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Sign Code Summary

City of Goleta, CA

Local sign ordinance requirements — free, cited to the source section.

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Understanding sign regulations in City of Goleta, CA

Every outdoor sign in City of Goleta is governed by the municipality’s sign ordinance, which sets how large a sign may be, how tall it may stand, how far it must sit from the property line, whether it may be illuminated, and which sign types are permitted in each zoning district. This page summarizes those requirements in plain language and links each value back to the section of the City of Goleta code it came from.

Sign rules here are layered. The base zoning district — commercial, industrial, or residential — sets the default limits, and overlay districts such as historic or downtown districts can tighten them further. Because the most specific jurisdiction controls, a freestanding monument sign on a commercial parcel and a wall sign in a historic overlay can face very different limits even on the same street in City of Goleta.

Use the figures below as a fast first check, then run a full address lookup to confirm the exact limits for a specific parcel in City of Goleta, California. The full report also covers permit requirements, prohibited sign types, and illumination rules — each cited to the source ordinance so your permit application can reference it directly.

Before you order or install a sign in City of Goleta, confirm three things: the maximum sign area and height allowed in the parcel’s zoning district, the minimum setback from the right-of-way, and whether the sign type you want — freestanding, monument, wall, projecting, or awning — is permitted there at all. Many permit denials come from missing a setback or an overlay-district restriction rather than from the size of the sign itself, so checking the governing section before applying saves a costly resubmittal.

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Max ground sign height
Freestanding: 4 feet standard; up to 6 feet with an Overall Sign Plan
Ground sign setback
Monument sign setback: 10 ft

Awning Signs

Awning Sign Sf Calc
6 square feet maximum sign area
Awning Projection Clearance
8 feet minimum vertical clearance above sidewalk
Canopy Sign Maximum Area
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1 more awning signs rule in the full report →

Building Signs

Building Sign Formula
Wall sign area: 10 sq ft maximum
Wall Sign Max Number
One per street frontage or one per tenant space, whichever is greater
Wall Sign Rule
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Building Sign Illumination
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Building Sign Max Number
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3 more building signs rules in the full report →

Definitions

Measuring Sign Area Definition
The area of a sign face includes the entire area within the periphery of the sign, which is established by drawing not more than eight straight lines encompassing the extremities of the sign within the smallest possible area.
Mobile Billboards Definition
Any sign carried or conveyed by a vehicle for the primary purpose of general advertising for hire, excluding signs on taxis and buses.
Overall Sign Plan Definition
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Pole Signs Definition
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Address Sign Definition
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Animated Sign Definition
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Cabinet Or Can Sign Definition
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Change Of Business Sign Definition
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Commemorative Sign Definition
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Double Faced Sign Definition
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Electronic Changeable Copy Definition
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Human Directional Sign Definition
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Illumination Definition
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Menu Displays Definition
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Permit Required Definition
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Sign Design Principles Definition
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Signage Allowances For Specific Uses And Special Sign Definition
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Signs Located In The Public Right Of Way Or On Public Property Definition
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Signs That Produce Noise Or Emissions Definition
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Single Faced Sign Definition
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Sponsorship Sign Definition
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Subdivision Sign Definition
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Window Sign Definition
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21 more definitions rules in the full report →

Directional Signs

Directional Max Height
3 feet maximum height including support structure
Directional Sign Maximum Area
Directional Signs: Directional signs that do not exceed two square feet.
Directional Max Size
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1 more directional signs rule in the full report →

General Standards

Max Sign Area Per Frontage
Maximum sign area per zoning district: Commercial: 1 sq ft per lineal foot of street frontage; Office: 0.5 sq ft per lineal foot; Industrial: 0.5 sq ft per lineal foot; Public and Quasi Public: 0.5 sq ft per lineal foot
Abandoned Sign Removal
An on-premises sign advertising an activity, business, service, or product must be removed within 90 days following the discontinuance of the activity, business, service, or product. Failure to remove may result in removal by the Code Enforcement Officer
Abandonment Of Nonconforming Sign Removal Requirement
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Freestanding Rule
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Interior Sign Rule
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Multi Faced Sign Requirement
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Non Commercial Sign Maximum Area
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One Time Event Sign Maximum Area
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6 more general standards rules in the full report →

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Ground Signs

Ground Sign Type
Monument sign permitted; Pole sign not permitted
Ground Sign Formula
Monument sign area: 32 sq ft maximum
Ground Sign Setback
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Max Outdoor Vending Machines Per Lot
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Outdoor Vending Machine Signage
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Ground Sign Max Height
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4 more ground signs rules in the full report →

Permit Process

Portable Sign Permit Requirement
Portable Signs: Portable signs are prohibited in all City rights-of-way unless issued an Encroachment Permit.
Triangulation Requirements
No sign may be installed or displayed in intersection visibility triangles

Prohibited Signs

Signs Obstructing Pedestrian Use
Signs mounted or displayed in such a manner that blocks or impedes the normal pedestrian use or public sidewalks. A minimum unobstructed width of four feet must be maintained on sidewalks at all times

Temporary Signs

Temp Sign Rules
Protected Non-Commercial Speech Signs: maximum 4 feet height and 6 sq ft area (doubled to 12 sq ft during election period), removed 15 days after election
Construction Sign Max Height
non-residential zones; zones non-residential: 6 ft max height within non-residential zones
Electronic Copy Max Number
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Temporary Sign Approval
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Temporary Sign Exemptions
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Protected Non Commercial Speech Sign Maximum Area
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Temp Signs Allowed
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Temp Sign Rules
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6 more temporary signs rules in the full report →

Zoning

Flag Lots Allowance
In all zoning districts, signage for a flag lot may be grouped with the signage for businesses on either of the neighboring properties.
Maximum Sign Area Maximum Area
Maximum Sign Area: The maximum allowable sign area for permanent signs, exclusive of area of exempt signs, is based on the Zoning District in which the sign is located and the type of sign to be used.

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