Do You Need a Sign Permit in Georgia? What Business Owners Should Know

If you're putting up a sign for your business in Georgia, you almost certainly need a permit. Every city and county has its own sign ordinance, and the rules vary widely. Here's what you should know before you start.

Do All Signs Need Permits?

Most permanent signs do. This includes channel letters, monument signs, pylon signs, lightbox signs, awnings with graphics, and electronic message boards. Temporary signs like banners may or may not require permits depending on the jurisdiction — some cities allow them for a limited time, others require a permit even for temporary signage.

Interior signs generally don't need permits unless they're illuminated and visible from outside.

What the Permit Process Looks Like

The typical process goes like this:

1. Site survey. Your sign company visits the location, takes measurements, checks the building structure, and reviews any existing sign criteria from the property owner or shopping center.

2. Design and engineering. The sign is designed to meet local code requirements — size limits, setback requirements, height restrictions, illumination rules. If the sign is large or structural (like a pylon or monument), engineered drawings may be required.

3. Permit application. Your sign company submits the application to the city or county, along with drawings, site plans, and sometimes photos of the location. Fees are typically $100-$500 for standard signs, more for large or complex installations.

4. Review and approval. The city reviews the application. Turnaround varies — some cities approve in a few days, others take 2-4 weeks. If the sign is in a historic district or requires a variance, it may go to a planning board, which can add weeks or months.

5. Installation and inspection. After approval, the sign is installed. Some jurisdictions require an electrical inspection after installation.

Common Restrictions in Metro Atlanta

Size limits: Most cities limit sign area based on your building frontage. A common formula is 1-1.5 square feet of sign per linear foot of building frontage.

Height limits: Channel letters on a building are usually limited to the area between the roofline and the top of the storefront windows. Freestanding signs have maximum height limits — often 6-8 feet for monument signs, 20-35 feet for pylon signs.

Illumination: Most cities allow internally illuminated signs. Some restrict or prohibit externally illuminated (spotlight) signs in certain zones. Electronic message boards often have specific rules about brightness, animation, and message hold time.

Number of signs: You may be limited to one wall sign per street frontage, plus one freestanding sign per property. Shopping centers often have their own additional criteria.

Cities We Work With Regularly

We've pulled permits and installed signs in virtually every city in the metro Atlanta area and beyond, including Norcross, Peachtree Corners, Duluth, Suwanee, Lawrenceville, Alpharetta, Roswell, Johns Creek, Dunwoody, Sandy Springs, Brookhaven, Doraville, Chamblee, Decatur, and Atlanta. We know the local codes and the permitting staff.

Let Us Handle It

At Lee's Signs, we handle the entire permit process — from survey to application to approval. You don't need to go to city hall or figure out the code yourself. It's part of what we do.