Lakewood, Colorado Sign Code & Sign Permit Guide
Wall, monument, and freestanding sign limits for Lakewood 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.
Non-residential (Mixed-Use, Commercial & Industrial)
Zones like M-N-*
Lakewood Zoning Ordinance §17.9.4.3 (Non-Residential Zone District Permanent Signs), revised May 8, 2023. Covers the Mixed-Use (M-N/M-R/M-G/M-C/M-E, in suburban/transit/urban context) and Commercial/Industrial (C-R, C-L, LI, LI-RD) districts. Residential (R-) districts use §17.9.4.1/.2 (see the residential family); PD parcels follow their approved ODP (see the PD note).
Area set by building size & context, not frontage: Wall-sign area is a percentage of the wall area, and freestanding-sign area scales with the building's floor area — both capped by the zone district and its context (suburban/urban/transit, the S/T/U in the zone code). The frontage calculator on this page doesn't apply; read the caps for your district from the cards above.
Wall signs / channel letters
§17.9.4.3.H| Sign area | 15% of each wall area |
|---|---|
| Max per building/tenant | 100 sq ft in M-N & M-R districts · 200 sq ft in M-C, M-E, M-G, C-R, C-L, LI & LI-RD |
| Large commercial buildings | 300 sq ft at 70,000–100,000 sq ft · 400 sq ft at 100,000–150,000 sq ft · 600 sq ft over 150,000 sq ft (no single sign over 200 sq ft, or 300 sq ft on the largest) |
| Minimum | Every tenant gets at least 30 sq ft |
| Placement | Not above the second story · ≤ 75% of the storefront/façade width · projects ≤ 18 inches from the wall |
| Cabinet signs | Allowed only in Mixed-Use (M-) districts, and only if ≤ 4 inches deep with an opaque blackout background |
Wall, painted-wall signs carrying a commercial message, and branded-color fields all count toward the one wall allowance. In a multi-tenant building the allowance can be placed on any wall with the owner's written consent.
Freestanding sign (monument/pylon)
§17.9.4.3.C| Number | 1 per frontage (2 per street frontage for C-R/C-L/LI centers over 200,000 sq ft) |
|---|---|
| Area formula | 1 sq ft per 70 sq ft of building floor area (M districts) · 1 sq ft per 80 sq ft (C-R, C-L, LI, LI-RD) · per 60 sq ft for multi-tenant M-E/M-G/M-N/M-R centers |
| Max — M-N, M-R | 75 sq ft per face · 12 ft tall |
| Max — M-G, M-C, M-E | 150 sq ft suburban / 120 sq ft urban / 100 sq ft transit per face · height 25 ft suburban / 12 ft urban / 6 ft transit |
| Max — C-R, C-L, LI, LI-RD | 125 sq ft per face · 25 ft tall (single use) |
| Multi-tenant / pad sites | Larger caps by district (up to 200 sq ft / 35 ft for the biggest C-R/C-L/LI centers); pad sites 50 sq ft/12 ft (M) or 75 sq ft/10 ft (C-R/C-L/LI) — see §17.9.4.3.C for the full table |
| Frontage roads | Height and area may increase up to 25% |
Area scales with building floor area, not street frontage, and the cap depends on the district and its context (suburban/urban/transit — the S/T/U in the zone code). Drive-thru order-station signs get a separate allowance (45 sq ft/10 ft, plus 10 sq ft/4 ft menu signs).
Projecting / blade signs
§17.9.4.3.G| Number | 2 per building or 1 per tenant entry, up to 1 per 25 ft of building frontage |
|---|---|
| Max size | 24 sq ft per face |
| Max height | 18 ft, not above the roof line |
| Clearance | 8 ft vertical clearance above the sidewalk |
For tenants with primary exterior access. A license agreement is required if the sign extends into the right-of-way. On buildings under 5,000 sq ft, projecting signs count toward the wall-sign allowance.
Electronic message signs
§17.9.4.3.D| Where | Non-residential districts; the property needs at least 180 feet of street frontage |
|---|---|
| Max size | ≤ 50% of the sign's allowable area (developments under 200,000 sq ft) · ≤ 75% (over 200,000 sq ft) |
| Display type | Monochrome, 20mm pitch or coarser (under 200,000 sq ft) · full color, 16mm pitch or finer (over 200,000 sq ft) |
| Brightness | ≤ 0.3 foot-candles over ambient · automatic dimming sensor required |
| Message change | No more than once every 8 seconds · no flashing, blinking or scrolling transitions |
An electronic message sign is part of an otherwise-permitted sign and does not add to the allowable sign area. It can be built into a freestanding sign, but not a major-tenant sign.
A-frame signs
§17.9.4.3.A| Number | 1 per business |
|---|---|
| Max size | 6 sq ft per face |
| Max height | 4 ft |
| Placement | Within 25 feet of the business entrance · business hours only · keep a 5-ft pedestrian passage clear |
See the exact numbers
Height, setback, area, count, and lighting limits for Non-residential (Mixed-Use, Commercial & Industrial) — cited to the code section, ready to quote from.
Get notified at launch- Sign lighting (§17.9.5): the light source may not be visible from adjacent properties, and light measured 10 ft onto an adjacent property must be 1 foot-candle or less.
- If this M-N or M-R parcel's building is multifamily housing rather than commercial, §17.9.4.1.C Table 17.9.5 applies instead: a 100 sq ft wall-sign cap on the 2nd floor for the multifamily/neighborhood ID sign, not the 200 sq ft commercial cap above — confirm the permitted use before quoting.
