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Sign Permit in Vernal, Utah

Required in Vernal City before erecting or placing most signs, per Vernal City Zoning Code (Title 16) § 16.28.100 (Chapter 28, Sign Regulations): 'Regardless of the value or cost of a sign, no sign shall be erected or placed within Vernal City without first making application for and obtaining a permit for said sign,' with specific exemptions. This is a Planning-Division zoning permit layered on top of, not a substitute for, any building permit the sign construction otherwise requires — § 16.28.100 states the sign permit 'shall be in addition to any other building permit required.' There is no separate flat sign-permit fee line item in Vernal's official Building Permit Fees table, and Vernal City Council Resolution 2018-09 (amending the City's building-permit Charges for Services to waive fees for blade signs in the CC-1 zone) confirms why: it expressly lists 'Blade sign permits for businesses in the CC-1 zone' as one of the categories of 'building permit fees normally assessed' under the same Charges for Services resolution that produces the valuation-based table below — i.e., sign permits that trigger a building permit are governed by, and charged under, that same general resolution rather than a distinct sign fee schedule.

Verified 2026-07-20 · Source

When you need this permit

  • Application made and a permit obtained before erecting or placing a sign, regardless of the sign's value or cost, per § 16.28.100
  • Exempt from the permit requirement (but still subject to the chapter's other standards): window signs, political posters, temporary signs, nameplates/identification signs for an approved home occupation, property identification signs, and yard sale signs, per § 16.28.100
  • Any sign permit obtained is in addition to, not a substitute for, any other building permit required for the sign's construction, per § 16.28.100
  • Sign area for a two-or-fewer-face sign is the total area of one face; for signs with more than two faces, the combined face area may not exceed the maximum allowable area multiplied by two, per § 16.28.015
  • Signs along or read from a state or federal highway must comply with all applicable state and federal regulations, per § 16.28.015
  • All signs must comply with Vernal City Code § 16.24.170 regarding public rights-of-way, easements, driveways, and other accesses, per § 16.28.015
  • Monument and wall signs are permitted only in the R-3 and R-4 residential zones and require a conditional use permit for each sign (one monument and one wall sign per parcel, identifying apartments or professional office buildings only), per § 16.28.020
  • Residential development entrance signs exceeding 5 feet in height and 10 feet in width require a conditional use permit with a site plan showing property dimensions/setbacks, utilities, a landscaping plan, surrounding structures within 300 feet, and sign elevations, per § 16.28.020

Required documents

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Fee schedule

Building Permit Fee — valuation-based (Vernal City table)Vernal City's official 'Fees: Building Permits' PDF (vernal.gov/DocumentCenter/View/882/Building-Permit-Fees) was re-checked directly and contains no separate 'sign' line item anywhere in the document — signs that also require a building permit are assessed on the same general valuation-based table used for new construction and the Miscellaneous Permit entry in this file. Vernal City Zoning Code § 16.28.100 does not itself state a dollar amount for the zoning sign permit. This is confirmed as the correct (not merely default) fee mechanism by City Council Resolution 2018-09, which amends the same Charges for Services resolution that sets this valuation table and, in doing so, refers to 'building permit fees normally assessed for the construction... of... Blade sign permits for businesses in the CC-1 zone' — i.e., the City's own resolution treats sign permits as billed under this general building-permit fee table, not a distinct sign-fee schedule. Also re-checked Resolution 2016-03 (Charges for Services — Building Permit Fees, the base resolution underlying the current PDF table) directly; it likewise contains no separate sign line item, consistent with signs riding the general valuation table.
$1–$500: $49.50 flat. $501–$2,000: $49.50 for the first $500 + $2.75 per additional $100 (or fraction). $2,001–$25,000: $91.00 for the first $2,000 + $12.75 per additional $1,000 (or fraction). $25,001–$50,000: $352.00 for the first $25,000 + $9.25 per additional $1,000. $50,001–$100,000: $580.00 for the first $50,000 + $6.75 per additional $1,000. $100,001–$500,000: $895.00 for the first $100,000 + $5.50 per additional $1,000. $500,001–$1,000,000: $2,855.00 for the first $500,000 + $4.50 per additional $1,000. $1,000,001 and up: $4,995.00 for the first $1,000,000 + $3.00 per additional $1,000.

Review timeline

Plan review
Not published — contact the department

How long did your Sign Permit permit actually take in Vernal?

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Inspection process

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    Tips

    • A sign permit in Vernal is layered on top of, not a replacement for, any building permit the sign's construction otherwise requires — Vernal City Zoning Code § 16.28.100 states the sign permit 'shall be in addition to any other building permit required.'
    • Window signs, political posters, most temporary signs, home-occupation nameplates, property identification signs, and yard sale signs do not need a sign permit, per § 16.28.100 — but all other signs need one 'regardless of the value or cost of a sign.'
    • Monument and wall signs in residential zones are restricted to the R-3 and R-4 zones, limited to one of each per parcel, and require a conditional use permit — confirm zoning before assuming a residential sign is permit-eligible by right.
    • No dedicated sign-permit fee line item was found in Vernal's official Building Permit Fees PDF — if the sign also triggers a building permit, expect the same general valuation-based fee table used for new construction. City Council Resolution 2018-09 confirms this is the actual governing mechanism: it references 'blade sign permits' as one of the categories charged under the same building-permit Charges for Services resolution, not a separate sign-fee schedule.

