DeKalb County Sign Permit: Rules, Filing, and Penalties

A DeKalb County sign permit is required before you install, post, erect, or substantially change almost any sign in unincorporated parts of the county. Chapter 21 of the DeKalb County Code of Ordinances sets the rule, and the Planning and Sustainability Department issues the permits.¹ A short list of signs is exempt, but the default is that you file an application, submit plans through the ProjectDox system, and wait for a multi-department review before anything goes up.

Which Signs Need a Permit

If a sign is visible in the unincorporated county and isn’t on the exempt list, it needs a permit. That includes wall signs on building facades, freestanding ground and monument signs, canopy signs, and projecting signs. It also covers substantial changes to an existing sign, such as resizing, relocating, or altering its structure.¹

Special event signs in non-residential districts also need a permit. Banners, portable displays, and balloon arrangements for grand openings or seasonal promotions fall into this group. Each location is limited to two special event sign permits per year, each permit runs a maximum of sixteen days, and the combined area of all special event signage on a single site cannot exceed 200 square feet.²

Existing signs that were lawfully installed under a prior ordinance but have no current permit must register with the county and pay a permit fee. Signs that already hold a valid permit from a prior ordinance can register without an additional fee.¹

Signs That Don’t Need a Permit

These categories skip the permit process, but they still have to comply with every other rule in Chapter 21 (size, placement, prohibited types):

Signs displayed inside a window, as long as they don’t cover more than 30 percent of the total window area.
Signs on lots used solely for residential purposes.
One suspended sign per tenant in a multi-tenant building, if under six square feet per side.
Street numbers required by the postal service or other ordinances.
Flags and banners that comply with Sections 21-28 and 21-29 (banners cap at 15 square feet each, two per lot).
Non-governmental traffic control devices near parking areas, driveways, and railroad crossings.
Exact replicas of documented original signs on county-designated historic properties, after a Certificate of Appropriateness from the Historic Preservation Commission.

Exempt from permitting is not the same as “anything goes.” A residential yard still has to respect the 24-square-foot aggregate limit, and a window sign that passes the 30 percent coverage threshold becomes a code violation.¹

What You Need to Submit

The sign permit application goes to the Planning and Sustainability Department in two complete sets of documents. The county’s permits page has a downloadable application form and directs plan submissions to the ProjectDox system.³ A standard sign application needs:

The completed application form, signed by the applicant.
An aggregate sign form, signed by the property owner or authorized agent, listing total existing sign area on the property broken down by ground, wall, and canopy signs.
Written permission from the property owner or their agent. If an agent signs, you also need documentation of the owner’s authorization.
A site plan showing building locations, proposed sign placement, adjoining streets, and right-of-way boundaries.
Sign drawings with exact dimensions and copy. For wall signs, include the facade elevation and the mounting detail.
A current copy of the business license.
A certificate of liability insurance.

Special event sign applications are lighter. You still need the application form, a sign drawing with dimensions, a site plan showing the distance from the street curb, and written permission from the property owner.²

Incomplete submissions are the most common reason for delays. If your site plan doesn’t show the right-of-way or your aggregate sign form is missing, staff will return the application rather than review it. Check your dimensions against the zoning district limits before you submit.

How to File and What Happens Next

You can file through the county’s ePermits portal online or in person at the Planning and Sustainability Department office in the Clark Harrison Building at 178 Sams Street, Decatur, GA 30030.⁴ Once filed, plans move through a multi-department review covering zoning compliance, structural safety, and electrical code conformity.

The county does not publish a guaranteed turnaround time for sign permits. Straightforward wall sign applications tend to move faster than large monument signs or illuminated signs that pull in more review disciplines. If reviewers flag problems, you’ll receive comments through ProjectDox explaining what needs correction. The review resumes after you address those comments and resubmit.³

Once the permit is issued, it has to be displayed on the sign itself. Any permitted sign that doesn’t show its permit number along with the name and address of the person responsible for erecting and maintaining it is in violation of the code.²

Size, Setback, and Placement Rules

Setbacks

Setbacks are measured from the street curb, not the property line. Every sign must sit at least ten feet from the curb line of each adjacent street where the lot has a curb cut. If the right-of-way extends more than ten feet from that curb line, the sign and its footings have to sit at least one foot back from the edge of the right-of-way. In residential districts where less than fifteen feet separates the right-of-way from the front of the house, signs must be set back two-thirds of the distance between the curb and the front of the building.²

