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Sign Permit in Washington City, Utah

Required in Washington City to paint, mark, post, or otherwise affix a sign to any public or private land or structure, or to physically change/modify an existing sign to add new or additional features, per Washington City Code § 9-18-6 (Chapter 18, Signs). Governed by a dedicated sign chapter of the zoning title rather than folded silently into the building permit. Per § 9-18-6(D), the application is assessed a 'planning review fee' plus a fee under the Building Permit Fee Table; the city's published Planning-Zoning-Economic Development fee schedule (the Master Fee Schedule's 'Maps/Land Use' tab, 'CUP, BOA & MISC.' section) lists that planning review fee by name — 'Sign Permit... $35.00' — with a separate 'Conditional Use Permit - Signs... $100.00' line for signs not specifically allowed under Chapter 18 and therefore requiring a conditional use permit per Title 9, Chapter 17.

Verified 2026-07-20 · Source

When you need this permit

  • Application submitted to the city on the city standard building permit form, per § 9-18-6(C)
  • Associated site plan and building elevation plans showing the locations, dimensions, materials, colors, and copy of all existing and proposed signs, per § 9-18-6(C)
  • Signs not specifically allowed under Chapter 18 require a conditional use permit, processed per the procedures in Title 9, Chapter 17
  • No sign may be located on or project over publicly owned land or inside existing/planned street rights of way identified in the city transportation master plan, per § 9-18-6(A)
  • Certain small, non-advertising signs on private property are exempt from the permit requirement, per § 9-18-15 — e.g., on-premises directional/instructional signs (max 4 sq ft, 4 ft height), no trespassing/no dumping signs (max 16 sq ft for a single sign, or up to 4 signs at 4 sq ft each per lot), and neighborhood identification signs/walls bearing only the neighborhood name and/or address

Required documents

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Fee schedule

Sign Permit (Planning Review Fee)
Washington City's Master Fee Schedule (Google Sheets publication, 'Maps/Land Use' tab — Planning-Zoning-Economic Development section, 'CUP, BOA & MISC.' table): 'Sign Permit... Show full citationWashington City's Master Fee Schedule (Google Sheets publication, 'Maps/Land Use' tab — Planning-Zoning-Economic Development section, 'CUP, BOA & MISC.' table): 'Sign Permit... $35.00.' This is the 'planning review fee' referenced by City Code § 9-18-6(D) ('All applications for permits filed with the city shall be assessed a planning review fee and a fee in accordance with the duly adopted building permit fee schedule of the city'). The columns on that tab do not copy and paste cleanly — read the figures from the published sheet as displayed rather than from a copy-paste.
$35.00
Conditional Use Permit - Signs
Same Master Fee Schedule 'Maps/Land Use' tab, 'CUP, BOA & MISC.' table: 'Conditional Use Permit - Signs... Show full citationSame Master Fee Schedule 'Maps/Land Use' tab, 'CUP, BOA & MISC.' table: 'Conditional Use Permit - Signs... $100.00... $1.50 for each mailing notice.' Applies when the proposed sign is not specifically allowed under Chapter 18 and must instead go through the Title 9, Chapter 17 conditional-use process — in addition to, not instead of, the $35.00 Sign Permit planning review fee.
$100.00
Building Permit Fee Table (if the sign also requires a building permit)
Washington City Code § 9-18-6(D) additionally assesses 'a fee in accordance with the duly adopted building permit fee schedule of the city' — the same valuation-based Building Permit Fee Table (Table… Show full citationWashington City Code § 9-18-6(D) additionally assesses 'a fee in accordance with the duly adopted building permit fee schedule of the city' — the same valuation-based Building Permit Fee Table (Table A/B) and 45% Plan Review Fee used elsewhere in this record, on top of the $35.00 Sign Permit planning review fee.
Per the city's duly adopted Building Permit Fee Table (see the residential/commercial building permit entries in this record), plus a 45% plan review fee

Review timeline

Plan review
Not published — contact the department

How long did your Sign Permit permit actually take in Washington City?

