Sign Plan (SP) Permit in Unincorporated Pueblo County, Colorado

Unincorporated Pueblo County requires a sign plan (sp) permit for: A Sign Permit is required for the construction or installation of any sign, or any repair that also requires a building permit, per UDC §17.05.020(b), Sign Permit Required; exempt actions include changing/replacing sign copy without structural changes, changes to changeable-copy/EMD sign content, window sign changes, and temporary signs allowed without a permit (§17.05.020(b)(2)); A sign permit is additionally required to convert a temporary sign to a permanent sign, or to convert a non-EMD sign to an Electronic Message Display (EMD) sign; Application reviewed by the Director per UDC §17.06.050(d): review criteria are consistency with UDC Chapter 17.05 (Signs) and all applicable UDC standards, consistency with any previously approved land use approval (e.g. plat or PUD), and consistency with the Regional Comprehensive Plan and other adopted area/corridor plans; Decision is administrative and immediately final per §17.06.050(a); may be appealed per §17.06.040(i); Sign permits lapse if the sign is not fully constructed within six months of issuance, or use of the sign is discontinued for six months; the Director may approve one six-month extension if requested before lapse (§17.05.020(b)(6)-(7)); Submittal requires (per the Planning & Development Department's Sign Plan (SP) Checklist, Rev. 07.25): a Routing Sheet from Regional Building via the Pueblo Means Business Portal; a Letter of Request (date, owner/representative contact info, site location/size/zoning, project narrative, action requested); a scaled site plan (engineer scale, no larger than 11"x17", no aerial/Google maps) showing property boundaries, structures, easements, setbacks, and adjacent road names; sign plans and diagrams; for freestanding signs, proof of CDOT or Pueblo County Public Works approval if the property abuts a state/federal highway or county roadway; and a written request for setback reduction if the proposed sign does not meet minimum zone-district setbacks; Nonconforming signs must be brought into conformance with the UDC when a change of use occurs on the property, a new sign is added, or the sign is altered beyond routine maintenance/repair (§17.10.070(d), Bringing Signs into Conformance). If your project isn't listed, confirm with Pueblo County Building Division at 719-583-6100 before starting work.

$95.00 (Sign Plan Application Fee), per the Pueblo County Department of Planning and Development's fee schedule adopted 5/8/2025.

Unincorporated Pueblo County does not publish a plan-review timeline for this permit. Contact Pueblo County Building Division at 719-583-6100 for current turnaround.

You'll need: Sign Plan (SP) Checklist; Routing Sheet (Pueblo Means Business Portal); Letter of Request; Scaled Site Plan. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Unincorporated Pueblo County requires 1 inspection(s) for a sign plan (sp) permit, in order: Final Inspection. Schedule each through Pueblo County Building Division (719-583-6100).

Apply through Pueblo County Building Division at 201 W. 8th St. #120, Pueblo, CO 81003. Phone: 719-583-6100, email: buildingdivision@pueblocounty.us. Office hours: Monday-Friday, 7:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m., closed on County holidays. Same-day inspection requests must be submitted before 8:30 a.m.; inspections may otherwise be scheduled in advance. Source: Pueblo County Building Division homepage and Request an Inspection page, https://pueblopermits.com/ and https://pueblopermits.com/request-an-inspection/. Official information: https://pueblopermits.com/.

