Understanding sign regulations in City of Hanford, CA
Every outdoor sign in City of Hanford is governed by the municipality’s sign ordinance, which sets how large a sign may be, how tall it may stand, how far it must sit from the property line, whether it may be illuminated, and which sign types are permitted in each zoning district. This page summarizes those requirements in plain language and links each value back to the section of the City of Hanford code it came from.
Sign rules here are layered. The base zoning district — commercial, industrial, or residential — sets the default limits, and overlay districts such as historic or downtown districts can tighten them further. Because the most specific jurisdiction controls, a freestanding monument sign on a commercial parcel and a wall sign in a historic overlay can face very different limits even on the same street in City of Hanford.
Use the figures below as a fast first check, then run a full address lookup to confirm the exact limits for a specific parcel in City of Hanford, California. The full report also covers permit requirements, prohibited sign types, and illumination rules — each cited to the source ordinance so your permit application can reference it directly.
Before you order or install a sign in City of Hanford, confirm three things: the maximum sign area and height allowed in the parcel’s zoning district, the minimum setback from the right-of-way, and whether the sign type you want — freestanding, monument, wall, projecting, or awning — is permitted there at all. Many permit denials come from missing a setback or an overlay-district restriction rather than from the size of the sign itself, so checking the governing section before applying saves a costly resubmittal.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Authority
Sign Chapter Scope
Source-backed sign ordinance/chapter scope: § 17.56.010 Purpose. A. The purpose of this chapter is to regulate signs as an information system that preserves and enhances the aesthetic character and environmental values of Hanford, its residential neighborhoods, its downtown, and commercial/industrial areas, while also providing an effective means for members of the public to express themselves through the display of signs. These regulations recognize the impor
Sign Chapter Scope 2
Source-backed sign ordinance/chapter scope: § 17.56.040 Exempt signs. A. The following signs are exempt from the permit requirements of this chapter and do not count toward the total sign area limit for a site, provided that they conform to applicable standards: 1. One nameplate per residence or business premises, mounted on a wall and not exceeding two square feet in area, identifying the owner and/or address of the property. 2. Barber poles, not exceeding 18
Source-backed freestanding/ground/monument sign rules: § 17.56.180 Signs with electronic changeable copy. A. Electronic copy is allowed as a display medium on freestanding signs in the commercial or mixed use zone districts upon issuance of a conditional use permit, issued pursuant to Chapter 17.80. B. Signs with electronic changeable copy shall meet the following standards: 1. The electronic sign face shall be directed in a manner that is not visible from the front or s
General Info
Jurisdiction Name
City of Hanford, CA
Ground Signs
Ground Sign Type
Monument sign; pylon sign (both shown as freestanding sign types).
Illumination
Illumination
Source-backed illumination rules: § 17.56.190 Illumination of signs. The illumination of signs, from either an internal or external source, must be designed to avoid negative impacts on surrounding rights-of-way and properties. The following standards apply to all illuminated signs: A. Sign lighting shall not be of an intensity or brightness that will create a nuisance for residential uses in a direct line of sight to the sign. Illuminated signs loca
Illumination 2
Source-backed illumination rules: § 17.56.250 Nonconforming signs. A sign or outdoor advertising display of any character lawfully occupying a site prior to the adoption of this zoning code or on the effective date of applicable amendments to the zoning code which as a result of the adoption or amendment to the zoning code does not conform with the standards for subject matter, location, size, lighting or movement prescribed for the district in which
Advertisement
Advertisement
Permit Process
Triangulation Requirements
No signs within 30 feet of the intersecting curb lines of a street; the excerpt does not show the stated exceptions.
Programs
Master Planned Sign Program
Source-backed master/planned sign program: § 17.56.070 Sign design principles. A. The following sign design principles shall be used as criteria for review and approval of sign permits and master sign programs. 1. Architectural Compatibility. A sign, including its supporting structure, if any, should be designed as an integral design element of a building's architecture and be architecturally compatible, including color and scale, with any building to which t
Prohibited
Prohibited Signs
Source-backed prohibited signs: § 17.56.155 Portable signs. A. Portable signs in nonresidential zones shall not be located: 1. In any public right-of-way; 2. In parking lot driving lanes, aisles or spaces; 3. On multiuse trails or sidewalks if they would block a four-foot wide pedestrian path of travel; 4. At any location where they would block pedestrian access; 5. Within 10 feet on either side, or in front of, a permanent freestanding sign, porta
Temporary
Temporary Signs
Source-backed temporary sign rules: § 17.56.100 Sign regulations on undeveloped or developing sites. A. Undeveloped sites shall be allowed a maximum one temporary freestanding sign of a maximum size of 32 square feet. Illumination of the sign is prohibited. B. Developing sites, i.e. construction sites, shall be allowed a maximum two temporary freestanding signs of a maximum size of 32 square feet each. Illumination is prohibited. Temporary signs that a
Temporary Signs 2
Source-backed temporary sign rules: § 17.56.150 Temporary sign standards. A. Temporary freestanding signs in nonresidential zones shall not be located: 1. In any public right-of-way; 2. In parking lot driving lanes, aisles or spaces; 3. On multiuse trails or sidewalks if they would block a four-foot wide pedestrian path of travel; 4. At any location where they would block pedestrian access; 5. Within 100 feet on either side, or in front of a permanent
Temporary Signs
Temp Signs Allowed
Yes; conforming temporary signs on private property do not require a permit, and temporary freestanding signs are allowed on undeveloped/developing sites.
Temp Sign Rules
Undeveloped sites: 1 temporary freestanding sign up to 32 sq ft, no illumination; developing sites: 2 temporary freestanding signs up to 32 sq ft each, no illumination; duration not specified; permit not required for conforming temporary signs on private property.
Need the full sign-code report?
The full interactive report includes all sign types, illumination rules, permit requirements, and source citations — for free.