Residential (Single-Family, Duplex, Multifamily & Manufactured Home)
Zones like R-1-*
Lakewood Zoning Ordinance §17.9.4.1 (Residential Zone District Permanent Signs) and §17.9.4.2 (Residential Zone District Temporary Signs), revised May 8, 2023. Covers single-family/duplex (R-1-6/9/12/18/43, R-2), manufactured home (R-MH) and multifamily (R-MF) districts. PD parcels wrapping a residential base (PD/R-1-*, PD/R-2, PD/R-MF) follow their approved ODP instead (see the PD note).
Flat caps per sign category, not a frontage formula: Each residential sign category (home business, residential business/institutional, multifamily neighborhood ID, temporary transition, yard) has its own flat maximum area and height set directly by the applicable table — there's no linear-foot rate to compute. Match your sign's category and zone district to the right card above.
Home business signs
§17.9.4.1.A · Table 17.9.3| Wall sign — Home Business Minor | 1 per property · 6 sq ft per sign face · 8 ft max height · signable area only |
|---|---|
| Wall sign — Home Business Major (incl. Bed & Breakfast) | 1 per property · 25 sq ft per sign face · 10 ft max height · signable area only |
| Freestanding sign | Prohibited for both Minor and Major Home Business |
A daycare is categorized as an Accessory Use and follows the Minor Home Business standard above.
Residential business & institutional — wall signs
§17.9.4.1.B · Table 17.9.4| Non-Residential Permitted & Special Uses (R-1-43, R-1-18, R-MF) | 1 per property · max 15% coverage of each wall area, up to 100 sq ft · 12 ft max height · signable area |
|---|---|
| Civic & Institutional Uses (all R districts) | 1 per property · max 15% coverage of each wall area, up to 100 sq ft · 12 ft max height · signable area |
| Limited Uses (all R districts where allowed) | 1 per property · 25 sq ft per sign face · 10 ft max height · signable area |
See §17.9.5 for sign lighting standards in residential zone districts.
Residential business & institutional — freestanding signs
§17.9.4.1.B · Table 17.9.4| Non-Residential Permitted & Special Uses (R-1-43, R-1-18, R-MF) | 1 per property · 50 sq ft · 8 ft max height |
|---|---|
| Civic & Institutional — local streets | 1 per street frontage · 50 sq ft · 10 ft max height |
| Civic & Institutional — collector & arterial streets | 1 per street frontage · 100 sq ft · 15 ft max height |
| Limited Uses (all R districts where allowed) | 1 per property · 25 sq ft · 10 ft max height |
Signs must sit at least 2 ft from sidewalks and outside the right-of-way, sight triangles, the clear zone and easements, unless an alternative location is authorized by a City-approved license agreement.
Neighborhood ID — multifamily wall signs
§17.9.4.1.C · Table 17.9.5| M-N, M-R, R-MF | Max 15% coverage of each wall area · overall building/site total max 100 sq ft · 2nd floor · signable area |
|---|---|
| M-C, M-E, M-G | Max 15% coverage of each wall area · overall building/site total max 200 sq ft · 2nd floor · signable area |
This is the identification sign for a multifamily (apartment) building or development — the apartment-signage use case — not the general commercial wall-sign allowance. See the nonresidential family's warning for the M-N/M-R use overlap.
Neighborhood ID — freestanding signs
§17.9.4.1.C · Table 17.9.5| All zone districts | 1 per street frontage · 50 sq ft · 8 ft max height — or 2 per street frontage · 25 sq ft · 6 ft max height |
|---|
Freestanding neighborhood signs are only for developments or neighborhoods with 20 units or more. Signs must sit at least 2 ft from sidewalks and outside the right-of-way, sight triangles, the clear zone and easements.
Residential Property Transition sign (temporary)
§17.9.4.2.A · Table 17.9.6| All residential zone districts | 1 per street frontage · 6 sq ft per sign face · 6 ft max height |
|---|
Must be built of durable wood, PVC, or metal (swing portion metal or rigid plastic) and removed within three days of the property's sale or lease. Placed at least 2 ft from sidewalks and outside the right-of-way, sight triangles, the clear zone and easements. Exempt from permit.
Yard signs (temporary)
§17.9.4.2.B · Table 17.9.7| All zone districts | No maximum number, provided total area isn't exceeded · 6 sq ft per sign face max · 24 sq ft total sign area per property · 4 ft max height |
|---|
Must be constructed of paper, vinyl, plastic, wood, metal or comparable material and affixed to the ground. Displayed no more than 180 days. Exempt from permit.
See the exact numbers
Height, setback, area, count, and lighting limits for Residential (Single-Family, Duplex, Multifamily & Manufactured Home) — cited to the code section, ready to quote from.
Get notified at launch- Sign lighting (§17.9.5): the light source may not be visible from adjacent properties, and light measured 10 ft onto an adjacent property must be 1 foot-candle or less.
Sign permits in Lakewood
City of Lakewood — Sustainability & Community Development; sign permits via the city Permit Center
Lakewood sign code FAQ
What is the sign code for Lakewood, Colorado?
Lakewood's sign regulations are set by Zoning Ordinance Art. 9 §17.9 Signs · PDF, and vary by zoning district. Sightline tracks 2 verified zone families for Lakewood below, each with wall, freestanding, and other sign-type limits cited to the exact section.
Do I need a permit for a sign in Lakewood?
In nearly every Colorado municipality, including Lakewood, permanent signs — wall signs, channel letters, cabinets, monument signs — require a sign permit. Lakewood's permit process is linked below. Always confirm with the authority having jurisdiction before finalizing a design.
Look up an exact address in Lakewood
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