Commerce City, Colorado Sign Code & Sign Permit Guide

Wall, monument, and freestanding sign limits for Commerce City 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 (R-1, R-2, R-3, R-4, R-U, MHP, AG) · Commercial & Industrial (C-1, C-2, C-3, I-1, I-1S, I-2, I-3) · Institutional (PUBLIC district)

Residential (R-1, R-2, R-3, R-4, R-U, MHP, AG)

Zones like R-1

§21-8425(2) Table VIII-6a (Freestanding) and §21-8445(2) Table VIII-10a (Wall), 'Residential use standards.' Zone-to-use routing per Article IV: R-1 §21-4300, R-2 §21-4305, R-3 §21-4310, R-4 §21-4315, R-U §21-4500(1), MHP §21-4320. AG routed here as an approximation per §21-4360(1) — see warnings.

50 sf/sign or frontage

Freestanding area

50 sf/street frontage

Wall area

6 ft

Freestanding height

Not permitted

Window signs

Encompassing rectangle / total can-cabinet-frame area: A can/cabinet/frame sign is measured as the total area of the can, cabinet, or frame. Individual letters/logos on a background are measured by encompassing all of them in a rectangle or square (or a series of attached rectangles/squares). All faces of a multi-face sign count. Support structure/bracing is excluded unless it's part of the message; architectural treatments that visually enlarge the sign count toward its area.

Freestanding — Subdivisions / Multi-family / Mobile Home Park

Table VIII-6a

Maximum number	2 signs per major entrance/street frontage if used at either side of the ROW; 1 if on a median or island in the center of the entry street.
Maximum area — Subdivisions	50 sf per sign.
Maximum area — Multi-family / Mobile Home Park	50 sf per street frontage.
Maximum height	6 ft.
Minimum setback	10 ft (unless part of an island median); min. 5 ft from curb or sidewalk.
Illumination	Internally or externally lit.

Subdivision monument signs go on the community center wall only if wall-mounted; Mobile Home Park wall signs go on the community center or manager's office wall only.

Wall — Subdivisions / Multi-family / Mobile Home Park

Table VIII-10a

Maximum number — Subdivisions	1 per street frontage, located on the community center wall only.
Maximum number — Multi-family	1 per street frontage.
Maximum number — Mobile Home Park	1 per street frontage, located on the community center or manager's office wall only.
Maximum area	50 sf per street frontage.
Maximum height	Located in the signable area of the wall; 20 ft max for multi-story buildings.
Illumination	Internally or externally lit.

Window signs

Table VIII-11

Permitted	No for residential uses.

Canopy signs (pedestrian) — Multi-Family & Mobile Home Park only

§21-8410 · Table VIII-3a

Permitted	Yes for Multi-Family and Mobile Home Park uses only — not permitted for single-family or other residential uses.
Maximum number	1 per primary entry.
Maximum area	50% of the canopy face area.
Maximum height	15 ft or below the 2nd story, whichever is less.
Minimum clearance	8 ft.
Maximum projection	6 ft.
Illumination	Not permitted.

Counts against the wall-signage allowance (Table VIII-10a). Vehicular canopy signs (Table VIII-3b) are not permitted for any residential use.

Directional signs — Multi-family only

§21-8415 · Table VIII-4

Permitted	Yes, multi-family uses only.
Maximum number	6 per building.
Maximum area	4 sq ft.
Maximum height	4 ft.
Illumination	Not permitted.

Not permitted for residential uses

Table VIII-2, VIII-5a/b, VIII-7, VIII-8, VIII-9

Awning signs	Not permitted (Table VIII-2).
Display signs (wall-mounted & vehicle-oriented)	Not permitted (Tables VIII-5a/VIII-5b).
Kiosks	Not permitted (Table VIII-7).
Marquee signs	Not permitted (Table VIII-8).
Projecting signs	Not permitted (Table VIII-9).
Vehicular canopy signs	Not permitted (Table VIII-3b).

General standards (all districts)

§21-8425(1), §21-8445(1)

Freestanding pole signs	Prohibited citywide — only monument signs are permitted.
Solar-powered monument bonus	+20% sign area for all-solar-powered monument signs.
I-76 / I-270 frontage bonus	Monument sign area AND height may both increase +25% for properties fronting either highway.
10+ acre monument setback	Monument signs over 8 ft tall must be ≥175 ft from any residential district boundary or residential development.
Rear wall signs	Not allowed on the rear of a building abutting a residential zone district or property.