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

Inspection process

    See the full Washington City inspection guide — scheduling & re-inspection fees →

    Tips

    • A sign permit in Washington City is valid for 180 days from the time it is obtained; the zoning administrator may extend it if substantial effort toward completion is shown, per § 9-18-6(C).
    • Illuminated signs that let light penetrate beyond the property line so as to constitute a nuisance are subject to a public hearing before the Planning Commission if a neighboring owner or tenant complains, per § 9-18-6(E).
    • Any handbill or sign posted on public property in violation of Chapter 18 may be removed by a city official, and the responsible party is liable for the removal cost, per § 9-18-6(B).
    • Small non-advertising signs (on-premises directional/instructional, no trespassing/no dumping, and neighborhood identification signs/walls) are exempt from the permit requirement on private property, per § 9-18-15 — but off-premises or advertising signage is not covered by this exemption.
    • The sign permit's $35.00 planning review fee is separate from, and smaller than, the $100.00 Conditional Use Permit - Signs fee that applies only when the proposed sign isn't specifically allowed under Chapter 18 — most standard signs need only the $35.00 fee (plus a building-permit-schedule fee if construction is triggered).

    Frequently asked questions

    Washington City requires a sign permit for: Application submitted to the city on the city standard building permit form, per § 9-18-6(C); Associated site plan and building elevation plans showing the locations, dimensions, materials, colors, and copy of all existing and proposed signs, per § 9-18-6(C); Signs not specifically allowed under Chapter 18 require a conditional use permit, processed per the procedures in Title 9, Chapter 17; No sign may be located on or project over publicly owned land or inside existing/planned street rights of way identified in the city transportation master plan, per § 9-18-6(A); Certain small, non-advertising signs on private property are exempt from the permit requirement, per § 9-18-15 — e.g., on-premises directional/instructional signs (max 4 sq ft, 4 ft height), no trespassing/no dumping signs (max 16 sq ft for a single sign, or up to 4 signs at 4 sq ft each per lot), and neighborhood identification signs/walls bearing only the neighborhood name and/or address. If your project isn't listed, confirm with Washington City Building Department at (435) 656-6326 before starting work.

    The sign permit planning review fee is $35.00, per the city's published Master Fee Schedule ('Maps/Land Use' tab, 'CUP, BOA & MISC.' section, 'Sign Permit' line item) — this is the 'planning review fee' referenced by § 9-18-6(D). Per that same section, a fee under the city's Building Permit Fee Table also applies if the sign construction triggers a building permit. If a conditional use permit is required (for signs not specifically allowed under Chapter 18), an additional $100.00 Conditional Use Permit - Signs fee applies.

    Washington City does not publish a plan-review timeline for this permit. Contact Washington City Building Department at (435) 656-6326 for current turnaround.

    You'll need: City Standard Building Permit Form; Site Plan and Building Elevation Plans. Depending on your project, Washington City may also ask for: Conditional Use Permit Application. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

    Apply through Washington City Building Department at 111 N 100 E, Washington, UT 84780. Phone: (435) 656-6326. Office hours: Mon–Thu 7:30am–5:30pm, Fri 8am–Noon. Official information: https://washingtonutah.gov/development/building.

