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Sign Permit in Craig, Colorado

Required to erect, construct, enlarge, alter, move or convert most signs within Craig city limits, per Craig Municipal Code Title 16 (Land Use Code), Chapter 16.07 (Signs), Sections 16.07.010 through 16.07.120. Unlike Cortez's standalone sign-permit process, Craig's own code text explicitly ties the sign permit to the building permit: 'In addition to the sign permit, a building permit is also required' (16.07.100.A). Signs are reviewed by the city's building department (16.07.040 intro) -- the same Craig/Moffat County Regional Building Department that administers every other permit type in this file -- rather than a separate planning/zoning sign office. Craig's own Land Use Application master form additionally lists 'Sign Permit' as one of its circle-one application types, alongside a dedicated stand-alone Sign Permit Application Form; it is not resolved from published materials whether both forms are required together or whether the dedicated form supersedes the master form for signs specifically.

Verified 2026-08-13 · Source

When you need this permit

  • Permit required for the erection, construction, enlargement, alteration, moving or conversion of any sign not on the exempt list, per Sec. 16.07.020 ('Sign permit' definition) and Sec. 16.07.060
  • Exempt without a permit, city-wide, per Sec. 16.07.050(A): garage sale signs, historic place signs (max 3 sq ft), official/public signs (max 3 sq ft, non-commercial only), political signs, real estate signs (max 6 sq ft residential / 32 sq ft central business or enterprise district / 6 sq ft residential and 32 sq ft multi-family(4+)/commercial in the MU District), and address signs
  • Additionally exempt, but ONLY in the central business and enterprise districts and at commercial properties in the MU District, subject to stated size caps, per Sec. 16.07.050(B): announcements (max 6 sq ft), business hours signs (max 4 sq ft), credit card signs (max 2 sq ft), Open/Closed signs (max 4 sq ft), parking signs (max 2 per access, 6 sq ft per entrance total), and window signs (max 2 per window/door, max 25% of window area)
  • Temporary signs are exempt without a permit but capped at 16 sq ft per side, 1 per 20 linear feet, 4 ft max height, and may not be displayed for more than 2 months, per Sec. 16.07.050(C)
  • All signs not falling under Sec. 16.07.050 require a permit; permitted sign area/number/height varies by category -- business frontage signage (freestanding, hanging, roof, wall) is allotted 2 sq ft of sign per 1 linear ft of street-level business frontage (500 sq ft max) or 1 sq ft per linear ft on other levels (50 sq ft max), per Sec. 16.07.060(A)
  • Freestanding signs: 2 ft minimum setback from property lines, max 35 ft height, limited to 2 on-premises signs per business, per Sec. 16.07.060(A)(3)(a)
  • Hanging signs: max 24 sq ft per side, minimum 8 ft clearance from grade, limited to 1 per business, and the business/property owner must agree in writing to assume liability if the sign is within the right-of-way, per Sec. 16.07.060(A)(3)(b)
  • Off-premises signs: freestanding only, permitted ONLY in the enterprise district, max 150 sq ft total per business, max 2 per business, minimum 150 ft spacing from other off-premises signs, per Sec. 16.07.060(C)
  • Signs in residential zones require Planning Commission approval (not just Building Department review), are capped at 8 ft height, and are subject to use-specific size caps (home occupation 3 sq ft max/1 sign; community facilities 32 sq ft max; condo/townhouse/subdivision ID signs 50 sq ft max; all others 6 sq ft max/2 signs), per Sec. 16.07.060(B)
  • Multi-use buildings (more than one business/tenant) follow their own frontage-based area formula and are subject to Building Department design approval, per Sec. 16.07.060(D)
  • All permits for signs must be obtained by a licensed contractor UNLESS the sign is under 16 square feet and unilluminated, per Sec. 16.07.040(K) Contractor
  • Signs subject to Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) jurisdiction must be approved by CDOT before construction and, if applicable, before the city issues its sign and/or building permit, per Sec. 16.07.100(E)
  • Application materials required per Sec. 16.07.100(C): a fully dimensioned site plan showing location and property-line setbacks, plus a drawing showing sign width, sign area, sign copy, and construction date of the sign structure
  • Violations are misdemeanors punishable by a minimum $50.00 and maximum $1,000.00 fine; the building inspector is the designated enforcement official, per Sec. 16.07.110

Required documents

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Fee schedule

Sign Permit FeeNo standalone Sign Permit fee line is published on the City's own Land Use Fee Schedule (checked directly -- it itemizes Conditional Use $200, Temporary Use $100, Home Occupation $100, Zoning Variance $250, etc., but no Sign Permit line). Since Sec. 16.07.100(A) states a building permit is also required in addition to the sign permit, the sign permit itself may carry no separate fee, with the accompanying building permit's flat $100 fee being the only dollar figure that applies -- but this is not confirmed by any published City document. Confirm current fee treatment directly with the Building Official before budgeting.
Not published — contact the department

Review timeline

Plan review
Not published — contact the department

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

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

Inspection process

  1. 1

    Final Compliance Verification

    Neither Chapter 16.07 nor the Sign Permit Application Form describes a distinct post-installation field inspection separate from the Building Department's application review before permit issuance; Sec. 16.07.090 gives the city ongoing authority to inspect and order repair/removal of dilapidated, abandoned, or hazardous signs, but this is a maintenance-enforcement power, not a confirmed one-time install inspection step. Confirm directly with the Building Department before assuming no field inspection applies.

