Aurora, Colorado Sign Code & Sign Permit Guide
Wall, monument, and freestanding sign limits for Aurora by zoning district — cited to the exact code section, with the sign permit process. Every number is checked against the published code text before it ships.
Original Aurora subdistricts (OA-G, OA-MS)
Zones like OA-G
Table 4.10-4 (146-4.10.10.B) — the historic Original Aurora core, bounded by 14th Ave, 16th Ave, Yosemite St, and Oswego St. Cabinet signs prohibited; LED prohibited in OA-MS.
Figure 4.10-2 (channel letters) — not confirmed: 146-4.10.15.F.2.a routes OA-G/OA-MS channel-letter measurement to a separate Figure 4.10-2 instead of the citywide 8-line rule. The figure is a diagram, not extractable as text from the source — confirm the exact measurement method with the city before quoting a design in this subdistrict.
Wall signs
§146-4.10.10.B · Table 4.10-4| Wall sign — OA-MS | Individual channel letters/message content only; 1 per tenant per building street frontage up to 30 sf; over 60 linear ft of frontage: 0.5 sf/lf up to 60 sf. A wall OR canopy sign, not both. |
|---|---|
| Wall sign — OA-G | Channel letters/message content only; size and number per the general sign standards (146-4.10.5). |
| Alley wall sign — OA-MS | 1 sign, max 10 sf. (n/a in OA-G.) |
Cabinet-type signs are prohibited in both subdistricts — individual 3-D/channel letters or message content only.
Projecting signs
§146-4.10.10.B · Table 4.10-4| Projecting sign — OA-MS | 1 per tenant per street/alley frontage, max 12 sf per face, min 9 ft clearance. |
|---|---|
| Projecting sign — OA-G | Prohibited. |
Canopy signs
§146-4.10.10.B · Table 4.10-4| Canopy sign | Max 25 sf in either subdistrict. |
|---|
Freestanding / monument
§146-4.10.10.B · Table 4.10-4| Monument sign — OA-MS | Not permitted without an Administrative Adjustment — granted only with plaza/landscape space outside the ROW, a brick/stone base matching the building, and height ≤ 8 ft. |
|---|---|
| Monument sign — OA-G | Base must match the main building; message must be individual channel letters/shapes; size/number per the general standards. |
Monument signs are the exception, not the norm, in this historic core — confirm feasibility with the city before quoting one.
See the exact numbers
Height, setback, area, count, and lighting limits for Original Aurora subdistricts (OA-G, OA-MS) — cited to the code section, ready to quote from.
Get notified at launch- Cabinet-type signs are prohibited in both OA-G and OA-MS — individual channel letters/dimensional letters only.
- LED illumination is prohibited in OA-MS specifically (neon is allowed); monument signs there need a discretionary Administrative Adjustment to be permitted at all.
Mixed-use districts (MU-FB, MU-TOD, MU-R)
Zones like MU-FB
Table 4.10-3 (146-4.10.10.A) — flat per-sign-type caps, not a linear-foot formula.
8-line rule — favorable: Sign area for channel letters/message content = a geometric form of no more than eight rectilinear lines at right angles, drawn to encompass the letters and content. Two capital-letter/lowercase-extension elements can be excluded if they don't exceed twice the lowercase letter height. Monument sign area includes both front and back faces.
Wall signs
§146-4.10.10.A · Table 4.10-3| Wall sign | 1 per tenant per street/parking-lot frontage; 1 sf per linear ft of building frontage, max 70 sf; each tenant gets a minimum of 25 sf. |
|---|---|
| High wall sign (5+ stories) | 1 per building; 2 sf per linear ft, max 200 sf total; must sit between the top floor and the parapet. |
Blade / pedestrian signs
§146-4.10.10.A · Table 4.10-3| Blade / pedestrian sign | 1 per pedestrian entrance, max 6 sf, mounted 9–12 ft above grade. |
|---|
Grand projecting sign: 1 per development, corner lot with a street-facing plaza only, min 10 ft clearance, projects up to 5 ft — Site Plan review required.
Canopy & awning signs
§146-4.10.10.A · Table 4.10-3| Canopy sign | 1 per tenant over a public entrance, max 10 sf. |
|---|---|
| Awning sign | Max 3 sf on the vertical flap; backlit/internally-lit awnings not allowed. |
Freestanding / monument
§146-4.10.10.A · Table 4.10-3| Monument sign | Max 40 sf per face, 80 sf total for a 2-sided sign, max height 8 ft. Fabric and pole-mounted signs not allowed. |
|---|---|
| Multi-tenant wall/ground sign | Same 40 sf / 80 sf cap as monument; more than one allowed on arterial frontages in a Master-Plan development, separated by 150 ft. |
Only wall and ground/monument signs are permitted for multi-tenant developments here — no pole or fabric signs.
Electronic message boards
§146-4.10.7| Where allowed | Monument signs only — integrated into the sign face. |
|---|---|
| Maximum area | 50% of the total sign face. |
| Message timing | No more than once every 8 seconds; dissolve/fade transitions only, ≤1 second each. |
No brightness/nits limit found in the code — automatic dimming or solar sensors are required, but no numeric footcandle/nit cap is stated.
See the exact numbers
Height, setback, area, count, and lighting limits for Mixed-use districts (MU-FB, MU-TOD, MU-R) — cited to the code section, ready to quote from.
Get notified at launchCommercial, institutional, mixed-use & industrial (base)
Zones like I-1
146-4.10.5 — applies to commercial, institutional, mixed-use, and industrial development not covered by Table 4.10-3/4.10-4's district groups.
