Richmond, CA

Appeals

Appeals

A person may appeal decisions on sign permits, master sign programs, variances, or enforcement as provided in the zoning administration procedures for appeals.

Authority

Municipal Sign Article

Richmond Article 15.04.609 is the city's Sign Article and regulates signs on private property within Richmond's jurisdictional boundaries in all zoning districts and specific-plan areas unless superseded.

Compliance Required

In all zones, only signs specifically permitted by Article 15.04.609 may be placed, erected, maintained, displayed, or used; all other signs are prohibited.

Enforcement Authority

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Awning Signs

Awning Sign Sf Calc

Maximum 25% coverage for the sloping plane

Awning Projection Clearance

8 ft. minimum clearance above sidewalk or walkway

Awning Sign Sf Calc

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Awning Projection Clearance

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Building Signs

Building Sign Max Number

One wall sign per building

Building Sign Illumination

Illumination is permitted subject to the Article's lighting standards; freestanding and building-mounted electronic signs and digital displays are prohibited except for fuel price signs and readerboard/electronic message center signs that meet the Article standards.

Building Sign Formula

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Construction

Materials Mounting Electrical

Signs must be sturdy and durable; deteriorating materials are limited to temporary signs. Permanent signs must be firmly anchored and comply with safety/building codes, maintain utility clearances, and conceal external conduits, boxes, and related connections.

Uniform Sign Code

Richmond adopts the Uniform Sign Code as part of Article 15.04.609 for sign construction and related standards, subject to local amendments and administration.

Contact

Planning Division Contact

Richmond Planning Division sign permit checklist contact: phone (510) 620-6706, fax (510) 620-6858, 450 Civic Center Plaza, Richmond, California 94804-1630, P.O. Box 4046, www.ci.richmond.ca.us/planning.

Building Division Contact

Richmond Building Division page identifies inspection requests at 510-447-1156, permit appointments at (510) 620-6868, and permitting questions by email at permittechs@ci.richmond.ca.us.

Content

Message Substitution

Noncommercial messages may substitute for any duly permitted commercial message or other noncommercial message without additional approvals, but substitution does not increase signage, alter permit requirements, alter structures, or authorize off-site commercial messages.

Definitions

Sign Definition

A sign is a device, structure, or fixture with graphics, symbols, or written copy visible to the public and intended to communicate information; certain architectural, cemetery, vehicle/vessel, personal-appearance, and embedded-symbol items are excluded.

Freestanding Monument Pylon

Freestanding signs stand on the ground or a support other than a building; monument signs are low-profile freestanding signs on a planter/pedestal base; pylon signs are freestanding signs supported by solid monumental structures or pylons.

Electronic Signs

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Temporary Wall Window

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Design

Design Principles

Sign permits and master sign programs are reviewed for architectural compatibility, legibility, visibility, and placement that avoids covering architectural details, obstructing windows/doors, or disrupting visual order.

District Specific

Any District Signs

In any district, park/playground/athletic-field fence signs may be up to 16 square feet with no more than two signs per eight linear feet of fence, and temporary signs are limited to 16 square feet per lot equivalent and 90 days.

Residential Without Permit

Residential districts allow without permit small wall signs on one- and two-family buildings, non-illuminated freestanding signs up to 1.5 square feet and six feet high on developed residential lots, one six-square-foot multi-tenant entrance wall sign, and limited weekend/holiday portable signs.

Residential With Permit

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Commercial Without Permit

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Awning Projecting Signs

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Blade Signs

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Marquee Signs

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Other Districts

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Electronic Message

Readerboard Signs

Readerboard signs with manually or electronically changeable copy may be displayed in lieu of building or freestanding signs. Residential or residential-visible signs cannot change more than twice per 24 hours; public assembly and entertainment uses have site-size based area/height limits, and public assembly readerboard copy may be limited to one change per 24 hours and no illumination from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m.

