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Sign Code Summary

City of Pacific Grove, CA

Local sign ordinance requirements — free, cited to the source section.

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Understanding sign regulations in City of Pacific Grove, CA

Every outdoor sign in City of Pacific Grove 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 Pacific Grove 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 Pacific Grove.

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 Pacific Grove, 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 Pacific Grove, 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.

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Max ground sign height
Monument sign height: 6 ft maximum
Ground sign setback
Monument sign setback: 5 ft

Awning Signs

Awning Sign Sf Calc
15 percent of each awning face (applies to awnings covering one window or entrance per storefront)
Awning Projection Clearance
Minimum seven-foot clearance between the lowest point of the sign and the grade immediately below (applies to placard or shingle type signs)
Awning Sign Clearance
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Awning Sign Copy Limit
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Placard Sign Requirement
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Staff Approval Of Sign Review Requirement
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4 more awning signs rules in the full report →

Building Signs

Building Sign Formula
1 sq ft per lineal ft of primary business frontage; 0.5 sq ft per lineal ft of secondary business frontage
Max Sign Area Per Frontage
primary business frontage: 1 sq ft per lineal ft of primary business frontage
Max Sign Area Secondary Frontage
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Max Sign Area Total
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Maximum Sign Area Maximum Area
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Building Sign Illumination
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4 more building signs rules in the full report →

Definitions

Freestanding Sign Definition
a sign not attached to any building and having its own support structure.
Off Premises Sign Definition
any sign which directs attention to a business, service, product or entertainment not sold or offered or only incidentally sold or offered on the premises on which the sign is located.
Pennant Definition
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Permanent Sign Definition
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Political Sign Definition
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Primary Sign Definition
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Projecting Sign Definition
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Height Of Sign Definition
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Abandoned Sign Definition
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Area Of Sign Definition
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Billboard Definition
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Dilapidated Sign Definition
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Directory Sign Definition
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Illuminated Backlit Sign Definition
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Illuminated Sign Definition
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Indirectly Illuminated Sign Definition
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Internally Illuminated Sign Definition
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Marquee Sign Definition
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Master Sign Program Definition
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Residential Identification Sign Definition
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Roof Sign Definition
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Sign Face Definition
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Suspended Sign Definition
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Temporary Sign Definition
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Wall Sign Definition
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Awning Definition
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Banner Definition
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Cabinets For Menu Sign Definition
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Internal Illumination Definition
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Monument Sign Definition
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Staff Sign Approvals Definition
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Types Of Wall Sign Definition
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30 more definitions rules in the full report →

Directional Signs

Directional Max Size
2 sq ft

General Info

Jurisdiction Name
City of Pacific Grove, CA

General Standards

Max Signs Per Storefront
No more than three different types of signs per individual business store front are allowed
Signs In Door Windows Maximum Area
Nonilluminated signage indicating hours of operation, contact information, and an open/closed sign shall occupy no more than 25 percent of the total window area of the door where the signage is placed.
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Ground Signs

Ground Sign Type
Monument sign permitted; Pole sign not permitted
Ground Sign Formula
Monument sign area: 20 sq ft maximum
Ground Sign Max Height
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Ground Sign Setback
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Sign Size Maximum Area
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3 more ground signs rules in the full report →

Illumination

External Illumination Requirement
Graphics illuminated by flood or spotlight shall be positioned so that none of the light shines directly onto an adjoining property or shines into eyes of motorists, pedestrians, or cyclists.

Permit Process

Action On Sign Permit Requirement
Action on sign: Action on sign permits by the architectural review board shall be in accordance with the provisions of PGMC § 23.

Prohibited Signs

Prohibited Sign Types
downtown area: Roof signs, cabinet signs, and freestanding pole signs shall be prohibited within the downtown area

Temporary Signs

Temp Signs Allowed
Yes, permit required
Temp Sign Rules
Max area: 24 sq ft (building construction site); max height: 3.5 ft; max width: 2 ft; max duration: 60 days/year, not exceeding 30 consecutive days; permit required
Portable Sign Height And Width Limits
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Temporary Directional Sign Max Area
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Temporary Holiday Decor Max Area
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Temporary Sign Notification
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Temporary Sign Time Limit
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5 more temporary signs rules in the full report →

Window Signs

Illuminated Sign Maximum Area
Neon, LED and other brightly lit window signs are not allowed, except for open/closed signs that are no more than two square feet in size.
Window Sign Allowable Area
25% of window area on any frontage

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