General Information

• City of Melbourne signs and advertising ordinance.
• Permits are required for ground, building, mural or portable signs prior to installation. Fees are $1 per square foot of sign area plus permit costs.
• Permits are obtained from the Code Compliance Division located on the second floor of City Hall.
• Electronic message signs are permitted on arterial roadways only. The message must be displayed for a minimum of 8 seconds and cannot fade in/out nor scroll between changes.
• Portable signs are permitted 14 consecutive days, twice in any one calendar year. A sign permit is required for each separate 14 day period and costs $52.
• Temporary signs in a window or in a service bay door opening are limited to one (1) window or service bay and shall not exceed 10% coverage of that window or service bay door opening. 
• Signs, murals, building color, fencing or any other exterior change or addition to properties located within a redevelopment area will require a pre-approval from the Architectural Review Board
• Properties in the Eau Gallie Art Overlay Zone should contact Planning and Zoning for special sign requirements.
• Contact Code Compliance Division at 321-608-7900 for any additional questions.

Permanent Signs

Every business with frontage of 50 – 99 feet is permitted to have one ground sign of up to 50 square feet. Properties with 100 – 599 linear feet can have a ground sign of up to 72 square feet. Two ground signs are allowed with at least 600 feet of street frontage and 3 ground signs with 1500 or more feet of street frontage. All are limited to 12 feet in height. Multiple ground signs may be allowed to be larger and will need an individual review. In addition you may have up to 10 building signs with the total building signage not to exceed 10% of the largest wall or a maximum of 300 square feet. Signs may be placed on any exterior wall for the business. The size, location and quantity are based on the design of the building and each sign requires individual reviews and permits.

Murals

• A certificate of architectural appropriateness is required prior to issuance of a sign permit for all murals and all signs within a Community Redevelopment Area.
  • Applications can be made through the Community Development Department: 321-608-7500.
• A Sign Permit is required prior to painting a mural.
  • Applications can be made through the Code Compliance Division 321-608-7900.
• One mural is permitted per building and is in addition to the building sign allotment. 
• Murals shall not exceed 100 percent of the size of one wall. 
• Text, lettering or logo on a mural shall not exceed ten percent of the sign area of the mural, or 200 square feet, whichever is less. 
• In areas outside of a community redevelopment area, murals shall not face contiguous single- or two-family structures.

Special Activity Permits

Special Activity Permits are available from the City Clerk’s office and are used to allow outdoor activities which include the use of signs, tents, sound equipment, electrical devices, outdoor displays, outdoor sales and advertising. It is also used for grand opening events. Signs in the right-of-way and balloons are not permitted, but large inflatable shapes are allowed on site. Fees begin at $25. if applied for at least 10 business days in advance. Please contact the City Clerk’s office at 321-608-7222 for applications and fees.

Temporary Non-commercial Signs (Political, Not-for-Profit, Etc.)

Signs are not permitted within the right-of-way. These type of signs may now be placed on any commercial property without a permit with the business owner’s permission and must adhere to the following:

• Must be on private commercial property.
• Placed/located 10 feet back from property line.
• Signs are limited to 8 feet in height.
• Signs must be removed within 5 days after the event. 
• Total size of temporary, on-site, non-commercial signs cannot exceed 72 square feet.

Flags

Four flags are permitted per site. A flag includes one made of fabric type of material which hangs limply or drooping when secured from a flexible rod or pole, commonly known as wind/feather signs. Flags may only be flown from a flag pole or from a flexible rod or pole. Flag poles may be ground or roof mounted and a permit must be obtained to ensure design safety from wind loads. All flags must be set back 10 feet from the property line and are limited to 12 feet in height. Taller flag poles are permitted depending on setback and zoning. Please note: Multi-tenant sites are only permitted a total of four flags for the site, not four flags per business.