Brighton, Colorado Sign Code & Sign Permit Guide

Wall, monument, and freestanding sign limits for Brighton 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.

Jump to: Residential (A/R, RE, R-1, R-1-A, R-1-B, R-2, R-3, MH) · Non-Residential & Mixed-Use (DT, MU-CC, MU-NC, MU-R/EC, C-O, C-1, C-2, C-3, BP, I-1, I-2, O, ME, PL)

Residential (A/R, RE, R-1, R-1-A, R-1-B, R-2, R-3, MH)

Zones like A/R

§9.04.A, Table 9-1 — 'Signs in all residential zoning districts shall be subject to the limitations and standards in Table 9-1.' Every listed district is described as residential in character in Article 4 Table 4-1 (A/R, RE, R-1, R-1-A, R-1-B, R-2, R-3, MH).

32 sf

Monument area

32 sf or 10% of elevation

Wall area (multi-family)

8 ft

Monument height

6 sf/sign, 50 sf total

Yard/swing signs

Full-frame (freestanding) / up-to-2-shape perimeter (wall): Freestanding signs (monument, site, swing, yard) are measured as the entire area of the face of the structure/cabinet/module enclosed by the outside of the frame. A wall sign is measured by the smallest single continuous perimeter of up to TWO geometric shapes enclosing the outer limits of the sign copy — gaps in copy greater than twice the sign's height may be excluded but the result then counts as two signs. Double-faced signs ≤3 ft apart count once (the larger face, if unequal).

Monument Sign

Table 9-1

Maximum number	2 per entrance to a single residential subdivision, multi-family complex, or manufactured home park; 1 per non-residential use within the district.
Maximum area	32 sf.
Maximum height	8 ft.

Site Sign

Table 9-1

Maximum number	1 per street frontage.
Maximum area	32 sf.
Maximum height	8 ft.

Swing / Yard Signs

Table 9-1

Maximum number	Multiple, within the area limits below.
Maximum area	6 sf per sign, 50 sf max total for all swing (or all yard) signs.
Maximum height	4 ft.

Wall Sign

Table 9-1

1- or 2-family dwelling	1 per unit, max 2 sf, no higher than the eave or parapet line.
3+-family building	1 per street frontage, max 32 sf.
Non-residential use within the district	Multiple within limits, max 10% of the building elevation the sign is mounted on.

Electronic Message Centers

§9.06.A

Permitted on	Monument signs, drive-aisle display signs, and incidental signs only — never wall, window, or pole signs.
Maximum per property/development	1 monument-with-EMC; property must have ≥200 linear ft of street frontage.
Maximum share of sign face	50%.
Nighttime brightness (sunset–sunrise)	600 nits max.
Daytime brightness (sunrise–sunset)	5,000 nits, or 0.3 fc over ambient, whichever is lower.
Transitions	Dissolve/fade only, ≤1 second; static messages, no movement.
Message hold time	≥20 seconds minimum.

See the exact numbers

Height, setback, area, count, and lighting limits for Residential (A/R, RE, R-1, R-1-A, R-1-B, R-2, R-3, MH) — cited to the code section, ready to quote from.

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Non-Residential & Mixed-Use (DT, MU-CC, MU-NC, MU-R/EC, C-O, C-1, C-2, C-3, BP, I-1, I-2, O, ME, PL)

Zones like DT

§9.04.B, Tables 9-2 and 9-3 — 'Signs in all non-residential and mixed-use zoning districts shall be subject to a total sign allowance, and the limitations in Tables 9-2 and 9-3.' O (Open Space), ME (Mineral Extraction), and PL (Public Lands) are non-residential special-purpose districts per Article 4 §4.05 with no dedicated sign table of their own — routed here by §9.04.B's literal 'all non-residential... zoning districts' framing, not an inferred approximation.

1 sf per 1 ft of frontage (min 50 sf)

Total sign allowance

2–80 sf by setback

Freestanding area

10% of wall face

Wall area cap

30 in–20 ft by setback

Freestanding height

Full-frame (freestanding) / up-to-2-shape perimeter (wall): Freestanding signs are measured as the entire area of the face of the structure/cabinet/module enclosed by the outside of the frame. A wall, awning, canopy, or marquee sign is measured by the smallest single continuous perimeter of up to TWO geometric shapes enclosing the outer limits of the sign copy. Double-faced signs ≤3 ft apart count once (the larger face, if unequal).