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

Tips

  • Craig ties the sign permit directly to a building permit ('In addition to the sign permit, a building permit is also required,' Sec. 16.07.100(A)) -- budget for both processes rather than assuming a sign permit is a lighter-weight standalone filing.
  • A sign under 16 square feet that isn't illuminated is the one case where you do NOT need a licensed contractor to pull the permit, per Sec. 16.07.040(K) -- worth checking before assuming a contractor is required for a small unlit sign. Contractor
  • Signs in residential zones need Planning Commission approval, not just a Building Department sign-off -- budget extra review time and a public meeting cycle if your sign isn't in a commercial/enterprise district.
  • If your sign fronts a state highway, get Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) approval first -- the city will not issue its own sign and/or building permit for a CDOT-jurisdiction sign until CDOT has signed off, per Sec. 16.07.100(E).

Frequently asked questions

For most signs, yes. Craig Municipal Code Sec. 16.07.060 requires a permit for any sign not on the exempt list in Sec. 16.07.050 (garage sale, historic place, official, political, and real estate signs city-wide; plus announcements, business hours, credit card, open/closed, parking, window, and temporary signs under stated size caps in commercial/enterprise districts). A building permit is also required in addition to the sign permit itself.

Craig does not publish a plan-review timeline for this permit. Contact Craig/Moffat County Regional Building Department at 970-826-2013 for current turnaround.

You'll need: Sign Permit Application Form; Site Plan; Detailed Sign Drawing. Depending on your project, Craig may also ask for: Land Use Application (master form); Structural Engineer Certification; Proof of Liability Insurance; Written Lease or Property-Owner Permission. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Craig requires 1 inspection(s) for a sign permit, in order: Final Compliance Verification. Schedule each through Craig/Moffat County Regional Building Department (970-826-2013).

Apply through Craig/Moffat County Regional Building Department at Craig City Hall, 300 W 4th Street, Craig, CO 81625. Phone: 970-826-2013, email: meckhoff@ci.craig.co.us. Office hours: Monday-Friday 8:00 am-5:00 pm. Building Official: Marlin Eckhoff (Office 970-826-2013, Cell 970-326-3645, meckhoff@ci.craig.co.us). Building Administrator: Sierra Arellano (970-826-2024, sarellano@ci.craig.co.us) handles contractor licensing/registration. The department is located upstairs within Craig City Hall, in the Community Development Department. Verified identically on both the City of Craig's and Moffat County's own department pages.. Official information: https://www.ci.craig.co.us/departments/building.php.

Craig, Colorado has adopted: 2018 International Building Code (IBC) — City of Craig and Moffat County, effective for all plan review and inspections as of January 1, 2020; 2018 International Residential Code (IRC); 2018 International Existing Building Code (IEBC); 2018 International Mechanical Code (IMC); 2018 International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC); 2018 International Plumbing Code (IPC); 2018 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC); 2018 International Property Maintenance Code (IPMC) — City of Craig ONLY, not adopted by Moffat County for unincorporated areas; 2018 International Fire Code (IFC) — cited directly in the Residential Solar Installation Checklist for firefighter access path requirements (typically 36 inches); National Electrical Code (NEC), the version adopted by the State of Colorado — NOT locally enforced; the City of Craig and Moffat County both defer ALL electrical permits, plan review, and inspections to the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA), Division of Professions and Occupations, State Electrical Board; 2025 Colorado Wildfire Resiliency Code (CWRC), effective July 1, 2026 — verified directly from the City's own Colorado Wildfire Resiliency Code page; any complete Building Permit Application received by 5:30pm on June 30, 2026 is exempt from CWRC requirements provided the permit fee is paid within 30 days of approval notification; applications received July 1, 2026 or later are subject to CWRC. Applicability (Class 1 vs Class 2 requirements) is determined by an address/parcel lookup on the Colorado Resiliency Code Map (unshaded = no requirements, yellow = Class 1, orange/red = Class 2).; Local IRC deletions (verified from the City's own Adopted Codes page): IRC Section R313 (Automatic Fire Sprinkler Systems) is deleted — sprinkler systems are NOT required in one- and two-family dwellings; IRC Section N1102.4.1.2 (Testing / blower door tests) is deleted — blower door tests are NOT required; IRC Section N1102.4.4 (Rooms containing fuel-burning appliances) is deleted; IRC Section R302.13 (Fire protection of floors) is deleted.. Local amendments apply — see the Craig overview page for the full list.

No standalone sign permit fee is published on the City's Land Use Fee Schedule. Since a building permit is also required alongside the sign permit, the department's flat $100 building permit fee may be the only dollar figure that applies, but this is not confirmed by any published City document -- confirm directly with the Building Official.

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

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