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Sign Permit — Unincorporated San Juan County, Utah · Requirements sheet
Verified 2026-07-20 · Source: https://sanjuancountyut.gov/planning/page/san-juan-county-sign-permit
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 San Juan County, Utah
Required for constructing a sign in unincorporated San Juan County. The county publishes a dedicated Sign Permit Application (separate from its building permit forms), reviewed by the Planning & Building Department, with a real, published fee structure: free for most signs, but $10 for a commercial sign placed on state highway frontage (because approved applications for those signs are forwarded to UDOT District Four). Sign categories and dimensional standards are set out in the County Zoning Ordinance § 12-5 (Signs).
Verified 2026-07-20 · Source
When you need this permit
- Business (commercial) signs require approval of a 'Request for Business Sign Permit' and are governed by federal and state highway rules where applicable; the Planning Commission may cap sign area at 1 sq. ft. per linear foot of street frontage abutting the development, with any one sign for a business capped at 100 sq. ft. and no more than 3 signs per business (Zoning Ordinance § 12-5(1))
- Non-business signs are limited to no more than 2 signs per use or occupancy, with maximum total square footage by category: Development 40 sq ft, Civic 14 sq ft, Real Estate 32 sq ft, Residential 2 sq ft (Zoning Ordinance § 12-5(2))
- All signs must be flat wall or free-standing — no revolving or moving parts, and no flashing or intermittent lighting (Zoning Ordinance § 12-5(3))
- The Sign Permit Application requires: applicant name/address/phone, physical address and legal description of the sign location, sign type (Development, Civic, Real Estate, Residential, Commercial, or Other), construction type (flat wall or free-standing), business name if different from applicant, property ownership confirmation (or property owner's name/address if applicant is not the owner), and sign size
- Landowner signature is required in addition to the applicant's signature if the applicant does not own the property
- Applications are reviewed for zoning conformance and require sign-off before Planning Commission approval, per the form's own 'For County Use Only' section (zoning check, ownership verification, staff recommendation, then Planning Commission approval)
Required documents
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Fee schedule
Commercial sign on state highway frontageSan Juan County Sign Permit Application form, fee notice printed directly on the form: 'There is a $10.00 fee for all commercial signs that are placed on state highway frontage. A copy of the application, when approved, will be sent by the county to the Utah Department of Transportation District Four Headquarters.'
$10.00
All other sign typesSame source: 'For all other types of signs, there is no charge for the application.'
$0.00 (no charge)
Review timeline
Plan review
Not published — contact the department
Inspection process
See the full Unincorporated San Juan County inspection guide — scheduling & re-inspection fees →
Tips
- San Juan County's Sign Permit Application is a short, standalone one-page form distinct from its building permit paperwork — check the sign type box (Development, Civic, Real Estate, Residential, Commercial, or Other) and construction type (flat wall vs. free-standing) directly on the form.
- Only commercial signs on state highway frontage carry a fee ($10) — this is because the county forwards the approved application to UDOT District Four Headquarters for those signs specifically. All other sign types (development, civic, real estate, residential, other) are free to apply for.
- Non-business sign size caps are modest and category-specific: Real Estate signs can be up to 32 sq ft, but Residential signs are capped at just 2 sq ft, and no more than 2 signs are allowed per use/occupancy for any non-business category.
- Business signs get a larger allowance (up to 100 sq ft per sign, up to 3 signs) but that allowance is tied to the property's linear street frontage at a 1 sq ft per linear foot ratio, so a narrow-frontage lot may not reach the 100 sq ft cap in practice.
- This zoning ordinance dates to 2011 (still the version linked as 'CURRENT' from the county's own Planning page as of 2026-07-20) — confirm no more recent sign-specific amendment with the Planning & Building Department before relying on the exact square-footage figures for a significant project.
