The short answer
On the island, a business sign may show only its registered name, one logo within a 12-inch square and what the business does, in 10 or 20 square feet including window lettering. Non-illuminated signs can be approved by Town staff. Illuminated signs need a Town Council special exception and a major Architectural Commission review with 30 days of public notice. Landmarked properties go to the Landmarks Preservation Commission, and installs are easiest from May to October.
Start with what the Town allows
The Town permits only the sign types its code lists, and anything not specifically permitted is prohibited. Its sign article opens by calling Palm Beach a worldwide synonym for beauty, quality and value. Every rule after that protects the same idea, so design for the code rather than against it.
- Banners of any kind are banned, and the definition includes pennants, balloons, streamers and whirligigs
- No lettering, logos or street numbers on awnings visible from a street, and nothing hung from a canopy or awning
- No flashing, animated or moving signs anywhere in town
- No neon or strip lighting outlining a building
- No paper signs or flyers on sidewalks, trees, poles or lampposts
- Every sign must also meet the Florida Building Code and Fire Prevention Code
What a business sign may say and how big it can be
A business sign may carry the name as registered, one logo within a 12-inch square and the nature of the business. All of a business's signs together get 20 square feet per 18 feet of frontage, 10 square feet below 18 feet of frontage, and no building may exceed 20 square feet.
| Element | The rule | Code section |
|---|---|---|
| Wording | The name on the business tax receipt and state registration, one logo within a 12-inch square and the nature of the business | Sec. 134-2439 |
| Total area | 20 square feet per 18 feet of frontage, 10 square feet under 18 feet, never more than 20 per building | Sec. 134-2438 |
| Windows and doors | First-floor window and door lettering counts toward the same total | Sec. 134-2440 |
| Height | First floor only, no higher than 15 feet or the first-floor ceiling, never on a roof | Sec. 134-2441 |
| Vias | One hanging sign perpendicular to the wall, name only, with at least 8 feet of clearance; via directories up to 6 square feet with no logos | Sec. 134-2436 |
| Menu signs | One at a restaurant entrance, within 4 feet of it and no larger than 2 square feet; no permit or review needed | Sec. 134-2448 |
| Sale or event signs | One easel sign of up to 2 square feet per 18 feet of frontage, April 1 to October 31 only, up to 15 days before the event | Sec. 134-2445 |
| Development signs | After a building permit only, up to 10 square feet, removed within 15 days of the certificate of occupancy | Sec. 134-2446 |
Which review your sign needs
Lighting and landmark status decide the path. A non-illuminated sign can be approved by Town staff. An illuminated sign is a major Architectural Commission project and needs Town Council approval as a special exception. Designated landmarks and properties in historic districts are reviewed by the Landmarks Preservation Commission instead of ARCOM.
The Town's project designation matrix sorts work into staff approval, chair review and minor and major commission projects. Non-illuminated signage, new awnings and outdoor seating furnishings are staff review. Changes to street-facing windows and doors in the Worth Avenue district are an Architectural Commission minor project.
For a staff review, the Town's administrative review guide asks for color photographs, an enlarged plan of each sign's copy area, elevations, a materials and finishes sheet and the total square footage of all tenant signage, including existing signs that stay. Applications can be filed through the Town's Citizen Access Portal or in person.
The Town says more than 328 landmark properties, sites and vistas are protected under its historic preservation ordinance, and the Landmarks Preservation Commission meets monthly. The Royal Poinciana Plaza describes itself as a landmarked property. Ask the Town before designing if you are unsure of a building's status.
How long approval takes
Staff approval of a non-illuminated sign is the short path. A major Architectural Commission project needs a public hearing, newspaper notice and mailed notice to every owner within 300 feet at least 30 days before it. The commission meets monthly, and no sign permit can issue until it approves the sign.
- The Architectural Commission meets monthly, and the Town publishes a yearly calendar of meetings and submittal deadlines
- Major projects: newspaper advertisement and mailed notice to owners within 300 feet, both at least 30 days before the hearing
- Illuminated signs: Town Council approval as a special exception, in addition to commission review
- No permit for a proposed sign until the commission, or the Town Council on appeal, approves it
- Landmarks: review by the Landmarks Preservation Commission instead of the Architectural Commission
When the work can happen
Install in the off-season when you can. From November 1 through April, permitted construction work, which includes sign installs and storefront build-outs, may run only from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays. Jackhammers and similar heavy equipment are banned outright in that window, and violations count toward the Town's three strike rule.
From May through October, weekday work may run from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., and the Worth Avenue district allows construction from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. except on Sundays and legal holidays. In practice, approvals belong in late summer and installs belong before November.
Before the doors open
A storefront that is vacant or under construction must screen its glass within 10 days, with at least 75 percent covered by images from the Town's approved list, such as historical pictures of Palm Beach. Advertising is never permitted in the display, and construction fences may not carry signage of any kind.
A development sign announcing the project can go up only after a building permit is issued, is limited to 10 square feet per street frontage and must come down within 15 days of the certificate of occupancy. Once open, the business tax receipt has to be posted where customers can see it.
Frequently asked
No. The Town limits business identification signs to the name of the establishment as it appears on its business tax receipt and state registration, one logo that fits within a 12-inch square and the nature of the business. Taglines, promotions and phone numbers do not fit within that rule. Put them on the website, in print and inside the store instead.
Yes. The Town allows identification signs in first-floor display windows and entry doors, but that lettering counts toward the business's total allowed sign area, which is 10 or 20 square feet depending on frontage. On a pedestrian street like Worth Avenue, spending much of the allowance on the door and window is often the right decision.
No. The Town requires vacant or under-construction storefronts to screen their glass within 10 days under its window treatment policy, with at least 75 percent covered by images from an approved list such as historical pictures of Palm Beach. Advertising is never permitted in the display, and construction fences cannot carry signage either. Announce the opening through press and invitations instead.
Ask the Town before designing. The Town says more than 328 properties, sites and vistas are protected under its historic preservation ordinance, and signs on designated landmarks, properties under consideration and buildings in historic districts are reviewed by the Landmarks Preservation Commission instead of the Architectural Commission. The Royal Poinciana Plaza, for example, describes itself as a landmarked property.
Sources
- Town Code Sec. 134-2371: Statement of findings
- Town Code Sec. 134-2373: General sign regulations
- Town Code Sec. 134-2438: Size of sign
- Town Code Sec. 134-2439: Permitted lettering and logos
- Town Code Sec. 134-2445: Temporary display signs
- Town Code Sec. 18-202: Development review procedure
- Town Code Sec. 42-199: Hours for construction work
- Town of Palm Beach: Project Designation Matrix (PDF)
- Town of Palm Beach: Administrative Review Guide (PDF)
- Town of Palm Beach: Window Treatment Policy (PDF)
- Town of Palm Beach: Planning, Zoning and Development Review