from a street or adjacent property, or any sign larger than 32 square feet in area -- some signs are exempt from the permit requirement but must still comply with sign regulations (arvadaco.gov/437); Each sign needs a separate sign permit; wall signs separated by a distance of more than three feet are considered separate signs; Signs are regulated under one of four Sign Districts corresponding to zoning: Olde Town (OT), Mixed-Use/Commercial/Industrial (MX/CI), Multi-family Residential (RM), and Single-Family Residential (RS) -- regulations govern structure, materials, lighting, number, height, area/dimensions, duration, location, and maintenance, and are stated to be content-neutral (do not restrict message content); Signs proposed in Olde Town or Reno Park additionally require a Certificate of Compliance with Design Guidelines, applied for through the Planning Department, before/with the sign permit application; If the sign involves only an electrical disconnect/reconnect, no electrical permit is required; if it involves new wiring or a service change, a separate electrical permit is required and a Sub-Contractor Application must be completed; Applications are submitted online via the Arvada Permits Site (arvadapermits.org / eTRAKiT) -- consistent with the rest of Arvada's permitting, which is no longer processed over the counter. If your project isn't listed, confirm with City of Arvada — Building Safety Division at 720-898-7620 before starting work.

Per the City's Building Fee Schedule (Table 18-3, confirmed via raw fetch 2026-08-05): $30.00 for an attached sign, $55.00 for a detached sign, and $55.00 for a sign with electrical (not counting a simple disconnect/reconnect, which needs no electrical permit).

Arvada's published plan-review target for a sign permit is 7–7 business days.

You'll need: Sign Permit Application (eTRAKiT); Sign Elevation and Detail Plan; Plot Plan; Signed Letter of Permission from Property Owner. Depending on your project, Arvada may also ask for: Certificate of Compliance with Design Guidelines; Sub-Contractor Application. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Apply through City of Arvada — Building Safety Division at 8101 Ralston Road, Arvada, CO 80002. Phone: 720-898-7620, email: buildingpermits@arvada.org. Office hours: Mon–Fri, 8 a.m.–5 p.m.; permits are applied for and paid online via eTRAKiT at arvadapermits.org — permits are no longer processed over the counter. Official information: https://www.arvadaco.gov/332/Building-Permits.

Arvada, Colorado has adopted: 2024 International Building Code (IBC) — CONFIRMED LIVE 2026-07-17: the City's 'Adopted building codes and design criteria' page (arvadaco.gov/165) now lists the 2024 IBC under 'Current adopted building codes (adopted March 24, 2026)', with the 2018 IBC moved to 'Previous adopted building codes (in effect October 2020-March 2026)'; the City's '2026 Building Code updates' page (arvadaco.gov/1388) confirms in past tense that 'The changes went into effect on July 1, 2026.' Permits submitted before July 1, 2026 could still use the 2018 IBC. CAVEAT: as of 2026-07-17 some Arvada operational permit-type pages had NOT been updated to reflect this switch — see per-permitType notes for mechanical/plumbing and re-roofing, which still cite 2018-cycle codes as current; 2024 International Residential Code (IRC) — adopted alongside the IBC line above (arvadaco.gov/165, arvadaco.gov/1388); includes the reorganized Chapter 3 and new ADU/tiny-house/3D-printed-home appendices per arvadaco.gov/1461 (Significant Changes list); 2024 International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC) — listed under 'Current adopted building codes' on arvadaco.gov/165 as of 2026-07-17; 2024 International Mechanical Code (IMC) — listed under 'Current adopted building codes' on arvadaco.gov/165; HOWEVER the live Residential Mechanical & Plumbing operational page (arvadaco.gov/434) still states 'Requirements follow the 2018 IRC and 2018 IECC, adopted by the City of Arvada... we have an upcoming code adoption' — a direct, unresolved contradiction between two of Arvada's own live pages; confirm current status with the Building Safety Division before a mechanical or plumbing submittal; 2024 International Plumbing Code (IPC) — same conflict as the IMC line above: arvadaco.gov/165 lists the 2024 IPC as current, but the arvadaco.gov/434 operational page still frames the 2024 IPC as an 'upcoming' change and cites the 2018 IPC as governing; 2024 International Property Maintenance Code (IPMC) — listed under 'Current adopted building codes' on arvadaco.gov/165 as of 2026-07-17, replacing the 2009 IPMC (deleting 45 prior municipal amendments per arvadaco.gov/1461); Colorado Model Low Energy Carbon Code, based on the 2024 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) — listed under 'Current adopted building codes' on arvadaco.gov/165 as of 2026-07-17, replacing the 2018 IECC; includes EV-ready/electric-ready/solar-ready mandates per arvadaco.gov/1388 and arvadaco.gov/1446; 2024 International Fire Code (IFC) — listed under 'Current adopted building codes' on arvadaco.gov/165 as of 2026-07-17; 2024 International Existing Building Code (IEBC) — listed under 'Current adopted building codes' on arvadaco.gov/165 as of 2026-07-17; 2023 National Electrical Code (NEC) / NFPA 70 — CONFIRMED still the governing electrical code as of 2026-07-17 per the City's own explicit statement on arvadaco.gov/1446 ('For Builders: Detailed changes coming in 2026'): 'Please note that the 2023 National Electrical Code will remain the electrical code for the City of Arvada, however the City does expect to begin implementing the 2026 NEC later on in 2026, when the State of Colorado begins implementation.' NOTE: arvadaco.gov/165's 'Current adopted building codes' list also includes an entry for '2026 National Electrical Code' — this appears to be an inconsistency/premature listing on that summary page, since the more specific, explicit 1446 page confirms 2023 NEC remains in effect pending State of Colorado action; treating 2023 NEC as the operative code per the more explicit source; 2024 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code (ISPSC) — listed under 'Current adopted building codes' on arvadaco.gov/165 as of 2026-07-17; Arvada Wildfire Resiliency Code (based on the Colorado Wildfire Resiliency Code) — listed under 'Current adopted building codes' on arvadaco.gov/165, and arvadaco.gov/1388 states in past tense 'The City has adopted the Arvada Wildfire Resiliency Code, our first wildfire codes.' First Arvada-specific wildfire code; requires structural hardening and defensible space for new buildings, additions, accessory structures over 120 sq ft, and re-roofing/re-siding projects that replace more than 25% of the roof covering or exterior siding, within identified wildfire risk zones (map based on Jefferson County's wildfire map per arvadaco.gov/1461). Note a live contradiction on the City's own site: the Re-Roofing operational page (arvadaco.gov/417) does not reference this code and still states 'Ice Barrier (Ice and Water Shield) not required', while arvadaco.gov/165's design-criteria section states 'Ice and Water Shield is required in Arvada... this is a change per our new adopted building codes.' Confirm with the City which applies before you order roofing materials.. Local amendments apply — see the Arvada overview page for the full list.

No. A sign permit is required only if the sign is visible from a street or adjacent property, or if it is larger than 32 square feet. Some smaller/non-visible signs are exempt from the permit requirement but must still comply with the City's sign regulations (arvadaco.gov/437).