Every outdoor sign in Clearwater 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 Clearwater 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 Clearwater.
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 Clearwater, Florida. 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 Clearwater, 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
Monument: 14 ft; Pylon: 35 ft
Ground sign setback
Monument: 3 ft; Pylon: 5 ft
Awning Signs
Awning Sign Sf Calc
Graphic element may not exceed 25% of awning surface area or 16 sq ft, whichever is less
Awning Graphic Limit
Graphic element may not exceed 25% of awning surface area or 16 sq ft, whichever is less
Three percent of the primary facade area not to exceed 36 sq ft in total sign face area
Building Sign Illumination
No sign shall have blinking, flashing, or fluttering lights or other illumination devices which have a changing light intensity, brightness, color, or direction.
A discontinued sign and/or sign structure which is determined to be nonconforming with the provisions of this Division 18 shall not be required to be removed if it is brought into conformity with the provisions of this Division 18 within three months after receipt of notification, or refusal to accept delivery of notification by certified mail that removal is required upon failure to bring the structure into conformity.
Nonconforming Uses Definition
Any nonconforming use, which would be entitled to a sign if it were conforming, shall be permitted to erect the maximum amount of allowable signage in the district in which the use is located.
Directional Signs
Directional Max Height
6 ft
General Info
Jurisdiction Name
Clearwater, FL
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General Standards
Attached Sign Maximum Area
The maximum area permitted for attached signage shall range from one percent up to a maximum of six percent of the building façade to which the sign is to be attached.
Elimination Of Unattractive Signage Allowance
Elimination of unattractive signage: The signage proposed in a comprehensive sign program will result in the elimination of existing unattractive signage and nonconforming signage and will result in an improvement to the appearance of the parcel proposed for development in comparison to signs otherwise permitted under the minimum sign standards.