05/17/2008

1. There may not be more than one sign per lot, except on a corner lot where two signs are permitted.
2. Signs may not exceed 6 feet in height nor 4 feet in area for single family dwellings.
3. Offsite signs addressing the sale, rental or lease of real estate is not permitted. However offsite directional signs, limited to 3 feet in area and 4 feet in height, may be permitted only in those locations approved by the Virginia Department of Transportation. Signs should be free-standing. They should not be posted on trees, utility poles, traffic-control signs, fire hydrants, or any other public property.
4. Reflectors or flashing lights are prohibited, and real estate signs should not be illuminated in any way.
5. Moving signs intended to attract attention (i.e. balloons, streamers, pennants, etc.) are forbidden.
6. REALTORS® should always obtain permission from home owners before they place signs on private property. (Some jurisdictions even require that written approval from the affected home owners be submitted to the Zoning Administrator.)
7. If applicable, abide by all Home Owners' regulations in regards to sign placement.
8. The public right-of-way, a distance from the curb to a certain point inward, varies for every highway and street. Contact the local zoning office for specifications. Please note that a median strip is characterized as a public right-of-way.
9. No signs may be placed in the public right-of-way unless otherwise specified by a jurisdiction for a certain time period. In districts where signs are prohibited in the right-of-way, no special permits will be issued for signs to be placed in the right-of-way.
10. REALTORS® who display signs in violation of the ordinances can be fined and signs can be removed and disposed of without notice.

The following sign placement information is taken from local ordinances and is divided by locality.

Alexandria City | Arlington Co. | Fairfax City | Fairfax Co. | Falls Church City
Fauquier Co. | Town of Herndon | Loudoun Co. | Manassas City
Manassas Park City | Prince William Co. | Town of Vienna

City of Alexandria

Prohibited signs:

1. No sign may be placed in the public right-of-way.
2. Moving or windblown signs are prohibited.
3. No sign may be displayed which obstructs, obscures or impairs the free and clear vision of motorists.

On-site sign regulations:

1. Only one sign is permitted on the property.
2. Signs must be removed 30 days after settlement.
3. Signs shall not exceed four square feet in area in residential and mixed-use zones.
4. Signs shall not exceed 12 square feet in RA and RB residential zones.

Off-site sign regulations:

1. No permit is required for signs displayed less than three days. For signs displayed for more than three days, both a building code permit and a permit from the Director of Planning are required. Written permission from the owner of the property on which the sign is to be placed must be submitted with permit applications.
2. Signs must not exceed six square feet in area.
3. No two signs are permitted within 150 feet of each other.
4. Signs must be set back at least five feet from the front property line.

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Prohibited signs:

1. Signs should not constitute a vision obstruction for pedestrians or motorists and should not block county or state signage.
2. Any moving sign or device to attract attention is prohibited, including signs with pennants, discs, banners, or balloons.
3. Any sign which falsely presents or implies the need or requirement of stopping or caution or which for any reason is likely to be confused with a public authority sign is prohibited.

On-site sign regulations:

1. Only one sign is permitted on the property.
2. Signs shall not exceed 4.5 square feet in area.
3. Signs must be located 15 feet from any street lines.
4. Signs shall be removed within 20 days of settlement.

Off-site sign regulations:

1. Signs may be displayed only from sundown on Friday to sundown on Sunday and on legal holidays.
2. No more than one sign for each real estate agency shall be displayed on any one street intersection.
3. Signs may only be posted on that portion of the right of way adjacent to a street, road, highway or sidewalk.
4. Each directional sign placed in the public right-of-way shall contain the name of the real estate company or agency which posted the sign.
5. Signs shall not exceed 1.5 square feet in area.
6. Signs should not be placed on utility poles or trees, landscaped beautification area, traffic circle, control device, sign or any paved portion of a pedestrian refuge area.

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City of Fairfax

Prohibited signs:

1. Moving signs or devices intended to attract attention, including balloons, are prohibited.
2. Signs that are located in a manner that would constitute a hazard to public safety are prohibited.
3. Signs attached to trees, utility poles, street light poles, public benches, refuse containers parking meters hydrants or like structures are prohibited.

On-site sign regulations:

1. Only one sign shall be permitted for each unit to be rented, sold or leased.
2. Signs shall not exceed a total area of four square feet or a maximum height of five feet.
3. Signs shall be placed no closer than eight feet from any public right-of-way.
4. Signs must be on the property that is being sold..

Off-site sign regulations:

1. Open house signs must not exceed two square feet, shall be posted no more than 24-hours in advance of the event, shall be posted no longer than three consecutive days, and shall be removed by 9:00 pm on the final day of the event.
2. Each open house sign placed off-site shall require the permission of the owner of the property on which the placement of sign is sought.
3. Open house signs shall not be located within any public right-of-way or placed on a median strip.
4. Residential directional signs over 2 feet in area require a permit. These signs can be displayed for up to 90 days on private property with the permission of the owner. Such signs shall not exceed 3 feet in height nor 4 feet in area, and shall be placed no closer than 8 feet from the public right of way.

