Sign Permit in Cripple Creek, Colorado

Cripple Creek requires a sign permit for: Unless exempted under Development Code Sec. 2.5.1, all signs require a City-issued Sign Permit before being displayed, constructed, erected, relocated, or altered (Sec. 4.4); changing, modifying, or altering a sign from its permitted terms after issuance is also unlawful without a new/amended permit; Exempt from a permit (Sec. 2.5.1): residence/address signs up to 4 sq ft; incidental directional/parking signs on private property up to 1.5 sq ft; official court/agency notices; historic plaques placed by the City; traffic/directional/warning/emergency/informational signs and special-event signs approved under the City's special event permit; U.S./military/Colorado flags 5'x8' or smaller (max 30 ft pole, 3 per lot); non-profit museum/City-facility identification signs approved by the Code Administrator; interior signs set back 5+ feet from an exterior window (visible portion capped at 18 sq ft); Trailblazer (wayfinding) signs at Planning Commission discretion; signs on regularly-operated business vehicles; Landmark Signs; and all PR-Zone-District signs (approved administratively by the Code Administrator instead of under the standard allowance tables). Political signs are separately exempt from a permit under the Code's definitions section (max 2'x3' per property, plus an additional election-season sign 6 weeks before to 5 days after an election); Sign type/size/height allowances are set per zoning district by Table 4-2 (commercial B/BB/C-1/C-2) and a parallel residential-district table (R-1/R-2/R-3/4): e.g. Projecting signs are allowed a minimum 7 ft clearance above a public way, max 48 inches from the building, 1 per 25 linear ft of business frontage, 12 sq ft max per face in commercial districts; Freestanding signs require a minimum 15 ft building setback, max 8 ft height, and are not allowed at all in the B district; Wall signs are capped at 12 sq ft per 25 ft of frontage (150 sq ft max) and must be flush-mounted; Internal illumination is allowed only per-district and per-sign-type as specified in Table 4-2 -- e.g. NOT allowed anywhere in the B district or for any Gaming Use (regardless of district), while BB/C-1/C-2 districts allow limited internal illumination on Projecting, Wall, and Window signs at stated size caps; Electronic (digital LED/plasma/LCD) signs are allowed only in the C-1 and C-2 zone districts (Sec. 2.6.1); minimum 5-second message hold time, dissolve/fade transitions only (1 second max duration), mandatory auto-dimmers, brightness capped at 0.3 foot-candles over ambient at 30 ft (or 15 ft for displays under 8 sq ft), no flashing/animation/video, 100 sq ft maximum size, and may not cover windows or doorways except for electronic window signs; Off-premises signs are prohibited citywide except Shadow Box signs (permitted only in the B/BB/C-1/C-2 districts, associated with an occupied business, with owner permission); Billboards, flashing/animated-light signs, signs projecting above a roof peak/awning/canopy top, signs causing direct glare or emitting sound/odor/visible matter, signs obstructing a required exit, and signs within the street right-of-way (except Projecting signs or Temporary-sign approvals) are prohibited in all districts (Sec. 2.5.2); Application (Sec. 4.4) must include a graphic of the sign showing size, lettering type, colors, and symbols, plus a photo/drawing showing its relationship to the building, attachment design, and illumination method; the Code Administrator determines case-by-case (primarily by sign weight) whether structural engineering drawings are also required; The Code Administrator must review a submitted application for completeness and notify the applicant of any deficiencies within ten (10) days of submission (Sec. 4.3, the Article 4 procedure governing Development Plan/Sign/Conditional Use submittals generally); complete applications are then either approved by the Code Administrator or referred to the Historic Preservation Commission for signs in the B/BB districts; Fees for Sign Permit review are set by City Council resolution per the Development Code's own Article 4 introduction ('Fees charged for consideration of the requests in this Article are set by resolution of the City Council... current fee schedule is available from the Code Administrator') -- this is the same unlocatable resolution-based fee mechanism (most recently identified as Resolution 2021-21) already extensively chased and documented as unpublished online elsewhere in this file for building/electrical/plumbing/mechanical permits; A separate Building Permit may additionally be required depending on the sign's structural scope (e.g. a freestanding sign with a new foundation), per this file's residential-building-permit and commercial-tenant-improvement entries. If your project isn't listed, confirm with City of Cripple Creek Building Department at 719-689-3588 ext. 1 before starting work.

Cripple Creek does not publish a plan-review timeline for this permit. Contact City of Cripple Creek Building Department at 719-689-3588 ext. 1 for current turnaround.