Freestanding — Monument & Pole, by setback

Table 9-3

Setback < 1 ft	Max height 30 in, max 2 sf/face.
Setback 1 ft–<9 ft	Max height 6 ft, max 20 sf.
Setback 9 ft–<15 ft	Max height 8 ft, max 40 sf.
Setback 15 ft–<20 ft	Max height 14 ft, max 60 sf.
Setback 20 ft–<25 ft	Max height 20 ft, max 80 sf.
Maximum number	1 per street frontage of the principal building/access point.
Spacing	No freestanding pole/monument sign within 250 ft of another on the same property.
Freeway exception (within 350 ft of an interchange, 500 ft for I-76)	Max 100 sf, max 50 ft height, allowed on/near the property line.
Freeway exception (elsewhere along a freeway corridor)	Max 80 sf, max 20 ft height, allowed on/near the property line.
Bonus area	Up to +20% total: +10% for building-architecture integration, +10% for a landscaped setting (≥3 sf landscaping per 1 sf sign face, ≥75% living plants).

Wall Sign

§9.06.J

Maximum area per sign	10% of the wall face the sign is mounted on.
Maximum total length	80% of the tenant space (or building frontage for single-tenant buildings).
Maximum height	No higher than the eave/parapet line.
Projection	No more than 18 in from the wall.
Illumination	Internally or externally lit.

Awning / Canopy Sign

Table 9-2, §9.06.B/D

Maximum area	0.5 sf per linear ft of awning/canopy, 32 sf cap — counts against the wall-sign allowance, not separately.
Maximum height / clearance	No higher than roof/parapet line; 8 ft min. clearance (awning) / 14 ft min. clearance over a vehicular way (canopy).
Projection	4 ft max in the Downtown district; 6.5 ft max elsewhere; never beyond the curb line.
Illumination	Internally illuminated only.

Marquee Sign

Table 9-2, §9.06.F

Maximum number	1 per non-residential building frontage.
Maximum area	40 sf per face, up to 3 faces.
Maximum height / clearance	No higher than roof/parapet line; 8 ft min. clearance.
Projection	Same as awning/canopy — 4 ft Downtown / 6.5 ft elsewhere.
Illumination	Internally or externally lit — counts against the wall-sign allowance.

Electronic Message Centers

§9.06.A

Permitted on	Monument signs, drive-aisle display signs, and incidental signs only.
Maximum per property/development	1 monument-with-EMC; property must have ≥200 linear ft of street frontage. Separately, 1 display-with-EMC per drive-through lane.
Maximum share of sign face	50%.
Nighttime brightness (sunset–sunrise)	600 nits max.
Daytime brightness (sunrise–sunset)	5,000 nits, or 0.3 fc over ambient, whichever is lower.
Transitions	Dissolve/fade only, ≤1 second; static messages, no movement.
Message hold time	≥20 seconds minimum.

See the exact numbers

Height, setback, area, count, and lighting limits for Non-Residential & Mixed-Use (DT, MU-CC, MU-NC, MU-R/EC, C-O, C-1, C-2, C-3, BP, I-1, I-2, O, ME, PL) — cited to the code section, ready to quote from.

Get notified at launch

Before you submit

O/ME/PL routing follows the code's own binary framing (residential vs. non-residential) rather than a use-based inference — but a sign lookup on an actual Open Space, Mineral Extraction, or Public Lands parcel is an unusual real-world case; confirm the site's actual character before quoting.
Developments >1 acre with 2+ building sites may use a Comprehensive Sign Plan (§9.08) instead of these base numbers, trading design flexibility for a coordinated signage program — Director-reviewed, not a matter of right.

Sign permits in Brighton

City of Brighton Community Development / Development Services — 303-655-2072, 1stop@brightonco.gov

Brighton sign code FAQ

What is the sign code for Brighton, Colorado?

Brighton's sign regulations are set by Art. 9 Sign Standards · Municode, and vary by zoning district. Sightline tracks 2 verified zone families for Brighton below, each with wall, freestanding, and other sign-type limits cited to the exact section.

Do I need a permit for a sign in Brighton?

In nearly every Colorado municipality, including Brighton, permanent signs — wall signs, channel letters, cabinets, monument signs — require a sign permit. Brighton's permit process is linked below. Always confirm with the authority having jurisdiction before finalizing a design.

Look up an exact address in Brighton

Get the live zoning district and the sign limits that apply to a specific parcel, with a frontage calculator and a permit-ready citation.

Get notified at launch

See sign code for all 17 covered Colorado cities