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Sign Permit in Unincorporated Garfield County, Utah

Garfield County's Code of Ordinances (Chapter 155: Zoning, §§ 155.340-155.347, adopted by Ord. 2021-10, passed 9-27-2021) regulates signs directly, but a sign permit is the exception rather than the default: per § 155.346(A), 'a permit shall not be required for the erection and maintenance of a sign' unless the Building Official or Planning Department specifically requires one due to the sign's size, height, weight, or electrical connections. When a permit is required, construction documents are filed with the Zoning Administrator and/or Building Official, and specific design standards are adopted by reference from the International Zoning Code (§ 155.347).

Verified 2026-07-22 · Source

When you need this permit

  • Sign permit is only required if the Building Official or Planning Department specifically determines one is needed based on the sign's size, height, weight, or electrical connections (§ 155.346(A)); otherwise no permit is required
  • Construction documents showing dimensions, materials, and required construction details (loads, stresses, anchorage) filed with the Zoning Administrator and/or Building Official when a permit is required (§ 155.346(B))
  • Written consent of the property owner or lessee where the sign will be erected (§ 155.346(B))
  • Engineering calculations signed and sealed by a registered design professional where required by the International Building Code (§ 155.346(B))
  • Sign must not fall within the prohibited categories of § 155.345 (traffic-sign obstruction, right-of-way encroachment, blinking/flashing lights mimicking traffic signals, unpermitted portable signs, most vehicle/trailer-mounted advertising, non-temporary balloons/streamers/pinwheels, provocative content)
  • Compliance with the International Zoning Code's 'Specific Sign Requirements' and 'Signs for Development Complexes' sections, adopted by reference (§ 155.347)

Required documents

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Fee schedule

Sign Permit FeeZoning Ordinance § 155.346(D): 'Permit fees to erect, alter or relocate a sign shall be in accordance with the fee established by the Building Official.' A full-text review of the Garfield County Building Department Fees schedule (re-verified 2026-07-19 via Wayback Machine archive) found no distinct sign-permit fee line item, consistent with this section's silence on a set amount.
Set by the Building Official; no separate fixed amount published in the Zoning Ordinance

Review timeline

Plan review
Not published — contact the department

How long did your Sign Permit permit actually take in Unincorporated Garfield County?

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

Inspection process

  1. 1

    Sign Construction/Safety Inspection (if permitted)

    Where a permit was required due to size, height, weight, or electrical connections, the Building Official may inspect the completed sign for compliance with the approved construction documents; no standalone sign-inspection schedule is published separately from the general building inspection process.

See the full Unincorporated Garfield County inspection guide — scheduling & re-inspection fees →

Tips

  • Most signs in unincorporated Garfield County do NOT require a permit — § 155.346(A) exempts sign erection and maintenance from permitting by default, and only requires one if the Building Official or Planning Department flags the sign for its size, height, weight, or electrical connections.
  • Changing a sign's copy, business name, lettering, sign face, colors, or graphic content is explicitly NOT a 'structural alteration' requiring a new permit (§ 155.346(C)) — only structural alteration, enlargement, or relocation triggers the permit requirement.
  • Specific dimensional/design sign standards are adopted by reference from the International Zoning Code rather than spelled out directly in the county's own ordinance (§ 155.347) — consult that code or the Zoning Administrator for actual size/height/setback limits.
  • A short list of signs is fully exempt from the sign chapter regardless of permitting: official court/government notices, directional/warning signs authorized by government, memorial plaques and building-identification signs cut/carved into masonry, flags of government or noncommercial institutions, religious symbols/seasonal decorations, noncommercial fine art, and address signs under six square feet (§ 155.344).

Frequently asked questions

Unincorporated Garfield County requires a sign permit for: Sign permit is only required if the Building Official or Planning Department specifically determines one is needed based on the sign's size, height, weight, or electrical connections (§ 155.346(A)); otherwise no permit is required; Construction documents showing dimensions, materials, and required construction details (loads, stresses, anchorage) filed with the Zoning Administrator and/or Building Official when a permit is required (§ 155.346(B)); Written consent of the property owner or lessee where the sign will be erected (§ 155.346(B)); Engineering calculations signed and sealed by a registered design professional where required by the International Building Code (§ 155.346(B)); Sign must not fall within the prohibited categories of § 155.345 (traffic-sign obstruction, right-of-way encroachment, blinking/flashing lights mimicking traffic signals, unpermitted portable signs, most vehicle/trailer-mounted advertising, non-temporary balloons/streamers/pinwheels, provocative content); Compliance with the International Zoning Code's 'Specific Sign Requirements' and 'Signs for Development Complexes' sections, adopted by reference (§ 155.347). If your project isn't listed, confirm with Garfield County Building Department at (435) 676-1111 before starting work.

The Zoning Ordinance does not set a fixed sign-permit fee; § 155.346(D) states the fee is 'in accordance with the fee established by the Building Official,' and the county's published Building Department Fees schedule has no distinct sign-permit line item.

Unincorporated Garfield County does not publish a plan-review timeline for this permit. Contact Garfield County Building Department at (435) 676-1111 for current turnaround.

You'll need: Sign Permit Application / Construction Documents; Property Owner/Lessee Written Consent. Depending on your project, Unincorporated Garfield County may also ask for: Engineering Calculations. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Unincorporated Garfield County requires 1 inspection(s) for a sign permit, in order: Sign Construction/Safety Inspection (if permitted). Schedule each through Garfield County Building Department ((435) 676-1111).

Apply through Garfield County Building Department at Garfield County Courthouse, 55 South Main St, PO Box 77, Panguitch, UT 84759. Phone: (435) 676-1111, email: jared.woolsey@garfield.utah.gov. Office hours: Monday–Friday 8:00 AM–12:00 PM, 1:00 PM–5:00 PM (closed noon–1pm and all holidays). Official information: https://www.garfield.utah.gov/Departments/Building.

Unincorporated Garfield County, Utah has adopted: 2024 International Building Code (IBC), including Appendices C and J — Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(a); current edition as of July 1, 2026 (2021 edition governed through June 30, 2026); 2021 International Residential Code (IRC), plus Appendix AQ of the 2021 IRC — Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(b)/(c); unchanged by the July 1, 2026 revision — still the current edition; 2024 International Plumbing Code (IPC) — 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) — Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(e); current edition as of July 1, 2026 (2021 edition governed through June 30, 2026); 2024 International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC) — 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) — 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) — 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 Garfield County's own building-department pages, but it is adopted statewide by statute, so it applies here regardless of the county page's omission.; 2023 National Electrical Code (NEC) — Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(g); statewide in force, unchanged by the July 1, 2026 revision; Utah Wildland Urban Interface Code — adopted under Utah Code § 15A-2-103; Garfield County charges a WUI plan review fee (one per parcel); 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) 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 Garfield County overview page for the full list.

No. Per Zoning Ordinance § 155.346(A), a sign permit is not required by default — it is only required if the Building Official or Planning Department determines one is needed because of the sign's size, height, weight, or electrical connections.

Sources & verification

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

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