Electronic Message Centers

§21-8330

Maximum per property/development	1 monument or wall sign with EMC; not permitted on any other sign type.
Maximum share of sign face	50%.
Nighttime brightness (sunset–sunrise)	600 nits max.
Daytime brightness (sunrise–sunset)	5,000 nits, or .3 fc over ambient, whichever is lower.
Transition	Dissolve or fade only, ≤1 second; no movement/flashing.
Message hold time	≥7 seconds minimum.

See the exact numbers

Height, setback, area, count, and lighting limits for Residential (R-1, R-2, R-3, R-4, R-U, MHP, AG) — cited to the code section, ready to quote from.

Get notified at launch

Before you submit

AG (Agricultural District) is routed to this family as an approximation: its purpose text (§21-4360(1)) describes large-lot, single-family detached dwelling uses, but Article VIII has no dedicated agricultural sign standard — the closest fit is the 'Subdivisions' column below. Confirm with the city for an AG-zoned parcel.

Commercial & Industrial (C-1, C-2, C-3, I-1, I-1S, I-2, I-3)

Zones like C-1

§21-8425(3) Table VIII-6b (Freestanding) and §21-8445(3) Table VIII-10b (Wall), 'Commercial and industrial use standards.' Zone-to-use routing per Article IV: C-1 §21-4325, C-2 §21-4330, C-3 §21-4335, I-1 §21-4345, I-1S §21-4510, I-2 §21-4350, I-3 §21-4355 — all named commercial or industrial districts.

32–100 sf by acreage

Freestanding area

1–2 sf/linear ft

Wall area

6–20 ft by acreage

Freestanding height

35% of window

Window signs

Freestanding — by site acreage

Table VIII-6b

< 2 acre site	1 sign, max 32 sf, max height 6 ft, min setback 10 ft.
2–10 acre site	1 sign, max 60 sf, max height 8 ft, min setback 10 ft.
> 10 acre site	1 sign per street frontage (max 2, identical design), max 100 sf per street frontage, max height 20 ft, min setback 25 ft.
Illumination (all tiers)	Internally or externally lit.

Wall — Single Building / Multi-Tenant Building

Table VIII-10b

Maximum number	Interior lots: 2 max. Corner lots: 3 max.
Maximum area — cabinet signs	1 sf per building (or tenant) linear ft, 100 sf max.
Maximum area — individual letter signs	2 sf per building (or tenant) linear ft, 200 sf max.
Maximum height	Located in the signable area of the wall/tenant wall; 20 ft max for multi-story buildings.
Illumination	Internally or externally lit.

Window signs

Table VIII-11

Permitted	Yes, permit required.
Maximum number	Unlimited.
Maximum area	35% of window.
Maximum height	Top of ground floor window.
Illumination	Not permitted.

Permanent + temporary window signage together may never exceed 25% of any individual window's area, regardless of the permanent-sign max above.

Awning signs — Commercial only

§21-8405 · Table VIII-2

Permitted	Yes, Commercial (single- or multi-tenant); not permitted for Industrial (I-1, I-1S, I-2, I-3) — Table VIII-2's 'Industrial/Other Use' column is No.
Maximum number	1 per awning face (single-tenant) or 1 per awning face per tenant (multi-tenant).
Maximum area	50% of the awning face area.
Maximum height	15 ft or below the 2nd story, whichever is less.
Minimum clearance	8 ft.
Maximum projection	6 ft.
Illumination	Backlit only.

Counts against the wall-signage allowance (Table VIII-10b).

Canopy signs

§21-8410 · Table VIII-3a/b

Pedestrian canopy — all Commercial & Industrial	1 per primary entry; 50% of canopy face area; max height 15 ft or below 2nd story, whichever is less; min clearance 8 ft; max projection 6 ft; backlit only. Counts against the wall-signage allowance.
Vehicular canopy — Commercial single-tenant & Industrial	1 per street frontage; max 12 sq ft; internally lit or halo only. Counts against the wall-signage allowance.
Vehicular canopy — Commercial multi-tenant	Not permitted.

Directional signs

§21-8415 · Table VIII-4

Permitted	Yes.
Maximum number	6 per building.
Maximum area	4 sq ft.
Maximum height	4 ft.
Illumination	Not permitted.

