All districts
A sign permit is generally required for permanent and temporary signs; signs requiring a permit must be constructed of materials with a finished appearance and professionally applied lettering. A short list of displays are not regulated as signs at all: street address numbers, non-advertising building directories, trespass/hazard warning signs, utility identification and warning signs, town-sponsored civic event and emergency notices, government traffic and legal-notice signage, and historical markers erected or sanctioned by a public authority. A yard sign on private property does not require a permit and is limited to 12 square feet per lot and 42 inches in height. Exact permitted sign area and height by zoning district for permanent commercial and freestanding signs are review-gated pending a full read of the district-specific tables in Article L; confirm those figures with the Inspections Department at 919-552-1433 before ordering a sign.