You'll need: Sign Permit Application. Depending on your project, Cripple Creek may also ask for: Structural Engineering Drawings; Historic Compatibility Review Materials (B and BB Zone Districts). See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Cripple Creek requires 1 inspection(s) for a sign permit, in order: Ongoing Maintenance Compliance (not a one-time install inspection). Schedule each through City of Cripple Creek Building Department (719-689-3588 ext. 1).

Apply through City of Cripple Creek Building Department at 337 E. Bennett Ave, Cripple Creek, CO 80813 (mailing: P.O. Box 430, Cripple Creek, CO 80813). Phone: 719-689-3588 ext. 1. Office hours: Building Inspector normal duty hours are 7:30 AM to 4:00 PM on Mondays and Fridays only (with an alternate day sometimes added around a holiday week, decided case-by-case). The inspector is typically present in the office at 337 E. Bennett Ave from 7:30-9:00 AM on Monday/Friday mornings for questions in person or by phone (719-689-3588 ext. 1); after 9 AM the inspector is generally in the field performing inspections and returns to the office afterward for consultations. As of May 28, 2026, Martin L. Colgan serves as the City's Combination Inspector (Residential and Commercial Building, Mechanical, Plumbing, and Gas Piping). SAFEbuilt is stated on the City's Building Department page to be the City's new full-service company for plan review, permits, and inspections; the City notes it is currently implementing new permitting software and directs applicants to call the Building Department to ask about the current submission process.. Official information: https://www.cityofcripplecreek.com/building-department.

Cripple Creek, Colorado has adopted: 2018 International Building Code (IBC) — City of Cripple Creek Municipal Code Ch. 18, Art. 2 Sec. 18-2-10 and Art. 3 (adopted by Ord. No. 2019-03, as amended by Ord. No. 2022-06 and Ord. No. 2023-13); 2018 International Residential Code (IRC), including Appendices H, J, and Q — Ch. 18, Art. 4; International Plumbing Code (IPC), most current edition as adopted by the State of Colorado — Ch. 18, Art. 5; 2018 International Mechanical Code (IMC) — Ch. 18, Art. 6; 2015 International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC) — Ch. 18, Art. 7; 2018 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) — Ch. 18, Art. 8; 2018 International Fire Code (IFC), including all appendices A-N — Ch. 18, Art. 9; 2018 International Existing Building Code (IEBC) — Ch. 18, Art. 10; National Electrical Code (NEC), most current edition as adopted by the State of Colorado — Ch. 18, Art. 11; 2018 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code (ISPSC) — Ch. 18, Art. 12; 2018 International Property Maintenance Code (IPMC) — Ch. 18, Art. 13; ASME A17.1 (2010)/A17.2 (2010)/A17.6 (2010)/A17.3 (2010) and A18.1 (2011) Safety Code for Elevators and Escalators, as adopted by Teller County (SCEE) — Ch. 18, Art. 14; all inspections performed by Teller County's designated ASME Certified Inspector, results submitted to the City Building Department; Manufactured Home Code (locally drafted, not an ICC model code) — Ch. 18, Art. 19, enacted by Ord. No. 2021-11; Note on code currency: Cripple Creek Municipal Code Chapter 18 adopts the 2018-cycle IBC/IRC/IMC/IECC/IFC/IEBC/ISPSC/IPMC by reference (via Ord. No. 2019-03, adopted Aug. 7, 2019), one cycle behind the 2021/2024 editions used by some neighboring Colorado jurisdictions (e.g. Vail's 2024 cycle). The IPC and NEC sections instead float to 'the most current edition as adopted by the State of Colorado,' so those two trades track the state's adoption cycle rather than a fixed local edition. This is the governing, most-recently-verified text of Municode's Cripple Creek library as of this review (chapter carries amendment history through Ord. No. 2023-13, effective 1-3-24).. Local amendments apply — see the Cripple Creek overview page for the full list.

Most do. Development Code Sec. 4.4 requires a Sign Permit for any sign not specifically exempted by Sec. 2.5.1 (address signs, small incidental/directional signs, official notices, historic plaques, certain flags, Trailblazer signs, vehicle signs, Landmark Signs, and all PR-Zone-District signs, among others). Political signs are separately exempt under the Code's definitions section.

Not under the standard allowances. Development Code Table 4-2 specifically bars internal illumination on Projecting, Freestanding, and Wall signs for any Gaming Use, regardless of whether the property is in the B or BB district -- a stricter rule than applies to non-gaming businesses in the BB district, which are allowed limited internal illumination on some sign types.