Display signs

§21-8420 · Table VIII-5a/b

Wall-mounted — Commercial only	1 per building (single-tenant) or 1 per tenant (multi-tenant); max 3 sq ft; max height 7 ft; internally or externally lit. Not permitted for Industrial — Table VIII-5a's 'Industrial/Other Use' column is No.
Vehicle-oriented (drive-thru) — Commercial & Industrial	2 per drive-thru; 1st sign max 30 sq ft, 2nd sign max 16 sq ft; max height 7 ft; internally or externally lit; may include an electronic message center up to 100% of the sign area if the display changes no more than 3 times per 24-hour period.

Neither display-sign type counts against the wall-signage allowance.

Kiosks

§21-8430 · Table VIII-7

Permitted	Yes.
Maximum number	2 per building.
Maximum area	50 sq ft.
Maximum height	10 ft.
Illumination	Internal or external.

Does not count against the wall-signage allowance.

Marquee signs

§21-8435 · Table VIII-8

Permitted	Yes.
Maximum number	1.
Maximum area	32 sq ft per side.
Maximum height	Roofline or below the 2nd story, whichever is less.
Illumination	Internal, external, or neon.
Minimum clearance	8 ft.
Maximum projection	8 ft.

Counts against the wall-signage allowance.

Projecting signs — Commercial only

§21-8440 · Table VIII-9

Permitted	Yes, Commercial (single- or multi-tenant). Table VIII-9's 4th column is 'Undeveloped/Agricultural' (No), not an 'Industrial' column like the other permanent-sign tables — Industrial zones (I-1, I-1S, I-2, I-3) aren't clearly addressed by this table; confirm with the city for an Industrial-zoned parcel.
Maximum number	1 (single-tenant) or 1 per tenant (multi-tenant).
Maximum area	30 sq ft.
Maximum height	15 ft or below the 2nd story, whichever is less.
Minimum clearance	8 ft.
Maximum projection	5 ft.
Illumination	Not permitted.

Counts against the wall-signage allowance.

General standards (all districts)

§21-8425(1), §21-8445(1)

Freestanding pole signs	Prohibited citywide — only monument signs are permitted.
Solar-powered monument bonus	+20% sign area for all-solar-powered monument signs.
I-76 / I-270 frontage bonus	Monument sign area AND height may both increase +25% for properties fronting either highway.
Large-use wall bonus	Uses on properties >15 acres with ≥90,000 sf building area get a +25% wall-sign-area bonus.
Multi-tenant wall sign length	Total wall sign length ≤75% of the tenant space/storefront frontage.
Rear wall signs	Not allowed on the rear of a building abutting a residential zone district or property.

Electronic Message Centers

§21-8330

Maximum per property/development	1 monument or wall sign with EMC; not permitted on any other sign type.
Maximum share of sign face	50%.
Nighttime brightness (sunset–sunrise)	600 nits max.
Daytime brightness (sunrise–sunset)	5,000 nits, or .3 fc over ambient, whichever is lower.
Transition	Dissolve or fade only, ≤1 second; no movement/flashing.
Message hold time	≥7 seconds minimum.

See the exact numbers

Height, setback, area, count, and lighting limits for Commercial & Industrial (C-1, C-2, C-3, I-1, I-1S, I-2, I-3) — cited to the code section, ready to quote from.

Get notified at launch

Before you submit

Shopping centers and multi-use/multi-building developments MUST use a Comprehensive Sign Program (§21-8220) instead of these base numbers — it requires architectural harmony across the site's signs, a unified wayfinding system, and (for a center-identification monument sign) a cap of 12 named tenants with the center's own name at ≥20% of the sign area. The director may also grant an administrative variance for program elements.

Institutional (PUBLIC district)

Zones like PUB

§21-8425(4) Table VIII-6c (Freestanding) and §21-8445(4) Table VIII-10c (Wall), 'Institutional use standards,' Non-Residential Zone columns. Zone-to-use routing per §21-4365(1): the PUBLIC district's own purpose text names 'parks, public open space, government buildings and facilities, schools and school grounds, and quasi-public buildings and facilities.'

32–100 sf by acreage

Freestanding area

1–2 sf/linear ft

Wall area

6–20 ft by acreage

Freestanding height

Freestanding — Non-Residential Zone, by site acreage

Table VIII-6c

< 2 acre site	1 sign, max 32 sf, max height 6 ft, min setback 10 ft.
2–10 acre site	1 sign, max 60 sf, max height 8 ft, min setback 10 ft.
> 10 acre site	1 sign per street frontage (max 2, identical design), max 100 sf per street frontage, max height 20 ft, min setback 25 ft.
Illumination (all tiers)	Internally or externally lit.