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Fairfax County

Prohibited signs:

1. Any sign in which all or part is in motion or set in motion by the atmosphere is prohibited.
2. Any sign located in the vision triangle formed by any two intersecting streets or that projects beyond a lot line is prohibited.
3. No sign may obstruct, impair, obscure interfere with or be confused with any traffic control device or be confused with any traffic control device.

On-site sign regulations:

1. All properties may have one sign only. Only corner lots are permitted two signs on the premises.
2. Signs must be removed seven days after settlement, rental or lease.
3. A sign advertising a single-family or multiple-family dwelling unit shall not exceed a total area of four square feet nor a maximum height of six feet.
4. A sign advertising a commercial property or a property over 20 acres shall not exceed a total area of 32 square feet nor a maximum height of eight feet.

Off-site sign regulations:

1. Signs are permitted in only those locations approved by the Virginia Department of Transportation.
2. Signs must not exceed a total area of three square feet nor a maximum height of four feet.
3. Signs may not exceed five per property and no two signs advertising the same property are permitted within 500 yards of each other.

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City of Falls Church

Prohibited signs:

1. No sign shall be located less than five feet from a property line or within a public right of way.
2. Balloons and other devices which move in the breeze are prohibited.
3. No sign shall be located where it impedes use of any door, window, sidewalk, walkway, driveway or other vehicle area.
4. Signs shall not be on any property without the express written permission of the property owner or his agent.
5. Signs bearing the words Stop, Go Slow or other similar words which imply official warning are prohibited.
6. Signs using traffic symbols or red, amber and green in such combinations as to be confused with traffic control devices are prohibited.

On-site sign regulations:

1. Only one sign is permitted per property.
2. In residential districts, signs shall not exceed six square feet in area. In other districts, signs shall not exceed 16 square feet in area.
3. Signs shall be removed within one week of occupancy of the property.
4. One additional open sign is permitted on the premises during an open house. No such sign shall exceed six feet in height.

Off-site sign regulations:

1. Signs shall only be displayed on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays.
2. Signs shall not exceed six square feet in area nor three feet in height.
3. No more than four signs may be displayed per property.
4. Signs shall be made of a weatherproof material.

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Prohibited signs:

1. No person shall display any sign upon or projecting over any public street, highway, alley, sidewalk or other public right of way.
2. Signs which simulate traffic control signs or are located in such a manner as to obstruct or interfere with free and clear vision on any public right-of-way are prohibited.
3. Freestanding signs in which the long dimension exceeds the short dimension by a ratio of 3:1 are prohibited, unless the sign is less than four feet in height and set back from the property line a minimum of 15 feet, in which case the ration shall not exceed 20:1.

On-site sign regulations:

1. Only one sign is permitted per property.
2. Signs shall not exceed six square feet in area nor six feet in height except when signs are set back at least 50 feet from the front lot line, where they can be as large as 12 square feet in area and 10 feet high.

Off-site sign regulations:

1. Two directional signs not exceeding two square feet in area and six feet in height are allowed in every district provided that the REALTOR® files a statement with the Zoning Administrator which includes the consent of property owners and specifies how long the sign will be up.
2. No directional sign shall be posted for longer than 90 days.

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Town of Herndon

Prohibited signs:

1. Signs which are likely to create unsafe conditions by diverting the attention of motorists from their driving for periods likely to result in accidents are prohibited.
2. No sign simulating or which is likely to be confused with a traffic control sign or other sign displayed by a public authority may be posted.
3. Moving signs intended to attract attention of which all or any part moves by any means or is set in motion by the atmosphere is prohibited.

On-site sign regulations:

1. A sign advertising a single-family dwelling shall not exceed a maximum of four square feet in area.
2. A sign advertising a multi-family dwelling shall not exceed a maximum of 12 square feet in area.
3. Free-standing signs shall not exceed a height of six feet.
4. A permit is required for signs erected for a period of more than 12 months.
5. All free-standing signs shall be at least 15 feet from any public right-of-way or travel way, and shall be located no closer than 25 feet to another property line. Real estate signs in townhouse districts shall be located no closer than nine feet to the right-of-way or another property line.

Off-site sign regulations:

None are permitted.

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Loudoun County

Prohibited signs:

1. Balloons, banners, pennants, or inflated devices with the intent to draw attention are prohibited.
2. No sign shall be located in such a manner as, in the opinion of the zoning administrator, to cause a traffic hazard.

On-site sign regulations:

1. Only one sign is permitted on a property lot that is less than 10 acres. Two signs are permitted on properties of 10 acres or more.
2. Residential for sale signs may not exceed six square feet in area.
3. All signs must be set back a minimum of five feet from the public right-of-way and may not exceed six feet in height.
4. No sign shall be erected without first obtaining a permit from the Zoning Administrator.
5. Certain planned development preferred residential districts are administered under an older (1972) zoning ordinance and sign regulations. Check with the county zoning administration to determine if the property falls under the old rules and how they differ.

