Can I put up a sign for my business?

In most cases, yes, but a sign permit is required before you erect, construct, enlarge, move, or replace a sign (UDO Sec. 11.2.1), with narrow exemptions in Secs. 11.8 and 11.9. Address and tenant identification signs up to 1 square foot per tenant, owner, location, or business do not need a permit. Sign area and height are computed under Sec. 11.3, general placement and material standards are in Sec. 11.4, and permanent and temporary signage standards by use and district are in Secs. 11.8 through 11.11. The Sec. 11.8 table sets single-use monument signs at 12 square feet, 6 feet tall in the lower-intensity residential district group, scaling up to 70 square feet, 12 feet tall in the busier commercial and mixed-use district groups; post-and-arm signs for businesses are generally 4 square feet, 4.5 feet tall. Prohibited sign types are listed in Sec. 11.12. The exact figure for your specific district and sign type, especially for multiple-building commercial developments, is best confirmed with the Planning Department at 919-435-9510 before ordering a sign.