Wall — Non-Residential Zone

Table VIII-10c

Maximum number	Interior lots: 2 max. Corner lots: 3 max.
Maximum area — cabinet signs	1 sf per building linear ft, 100 sf max.
Maximum area — individual letter signs	2 sf per building linear ft, 200 sf max.
Maximum height	Located in the signable area of the wall; 20 ft max for multi-story buildings.
Illumination	Internally or externally lit.

Canopy signs

§21-8410 · Table VIII-3a/b

Pedestrian canopy — Industrial/Other Use column	1 per primary entry; 50% of canopy face area; max height 15 ft or below 2nd story, whichever is less; min clearance 8 ft; max projection 6 ft; backlit only. Counts against the wall-signage allowance.
Vehicular canopy — Industrial/Other Use column	1 per street frontage; max 12 sq ft; internally lit or halo only. Counts against the wall-signage allowance.

PUB is routed to the 'Industrial/Other Use' column, the same zone→use approximation already used for this family's freestanding and wall standards — see the family-level warning.

Directional signs

§21-8415 · Table VIII-4

Permitted	Yes (Non-Residential column).
Maximum number	6 per building.
Maximum area	4 sq ft.
Maximum height	4 ft.
Illumination	Not permitted.

Kiosks

§21-8430 · Table VIII-7

Permitted	Yes (Non-Residential column).
Maximum number	2 per building.
Maximum area	50 sq ft.
Maximum height	10 ft.
Illumination	Internal or external.

Does not count against the wall-signage allowance.

Marquee signs

§21-8435 · Table VIII-8

Permitted	Yes (Non-Residential column).
Maximum number	1.
Maximum area	32 sq ft per side.
Maximum height	Roofline or below the 2nd story, whichever is less.
Illumination	Internal, external, or neon.
Minimum clearance	8 ft.
Maximum projection	8 ft.

Counts against the wall-signage allowance.

Not permitted / not addressed for this family

Table VIII-2, VIII-5a/b, VIII-9

Awning signs	Not permitted — Table VIII-2's 'Industrial/Other Use' column is No.
Display signs (wall-mounted & vehicle-oriented)	Not permitted — Tables VIII-5a's 'Industrial/Other Use' and VIII-5b's 'Other Use' columns are both No.
Projecting signs	Not clearly addressed — Table VIII-9's 4th column is 'Undeveloped/Agricultural,' not an institutional or general non-residential column; confirm with the city.

General standards (all districts)

§21-8425(1), §21-8445(1)

Freestanding pole signs	Prohibited citywide — only monument signs are permitted.
Rear wall signs	Not allowed on the rear of a building abutting a residential zone district or property.

Electronic Message Centers

§21-8330

Maximum per property/development	1 monument or wall sign with EMC; not permitted on any other sign type.
Maximum share of sign face	50%.
Nighttime brightness (sunset–sunrise)	600 nits max.
Daytime brightness (sunrise–sunset)	5,000 nits, or .3 fc over ambient, whichever is lower.
Transition	Dissolve or fade only, ≤1 second; no movement/flashing.
Message hold time	≥7 seconds minimum.

See the exact numbers

Height, setback, area, count, and lighting limits for Institutional (PUBLIC district) — cited to the code section, ready to quote from.

Get notified at launch

Before you submit

Article VIII's Institutional standards apply per-USE, not per-zone — the PUBLIC district is routed here because its own purpose text names institutional uses, but a non-institutional use on a PUB parcel (or an institutional use like a church on a non-PUB parcel, e.g. an R-zone) would not actually match this table. Confirm the actual use before quoting.
Shopping centers and multi-use/multi-building developments MUST use a Comprehensive Sign Program (§21-8220) instead of these base numbers if the site qualifies — it requires architectural harmony, a unified wayfinding system, and a tenant-name cap on center-identification monument signs.

Sign permits in Commerce City

City of Commerce City Community Development / Building Division — apply via eTRAKiT

Commerce City sign code FAQ

What is the sign code for Commerce City, Colorado?

Commerce City's sign regulations are set by LDC Art. VIII Sign Regulations · Municode, and vary by zoning district. Sightline tracks 3 verified zone families for Commerce City below, each with wall, freestanding, and other sign-type limits cited to the exact section.

Do I need a permit for a sign in Commerce City?

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

Look up an exact address in Commerce City

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