Unincorporated Pueblo County, Colorado has adopted: AUTHORITY MODEL: Effective January 1, 2026, Pueblo County withdrew from the Southern Colorado Building Department (SoCoBD, formerly Pueblo Regional Building Department/PRBD) intergovernmental agreement and created its own standalone Pueblo County Building Division to serve all unincorporated areas of the county (Pueblo West, Colorado City, Beulah, Rye, Avondale, and other unincorporated areas). SoCoBD continues to serve only the City of Pueblo and Town of Boone. Pueblo County Building Division assumed all active permits from PRBD/SoCoBD on 1/1/2026; permit applications and inspections through the new county system became available 1/5/2026. Source: Pueblo County Building Division Transition announcement, https://pueblopermits.com/pueblo-county-building-division-transition/; Colorado has no statewide mandatory building code for most jurisdictions (home-rule/county-adoption authority under C.R.S. § 30-28-201); Pueblo County adopts and amends its own construction codes for unincorporated areas, separate from the City of Pueblo/SoCoBD adopted codes.; 2021 International Building Code (IBC), with Appendix C (Group U Agricultural Buildings), Appendix H (Signs), and Appendix I (Patio Covers); plus the 2021 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) and 2021 International Existing Building Code (IEBC). Adopted by Pueblo County Resolution No. 25-303 (Pueblo County Building Code Resolution) on December 22, 2025, effective December 31, 2025, codified as Pueblo County Code Chapter 15.02. Source: Title 15 – Buildings and Construction (PDF), https://pueblopermits.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Title-15-FINAL-12-22-25.pdf, Sec. 15.01.010 and 15.02.010; 2021 International Residential Code (IRC), with Appendix AH (Patio Covers), Appendix AJ (Existing Buildings and Structures), Appendix AQ (Tiny Houses), Appendix AR (Light-Straw Clay Construction), Appendix AS (Strawbale Construction), and Appendix AU (Cob Construction/Monolithic Adobe); electrical and plumbing chapters/sections of the IRC are expressly deleted in favor of the separately adopted Electrical and Plumbing Codes below. Adopted by Resolution No. 25-303, effective 12/31/2025, codified as Pueblo County Code Chapter 15.08. Source: Title 15 (PDF), Sec. 15.08.010 and 15.08.110; 2021 International Plumbing Code (IPC), as amended by the 2023 Colorado Plumbing Code (Colorado State Plumbing Board), plus the 2021 International Residential Code plumbing provisions, the 2021 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code, and the 2013 NFPA 24 Standard for the Installation of Private Fire Service Mains and Their Appurtenances. Adopted by Resolution No. 25-303, effective 12/31/2025, codified as Pueblo County Code Chapter 15.04. Note: like the City of Pueblo/SoCoBD, unincorporated Pueblo County uses the International Plumbing Code, not the Uniform Plumbing Code. Source: Title 15 (PDF), Sec. 15.04.010; 2021 International Mechanical Code (IMC) and 2021 International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC). Adopted by Resolution No. 25-303, effective 12/31/2025, codified as Pueblo County Code Chapter 15.05. Source: Title 15 (PDF), Sec. 15.05.010; 2023 National Electrical Code (NEC/NFPA 70), with the 2003 ICC Electrical Code Administrative Provisions. Adopted by Resolution No. 25-303, effective 12/31/2025, codified as Pueblo County Code Chapter 15.06. Source: Title 15 (PDF), Sec. 15.06.010; 1997 Uniform Housing Code (UHC), published by the International Conference of Building Officials. Adopted by Resolution No. 25-303, effective 12/31/2025, codified as Pueblo County Code Chapter 15.07 (this is an older adoption predating the 2026 transition, carried forward unchanged). Source: Title 15 (PDF), Sec. 15.07.010; Pueblo County Unified Development Code (UDC), adopted 2024 and amended May 2025, consolidating county zoning and subdivision regulations (separate from the Title 15 building/construction codes above). Source: https://county.pueblo.org/sites/default/files/2025-10/PuebloCounty_UDC_Amended05102025.pdf, referenced via Pueblo County Building Division Building Codes page, https://pueblopermits.com/building/resources/building-codes/; Colorado Wildfire Resiliency Code 2025 is referenced on the Pueblo County Building Division's Building Codes page as an applicable resource; its scope and applicability to standard building permits (versus wildfire-mitigation-specific review) was not further detailed in the pages reviewed. Source: https://pueblopermits.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Colorado-Wildfire-Resiliency-Code-2025.pdf, listed at https://pueblopermits.com/building/resources/building-codes/. Local amendments apply — see the Unincorporated Pueblo County overview page for the full list.

A Sign Permit (Sign Plan) is required for the construction or installation of any sign, or a repair that also requires a building permit, per UDC §17.05.020(b) — with specific exemptions for sign-copy changes, changeable-copy/EMD content changes, window signs, and temporary signs allowed without a permit.