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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), fetched and rendered directly: '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'). Confirmed by rendering the published sheet to an image — a first pass using pdftotext -layout on this same tab mis-jumbled the columns and had misread this line as $300.00; the correct value, verified visually against the source table, is $35.00.
$35.00
Conditional Use Permit - SignsSame 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 A/B) and 45% Plan Review Fee used elsewhere in this file, 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 file), 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 (live-checked 2026-07-16) 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) — REMAINS CURRENT; Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(g) did not change this edition in the 7/1/2026 amendment. Washington City Building Department page explicitly updated 'MAY 7 2025 UPDATE OF ADOPTED CODES BY THE STATE OF UTAH: 2023 NEC code update' (superseding the previously listed 2020 NEC, still shown struck-through/superseded on the live page as of 2026-07-16); this is one of the few Washington County-area jurisdiction pages independently confirmed current on the electrical code edition, not just inferred from state law; 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 (live-checked 2026-07-16), 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; NOTE (2026-07-16 re-verification): The 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. Washington City's own Building Department page ('Climatic and Geographic Design Criteria' notice) was independently re-fetched 2026-07-16 (raw HTML, not an AI summary, to guard against summarizer fabrication) and STILL displays 2021 editions for IBC/IMC/IPC/IFCI(IFGC)/IECC/ISPSC — confirmed NOT updated to reflect the statutory transition, unlike its NEC line which was separately updated in May 2025. This file now states the governing statutory codes (2024/2021/2023 editions per subsection) as current per Utah's statewide-mandatory code regime (Utah Code § 15A-1-204), while preserving the City's own (lagging) page text above as historical/local-document context. The Utah Code § 15A-2-103 citation in the sources array below has been updated to the current in-force version link. 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.

    Other permits in Washington City

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