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Sign Permit — Unincorporated Emery County, Utah · Requirements sheet
Reviewed 2026-07-22 · Source: https://emery.utah.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Zoning-Ordinance-TOC-2025.pdf
PermitBase is an independent reference and is not affiliated with any government agency. Requirements change and vary by project — confirm current details with the building department before you submit.
Sign Permit in Unincorporated Emery County, Utah
Emery County has a distinct sign permit process codified at Section 6-17 of the Emery County Zoning Ordinance (current version dated October 2025), administered by the Zoning Administrator. A sign permit is required for most signage in unincorporated Emery County, subject to exemptions for certain name/address plates, temporary event signage, and government/civic direction signs (Section 6-17-8). Separate building and electrical permits are required in addition to the sign permit if the sign's construction or wiring requires them.
Reviewed 2026-07-22 · Source
When you need this permit
- Complete sign permit application submitted to the Zoning Administrator, including applicant name/address/phone, a statement showing how the request meets approval standards, a plot plan (site address, property boundaries/dimensions, layout of existing/proposed buildings, parking, landscaping, utilities, and adjoining property lines/uses within 100 feet), and an elevation drawing (sign type, location relative to nearest property line, height, and face area) — Emery County Zoning Ordinance Section 6-17-1(b)
- Sign must conform to applicable provisions of Section 6-17 of the Zoning Ordinance — Section 6-17-2(a)(i)
- Building and electrical permits must be obtained as required by the applicable building code, in addition to the sign permit, if the sign's construction/wiring triggers them — Section 6-17-2(a)(iii)
- Requester must request County inspection within five (5) business days after the sign is installed — Section 6-17-2(a)(ii)
- Not required for: name/address plates up to 226 sq in, temporary event-advertising signs (within 90 days of the event, max 32 sq ft per side), and government/church/civic direction signs within a road right-of-way — Section 6-17-8
- County promotional signs/billboards require a different track: approval of the Emery County Commission (and, for a city/town-erected sign within the county, approval of both the Planning Commission and County Commission) rather than a standard sign permit — Section 6-17-9
Required documents
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Fee schedule
Sign Permit FeeEmery County Zoning Ordinance Section 6-17-1(b): a sign permit application must be submitted 'along with any fee established by the County's schedule of fees.' The only fee schedule publicly located for this jurisdiction (Appendix 3 of the Zoning Ordinance, adopted by Resolution 3-07-00A) is the Conditional Use Permit Fee Schedule and does not itemize a sign permit fee; no separate published sign-fee schedule was found. Confirm the current fee directly with the Zoning Administrator, (435) 381-3555.
Not published as a specific dollar figure
Review timeline
Plan review
Not published — contact the department
Inspection process
- 1
Post-Installation Sign Inspection
A designated County officer inspects the sign immediately after installation; the permittee must request this inspection within five (5) business days of installation — Zoning Ordinance Section 6-17-2(a)(ii)
See the full Unincorporated Emery County inspection guide — scheduling & re-inspection fees →
Tips
- A sign permit expires and has no further force or effect if the sign is not installed within 180 days after approval — Zoning Ordinance Section 6-17-7.
- Any person adversely affected by a Zoning Administrator decision on a sign permit may appeal to the Board of Adjustment under the procedures in Chapter 8-5 of the Zoning Ordinance — Section 6-17-3.
- Amending an approved sign permit follows the same application procedure as the original permit — Section 6-17-5.
- Billboards and County/city promotional signs are NOT processed as a standard sign permit — they require Emery County Commission approval (and Planning Commission approval too, if erected by an incorporated city/town) under Section 6-17-9, and are maintained by whichever city, town, or County agency erected them.
- The Emery County B&Z office's public-facing Permit Process and Building Permit Requirements web pages (checked 2026-07-22) do not mention sign permits at all — this permit type is documented only in the Zoning Ordinance itself, not in the county's building-permit web materials, so confirm the current application form and any fee directly with the Zoning Administrator before applying.
Frequently asked questions
Unincorporated Emery County requires a sign permit for: Complete sign permit application submitted to the Zoning Administrator, including applicant name/address/phone, a statement showing how the request meets approval standards, a plot plan (site address, property boundaries/dimensions, layout of existing/proposed buildings, parking, landscaping, utilities, and adjoining property lines/uses within 100 feet), and an elevation drawing (sign type, location relative to nearest property line, height, and face area) — Emery County Zoning Ordinance Section 6-17-1(b); Sign must conform to applicable provisions of Section 6-17 of the Zoning Ordinance — Section 6-17-2(a)(i); Building and electrical permits must be obtained as required by the applicable building code, in addition to the sign permit, if the sign's construction/wiring triggers them — Section 6-17-2(a)(iii); Requester must request County inspection within five (5) business days after the sign is installed — Section 6-17-2(a)(ii); Not required for: name/address plates up to 226 sq in, temporary event-advertising signs (within 90 days of the event, max 32 sq ft per side), and government/church/civic direction signs within a road right-of-way — Section 6-17-8; County promotional signs/billboards require a different track: approval of the Emery County Commission (and, for a city/town-erected sign within the county, approval of both the Planning Commission and County Commission) rather than a standard sign permit — Section 6-17-9. If your project isn't listed, confirm with Emery County Building & Zoning Department at (435) 381-3555 before starting work.