Off-site sign regulations:

1. Signs shall be located only at controlled intersections where there is a change in direction.
2. Signs shall be located on private property only.
3. A maximum of four open house signs per property are permitted. Each sign must include a company name with direction arrow.
4. Signs may not exceed an area of four square feet and must be set back 5 feet from the public right of way. They may not be taller than four feet in height.
5. Signs shall be in place only during hours the house is open, plus one hour before and two hours after the event. The owner or his agent must be present at all times.
6. Signs may be used for two days on the weekends (three days when there is a Monday holiday), as well as one-half day during the week.
7. Signs must have a metal frame and be of semi-permanent material.
8. All off-site signs require a permit.

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City of Manassas

Prohibited signs:

1. Any sign in which all or part is set in motion by any means, including the atmosphere, is prohibited.
2. Signs shall not be posted on utility poles, public signposts or trees.
3. No sign simulating or which is likely to be confused with a traffic control sign or other sign displayed by a public authority may be posted.

On-site sign regulations:

1. For single-family or townhouse properties, the sign shall not exceed four square feet in area.
2. All primary ground signs shall be required to be set back from any public right- of-way at least half the distance required for principal buildings in the respective zoning districts.

Off-site sign regulations:

1. A permit and cash bond is required to post temporary, directional signs.
2. Sign area shall be no larger than three square feet.
3. Signs may not be posted until after 12:00 noon on Friday and must be removed by 12:00 noon on Monday. On holiday weekends, temporary directional signs may be posted after 12:00 noon the day prior to the holiday, and need not be removed until 12:00 noon the day after the holiday if the holiday falls on a Monday.
4. On each block, each REALTOR® is permitted only one sign. The signs will be posted only on the utility strip between a sidewalk and the curb or along the shoulder of the street where no curb, gutter, or sidewalk exists. Signs will not be placed on median strips.
5. The locations of the signs shall be subject to the prior approval of the zoning administrator and shall be shown on a map filed as part of the permit application.

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City of Manassas Park

Prohibited signs:

1. Any sign in which all or part is in motion or set in motion by the atmosphere is prohibited.
2. Posting of signs upon trees, utility poles, traffic control signs, lights or devices is prohibited.
3. No signs may be posted in the triangular area at the street corner of a corner lot.

On-site sign regulations:

1. The area of signs cannot exceed four square feet in residential districts.
2. Sign area may be as large as 20 square feet in other zoning districts if the sign is set back at least 15 feet from any lot line.

Off-site sign regulations:

1. Signs are permitted only in those locations approved by the Virginia Department of Highways and Transportation.
2. No such sign shall exceed three square feet in area nor four feet in height.
3. There shall be no more than five signs per property being advertised. In addition, any two signs advertising the same property must be at least 500 yards apart.

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Prince William County

Prohibited signs:

1. Signs to be located within the proposed public right of way shall receive written approval from VDOT.
2. Signs shall be located and maintained in a manner that does not obscure sight distances.
3. No sign shall consist of any moving parts, including streamers, balloons, banners, helium-filled or inflated signs.

On-site sign regulations:

1. For residential use, signs shall not exceed a maximum area of 16 square feet not a maximum height of 6 feet; larger signs require a permit.
2. Signs should be set back from all property lines one foot for each foot in height of the sign.
3. There may be no more than two signs per property.
4. Signs shall be removed within 15 working days after the property is sold or leased.
5. Signs located on waterfront property shall be permitted both at the water frontage and road frontage, provided all other regulations are met.

Off-site sign regulations:

1. Up to three temporary signs associated with an open house may be placed on or off-site for up to four hours before and up to two hours after the activity and may contain an arrow.
2. Up to three off-site, directional signs associated with real estate may be erected while the property is being actively marketed. Such signs may be placed on private property only with the consent of the owners.
3. Signs cannot exceed four square feet in size or three feet in height and only one such sign shall be permitted per lot.

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Town of Vienna

Prohibited signs:

1. Signs which involve motion or rotation of parts are prohibited. Banners, streamers, and similar devices used for advertising purposes are prohibited.
2. Under no circumstance should any such signs be positioned within the public street right of way. Signs should only be posted on private property with the express written permission of the owner or agent.
3. It is unlawful to place signs on street lights, telephone poles, markers or other signs or to place a sign without a permit within 10 feet of the curb or edge of pavement.
4. Free-standing signs and any permanent wall signs are prohibited from displaying phone numbers, email or internet addresses except where required by federal, state or local law. Evidence of such requirement must be submitted with any permit application for a sign containing a telephone or facsimile number, or an Internet or electronic mail address.

On-site sign regulations:

1. Only one sign is permitted on the property.
2. Signs shall not exceed six square feet in area.
3. Only one rider indicating an open house is permitted on the sign located on the premises.

Off-site sign regulations:

1. Signs must be a minimum of 10 feet from the street curb or edge of pavement.
2. A maximum of two real estate directional signs may be displayed on Saturday and Sunday only.
3. A temporary real estate sign not exceeding 50 square feet in area may be erected upon issuance of a six-month permit. Such a sign must be at least 75 feet from any dwelling, and shall be dismantled within five days of the expiration of the permit.

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