Castle Rock, Colorado Sign Code & Sign Permit Guide
Wall, monument, and freestanding sign limits for Castle Rock 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.
Residential areas (MH, R-1, R-1A, R-2, R-3)
Zones like MH
Section 19.04.051 — 'residential area' (Section 19.04.022) covers MH, R-1, R-1A, R-2 and R-3, plus 'like uses' in a PD or open-space zone (a use-based call Sightline can't resolve from the zone code alone).
8-line rule — favorable: Sign area for an irregular shape or letters/symbols on a wall = the area within a single continuous rectilinear perimeter of no more than eight straight lines, drawn around the extreme limits of the writing/emblem plus any background that's an integral part of the display. The sign structure itself only counts if it exceeds 50% of the display's area or is an integral part of the background. A sign with two or more faces has the area of ALL faces counted, not just one.
Wall & other signs
§19.04.051.B–D| Accessory residential use | No signs permitted — a sign accessory to a residential principal use (e.g. a house) isn't allowed at all. |
|---|---|
| Multi-family residential (principal use) | Max 16 sf total per lot. |
| Wall sign | Max height = the wall's own height; nonresidential-use signs max 32 sf per face. |
| Flags | Max 15 sf per flag, max height 20 ft (flagpole). Corporate flags count toward total site signage; government flags don't. |
A sign accessory to a residential use (a homeowner's own house) isn't a permitted sign class here at all — only nonresidential uses located in a residential zone get sign allowances.
Freestanding / monument
§19.04.051.C–H| Freestanding sign | Max height 8 ft; set back 10 ft from the street property line; 300 ft minimum separation between freestanding signs on one lot. |
|---|---|
| Total sign area per lot | See the calc note above — capped at 100 sf per lot regardless of which formula is greatest. |
| Subdivision / neighborhood identification sign | Up to 32 sf (subdivision) or 64 sf (neighborhood/village), 1,000 ft minimum separation; a median-mounted neighborhood ID sign is capped at 4 ft 6 in and set back 25 ft. |
| Neighborhood / village directional sign | Removed within 30 days of the on-site marketing office closing. |
Electronic message signs
§19.04.054| Where allowed | On a monument/freestanding sign otherwise permitted; must be compatible with site/building design. |
|---|---|
| Message timing | Static messages held at least 10 seconds; changes only via dissolve/fade transitions of no more than three-tenths of a second — no scrolling, blinking, or motion. |
| Brightness | Max 5,000 nits in daylight; max 500 nits from a half hour before sunset to a half hour after sunrise; automatic dimming/solar sensors required. |
See the exact numbers
Height, setback, area, count, and lighting limits for Residential areas (MH, R-1, R-1A, R-2, R-3) — cited to the code section, ready to quote from.
Get notified at launch- All illuminated signs in residential areas must be turned off between 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., or a half hour after the business closes (whichever is later) — Section 19.04.045.C.
Business areas (B, I-1, I-2, PL, POS)
Zones like B
Section 19.04.052 — 'business area' is defined (Section 19.04.022) as every Castle Rock zoning district that isn't a residential district, so it covers B, I-1, I-2, PL, and POS-1/POS-2 as verified base zones. Signs on Planned Development (PD) parcels used for business are 'business area' by that same definition, but Sightline doesn't yet resolve which PD documents set their own standards vs. defer to this base code — see the zone-not-covered note for PD parcels.
8-line rule — favorable: Sign area for an irregular shape or letters/symbols on a wall = the area within a single continuous rectilinear perimeter of no more than eight straight lines, drawn around the extreme limits of the writing/emblem plus any background that's an integral part of the display. The sign structure itself only counts if it exceeds 50% of the display's area or is an integral part of the background. A sign with two or more faces has the area of ALL faces counted, not just one.
Wall signs
§19.04.052.B–D| Wall sign | Max 25% of the wall it's mounted on; max height = the wall's own height. |
|---|
Projecting & suspended signs
§19.04.052.B–D| Projecting sign | Max 16 sf per face; mounted 8–13 ft above grade; 12 ft setback from interior lot lines; 25 ft separation between projecting signs. |
|---|---|
| Suspended sign | Max 6 sf per face; mounted 8–13 ft above grade; 25 ft separation between suspended signs. |
Also known in the trade as arcade signs — perpendicular-mounted, not flat against the wall.
Window signs
§19.04.052.B–D| Window sign | Max 25% of the window area; max height 20 ft. |
|---|
Awning & sandwich board signs
§19.04.052.B–D| Awning / canopy sign | Permitted (excluding automotive service areas); max 75% of (projection width × height) or 150 sf, whichever is less. |
|---|---|
| Sandwich board sign | 1 per occupant per lot abutting a public right-of-way, max 8 sf, max 4 ft tall; daylight hours only, may not be illuminated. |
Freestanding / monument
§19.04.052.B–E| Freestanding sign | Max 50 sf per face; max height = lesser of 20 ft or the building's height; set back 1 ft per ft of height from the street property line (min 10 ft), and 25 ft from interior lot lines and from any residential area. |
|---|---|
| Joint identification sign | Max 100 sf per face — an alternative to a freestanding sign, not in addition. |
| Total sign area per lot | See the calc note above — the greater of two linear-foot formulas, both starting at 200 ft of frontage then dropping to 0.5 sf per linear ft beyond. |
Flags & identification signs
§19.04.052.B, G–I| Flags | Max 60 sf per flag, max height 35 ft (flagpole). Corporate flags count toward total site signage; government flags don't. |
|---|---|
| Subdivision / neighborhood identification sign | Up to 32 sf (subdivision) or 64 sf (neighborhood/village), 1,000 ft minimum separation between signs on the same street side. |
| Neighborhood / village directional sign | Up to 32 sf per face, max 8 ft tall, 1,000 ft minimum separation. |
Electronic message signs
§19.04.054| Where allowed | On a monument/freestanding sign otherwise permitted; must be compatible with site/building design. |
|---|---|
| Message timing | Static messages held at least 10 seconds; changes only via dissolve/fade transitions of no more than three-tenths of a second — no scrolling, blinking, or motion. |
| Brightness | Max 5,000 nits in daylight; max 500 nits from a half hour before sunset to a half hour after sunrise; automatic dimming/solar sensors required. |
See the exact numbers
Height, setback, area, count, and lighting limits for Business areas (B, I-1, I-2, PL, POS) — cited to the code section, ready to quote from.
