Every outdoor sign in Dade City 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 Dade City 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 Dade City.
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 Dade City, 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 Dade City, 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
11 ft
Ground sign setback
5 feet from ROW line; 20 feet from intersection rights-of-way; one-way streets may use 15 feet from intersection if no clear sight triangle interference
Awning Signs
Awning Sign Sf Calc
25% of the total area of the awning or canopy surface
Building Signs
Building Sign Formula
1 sq ft of sign structure area per lineal foot of frontage
Building Sign Max Number
One (1) wall sign per establishment in a multiple-occupancy parcel. Establishments at a corner are allowed one (1) wall sign for each street-facing side.
Notwithstanding any ordinance or Code provision to the contrary, neither the City Commission nor the Board of Adjustment may grant a variance allowing the erection of any of the prohibited signs expressly enumerated in these LDRs.
Any sign lawfully erected within the City of Dade City on the effective date of this Ordinance that does not conform to the requirements of this Ordinance shall be treated as a nonconforming sign
Directory Sign Maximum Area
One directory sign per entrance into a nonresidential development or subdivision with a maximum height of five (5) feet for the structure, twelve (12) inches for the copy, and thirty-two (32) square feet in sign structure area.
Exception Of The Above Sign Maintenance Requirement
in full report
Maintenance Of Outdated On Site Sign Maintenance Requirement
in full report
Model Sign Requirement
in full report
Removal Of Signs On Rights Of Way Removal Requirement
The hours of operation for the lighting system for any game or event shall not exceed one (1) hour after the end of the game or event
Lighting Requirement
All outdoor light fixtures emitting 2050 or more lumens shall be shielded as follows: (a) Within 50 feet of the property boundary, lights must be full-cutoff light fixtures.
Permit Process
Triangulation Requirements
Ground signs and temporary signs shall not be located within the clear sight triangle, particularly at intersections where the setback from intersection is reduced on one-way streets.
Sign Permit Required
Signs permitted under this Section shall require the issuance of a sign permit
Prohibited Signs
Abandoned Sign Prohibition
An abandoned sign is prohibited and is a violation of this Ordinance.
Temporary Signs
Temp Signs Allowed
Permit required
Temp Sign Rules
Max area: 4 sq ft (warning signs); max height: 30 in (temporary directional signs); max duration: 60 days (holiday, seasonal, or commemorative); permit required
square feet per sign: Maximum four and one-half (4½) square feet per sign face, where the property being advertised or developed has a street frontage of less than two hundred fifty (250) feet.
Standards For On Site Signs In Nonresidential Districts Requirement
zones nonresidential: On-site signs on properties in nonresidential districts which abut a residential district shall not be erected closer than ten (10) feet from any residential zoning district.
Need the full sign-code report?
The full interactive report includes all sign types, illumination rules, permit requirements, and source citations — for free.