Johnstown, Colorado Sign Code & Sign Permit Guide

Wall, monument, and freestanding sign limits for Johnstown 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 (H-A, R-E, R-1, R-2 & R-3) · Mixed-Use & Industrial (MU-DT, MU-NC, MU-RC, I-1 & I-2)

Residential (H-A, R-E, R-1, R-2 & R-3)

Zones like H-A

LUDC §17-9-3.B, Table 9-2 ('Residential Districts'). Article 9 doesn't itself enumerate the zone codes in this table — mapped from Article 4 §17-4-1's own district descriptions (Table 4-1), all unambiguously residential-character.

up to 32 sf / 6 ft

Freestanding sign

5% of elevation, max 100 sf

Building sign

up to 2 shapes

Area method

Required

Permit

Up to 2 standard geometric shapes: Sign area is the smallest area of up to 2 standard geometric shapes that can encompass the entire sign (or its background, if mounted on one). Regular shapes use their own formula. A gap greater than 2x the sign's height may be excluded, but then the two portions count as separate signs.

Building signs

LUDC §17-9-3.B · Table 9-2

Maximum size (per sign)	5% of street-facing building elevation or 100 sq ft, whichever is less.
Quantity	2 per street-facing building elevation, no more than 1 on any single wall plane.
Height	At least 1 ft below the top of the wall (flat roof) or below the roof deck/eave line (pitched roof).

Projecting signs get a separate allowance: 1 per wall, up to 10 ft off the wall, ≥8 ft above grade, up to 2 sq ft per ft of building height (max 50 sq ft) — §17-9-4A.3.

Freestanding signs

LUDC §17-9-3.B · Table 9-2

Maximum size	32 sq ft per sign.
Maximum height	6 ft.
Quantity	1 per street frontage; no more than 2 per lot.
Setback	At least a distance equal to the sign's own height, from every property line.

Residential Identity (gateway) signs

LUDC §17-9-4E.2

Where allowed	Subdivisions with more than 20 lots or more than 5 acres — in addition to the normal freestanding allowance.
Design	Monument style only, no higher than 8 ft.
Size	24 sq ft at a collector-street entrance; 48 sq ft at an arterial-street entrance.
Quantity/spacing	No more than 2 per entrance; entrances must be at least 300 ft apart.
Setback	At least 6 ft from the lot/parcel line.

Requires site development plan review (§17-2-5); needs an HOA or similar entity to maintain it.

Pedestrian signs

LUDC §17-9-3.B · Table 9-2

Maximum size	6 sq ft; or 8 sq ft if at a primary building entrance.
Quantity	1 per public building entrance.
Height	6 ft if ground-mounted; 12 ft if building-mounted.

Portable 'A-frame'/sandwich-board signs get a separate limited license on Pedestrian Streets: max 8 sq ft (≤3 ft wide, ≤4 ft tall), within 20 ft of the entrance, ≥2 ft from any curb, business hours only (§17-9-4C.4).

Temporary signs

LUDC §17-9-3.B · Table 9-2

Total allowance	18 sq ft, or 0.18 sq ft per linear ft of street frontage, whichever is greater — capped at 48 sq ft.
Per-sign max	8 sq ft; 24 sq ft for lots with over 150 ft of street frontage.
Height	6 ft if ground-mounted; 20 ft or 1 ft below the top of the wall, whichever is less, if building-mounted.

No single temporary sign displayed over 120 consecutive days without a 120-day gap; not illuminated or light-reflecting.

Electronic Message Displays

LUDC §17-9-4H

Where allowed	Only for a permitted nonresidential use; 1 per lot/development; 100 ft setback from any residentially-zoned or -used property.
Size cap in R-1, R-2, R-3	24 sq ft maximum.
Timing	Static display only — at least 8 seconds between changes, no more than 0.3 second transitions (dissolve/fade/instant only).
Brightness	Auto-dimming sensor required — no more than 0.3 footcandle over ambient, measured perpendicular at a distance of √(100 × sign area) ft.

The code's 24 sq ft EMC list names R-1/R-2/R-3 specifically, not H-A/R-E — confirm with the Town if a nonresidential use in H-A or R-E needs an EMC.

See the exact numbers

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

Get notified at launch

Before you submit

Building and pedestrian sign allowances only apply to a principal nonresidential or multi-unit residential building (school, church, community center, apartments) — a single-family house doesn't get its own sign allowance beyond the exempt address/name-plate signs (§17-9-2.A).

Mixed-Use & Industrial (MU-DT, MU-NC, MU-RC, I-1 & I-2)

Zones like MU-DT

LUDC §17-9-3.C, Table 9-3 ('Mixed-use and Industrial Districts'). Zone codes mapped from Article 4 §17-4-1's district descriptions the same way as the residential family — MU-DT/MU-NC/MU-RC (mixed-use/commercial) and I-1/I-2 (industrial).