Emc Location Size

EMC signs are allowed only in commercial complexes 10 acres or larger and approved entertainment-use parcels 15 acres or larger with a conditional use permit; they must front routes of regional significance, excluding highways/freeways, and may not face a residential zoning district.

Emc Operating Standards

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Enforcement

Violations Nuisance Abatement

Violations of Article 15.04.609 may be declared a nuisance and enforced or abated under the article's violation and abatement provisions.

Exempt

Flags

Flags are exempt if not in required side-yard setbacks, limited to one per lot/lot equivalent, pole height is max 30 feet or closest lot-line distance plus two feet unless approved, and size is max 48 square feet; pennants, banners, feather banners, fringes, and streamers are temporary signs.

Small Mobile Window Signs

Exempt signs include mobile vendor signs up to eight square feet plus menu display board, signs less than four square feet, and nonresidential window signs that do not obstruct more than 25 percent of an individual window or more than 10 percent of total frontage fenestration.

Freestanding

Commercial Freestanding Signs

Freestanding signs are allowed in specified CM/CR/CG/CC/industrial/PA districts with permit; maximum area is 20 square feet and maximum height is 10 feet, with a required landscaped planter around the base.

Freeway Oriented Shopping Center Signs

Freeway-oriented signs associated with shopping centers with at least 500,000 square feet of commercial space may be allowed up to 1,000 square feet and 60 feet high with a conditional use permit and master sign program.

General

Maximum Sign Area By Zone

Residential districts allow one freestanding and one building sign per lot; commercial/mixed-use districts allow one square foot per linear foot of building frontage per frontage, up to 1.5 square feet for large shopping centers with approved MSP; industrial districts allow 0.5 square foot per linear foot of building frontage.

Changeable Copy

Non-electronic changeable copy may represent no more than 20 percent of total allowable sign area and copy may not change more than once every 24 hours.

Ground Signs

Ground Sign Type

Freestanding sign, including monument signs and pylon signs.

Ground Sign Formula

Freestanding sign: max 20 square feet.

Ground Sign Max Height

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Historic

Historic Signs

City Council may designate historic signs after public hearing and Historic Preservation Commission recommendation; signs must meet criteria such as 50 or more years old and significance to Richmond, and may be structurally improved or repaired/replaced with original area and height even if nonconforming.

Illumination

Illumination Standards

Illuminated signs must avoid negative impacts on rights-of-way and properties; light cannot be a nuisance for residential buildings in direct line of sight; external light must be shielded/filtered, mercury vapor is not permitted, incandescent is generally prohibited except historic-character signs, and signs adjacent to residential areas must be dimmable to reduce glare.

Location

Building Window Canopy Sign Locations

Building signs must be on and parallel to building walls/canopy fascia/mansard roof abutting the identified use; window signs must be on or within 24 inches of the inner window surface; under-canopy/shingle signs require seven-foot clearance, or eight feet when projecting over public right-of-way.

Projection And Encroachment

Building signs generally may not project more than 12 inches from the building face; neighborhood commercial perpendicular signs may be four square feet and project up to 30 inches with eight-foot clearance; all permanent signs projecting over or into public right-of-way require an encroachment permit.

Maintenance

Closed Business Signs

Closed business signs are signs advertising a vacated building or ceased use more than 30 days after vacancy/cessation and must be removed or completely obscured with solid securely fastened material painted to match the building.

Sign Maintenance

Signs and sign structures must be maintained in good repair and safe condition, with repairs, painting, repainting, cleaning, and replacement of defective parts as needed.

Master Sign Program

Msp Required

A Design Review Board-approved Master Sign Program is required for multi-tenant centers/buildings/developments with six or more tenant spaces, major rehabilitation/additions to nonresidential projects with five or more tenants meeting size/sign-change thresholds, Planning Division special-circumstance determinations, and freeway-oriented sign programs.

Msp Submittals And Effect

MSP applications must include site plans, maximum total and individual sign area/height/freestanding-number computations, proposed and remaining sign locations, color/lettering/graphic style, lighting/materials, dimensions, and standards for future tenants; after approval, signs must conform to the program and individual sign permits are still required.

