For AI agents: read the machine-readable documentation index at /llms.txt or the single-file full reference at /llms-full.txt.
Form a Business

AIRPORT SIGN ZONE

SJ-MC tit. 23, ch. 23.04, pt. 3
in effect

San José Municipal Code § 23.04.200 Application.

23.04.200 - Application. A. This part shall govern standards for signage in the airport sign zone. B. For purposes of this title, "airport sign zone" shall mean property located at the City of San José International Airport and visible from public right-of-way not located within the airport boundaries. Public right-of-way not located within the airport boundaries include without limitation Guadalupe Parkway, Highway 101, Interstate 880, Coleman Avenue, Martin Avenue and De La Cruz Boulevard. C. All signs located within the airport sign zone, including signs subject to Subsection B above, shall be subject to approval and enforcement authority of the director of aviation. D. Nothing contained herein shall be construed to require the director of aviation to approve a sign on airport parcels where such sign is prohibited or not allowed by the lease agreement between the tenant and the city. (Ords. 24201, 29747.)

San José Municipal Code § 23.04.210 Basic sign allowance.

23.04.210 - Basic sign allowance. Buildings with occupancy frontage on external public rights-of-way, as identified in Section 23.04.200.B, shall be allowed either one flat-mounted sign or one freestanding sign in accordance with the following requirements: A. Flat-mounted sign. 1. Each building may display one flat-mounted sign. 2. Such sign shall be attached to the occupancy frontage which is the major entryway for the building and shall not exceed one square foot in area for each linear foot of such occupancy frontage. 3. Signs shall be mounted to the facade of the building to coordinate with building architecture. Signs shall not: a. Protrude more than six inches from the facade of the building; or b. Hang from a canopy or eaves; or c. Project above the roof line of the building. 4. Signs, including street and/or building numbers, shall not be painted directly onto building surfaces. 5. No signs, except safety or directional signs, shall be placed on hangar doors or on fences. B. Freestanding sign. 1. In the event a flat-mounted sign is not feasible on a building, one freestanding sign shall be permitted. 2. The height of the sign, including supporting structure, shall not exceed five feet above grade, and the maximum width shall be ten feet. 3. The sign shall be placed within ten feet of the building occupancy frontage which is the major entryway for the building, and shall be installed parallel to the curb. (Ords. 24201, 29747.)

San José Municipal Code § 23.04.215 Additional freestanding signs.

23.04.215 - Additional freestanding signs. A. One additional freestanding sign shall be allowed at each of the following vehicular entrances to the airport: 1. Northeast quadrant of Coleman Avenue at Airport Boulevard; 2. West side of Airport Boulevard at Skyport Drive; and 3. West side of Airport Boulevard at Airport Parkway. B. Each such sign allowed pursuant to Subsection A above shall be subject to the following regulations: 1. The sign area of each sign shall not exceed three hundred fifty square feet. 2. Each freestanding sign may include a programmable electronic sign that does not exceed seventy square feet and that is integrated with the total sign to form a cohesive design unit. All programmable electronic signs shall conform to the requirements of Section 23.02.905. 3. Each such sign, including the sign base, shall not exceed a maximum height of ten feet above grade. 4. Each sign shall be set back at least one hundred feet from the edge of a riparian corridor. 5. Sign base. a. Each freestanding sign shall have a base of at least eighteen inches in height. The height to the top of the base shall not be more than three feet above grade. b. The base shall be architecturally consistent with the freestanding sign it supports. c. Signage shall not be allowed in the base area. (Ord. 29747.)

San José Municipal Code § 23.04.220 Additional signs.

23.04.220 - Additional signs. In addition to other allowed signage, each airport parcel with street frontage on an external public right-of-way, as identified in Section 23.04.200, shall be allowed the following signs: A. One freestanding sign, as follows: 1. The height of the sign, including supporting structure, shall not exceed eight feet above grade, and the maximum width shall be ten feet. 2. The sign shall be located within fifteen feet of the curb and shall be installed perpendicular to the face of the curb. 3. The sign shall be double-faced, with matte black background and white letters (reflective or nonreflective). B. Window signs consistent with Section 23.02.1060 of this title shall be allowed on first-story windows. C. Signage on a porte-cochere, as follows: 1. Signage shall be limited to one porte-cochere per building located at the primary entryway for the building. 2. Signage shall be allowed only on vertical surfaces of the porte-cochere and shall be limited to twenty-five percent of the exterior surface area of the vertical surfaces of the porte-cochere. (Ords. 24201, 29747.)

San José Municipal Code § 23.04.230 Monument signs.

23.04.230 - Monument signs. In addition to other allowed signage, an airport parcel which contains buildings whose aggregate footprints exceed two hundred fifty thousand square feet shall be permitted one monument sign, which may be a programmable electronic sign, as follows: A. The height of the sign shall not exceed twenty feet above grade, and the maximum width shall be twenty-five feet. B. The sign may be double-faced. Each face shall not exceed two hundred square feet in sign area. (Ords. 24201, 29747.)

San José Municipal Code § 23.04.240 Temporary signs.

23.04.240 - Temporary signs. Each airport parcel may display up to two temporary signs at any time. The following temporary signs are allowed: A. Real estate signs. One temporary sign, not larger than forty square feet, may be displayed that is related to the lease or sale of the real property on which the sign is placed, while such property is for sale or lease and for a period of thirty days after such property is sold. B. Construction signs. 1. Construction signs related to construction on the property on which the sign is placed may be displayed one hundred eighty days prior to the commencement of construction, during construction and for a period not longer than thirty days after completion of construction. 2. Construction signs attached to fences that enclose construction sites and no higher than ten feet above grade shall have no size limitation. 3. Construction signs not attached to such fences may not exceed one hundred fifty square feet in sign area and shall be limited to one such sign per street frontage. 4. Construction signs shall not be illuminated. C. Other temporary signs. One other temporary sign not larger than ten square feet may be displayed for no more than a total of three months in any calendar year. (Ords. 24201, 29747.)

San José Municipal Code § 23.04.250 Illumination.

23.04.250 - Illumination. A. Unless otherwise expressly provided in this part, signs may be illuminated only with continuous external or internal lighting. B. Uniform lighting is required in translucent graphics or backlighted signs. C. Floodlighting is permitted if there is no glare and the lighting is architecturally coordinated. D. Neon letters are prohibited. E. Lighting of programmable electric signs shall conform to the requirements of Section 23.02.905. (Ords. 24201, 29747.)

San José Municipal Code § 23.04.260 Other provisions.

23.04.260 - Other provisions. A. Segmented signs are allowed. B. Banner signs are allowed only as temporary signs. (Ords. 24201, 29747.)
Source: City of San José, Municipal Code (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/ca/san_jose/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=TIT23SI_CH23.04SIRE_PT3AISIZOFetched: 11/1/2026

Starting a business in California? California LLC guide: costs and requirements