Prohibitions and restrictions.
Meridian Code of Ordinances § 7-243
in effectSec. 7-243. - Prohibitions and restrictions.
Unless otherwise provided in this article, no sign shall be permitted within the corporate limits of the city, except as follows:
(1) Within zoning districts R-1 and R-2.
a. One (1) nonilluminated wall sign is permitted per building if not more than one (1) foot square in area and mounted on the building.
b. One (1) nonilluminated detached "For Sale" or "For Rent" sign per lot is permitted if not more than eight (8) square feet in area, nor more than six (6) feet in height above the average grade.
c. Not more than two (2) nonilluminated, indirectly illuminated or semiilluminated wall signs, nor more than one (1) on a single building facade, for each church, school, or other such public/semipublic facility are permitted. No such sign shall have an overall area exceeding thirty-two (32) square feet. In lieu of one (1) of the wall signs, one (1) detached monument sign shall be permitted. Such monument sign shall be located on the premises and shall not exceed ten (10) feet in height above the average grade, and the sign face shall not exceed fifty (50) square feet in area per face if located ten (10) feet from the street right-of-way.
(2) Within zoning district A. Those provisions and restrictions in paragraph (1)A., B., and C. and the provisions of section 7-245, Billboards or poster panels, shall apply.
(3) Within zoning district R-3. For any one (1) use of each twenty thousand (20,000) square feet of land or less, there is permitted one (1) nonilluminated detached sign, of not more than twenty (20) square feet in area and not more than six (6) feet high overall.
(4) Within zoning district B-1. One (1) illuminated wall sign or detached sign per building of not more than twenty (20) square feet in area, nor more than six (6) feet in height above the average grade is permitted.
(5) Within zoning districts B-2, B-3 and B-5.
a. All land uses, which are not specifically referenced below, are permitted noncommercial signage of no less than the amount of signage authorized for the other uses within these districts.
b. Each business or commercial establishment shall be permitted not more than three (3) indirectly illuminated, semiilluminated, nonilluminated or directly illuminated wall or marquee signs, but only one (1) per facade. The total area of each sign shall not exceed fifteen (15) percent of the total area of the facade upon which it is placed. In lieu of one (1) of the attached wall signs, one (1) projecting sign subject to the limitations above is permitted for each establishment. In the B-5 zoning district, the projecting sign may project over the street right-of-way and must maintain a nine-foot vertical clearance above the sidewalk and be no closer than eighteen (18) inches to the curb.
c. Additionally, one (1) detached sign shall be permitted for each building. Such sign shall not exceed thirty (30) feet in height above the average grade and the sign face shall not exceed one hundred fifty (150) square feet in area per face nor more than three hundred (300) square feet on all faces if located ten (10) feet from the street right-of-way. For each additional one-foot setback from the street right-of-way, one (1) additional foot may be added to the height of the sign to a maximum of thirty-five (35) feet.
d. In the case of a shopping center designed as one (1) unified entity of one (1) or more buildings, one (1) detached sign identifying the entire center is permitted. All other signs in the center shall consist of wall, projecting or marquee signs as otherwise permitted herein. The detached sign shall not exceed thirty (30) feet in height above the average grade and the sign face shall not exceed one hundred fifty (150) square feet in area per face nor more than three hundred (300) square feet on all faces if located ten (10) feet from the street right-of-way. For each additional one-foot setback from the street right-of-way, one (1) additional foot may be added to the height of the sign to a maximum of thirty-five (35) feet. If not sitting within the landscaped setback, the sign base shall be located within a curbed landscaped area, extending a minimum of three (3) feet on all sides of the sign base.
e. The maximum size regulations above-described shall apply to all buildings not having approved private sign standards as set out next below. If such sign standards are utilized, the maximum size of wall and marquee signs shall be ten (10) percent of the area of the facade. Detached signs may not exceed thirty-five (35) feet in height nor have an area more than one hundred fifty (150) square feet per face nor more than three hundred (300) square feet total on all faces.
f. In the downtown B-5 areas where there is no front building setback, awnings can contain the name of the business. The business name cannot exceed twenty (20) percent of the total square footage of the awning. The business name can appear once per building facade. This type of signage is in addition to other sign requirements of this section. An under awning sign is also allowed in addition to other sign requirements of this section. The under awning sign must maintain a seven-foot vertical clearance above the sidewalk and cannot extend beyond the width of the awning.
