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PermitBase

Sign Permit in Unincorporated Wayne County, Utah

Required for erecting, moving, reconstructing, enlarging, or structurally altering a sign in unincorporated Wayne County, governed by a dedicated Chapter 19, SIGN STANDARDS, of the Wayne County Zoning Ordinance (A Land Use Ordinance, Effective January 1, 2011). A sign requires BOTH a Land Use Application (Permitted P-1 Sign, Permitted P-2 Sign, or Conditional Sign Application, depending on the nature of the associated use) AND a valid Building Permit issued by the Building Official (Section 1902(3), Section 1903). No sign-specific dollar fee is published in the ordinance itself — Land Use Application fees are set separately by BOCC Resolution per Chapter 14 of the county's Administrative Manual, which does not embed a fee table in the ordinance text.

Reviewed 2026-07-20 · Source

When you need this permit

  • No sign shall be erected, moved, reconstructed, enlarged, or structurally altered except in compliance with Chapter 19 (Section 1902(1))
  • A valid Land Use Application (Permitted P-1 Sign, Permitted P-2 Sign, or Conditional Sign Application, depending on the nature of the associated use) must be approved by the applicable Land Use Authority before a sign may be erected (Section 1902(3), Section 1908, Section 1909)
  • A valid Building Permit must also be issued by the Building Official before a sign may be erected, moved, reconstructed, enlarged, or structurally altered, unless allowed as a Limited Sign (Section 1903(1)-(2))
  • No part of any sign may be within 3 feet of any road/street right-of-way or utility easement, and must maintain required clearances from power lines (Section 1902(4))
  • No sign may interfere with fire protection appliances or obstruct a fire lane (Section 1902(5))
  • No sign may be located in a clear-view area or create a traffic hazard (Section 1902(6))
  • Electrical sign components must be installed by a licensed and bonded electrical contractor or sign contractor (Section 1904(2))
  • The type of sign allowed is governed by Table 19-1, Allowed Signs, by zoning district; certain signs are exempt per Table 19-5, Exempt Signs
  • A valid business license is required for all businesses advertised on a sign within the county (Section 1906)

Required documents

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Fee schedule

Filing fee
Not published — contact the department

Review timeline

Plan review
Not published — contact the department

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

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Inspection process

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

    Tips

    • A sign in unincorporated Wayne County needs TWO separate approvals, not one: a Land Use Application (Permitted P-1, Permitted P-2, or Conditional Sign Application, depending on the associated use) AND a Building Permit from the Building Official — per Sections 1902(3) and 1903 of the county's Land Use Ordinance.
    • Which Land Use Authority decides your sign application depends on the type: the Zoning Administrator decides Permitted P-1 Sign Applications, the Planning Commission decides Permitted P-2 Sign Applications, and the BOCC decides Conditional Sign Applications (Chapter 19, Section 1909).
    • No sign-specific dollar fee is published anywhere on the county's website — Wayne County's Administrative Manual reserves a chapter for a Land Use Application fee schedule set by separate BOCC Resolution, but that dollar table isn't embedded in the ordinance document, the county's document library, or the Building Permit Application form. Confirm current fees directly with the Building Department, (435) 836-1302.
    • Roof-mounted signs, off-premise signs (including billboards), and flashing/pulsating signs are all prohibited outright under Section 1914 — not just discouraged.
    • A sign is considered abandoned and must be removed if the use, business, or activity it advertised has ceased or vacated the property for one calendar year or more (Section 1916).

    Frequently asked questions

    Unincorporated Wayne County requires a sign permit for: No sign shall be erected, moved, reconstructed, enlarged, or structurally altered except in compliance with Chapter 19 (Section 1902(1)); A valid Land Use Application (Permitted P-1 Sign, Permitted P-2 Sign, or Conditional Sign Application, depending on the nature of the associated use) must be approved by the applicable Land Use Authority before a sign may be erected (Section 1902(3), Section 1908, Section 1909); A valid Building Permit must also be issued by the Building Official before a sign may be erected, moved, reconstructed, enlarged, or structurally altered, unless allowed as a Limited Sign (Section 1903(1)-(2)); No part of any sign may be within 3 feet of any road/street right-of-way or utility easement, and must maintain required clearances from power lines (Section 1902(4)); No sign may interfere with fire protection appliances or obstruct a fire lane (Section 1902(5)); No sign may be located in a clear-view area or create a traffic hazard (Section 1902(6)); Electrical sign components must be installed by a licensed and bonded electrical contractor or sign contractor (Section 1904(2)); The type of sign allowed is governed by Table 19-1, Allowed Signs, by zoning district; certain signs are exempt per Table 19-5, Exempt Signs; A valid business license is required for all businesses advertised on a sign within the county (Section 1906). If your project isn't listed, confirm with Wayne County Building Department at (435) 836-1302 before starting work.

    Unincorporated Wayne County does not publish a plan-review timeline for this permit. Contact Wayne County Building Department at (435) 836-1302 for current turnaround.

    You'll need: Permitted P-1 Sign, Permitted P-2 Sign, or Conditional Sign Application; Building Permit Application. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

    Apply through Wayne County Building Department at 18 South Main St, PO Box 189, Loa, UT 84747. Phone: (435) 836-1302. Office hours: Monday–Friday 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM (closed 12:30–1:00 PM for lunch); Wayne County Courthouse hours per County Offices page. Official information: https://waynecountyutah.gov/pages/county-offices.

    Unincorporated Wayne County, 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; 2021 International Residential Code (IRC) — Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(b); REMAINS CURRENT, UNCHANGED by the 7/1/2026 amendment; Appendix AQ of the 2021 IRC — statewide per Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(c); not itemized on any Wayne County page found, 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) — CURRENT statewide as of 7/1/2026 per Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(f); supersedes the 2021 edition previously listed here; 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); supersedes the 2021 edition previously listed here; 2024 International Existing Building Code (IEBC) — CURRENT statewide as of 7/1/2026 per Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(i); supersedes the 2021 edition previously listed here; Residential provisions of the 2024 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code (ISPSC) — statewide per Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(n); not itemized on any Wayne County page found, added here per statute since this file had previously omitted it entirely; 2023 National Electrical Code (NEC) — Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(g); statewide in force, UNCHANGED by the 7/1/2026 amendment; MBI 1200 and MBI 1205 (manufactured/modular construction standards) — statewide per Utah Code § 15A-2-103(1)(o); not itemized on any Wayne County page found, added here per statute since this file had previously omitted it entirely; 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. This entry previously described the 2024-cycle codes in future tense ('effective through June 30, 2026' / codes 'effective July 1, 2026'); that date has now passed, so IBC/IPC/IMC/IFGC/IECC/IEBC/residential ISPSC are now stated as CURRENT (2024 editions), while IRC (2021) and NEC (2023) remain unchanged. These are statewide mandatory minimum codes adopted by reference; Wayne County has not published any local code amendments or its own code-edition page beyond referencing the statewide codes generally, so there is no city-page lag to record..

    Yes, and it requires two separate approvals: a Land Use Application (a Permitted P-1 Sign, Permitted P-2 Sign, or Conditional Sign Application depending on the associated use, per Wayne County Zoning Ordinance Chapter 19) and a Building Permit from the Building Official, unless the sign qualifies as a Limited Sign.

    Not published in the ordinance text itself. Wayne County's Administrative Manual states that Land Use Application fees are set by separate BOCC Resolution, but no dollar figure for signs is embedded in the ordinance document. Contact the Wayne County Building Department, (435) 836-1302, for the current fee.