Measurement

Single Face Area

Single-faced sign area includes the area within one continuous perimeter enclosing all sign elements including structures/borders, copy, logos, symbols, trademarks, illustrations, lighted surface, and color; bases/columns without lettering or graphics are excluded.

Double Multi Face Area

For double-faced signs two feet or less apart or at an interior angle of 45 degrees or less, only one face counts; otherwise both faces count. Three-faced signs may count largest plus smallest face when an interior angle is 45 degrees or less; otherwise all faces count.

Frontage Height Clearance

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Nonconforming

Nonconforming Signs

Nonconforming signs are legally existing signs that do not conform to Article 15.04.609; they are governed by the nonconforming sign provisions for maintenance, repair, alteration, and loss of nonconforming status.

Permit

Design Review Required

Unless exempt, design and placement of any permanent sign for a non-residential use is subject to design review at the Director or Design Review Board level associated with the use.

Sign Permit Required

A Zoning Administrator permit is required to erect, construct, install, structurally alter, or relocate any non-exempt sign. Signs projecting over or into a public street or sidewalk more than eight inches require a City encroachment permit.

Permit Application Contents

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Permit Review Timing

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Multiple Temporary Signs

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City Checklist Submittals

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Permit Process

Triangulation Requirements

A-Frame signs are prohibited in sight visibility triangles

Permit Time Frame

15 business days for the Zoning Administrator to grant or deny a complete sign permit application.

Prohibited

Animated Air Mascot

Animated/flashing/blinking/reflecting/revolving signs with visible moving parts or mechanical movement are prohibited unless expressly permitted; balloons and air-activated attention devices and commercial mascot signs are prohibited in all zoning districts.

Electronic Digital General Prohibition

Freestanding and building-mounted electronic signs and digital displays, including digital billboards, are prohibited except fuel price signs and readerboard/electronic message center signs meeting Article 15.04.609 standards.

Right Of Way And Snipe Signs

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Temporary

A Frame Signs

A-frame signs are allowed for on-premises goods/services, require no sign permit unless placed in public right-of-way, must be durable/rigid, cannot broadcast audio, may be in front/corner side setback or public right-of-way directly in front of a business, are capped at 42 inches high and six square feet per face, limited to one per business, and must leave four feet of sidewalk clearance.

Temporary General

Each property or establishment in non-residential zones is allowed temporary sign copy area in addition to permanent signage, and no permit is required for temporary signage unless the multiple-temporary-sign provisions apply.

Portable Signs

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Banners Feather Pennants

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Temporary Window Signs

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Campaign Sign Guidance

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Temporary Signs

Temp Signs Allowed

Yes; in non-residential zones, temporary signs are allowed and no permit is required unless the multiple-temporary-sign rule applies.

Temp Sign Rules

Temporary signs are limited to 16 square feet per lot equivalent and 90 days; no permit is required in the ordinary case, but 25 or more temporary signs at one time triggers a special permit process.

Variance

Permanent Sign Variances

The Design Review Board may approve a variance to permanent sign requirements only with findings that strict application would deny a reasonable communication opportunity due to unique circumstances, the sign remains consistent with article purposes, and the variance is limited to what is reasonably necessary.

Wall

Commercial Wall Signs

Wall signs are allowed in specified CM/CC/CR/CG/industrial/PA districts with permit; maximum area is 60 square feet or one times the lineal feet of building frontage, whichever is less, maximum height five feet, projection eight inches, and eight-foot clearance is required if projecting above right-of-way.

Wall Mural Signs

Wall mural signs are allowed in listed CM/CR/IG districts with permit; maximum area is 1,000 square feet unless Director approval allows more, maximum width 100 feet, maximum height 40 feet, projection eight inches, and one sign is allowed per building.

Window Signs

Window Sign Allowable Area

Up to 25% of the window area.