Get notified at launch- A sign with two or more faces has ALL faces counted toward the total sign area, not just the front — a standard 2-sided freestanding sign uses double the area of one face.
Downtown Overlay District
Applies instead of the base zone's rules for a qualifying overlay parcel
§19.04.053 — the Downtown Overlay District's own sign regulations. Per the section's own opening text: 'In the event of a conflict between the entitlements, regulations or standards established in this Section and the equivalent provisions in this Chapter, the provisions in this Section shall govern.' This family is not routed by zone code at all (its `zones` list is intentionally empty) — it's served instead of a parcel's base-zone family whenever the zoning layer's `OVERLAY` field reads `DOWNTOWN`, via `zoning.pointers`' family_override mechanism (see AUTHORING.md).
Frontage-based, but capped much lower than the base Business table: Most Downtown Overlay sign classes scale with building frontage (1–1.5 sq ft per linear ft, depending on type) but cap well below the base Business-area table's numbers, and nearly every class is limited to one sign per building frontage regardless of size. Signs may sit right at the property line (0 ft setback) — a real relaxation vs. the base table's 10–25 ft setbacks.
Wall signs
§19.04.053.A.13, D.14, E| Signs allowed | 1 per building frontage |
|---|---|
| Sign area | 1.5 sq ft per linear ft of building frontage, not to exceed 25% of the wall |
| Max height | No taller than the wall it's mounted on |
| Setback | 0 ft from all property lines |
Freestanding sign (monument) & joint identification
§19.04.053.A.4, A.6, D.5, D.7, E| Signs allowed | 1 freestanding sign OR 1 joint identification sign per building frontage — not both |
|---|---|
| Freestanding sign area | 50 sq ft per face |
| Joint identification sign area | 1.5 sq ft per linear ft of building frontage, not to exceed 100 sq ft per face |
| Max height | 20 ft |
| Setback | 0 ft from all property lines |
Projecting / suspended signs
§19.04.053.A.10, D.11, E| Signs allowed | 1 per building frontage |
|---|---|
| Sign area | 8 sq ft |
| Min height | 8 ft above adjacent grade/sidewalk |
| Max height | No taller than the wall it's mounted on |
Awning & canopy signs
§19.04.053.A.1–2, D.1, E, G| Signs allowed | 1 awning sign per awning; 1 canopy sign per building frontage (Design Review Board approval required) |
|---|---|
| Awning sign area | 50% maximum of the individual awning's total square footage |
| Max height | Awning/canopy signs may not extend above the building's roofline |
Identification, marquee, parapet & roof signs
§19.04.053.A.5, A.7, A.9, D.6, D.8, D.10, E, G| Building identification wall sign | 1 per building frontage; 1 sq ft per linear ft of building frontage, not to exceed 50 sq ft |
|---|---|
| Marquee sign (theater-type uses only) | 1 per frontage; 1.5 sq ft per linear ft of building frontage, not to exceed 100 sq ft |
| Parapet or roof sign | 1 per building frontage; 1.5 sq ft per linear ft of building frontage, not to exceed 100 sq ft; roof signs shall not exceed the roofline height by more than 25% of the sign's own height; roof signs require Design Review Board approval and are prohibited on flat roofs |
Murals, flags, time-temperature-date & sandwich board signs
§19.04.053.A.3, A.8, A.11–12, D.4, E, G| Mural | 1 per wall façade; may not extend beyond the building façade; Design Review Board approval required |
|---|---|
| Flags / flagpoles | 1 flagpole per building frontage; max 60 sq ft per flag; max height 20 ft |
| Time-temperature-date sign | 1 per building frontage |
| Sandwich board sign | 1 per building frontage; max 8 sq ft per face; no sign permit required |
See the exact numbers
Height, setback, area, count, and lighting limits for Downtown Overlay District — cited to the code section, ready to quote from.
Get notified at launch- Most sign classes are limited to ONE per building frontage — this table doesn't scale with frontage length or tenant count the way the base Business-area table does.
- Murals, roof signs, and canopy signs require Design Review Board approval; the Board also reviews all sign applications within the DOD against 6 design criteria (compatibility, quality, illumination, creativity, materials, and roof-sign placement) — the numbers below are the maximums, not a guarantee of approval.
Sign permits in Castle Rock
Town of Castle Rock Zoning Division — Development Services, 720-733-3557
Castle Rock sign code FAQ
What is the sign code for Castle Rock, Colorado?
Castle Rock's sign regulations are set by Title 19, Ch. 19.04 Sign Code Regulations · Castle Rock Municipal Code, and vary by zoning district. Sightline tracks 3 verified zone families for Castle Rock below, each with wall, freestanding, and other sign-type limits cited to the exact section.
Do I need a permit for a sign in Castle Rock?
In nearly every Colorado municipality, including Castle Rock, permanent signs — wall signs, channel letters, cabinets, monument signs — require a sign permit. Castle Rock's permit process is linked below. Always confirm with the authority having jurisdiction before finalizing a design.
Look up an exact address in Castle Rock
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