    Washington City, 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). Washington City Building Department's own 'Climatic and Geographic Design Criteria' notice was live-checked 2026-07-16 (raw HTML, not an AI summary) and STILL displays '2021 IBC' — the city page has NOT been updated to reflect the statewide 7/1/2026 transition; 2021 Utah State Residential Code (based on IRC) — REMAINS CURRENT; Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(b) did not change this edition in the 7/1/2026 amendment. Washington City's own page correctly still shows '2021 UTAH STATE RESIDENTIAL CODE'; Appendix AQ of the 2021 IRC — statewide per Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(c); not separately itemized on Washington City's own page, added here per statute; 2024 International Plumbing Code (IPC) — CURRENT statewide as of 7/1/2026 per Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(d). Washington City's own page was live-checked 2026-07-16 and STILL displays '2021 IPC' — the city page has NOT been updated; 2024 International Mechanical Code (IMC) — CURRENT statewide as of 7/1/2026 per Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(e). Washington City's own page was live-checked 2026-07-16 and STILL displays '2021 IMC' — the city page has NOT been updated; 2024 International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC, listed on city page as 'IFCI') — CURRENT statewide as of 7/1/2026 per Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(f). Washington City's own page was live-checked 2026-07-16 and STILL displays '2021 IFCI' — the city page has NOT been updated; 2023 National Electrical Code (NEC) — current; Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(g) did not change this edition in the 7/1/2026 amendment. The Washington City Building Department page states it directly: “MAY 7 2025 UPDATE OF ADOPTED CODES BY THE STATE OF UTAH: 2023 NEC code update,” superseding the 2020 NEC still shown struck through on that page. Most Washington County-area jurisdiction pages leave the electrical edition to be inferred from state law; this one states it on the page itself.; 2024 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), single unsplit statewide edition — CURRENT statewide as of 7/1/2026 per Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(h). Washington City's own page was live-checked 2026-07-16 and STILL displays '2021 IECC' — the city page has NOT been updated; Residential provisions of the 2024 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code (ISPSC) — CURRENT statewide as of 7/1/2026 per Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(n). Washington City's own page was live-checked 2026-07-16 and STILL displays '2021 ISPSC', and the city's Swimming Pool permit instructions (ISPSC sections 305.3.3/305.3.4, 807, 809, 323) likewise still cite the 2021 edition — the city has NOT updated either page; 2024 International Existing Building Code (IEBC) — statewide per Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(i); NOT listed at all on Washington City's own Building Department page, added here per statute since the City's own materials omit it entirely; ICC A117.1-2009 or 2017 (Accessibility Standard) — listed on Washington City Building Department page; not part of Utah Code § 15A-2-103's construction-code list, left unchanged; 2018 IBC construction-type valuation table (ICC Building Valuation Data) — used directly in the city's own published 'Square Foot Construction Costs Table B' on its fee schedule; a fee-calculation reference table, not a code edition, left unchanged; Utah Code § 15A-2-103, in the version effective 7/1/2026 (superseded 1/1/2027), makes the 2024 editions of the IBC, IPC, IMC, IFGC, IECC, IEBC and residential ISPSC the statewide codes; the IRC (2021) and NEC (2023) did not change. Washington City's own Building Department page (its 'Climatic and Geographic Design Criteria' notice) still displays 2021 editions for the IBC, IMC, IPC, IFGC, IECC and ISPSC — it has not been updated to reflect the statutory transition, unlike its NEC line, which was updated in May 2025. The governing codes are the statutory editions (2024/2021/2023 by subsection) under Utah's statewide-mandatory code regime (Utah Code § 15A-1-204); the City's own page text is preserved above as local-document context. Design to the statutory editions, and confirm with the Building Department before relying on the City page.. Local amendments apply — see the Washington City overview page for the full list.

    No distinct sign-permit application exists — Washington City Code § 9-18-6(C) requires the application to be submitted 'on the city standard building permit form,' along with a site plan and building elevation plans showing the location, dimensions, materials, colors, and copy of all existing and proposed signs.

    Yes. Per § 9-18-15, certain small non-advertising signs on private property don't need a permit: on-premises directional/instructional signs (up to 4 sq ft, 4 ft tall), no trespassing/no dumping signs (up to 16 sq ft for a single sign or up to 4 signs at 4 sq ft each per lot), and neighborhood identification signs or walls bearing only the neighborhood name and/or address.

    Sources & verification

    Verified against official sources. Last reviewed 2026-07-20.

    Fee schedules

    Codes & ordinances

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

    Property Access

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