Frequently asked questions
Unincorporated San Juan County requires a sign permit for: Business (commercial) signs require approval of a 'Request for Business Sign Permit' and are governed by federal and state highway rules where applicable; the Planning Commission may cap sign area at 1 sq. ft. per linear foot of street frontage abutting the development, with any one sign for a business capped at 100 sq. ft. and no more than 3 signs per business (Zoning Ordinance § 12-5(1)); Non-business signs are limited to no more than 2 signs per use or occupancy, with maximum total square footage by category: Development 40 sq ft, Civic 14 sq ft, Real Estate 32 sq ft, Residential 2 sq ft (Zoning Ordinance § 12-5(2)); All signs must be flat wall or free-standing — no revolving or moving parts, and no flashing or intermittent lighting (Zoning Ordinance § 12-5(3)); The Sign Permit Application requires: applicant name/address/phone, physical address and legal description of the sign location, sign type (Development, Civic, Real Estate, Residential, Commercial, or Other), construction type (flat wall or free-standing), business name if different from applicant, property ownership confirmation (or property owner's name/address if applicant is not the owner), and sign size; Landowner signature is required in addition to the applicant's signature if the applicant does not own the property; Applications are reviewed for zoning conformance and require sign-off before Planning Commission approval, per the form's own 'For County Use Only' section (zoning check, ownership verification, staff recommendation, then Planning Commission approval). If your project isn't listed, confirm with San Juan County Planning & Building Department at (435) 587-3829 before starting work.
Most signs are free to apply for. The only fee is $10, and it applies specifically to commercial signs placed on state highway frontage — because the county forwards those approved applications to UDOT District Four Headquarters. This is stated directly on the county's Sign Permit Application form.
Unincorporated San Juan County does not publish a plan-review timeline for this permit. Contact San Juan County Planning & Building Department at (435) 587-3829 for current turnaround.
You'll need: San Juan County Sign Permit Application. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.
Apply through San Juan County Planning & Building Department at 117 South Main Street, P.O. Box 9, Monticello, UT 84535. Phone: (435) 587-3829, email: permits@sanjuancountyut.gov. Office hours: Monday–Friday 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM (San Juan County Administration Building, 117 South Main Street, Monticello — per San Juan County's official Contact Us / Administrative Office pages; the Building Department's own page does not separately publish office hours). Official information: https://sanjuancountyut.gov/building.
Unincorporated San Juan County, Utah has adopted: State of Utah construction codes adopted by reference — San Juan County's official Building Code Information page states verbatim: 'San Juan County has adopted the State of Utah codes as established in Title 15A, Chapters 1-5 of the Utah Code Annotated, as amended.' The county page does not enumerate individual code editions (IBC/IRC/IPC/IMC/IFGC/NEC/IECC) by year, so the current statutory statewide editions are cited directly below.; 2024 International Building Code (IBC) — statewide per Utah Code § 15A-2-103, effective 07/01/2026; 2021 International Residential Code (IRC) — statewide per Utah Code § 15A-2-103, effective 07/01/2026 (edition unchanged from prior cycle); 2024 International Plumbing Code (IPC) — statewide per Utah Code § 15A-2-103, effective 07/01/2026; 2024 International Mechanical Code (IMC) — statewide per Utah Code § 15A-2-103, effective 07/01/2026; 2024 International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC) — statewide per Utah Code § 15A-2-103, effective 07/01/2026; 2024 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) — statewide per Utah Code § 15A-2-103, effective 07/01/2026; 2024 International Existing Building Code (IEBC) — statewide per Utah Code § 15A-2-103, effective 07/01/2026; 2023 National Electrical Code (NEC) — statewide per Utah Code § 15A-2-103, effective 07/01/2026; Residential provisions of the 2024 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code — statewide per Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(n), effective 07/01/2026. Local amendments apply — see the Unincorporated San Juan County overview page for the full list.
It depends on the category. Business/commercial signs can be up to 100 sq ft each (up to 3 signs), based on 1 sq ft per linear foot of street frontage. Non-business signs are capped by category: Development 40 sq ft, Civic 14 sq ft, Real Estate 32 sq ft, and Residential just 2 sq ft, with no more than 2 signs per use, per County Zoning Ordinance Section 12-5.
Sources & verification
Verified against official sources. Last reviewed 2026-07-20.
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 San Juan County building department before you submit. PermitBase is an independent reference and is not affiliated with any government agency.
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