Corner visibility matters as well. No sign taller than three feet can be placed within fifteen feet of where two street rights-of-way intersect. A single support pole under ten inches in diameter is allowed in that zone, but only if the bottom edge of the sign face is at least twelve feet off the ground.¹

Allowable Area

How much signage you’re allowed depends on the zoning district and sign type. For commercial properties, wall and canopy signs can be up to 30 square feet or 4 square feet per linear foot of the wall or canopy, whichever is greater, capped at 150 square feet for buildings under twelve stories and 500 square feet for buildings of twelve stories or more. The aggregate of all signs on a commercially zoned lot cannot exceed 450 square feet or 2 square feet of signage per 100 square feet of floor area, whichever is greater.¹

Residential lots are tighter. A standard residential lot gets 24 square feet of aggregate sign area. Apartment complexes, condominiums, and townhouse developments are allowed 6 square feet per unit, up to a total of 100 square feet for the entire development.¹

Sign area is calculated using the smallest geometric shape (square, rectangle, triangle, or circle) that encompasses the entire sign face, including borders and trim but excluding the base and structural supports. For double-faced signs, only the larger face counts toward the total.

Signs That Are Prohibited Outright

Chapter 21 bans certain sign types everywhere in unincorporated DeKalb County. No variance or permit will authorize them. The ones that most often catch business owners by surprise:

Signs in the public right-of-way, except government signs and railroad crossing signs.
Roof signs of any kind.
Animated or rotating signs, with time-and-weather displays and official warning signs the only exceptions.
Portable signs.
Tri-faced signs.
Signs nailed or fastened to trees, utility poles, or curbs.
Sound-emitting signs audible from any traveled road.
Non-durable signs of paper, cardboard, or flexible plastic displayed for more than 60 days, though you can swap one out for a fresh copy.

Signs that simulate traffic control devices, obstruct fire escapes, or block traffic sightlines are prohibited as well. Every sign must conform to county building and electrical codes, and a sign that is structurally unsound or hazardous to pedestrians or traffic violates the ordinance regardless of whether it was once permitted.²

Historic Districts and Variances

If your property sits in a locally designated historic district, you have an extra review layer. Exterior alterations, including new signage, require a Certificate of Appropriateness from the DeKalb County Historic Preservation Commission before a sign permit can be issued. The commission reviews proposed signs for compatibility with the district’s design standards, including scale, materials, architectural details, and streetscape impact.⁵ DeKalb maintains specific design manuals for districts such as Druid Hills and Emory Village; pull the relevant manual before finalizing drawings, and build the extra time into your schedule.

If your sign proposal doesn’t fit the dimensional or placement standards, you can request a variance from the DeKalb County Zoning Board of Appeals. This is not a shortcut. The board applies five strict criteria covering exceptional physical conditions on the property, minimum necessary relief, protection of neighboring properties, genuine hardship from strict application, and consistency with the spirit of the zoning ordinance and comprehensive plan.⁶

The process starts during permit review itself. If the county identifies that your project needs a variance, you’ll be directed to schedule a pre-application meeting with the assigned planner. Variance applications are only distributed after that meeting, and most cases run two to three months from application to public hearing.⁶

What Happens If You Skip the Permit

The DeKalb County Code Compliance Administration handles sign violations in unincorporated areas. Anyone can report a suspected violation through the county’s online portal, by calling 404-687-3700, or by emailing codeenforce@dekalbcountyga.gov. Initial inspections after a report typically happen within three business days.⁷

Illegal signs (those erected without a permit or that were never lawful) must come down within 30 days of county notice. Signs that are structurally unsound or pose an immediate hazard face a much shorter deadline of two days after notification.¹ Getting the paperwork right at the front end is cheaper than tearing down a sign you already paid to install.

1
DeKalb County, GA. DeKalb County Code of Ordinances – Chapter 21 – Signs
2
DeKalb County Georgia. DeKalb County Code of Ordinances Chapter 21 – Signage
3
DeKalb County, GA. Permits, Plan Review and Inspections
4
DeKalb County Georgia. Commercial Occupancy Permit Guide
5
DeKalb County, GA. Historic Preservation
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DeKalb County, GA. Zoning Board of Appeals
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DeKalb County, GA. Code Compliance