Warren County residents are reminded about zoning ordinances that prescribe the size and placement of signs.
Staff and elected officials have received growing complaints from residents about the large and increasing number of signs that have been erected illegally across the county, prompting county leaders to reiterate the specific requirements for signs.
The county has set a deadline of August 1, 2026 for individuals to remove signs that don’t meet the zoning requirements. After Aug. 1, any illegal signs may be subject to removal, as well as applicable fines, and the discovery of unpaid taxes on the sign structure after August 1, 2026.
If you received a building permit for your sign’s installation, then your sign is in compliance an can remain in place.
If you didn’t go through the permitting step, then you need to refer to the county zoning ordinance, which can be found online at https://www.warrencountync.com/791/Planning-Zoning-Code-Enforcement
Following are some general guidelines to ensure your sign meets the legal requirements:
- If the sign is an off-premise commercial sign, it must have received a permit for installation and must not be located within 350-feet of another off-premise commercial sign.
- ALL signs must be located at least 5 feet from the edge of any street right-of-way (which extends further than the edge of the pavement). If your sign is placed in the right-of-way or within 5 feet of the right-of-way it must be removed or relocated with the appropriate permit.
- ALL signs must be smaller than 32 square feet (e.g. 6’x5’, 7’x4.5’, 5.5’x5.5’, etc. or smaller). If your sign is larger than 32 square feet it must be removed.
- No sign may exceed 12 feet in height from the ground.
- “V-Shaped”, “Quad-Shaped”, or “Side-by-Side” signs are not permitted and must be removed.
- All Temporary signs that otherwise meet the dimensional requirements must be removed within 10 days of the advertised service or event. If the temporary sign is still in place, it must be removed.
If your sign was erected with a permit, please provide that information for the county Code Enforcement Department should they have questions. For more information or for a copy of Warren County’s sign ordinances, please email Mark Bloomer at markbloomer@warrencountync.gov.
