Getting a Sign Approved in Boca Raton

Check whether the city or the county has jurisdiction

Look up the parcel control number before anyone designs. City of Boca Raton parcels begin with 06 and unincorporated Palm Beach County parcels begin with 00. The city says a Boca Raton address does not necessarily mean a property is inside city limits, and county properties follow the county's own sign rules.

The Palm Beach County Property Appraiser lists every municipality's two-digit code, and the county's zoning FAQ confirms that unincorporated parcel numbers begin with 00 and that Article 8 of the county's Unified Land Development Code governs signs there. The city also publishes a residency map that colors city, beach and park district and county areas differently.

Downtown adds a third layer. Use and development of property in the community redevelopment area is governed by the downtown development order, whatever the zoning map says, and the downtown rules carry their own sign provisions. Confirm with city staff which process applies before you file.

What the code allows on a Boca storefront

Boca's sign code is specific about form, not only size. Wall signs must be dimensional letters, a permanent sign may use three colors besides black and white, logos are capped relative to the lettering and window graphics are tightly limited. Knowing these rules before design saves a redesign and a resubmittal.

Staff review or the Community Appearance Board

Standard sign permits are reviewed by city staff. Master sign plans, alternative identity signs and architectural signs go to the Community Appearance Board after staff review. The board meets on Tuesday evenings twice a month, items are due a week before the meeting and applications are filed through the Boca eHub portal.

Master sign plans are required for nonresidential developments designed for multiple occupancies, which describes most shopping centers and office buildings. Once a plan is approved, the city will not consider a request to deviate from it. A tenant designs inside the landlord's plan or pursues a formal amendment backed by a unique location or architectural reason.

The board's job is broader than signs. It reviews site development, buildings, exterior spaces and landscaping for everything except single-family and two-family homes, and it approves work that contributes to the city's image as a place of beauty, spaciousness, harmony, taste, fitness, broad vistas and high quality.

How long approval takes

Plan on about a month for a standard permit and longer for board items. Staff must act on a complete standard application within 30 days and get up to 15 business days for each resubmittal. Board items are heard at least 25 days after staff review, and an application left unanswered is treated as abandoned.

• Standard sign permit: approval, denial or written comments within 30 days of a complete application
• Each resubmittal: up to 15 more business days of review
• No response to comments: the application is deemed abandoned 30 days after notice, with one 30-day extension and no fee refund
• Board items: a staff recommendation within 30 days, then a hearing at the next meeting at least 25 days later
• Appeals: a staff denial can be appealed to the board in writing within 14 days
• After approval: a sign permit is valid for 180 days, so schedule fabrication, install and inspection inside that window

When a better sign earns more room

Boca rewards design quality. A ground sign designed by a design professional with materials better than the industry standard, such as natural stone, stainless steel or glass, can be approved as an architectural sign with up to 25 percent more area and 30 percent more height, still within the citywide caps.

Alternative identity signs work on the same principle. The board has to find that the alternative produces equal or superior results, and the code's criteria include a well-planned, uncluttered and understated streetscape built on simple, elegant and cohesive design and moderation in scale. Few cities publish a clearer creative brief.

Banners and signs before opening

A tenant may show a temporary banner while its permanent sign permit is in review, up to 32 square feet or the size of the allowed permanent sign, whichever is less. Get the business tax receipt first, because the city treats displaying a sign or advertising as evidence a business is operating.

The city requires a business tax receipt and certificate of use from anyone offering goods or services in Boca Raton, and its approval comes before the Palm Beach County receipt. Each location and each trade name needs its own.