(6) Within zoning districts B-4 and I.
a. All land uses which are not specifically referenced below, are permitted noncommercial signage of no less than the amount of signage authorized for the other uses within these districts.
b. Each business or commercial establishment shall be permitted not more than four (4) indirectly illuminated, semiilluminated, nonilluminated or directly illuminated wall or marquee signs, but only one (1) per facade. The total area of each sign shall not exceed twenty (20) percent of the total area of the facade upon which it is placed. In lieu of one of the attached wall signs, one (1) projecting sign subject to the limitations above is permitted for each establishment.
c. Additionally, one (1) detached sign shall be permitted for each building. Such sign shall not exceed thirty (30) feet in height above the average grade and the sign face shall not exceed six hundred (600) square feet in area per face, maximum of two (2) faces, nor more than twelve hundred (1,200) square feet on both faces. Such sign will be located ten (10) feet from the street right-of-way. For each additional one-foot setback from the street right-of-way, one (1) additional foot may be added to the height of the sign to a maximum of forty-five (45) feet.
d. In the case of a shopping center designed as one unified entity of one (1) or more buildings, one (1) detached sign per public street frontage is permitted. All other signs in the center shall consist of wall, projecting or marquee signs as otherwise permitted herein. The detached signs shall not exceed twenty (20) feet in height above the average grade and the sign face shall not exceed six hundred (600) square feet in area per face nor more than twelve hundred (1,200) square feet on all faces if located ten (10) feet from the street right-of-way. For each additional one-foot setback from the street right-of-way, one (1) additional foot may be added to the height of the sign to a maximum of forty-five (45) feet. If not sitting within the landscaped setback, the sign base shall be located within a curbed landscaped area, extending a minimum of three (3) feet on all sides of the sign base.
e. The maximum size regulations above described shall apply to all buildings not having approved private sign standards as set out next below. If such sign standards are utilized, the maximum size of wall and marquee signs shall be twenty (20) percent of the area of the facade. Detached signs may not exceed forty-five (45) feet in height nor have an area more than three hundred (300) square feet per face nor more than six hundred (600) square feet total on all faces.
f. Any detached sign within six hundred sixty (660) feet of the right-of-way of the interstate system of highways may be sixty (60) feet high. Such sign will be located ten (10) feet from the street right-of-way, and for each additional one-foot setback from the street right-of-way one (1) additional foot may be added to the height of the sign to a maximum of eighty-five (85) feet.
g. Within zoning districts B-4 and I, a business that has two (2) or more nonconforming detached signs may increase the square footage of the shortest sign. The shortest sign must be located within one hundred (100) feet of the interstate highway right-of-way. The shortest sign may be increased up to fifty-six (56) percent beyond its existing total square footage (all faces) to a maximum of four hundred sixty-six (466) square feet. This increase shall be limited to one (1) occurrence.
(Ord. No. 3791, § 3, 10-20-87; Ord. No. 3893, § 1, 10-16-90; Ord. No. 4031, § 1, 10-19-95; Ord. No. 4036, § 3, 11-21-95; Ord. No. 4148, § 1, 3-7-2000; Ord. No. 4187, § I, 7-3-2001; Ord. No. 4191, § 1, 9-18-2001; Admin. Inter. 9-19-2001; Ord. No. 4305, § 1, 1-16-2007)
Source: City of Meridian, Mississippi, Code of Ordinances (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/ms/meridian/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=COOR_CH7BUBURE_ARTIXSI_S7-243PRREFetched: 11/1/2026