In Unincorporated Emery County, the published Sign Permit Fee is: Not published as a specific dollar figure. These are the jurisdiction's own published figures — see the fee schedule table and source citations on this page.
180 days. Per Zoning Ordinance Section 6-17-7, a sign permit expires and has no further force or effect if the authorized sign is not installed within 180 days of approval.
You'll need: Sign Permit Application; Plot Plan; Elevation Drawing. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.
Unincorporated Emery County requires 1 inspection(s) for a sign permit, in order: Post-Installation Sign Inspection. Schedule each through Emery County Building & Zoning Department ((435) 381-3555).
Apply through Emery County Building & Zoning Department at 75 East Main St, Room 106, PO Box 417, Castle Dale, UT 84513. Phone: (435) 381-3555, email: building@emery.utah.gov. Office hours: Mon–Fri 8:30 AM – 5:00 PM, except county holidays. Official information: https://emery.utah.gov/home/department-directory/bz/.
Unincorporated Emery County, Utah has adopted: 2021 International Residential Code (IRC), plus Appendix AQ of the 2021 IRC — Emery County Building & Zoning, with State of Utah Amendments — Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(b)/(c); unchanged by the July 1, 2026 revision — still the current edition; 2024 International Building Code (IBC), including Appendices C and J — Emery County Building & Zoning, with State of Utah Amendments — Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(a); current edition as of July 1, 2026 (2021 edition governed through June 30, 2026); 2024 International Plumbing Code (IPC) — Emery County Building & Zoning, with State of Utah Amendments — Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(d); current edition as of July 1, 2026 (2021 edition governed through June 30, 2026); 2024 International Mechanical Code (IMC) — Emery County Building & Zoning, with State of Utah Amendments — Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(e); current edition as of July 1, 2026 (2021 edition governed through June 30, 2026); 2020 National Electrical Code (NEC), as listed on the Emery County Building Permit Requirements page — NOTE: Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(g) sets the 2023 NEC as the statewide in-force edition, unchanged by the July 1, 2026 revision; the county page has not been updated to reflect the statewide 2023 adoption (same discrepancy documented in the Cache County file for this corpus).; 2024 International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC) — Emery County Building & Zoning, with State of Utah Amendments — Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(f); current edition as of July 1, 2026 (2021 edition governed through June 30, 2026); 2024 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) — Emery County Building & Zoning, with State of Utah Amendments — Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(h); current edition as of July 1, 2026 (2021 edition governed through June 30, 2026); statute has no residential/commercial split — one edition applies to both; 2024 International Existing Building Code (IEBC) — Emery County Building & Zoning, with State of Utah Amendments — Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(i); current edition as of July 1, 2026 (2021 edition governed through June 30, 2026); 2024 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code (ISPSC), residential provisions — Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(n). ADDED 2026-07-16: this code is not listed on Emery County's own building-code pages, but it is adopted statewide by statute, so it applies here regardless of the county page's omission.; Utah Wildland Urban Interface Code — Emery County Building & Zoning; COUNTY-PAGE LAG (live-checked 2026-07-16): the Emery County Building Permit Requirements page (emery.utah.gov/home/department-directory/bz/building-permit/) still lists '2021' for IBC, IPC, IMC, IFGC, IECC, and IEBC (plus '2020' for NEC, noted above) — the page has not been updated for the July 1, 2026 statewide flip to 2024 editions. The 2024 editions and 2023 NEC listed in this array are the legally in-force editions per Utah Code § 15A-2-103, not the county page.; NOTE (verified 2026-07-16 against the live Utah Code § 15A-2-103 text, version headed 'Effective 7/1/2026 / Superseded 1/1/2027'): the 2024 editions of IBC, IPC, IMC, IFGC, IECC, and IEBC listed above took effect July 1, 2026, replacing the 2021 editions; IRC (2021) and NEC (2023, per statute — see county-page discrepancy note above) did not change. The 1/1/2027 version of the statute carries identical editions, so no further flip is expected then. This file previously forecast this change but still led with the 2021 editions as current — corrected on this date.. Local amendments apply — see the Unincorporated Emery County overview page for the full list.
Yes for most signage. Section 6-17 of the Emery County Zoning Ordinance requires a sign permit issued by the Zoning Administrator, with narrow exemptions for small name/address plates, short-term temporary event signs, and government/civic direction signs. Billboards and County promotional signs follow a separate County Commission approval track instead.
Sources & verification
Key facts verified against official sources. Last reviewed 2026-07-22.
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 Unincorporated Emery County building department before you submit. PermitBase is an independent reference and is not affiliated with any government agency.
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