2 sf/lf (first 100 ft)

Building sign rate

1 sf/lf (first 100 ft)

Freestanding sign rate

up to 2 shapes

Area method

Required

Permit

Building signs

LUDC §17-9-3.C · Table 9-3

Total allowance	2 sq ft per linear ft of building frontage for the first 100 ft, plus 1 sq ft per linear ft beyond 100 ft.
Maximum size	200 sq ft per sign.
Quantity	Single-tenant buildings: 4 signs per street-facing elevation. Multi-tenant: 1 primary sign per elevation, apportioned by each tenant's share of the building's linear frontage.
Height	At least 1 ft below the top of the wall (flat roof) or below the roof deck/eave line (pitched roof).

MU-DT building signs are boxed into a sign band between the storefront and first-story cornice/frieze (or a first-story awning) — 3+ story buildings may put up to 50% of the allowance within 8 ft of the top of the facade (§17-9-4A.1). A lot using ONLY building signs (no freestanding) gets a 20% bonus to its building-sign allowance (§17-9-4B.4). Projecting signs get a separate allowance: 1 per wall, up to 10 ft off the wall, ≥8 ft above grade, up to 2 sq ft per ft of building height (max 50 sq ft) — §17-9-4A.3.

Freestanding signs

LUDC §17-9-3.C · Table 9-3

Total allowance	1 sq ft per linear ft of building frontage for the first 100 ft, plus 0.5 sq ft per linear ft beyond 100 ft — max size equals this total (no separate per-sign cap).
Quantity	1 per 150 ft of street frontage (min. 100 ft between signs); 3 per lot/development max.
Height	12 ft for a single user or 1-3 tenants. Within 100 ft of the I-25 right-of-way: 50 ft (or 50 ft above adjacent interstate grade, whichever is higher). Within 50 ft of a state/US highway right-of-way: 50 ft. Not permitted in MU-DT.
Setback	At least 50% of the sign height, outside any easement.

Only allowed in MU-DT/MU-NC when the building's front entrance already meets the ≥20 ft frontage-design setback (§17-9-4B.1).

Nonresidential Identity signs

LUDC §17-9-4E.1

Where allowed	Nonresidential/mixed-use projects over 20 acres with multiple tenants/buildings — in addition to the normal freestanding allowance.
Size	200 sq ft max per sign.
Quantity/spacing	No more than 2 per entrance, 1 per corner at a 2-street intersection; at least 200 ft from any other freestanding sign (except a matched pair flanking one entrance).

Requires site development plan review (§17-2-5).

Pedestrian signs

LUDC §17-9-3.C · Table 9-3

Maximum size (per sign)	6 sq ft; or 8 sq ft if at a primary building entrance.
Quantity	1 per 50 ft of building frontage, or 1 per tenant with a separate public entrance (whichever is more), plus 1 per building entrance.
Height	6 ft if ground-mounted; 12 ft if building-mounted.

Temporary signs

LUDC §17-9-3.C · Table 9-3

Total allowance	32 sq ft, or 0.25 sq ft per linear ft of street frontage over 100 ft — capped at 100 sq ft.
Per-sign max	12 sq ft (under 100 ft frontage); 24 sq ft (100-200 ft); 48 sq ft (over 200 ft).
Height	6 ft if ground-mounted; 20 ft or top of wall plane, whichever is less, if building-mounted.

Drive-through service facility signs

LUDC §17-9-4G

Drive-through sign	Up to 2 signs per service area, no more than 32 sq ft per sign, no more than 8 ft high.

Electronic Message Displays

LUDC §17-9-4H

Where allowed	1 per lot/development; 100 ft setback from any residentially-zoned or -used property.
Size cap — MU-NC, MU-DT	24 sq ft maximum.
Size cap — MU-RC, I-1, I-2	48 sq ft maximum.
Timing	Static display only — at least 8 seconds between changes, no more than 0.3 second transitions (dissolve/fade/instant only).
Brightness	Auto-dimming sensor required — no more than 0.3 footcandle over ambient, measured perpendicular at a distance of √(100 × sign area) ft.

Permit application must include manufacturer specs and cd/m² rating. A malfunctioning display must be shut off within 24 hours.

See the exact numbers

Height, setback, area, count, and lighting limits for Mixed-Use & Industrial (MU-DT, MU-NC, MU-RC, I-1 & I-2) — cited to the code section, ready to quote from.

Get notified at launch

Before you submit

Freestanding signs are NOT permitted at all in MU-DT, and in MU-DT/MU-NC they require the building's front entrance to already meet the ≥20 ft frontage-design setback (§17-9-4B.1).
Electronic Message Display size caps split within this family: 24 sq ft in MU-NC/MU-DT, 48 sq ft in MU-RC/I-1/I-2.

Sign permits in Johnstown

Town of Johnstown Planning & Development Department — 970-587-4664

Johnstown sign code FAQ

What is the sign code for Johnstown, Colorado?

Johnstown's sign regulations are set by LUDC Art. 9 Signs · eCode360, and vary by zoning district. Sightline tracks 2 verified zone families for Johnstown below, each with wall, freestanding, and other sign-type limits cited to the exact section.

Do I need a permit for a sign in Johnstown?

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

Look up an exact address in Johnstown

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

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