Prohibited Signs

1. Overview

What signs are prohibited? 

  • Flags (more than 1 per property; National/Sate flags, more than 3 per property)
  • Flashing/Animated
  • Electronic Message (flashing, blinking, animation)
  • Attention Attracting Devices (fluttering, rippling, moving, spinning, inflatable)
  • Freestanding
  • Portable
  • Roof

Why are these signs prohibited?

Prohibited signs are not allowed because of safety hazards and visual pollution effects that they create adjacent to the public right of ways and abutting properties. 

2. Flags (includes pennants and streamers) 

Flags are limited to one (1) per property and cannot exceed twenty-five (25) square feet.

National flags, state flags, and flags of political subdivisions within the State of Florida are not subject to these regulations. However no more than three (3) flags can be flown per property.

Prohibited Flag Signs, Car Dealership

 

3. Flashing/Animated/Electronic Message (flashing blinking, and animation) 

Signs that have visible moving parts, flashing or oscillating lights, visible mechanical movement, or other apparent visible movement achieved by any means that moves, changes, flashes, oscillates or visibly alters in appearance. 

Light up animated sign

 

4. Regulated: Illuminated Signs 

Illuminated signs are permitted in certain Transect Zones and are governed by a specific set of regulations. Below are the illuminated sign characteristics that are not permitted. Please visit the Miami 21 section on illuminated signs regulations for more information on what is allowed. 

  • Illuminated signs containing animation are prohibited. 
  • No illuminated signs are permitted within one hundred (100) feet from any portion of a residential frontage unless permitted by warrant.
  • Illuminated signs over the maximum level of 0.3 foot candles are not permitted.
Illuminated Sign

 

5. Attention Attracting Devices (fluttering, rippling, moving, spinning, inflatable) 

Devices used to attract attention with blinking or flashing lights, streamer lights, pennants, banners, balloons, streamers, fluttering, and spinning.

fluttering balloon sign

 

6. Freestanding Signs

  • All legally built monuments, freestanding signs or signs above a height of fifty (50) feet that do not meet the provisions of Section 10.2Table 15 or Section 10.3.6 of the Miami 21 Zoning Code, must be removed by May 22, 2019.  
  • Businesses that replace their freestanding sign with a monument sign may be eligible for a twenty percent (20%) increase in their allowed sign area by Waiver (see Section 7.1.2.9 of the Miami 21 Zoning Code).
  • Other legal, nonconforming signs were required to be removed by May 22, 2015.
  • Any modification, repair, replacement, alteration, or change of copy that does not increase the nonconformity is permitted as long as the changes adhere to the Florida Building Code.
large freestanding Denny's sign

 

7. Portable Signs

Portable signs are signs that are not permanently affixed to a building, structure or the ground. This also includes those that are tied down with metal straps, chaining, or otherwise temporarily anchored to an existing structure or other similar method of anchoring. Examples are A-frames, inverted T-frames, wheeled signage and the like.  

Moving sale portable sign

 

8. Roof Signs

No Sign shall extend above the roof line or parapet wall. 

Sign above a restaurant roof