Sign Permit in Aspen, Colorado

Aspen requires a sign permit for: A sign permit is required for any stationary business sign unless the sign is one of the types listed as exempt in Aspen Municipal Code Sec. 26.510.040 (Aspen's own Sign Permit Checklist header states this directly; the full Sec. 26.510.040 exempt-sign list itself could not be pulled as static text this session because Municode's Aspen library is a JavaScript-rendered SPA that returns only the Angular shell to curl/WebFetch, consistent with this file's documented Municode limitation elsewhere); Applicants must submit, per the City's Sign Permit Checklist (dated 11/21/2022): a letter of consent from the building owner; how the sign will be mounted to the building; any lighting plans; the proposed location of the sign(s) and sign materials; a net leasable calculation of the commercial space with an explanation of how it was obtained; the current allotment of signage in square feet; and dimensions and elevations of all proposed signs; The bottom of any hanging sign must be 8 feet off the ground (Sign Permit Checklist); Sign area is computed per specific worked examples in the City's own checklist: a window decal with a solid background counts its full square footage; a window decal with cut-out letters counts only 50% of its square footage toward the allotment; and the first projecting/blade sign is exempt from the allotment entirely if it is no larger than 6 square feet per side; Signage is tied to a business's net-leasable-area-based 'sign allotment' under Sec. 26.510.100 (Sign Allotment) of the Land Use Code — applicants must document their current allotment as part of the checklist submittal, not just the proposed sign's own dimensions; Signs may NOT be included in a tenant-finish or other building permit application — this file's commercial-tenant-improvement-permit entry independently confirms signage always requires its own standalone Sign Permit and is separately excluded from the EPIC expedited-permit track's scope; Applications are submitted via the City's Salesforce Permit Portal like other Building Division permits, following the general submittal and completeness-review process described on aspen.gov/236. If your project isn't listed, confirm with City of Aspen Community Development Department, Building Division at 970-920-5000 before starting work.

In Aspen, the published Sign Permit Fee is: Computed via the City's Building Permit Fee Estimator (Excel) referencing the current Municipal Code Fee Ordinance (Title 2). These are the jurisdiction's own published figures — see the fee schedule table and source citations on this page.

The City publishes a 3-4 week Round-1 review timeline for Sign permits on its Building Permit Timelines page (aspen.gov/244), distinct from the timelines for ordinary building permits.

You'll need: Sign Permit Checklist; Letter of Consent from Building Owner; Elevation and Dimension Drawings of All Proposed Signs; Net Leasable Calculation and Current Sign Allotment Documentation. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Aspen requires 1 inspection(s) for a sign permit, in order: Final Inspection. Schedule each through City of Aspen Community Development Department, Building Division (970-920-5000).

Apply through City of Aspen Community Development Department, Building Division at 427 Rio Grande Place, Aspen, CO 81611. Phone: 970-920-5000, email: buildingsupport@aspen.gov. Office hours: City of Aspen main line 970-920-5000. Building Support (permit requirement inquiries, pre-submittal questions): buildingsupport@aspen.gov, Monday-Friday 9:00am-5:00pm. Builder of the Day (building code/regulations questions): builderoftheday@aspen.gov, 970-429-2735, Monday-Friday 8:30am-4:30pm. Planner of the Day (zoning, floor area, net leasable, signage, mountain view plane, exterior design): planneroftheday@aspen.gov, 970-429-2764, walk-in hours Monday-Friday 9:00am-12:00pm. Historic Preservation: HP@aspen.gov, 970-429-2758. Construction hours: Monday-Friday 7:30am-5:30pm, Saturday 9:00am-5:00pm, no construction on Sundays.. Official information: https://aspen.gov/179/Building.

Aspen, Colorado has adopted: 2021 International Building Code (IBC) — adopted by Ordinance #1, 2023 (January 24, 2023), effective for permits submitted March 31, 2023 and later; the IRC has NOT been adopted by the City of Aspen and is not applied — single-family, duplex, and townhouse projects are reviewed under the 2021 IBC as locally amended, per the City's own 'Building Permit Application Checklist for Singlefamily, Duplex, and Townhouse Projects (2021 IBC)'; 2021 International Existing Building Code (IEBC); 2021 International Mechanical Code (IMC); 2021 International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC); 2021 International Plumbing Code (IPC); 2021 International Fire Code (IFC); 2021 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code (ISPSC); 2021 Aspen Energy Code (local amendment/supplement to the IECC); 2023 National Electrical Code (NEC), effective August 1, 2023; 2024 Colorado Wildfire Resiliency Code with local amendments — adopted by Ordinance 6, 2026 (March 25, 2026), effective April 23, 2026; referenced directly in the current Fence Permit Application Checklist (fences within 8 feet of a structure must be noncombustible/ignition-resistant; hedges within 5 feet must use ignition-resistant vegetation); Prior code cycle: 2015-edition IBC/IEBC/IMC/IFGC/IPC/IFC applied to permits submitted between February 2017 and March 2023, with local amendments in Ordinance 40, 2016 (superseded, listed for reference only); Local amendments to all adopted codes are codified in Title 8 (Building and Building Regulations) of the Aspen Municipal Code; Municode's Aspen library is a JavaScript-rendered application that could not be scraped directly in this or the prior session (confirmed again 2026-07-23: raw curl returns only the Angular SPA shell, and the shared browser environment used for the re-chase attempt this session was too unstable to reliably render deep-linked Title pages). However, the City's own 'Currently Adopted Building & Energy Codes' page (aspen.gov/197) directly publishes a 'Climate & Geographical Design Criteria' table (2026-07-23, live-confirmed): Ground snow load 100 psf; Wind Speed/Exposure Category 89 mph / B; Seismic Design Category C; Weathering Severe; Frost line depth 36 inches; Termite None to slight; Decay None to slight; Winter design temp -15°F; Summer design temp 82°F; Ice shield underlayment required Yes; Air Freezing Index 2000; Mean annual temperature 40°F. This resolves the design-criteria gap without needing Title 8/Municode.. Local amendments apply — see the Aspen overview page for the full list.

No — signage is tracked against a separate 'sign allotment' (Aspen Municipal Code Sec. 26.510.100) that is calculated from a business's net leasable area, not counted as part of the net leasable area itself. Applicants must document both their net leasable calculation and their current signage allotment when applying.