Sign Regulations

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Sign Regulations

The City recognizes that signs are vital to businesses within the community. Sign regulations serve to preserve Tumwater’s natural beauty as well as eliminate distracting, confusing, or excessive signs that may pose a hazard to motorists, bicyclists, and pedestrians. You must obtain a sign permit issued by the City to erect, alter or relocate a sign. If it’s a sign powered by electricity, you’ll need a state electrical permit as well.

The City conditionally exempts certain types of signs from obtaining a sign permit, however, the sign area for these types of signs is still calculated into the overall area measurement that is allowed for regulated signs. Conditionally exempt signs still requires approval from the City after review of a Sign Conditional Exemption Application and payment of a nominal fee.

One of the most common signs that the City allows under its conditionally exemption provisions are A-Board or sandwich board signs. These type of signs qualify for conditional exemptions status if they meet the following standards:

The sign must be located on the premises for which it is advertising.
The sign must be placed on the ground and cannot be elevated in any way.
The sign shall be no more than sixteen square feet total, including all faces of the sign, provided that no one sign face is larger than fifty percent of the total allowable sign area. The sign shall not exceed four feet in height.
The sign shall not be illuminated nor have any flags, pennants or balloons attached to it.
Permanent lettering for the business name and/or logo are required on sandwich boards.
The sign shall be displayed during operating hours of the business only.
Signs shall be constructed out of materials able to withstand typical Northwest weather. Such materials may be metal, finished wood, chalkboard, whiteboard or plastic. Signs and copy shall be of professional quality. Owners of sandwich board signs shall be required to keep their signs legible, intact, clean, graffiti free and in good repair.
Owners of such signs shall assume liability for damage or injury resulting from their use and must sign a form provided by the city holding the city harmless and indemnifying the city for such resulting loss and/or injury. Alternately, the applicant may provide a signed document in substantially the same form, provided such document is satisfactory to the city attorney.
No more than one such sign may be displayed per business. For developments with two or more businesses on a single property, no more than two such signs may be displayed per single property.

Please Note: No sign advertising a business, product or service may be placed on any portion of the public right-of-way, including public sidewalks.

For more information on conditionally exempt signs see TMC 18.44.075 - Conditional Exemptions.

To apply for a sign permit

Sign Conditional Exemption Application

Sign Permit Application

Sign Permit Submittal Checklist ;

Please include the following with your application (see submittal checklist for details):

Location of the sign structure
Name and address of the sign owner / sign erector
Drawings or photographs showing the design and location of the sign
Any other information deemed necessary to ensure compliance to city ordinances
Proof of a verifiable contractor registration
Current Tumwater city business license
Lender information
Two copies of your plans
Payment of the plan review fee

For free-standing pylon signs, you must provide stamped, signed engineering calculations; footing/foundation drawings; details of the connection of the pylon to the foundation; elevation drawings with dimensions of all faces of the sign; and height of top of sign from ground level.

For monument signs, you’ll need to provide footing/foundation drawings, elevation drawings with dimensions of all faces of the sign, and the height of the top of the sign from ground level.

For wall-mounted signs, you must provide a drawing of the entire wall of the building the sign is mounted on with the sign superimposed on the wall, dimensioned; detail of the wall construction where the sign is to be mounted; elevation drawings with dimensions of the sign; detail of the mounting system/hardware used to connect the sign to the wall; the total square-footage of the public facade of the building.

Sign Size Regulations

Sign regulations in Tumwater vary by zoning district.

For Residential zone districts

Signs that identify the occupant or address must not be larger than six square feet
One 32-square-foot monument sign is allowed for each street frontage to identify the name of a residential development or multi-unit building
The height of freestanding signs must be six feet or less
Agriculture uses on lots less than one acre can have a 12-square-foot sign while those on properties larger than an acre are permitted to have a sign up to 32 square feet in area

Commercial and Industrial zone districts

Signs must be at least two feet from the curb or driveway
Wall signs must be flush against the building and not project above the roofline
Signs cannot be taller than the main building on the lot or over 30 feet tall, or the height limit set forth in the zone district, whichever is less

In the neighborhood commercial zone district, signs are limited to 80 square feet on all faces of all freestanding signs. Wall signs can take up no more than 20 percent of the public façade, or 40 square feet, whichever is less. No freestanding sign can be taller than 10 feet.

In the community service zone district and town center district, signs must be no more than 140 square feet on all combined faces. Wall signs can take up no more than 20 percent of the public façade, or 70 square feet, whichever is less. Freestanding signs are limited to monument type only, and six feet tall or less.

Signs in the mixed use, general commercial, light industrial and heavy industrial zone districts are limited to 200 square feet on all faces of freestanding signs. Temporary signs can be 75 square feet, but must be included in signage amounts for permanent signs.

You can view the full chapter of the City's sign regulations at Tumwater Municipal Code Chapter 18.44 - Signs

Exempt Signs

Signs which are exempt from Tumwater regulations

Construction signs up to 32 square feet in area which identify the future use of a site, during construction and 30 days after an occupancy permit has been issued
Signs pertaining to the sale, lease or rental of developed residential property or buildings up to eight square feet in area
Names of buildings, commemorative tablets and the like when carved into stone or other materials
Signs directing traffic, no more than four square feet in area
Unlit Signs attached flat against a building identifying names or occupation of building tenants
Governmental or corporate flags flown from a pole with a total area of 30 square feet or less
Political campaign signs, political signs advertising a candidate for public office, or party, urging a particular vote on an issue decided by ballot may be erected any privately owned lot parcel, with the owner’s permission, excluding rights-of-way, must removed within 15 days after that election.
Protest or picket signs
Special event signs

Prohibited Signs

Signs that are prohibited in Tumwater

(from TMC §18.44.080)

Signs that can be confused with or construed as a traffic-control device or that hide traffic or street signs, or obstruct the view in any direction at a road intersection.
Signs that resemble an official traffic sign or signal and bear the words “stop,” “caution,” “danger,” “warning,” or similar words.
Signs with spinners, strings of light bulbs, blinking or fluctuating lights, or other similar devices, except public service signs or changing message signs which show time and temperature only.
Signs affixed to utility poles, trees, other signs, rocks, or other natural features. This does not include the use of engraved rocks as monument signs.
Any sign that is not permanently anchored to the ground, structure or building, including any signs displayed on an abandoned vehicle. Advertising on moving vehicles on public streets and certain signs outlined in TMC 18.44.075, such as A-board signs, product dispensers or wall signs, are not prohibited.
Signs on the roof or the parapet of a building, or located on any portion of a parapet that’s two feet higher than the main roofline.
Any sign or illumination that causes direct glare onto other buildings unrelated to the sign.
Signs on public streets, sidewalks or rights-of-way, except those of an official nature.
Signs which are attached to fences, except at wireless communication sites or ball parks.
Freestanding signs which are greater than thirty feet in height.
In order to avoid action by the City, you must remove signs that are not in compliance with City regulations. The City periodically impounds signs without prior notice, and they’re not saved. If repeated infractions continue, civil penalties may be levied.

Contact Us

Community Development Department | (360) 754-4180

City of Tumwater, WA

Sign Regulations

Sign Regulations

To apply for a sign permit

Sign regulations in Tumwater vary by zoning district.

For Residential zone districts

Commercial and Industrial zone districts

Signs which are exempt from Tumwater regulations

Signs that are prohibited in Tumwater

Contact Us

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