    Frequently asked questions

    Vernal requires a sign permit for: Application made and a permit obtained before erecting or placing a sign, regardless of the sign's value or cost, per § 16.28.100; Exempt from the permit requirement (but still subject to the chapter's other standards): window signs, political posters, temporary signs, nameplates/identification signs for an approved home occupation, property identification signs, and yard sale signs, per § 16.28.100; Any sign permit obtained is in addition to, not a substitute for, any other building permit required for the sign's construction, per § 16.28.100; Sign area for a two-or-fewer-face sign is the total area of one face; for signs with more than two faces, the combined face area may not exceed the maximum allowable area multiplied by two, per § 16.28.015; Signs along or read from a state or federal highway must comply with all applicable state and federal regulations, per § 16.28.015; All signs must comply with Vernal City Code § 16.24.170 regarding public rights-of-way, easements, driveways, and other accesses, per § 16.28.015; Monument and wall signs are permitted only in the R-3 and R-4 residential zones and require a conditional use permit for each sign (one monument and one wall sign per parcel, identifying apartments or professional office buildings only), per § 16.28.020; Residential development entrance signs exceeding 5 feet in height and 10 feet in width require a conditional use permit with a site plan showing property dimensions/setbacks, utilities, a landscaping plan, surrounding structures within 300 feet, and sign elevations, per § 16.28.020. If your project isn't listed, confirm with Vernal City Building Division (Planning & Development Department) at (435) 789-2271 before starting work.

    Vernal's Zoning Code does not state a dollar figure for the sign permit itself, and the City's official Building Permit Fees table has no separate line item for signs. If the sign also requires a building permit, that portion is assessed on the same general valuation-based fee table used for new construction (e.g., $91.00 for the first $2,000 of valuation plus $12.75 per additional $1,000 in the $2,001–$25,000 bracket). City Council Resolution 2018-09 confirms this valuation table is in fact the governing fee mechanism for sign permits — it refers to 'blade sign permits' as one of the categories of 'building permit fees normally assessed' under the same Charges for Services resolution.

    Vernal does not publish a plan-review timeline for this permit. Contact Vernal City Building Division (Planning & Development Department) at (435) 789-2271 for current turnaround.

    You'll need: Sign Permit Application. Depending on your project, Vernal may also ask for: Conditional Use Permit Application; Site Plan (for CUP-triggering signs). See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

    Apply through Vernal City Building Division (Planning & Development Department) at 374 East Main Street, Vernal, UT 84078. Phone: (435) 789-2271. Official information: https://www.vernal.gov/191/Building.

    Vernal, Utah has adopted: 2024 International Building Code (IBC), including Appendices C and J — CURRENT statewide as of 7/1/2026 per Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(a); supersedes the 2021 edition previously listed here. Vernal's own Building Division page (live-checked 2026-07-16) still does not list specific code edition years, describing only 'the Building Code' generically (electrical, plumbing, mechanical systems; energy conservation; fire safety; accessibility; structural requirements; wind resistance). No Vernal-specific ordinance publicly enumerating edition years was located — this entry follows the statewide baseline used consistently elsewhere in this corpus rather than asserting a city-specific adoption date that could not be independently verified.; 2021 International Residential Code (IRC) — REMAINS CURRENT; Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(b) did not change this edition in the 7/1/2026 statewide transition. Vernal's Residential Building Permits page confirms 'The International Residential Code is used for the minimum design standards for construction' without specifying an edition year.; Appendix AQ of the 2021 IRC — statewide per Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(c); not itemized on Vernal's own Building Division pages, added here per statute.; 2024 International Plumbing Code (IPC) — CURRENT statewide as of 7/1/2026 per Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(d); supersedes the 2021 edition previously listed here.; 2024 International Mechanical Code (IMC) — CURRENT statewide as of 7/1/2026 per Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(e); supersedes the 2021 edition previously listed here.; 2024 International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC) — statewide per Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(f); not itemized on Vernal's own Building Division pages, added here per statute since the City's own materials omit it.; 2024 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), single unsplit statewide edition, with Utah amendments — CURRENT statewide as of 7/1/2026 per Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(h); supersedes the 2021 edition previously listed here.; 2023 National Electrical Code (NEC) — REMAINS CURRENT; Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(g) did not change this edition in the 7/1/2026 statewide transition (also consistent with Utah State Fire Marshal adoption).; 2024 International Existing Building Code (IEBC) — statewide per Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(i); not itemized on Vernal's own Building Division pages, added here per statute since the City's own materials omit it.; Residential provisions of the 2024 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code (ISPSC) — statewide per Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(n); not itemized on Vernal's own Building Division pages, added here per statute since the City's own materials omit it.; NOTE (2026-07-16 re-verification): Utah Code § 15A-2-103, version effective 7/1/2026 (superseded 1/1/2027), took effect 15 days before this re-verification. IBC/IPC/IMC/IFGC/IECC/IEBC/residential ISPSC are now 2024 statewide; IRC (2021) and NEC (2023) did NOT change. Vernal's Building Division page (vernal.gov/191/Building) was live-checked 2026-07-16 and still lists no specific code edition years at all — so no page-vs-statute lag could be detected; the statute is cited directly as governing throughout, unchanged from this file's prior no-lag finding.. Local amendments apply — see the Vernal overview page for the full list.

    Yes, for most signs. Vernal City Zoning Code § 16.28.100 states no sign may be erected or placed without first obtaining a permit, regardless of its value or cost — except window signs, political posters, most temporary signs, home-occupation nameplates, property identification signs, and yard sale signs, which are exempt.

    Other permits in Vernal

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