8-line rule — favorable: Sign area for channel letters/message content = a geometric form of no more than eight rectilinear lines at right angles, drawn to encompass the letters and content. Two capital-letter/lowercase-extension elements can be excluded if they don't exceed twice the lowercase letter height. Monument sign area includes both front and back faces.
Wall signs
§146-4.10.5.B| Number of signs | 5 total per use, with a citywide minimum of 80 sf combined. |
|---|---|
| Sign area — arterial frontage | 2 sf per linear ft of building frontage for the first 100 ft, then 0.5 sf per linear ft beyond that. |
| Sign area — all other streets | 1 sf per linear ft of building frontage for the first 200 ft, then 0.5 sf per linear ft beyond that. |
| Maximum total sign area | 600 sf combined, across all 5 signs. |
| Maximum individual sign | 200 sf per sign. |
Large-scale single-tenant retail over 50,000 sf gets an enhanced allowance: up to 8 signs (via Administrative Adjustment), 2 sf per linear ft up to 800 sf, plus an extra monument sign per frontage over 150 ft (150 ft separation required). Multi-tenant properties get one additional wall or monument sign per abutting public street, up to 100 sf and 14 ft tall.
Blade signs
§146-4.10.5.B| Blade sign | 1 extra per tenant, max 6 sf, in addition to the 5-sign/600 sf wall allowance. |
|---|
Freestanding / monument
§146-4.10.5.C| Monument sign | Included within the 5-sign/600 sf citywide allowance — not an addition. |
|---|---|
| Maximum monument face | 100 sf per face. |
| Maximum height — arterial streets | 12 ft. |
| Maximum height — other streets | 8 ft. |
Large-scale single-tenant retail (50,000+ sf) follows the enhanced monument allowance described above, not this base row.
Electronic message boards
§146-4.10.7| Where allowed | Monument signs only — integrated into the sign face. |
|---|---|
| Maximum area | 50% of the total sign face. |
| Message timing | No more than once every 8 seconds; dissolve/fade transitions only, ≤1 second each. |
No brightness/nits limit found in the code — automatic dimming or solar sensors are required, but no numeric footcandle/nit cap is stated.
See the exact numbers
Height, setback, area, count, and lighting limits for Commercial, institutional, mixed-use & industrial (base) — cited to the code section, ready to quote from.
Get notified at launchResidential (R-1, R-2, R-3, R-4, R-MH, R-R)
Zones like R-1
Verified against §146-4.10.4, Table 4.10-1 (the whole of Aurora's residential sign standard) plus the residential-eligible rows of Table 4.10-2 (§146-4.10.6): neighborhood-entrance signs and flags on flagpoles. Table 4.10-1 splits only by unit count, not by specific zone code, and states no wall/monument allowance at all for a non-multifamily residential use — a single-family home gets no standard business-style sign under this table. The flag-pole row of Table 4.10-2 names R-2, R-3, R-4, and multifamily developments specifically — it does NOT name R-1, R-MH, or R-R, so that allowance is not shown for those three zones. OA-R-1, OA-R-2, and OA-RMU (the Original Aurora residential subdistricts) are a separate, unconfirmed case and are deliberately left out of this family's zones — Table 4.10-4's Original Aurora carve-out only addresses MU-OA-MS/MU-OA-G commercial signage, never these residential subdistricts, so it's not yet confirmed whether they fall under this same table.
Split by unit count, not frontage: Unlike Aurora's commercial zones, residential sign area isn't a per-linear-foot formula — it's a flat allowance keyed to how many units a multifamily building has, with no standard allowance at all for a single-family or other non-multifamily residential use.
Wall or monument signs (multifamily)
§146-4.10.4 · Table 4.10-1| Multifamily, 24 units or fewer | 1 wall or monument sign per street frontage, max 36 sf |
|---|---|
| Multifamily, more than 24 units | 1 wall or monument sign per street frontage, max 96 sf |
| Single-family / other residential use | No standard business-style sign allowance is stated in Table 4.10-1 — confirm with the city |
Neighborhood entrance signs
§146-4.10.6 · Table 4.10-2| Erected by a registered neighborhood group | Max 96 sf, 6 ft max height, max 2 per entrance — entrances on an arterial or collector street only. Permit required. |
|---|
Flags on flag poles
§146-4.10.6 · Table 4.10-2| R-2, R-3, R-4, and multifamily developments | Max 3 poles, 240 sf total area, 35 ft max height. Permit required only for a pole over 25 ft. |
|---|---|
| R-1, R-MH, R-R | Not named in Table 4.10-2's flag row — confirm with the city. |
See the exact numbers
Height, setback, area, count, and lighting limits for Residential (R-1, R-2, R-3, R-4, R-MH, R-R) — cited to the code section, ready to quote from.
Get notified at launchSign permits in Aurora
City of Aurora Planning & Business Development — Sign Permit Counter, 303-739-7420
Aurora sign code FAQ
What is the sign code for Aurora, Colorado?
Aurora's sign regulations are set by Ch. 146, Art. 4.10 Signs · Aurora Municipal Code, and vary by zoning district. Sightline tracks 4 verified zone families for Aurora below, each with wall, freestanding, and other sign-type limits cited to the exact section.
Do I need a permit for a sign in Aurora?
In nearly every Colorado municipality, including Aurora, permanent signs — wall signs, channel letters, cabinets, monument signs — require a sign permit. Aurora's permit process is linked below. Always confirm with the authority having jurisdiction before finalizing a design.
Look up an exact address in Aurora
Get the live zoning district and the sign limits that apply to a specific parcel, with a frontage calculator and a permit-ready citation.
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