General performance and development standards for all signs.
Long Beach Municipal Code § 21.44.050
in effect21.44.050 - General performance and development standards for all signs.
A. Signs Subject to Standards. All signs shall be subject to the development standards specified in this chapter. The only exceptions shall be for signs that receive waivers from specific standards subject to the Creative Sign Permit or Standards Variance processes; all other standards shall continue to apply.
B. Measurement of sign area. Where sign area is required to be measured for the purposes of this chapter, it shall be measured in accordance with the definition of "sign area" contained in Section 21.15.2530. See Figure 44-1.
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Figure 44-1. Measurement of sign area.
C. Maintenance. All signs shall be kept in a well-maintained condition. No sign shall be displayed which, in the judgment of the Director of Development Services, or his or her designee, is not in good repair and maintained in a safe condition. All signs must be kept free from deterioration, free from defective parts, free from burned out lamps and peeling paint, and must be able to withstand the wind pressure for which it was originally designed.
D. Removal of signs. The following shall apply to removal of signs:
1. Time limit. Except as otherwise specifically provided for in this chapter, a sign shall be removed within thirty (30) days of disuse of the business, building, or other establishment for which it was emplaced.
2. Repair of building after removal. Within thirty (30) days of the removal of a sign from a building, the wall of the building shall be repaired to remove any blemish left by the removal.
3. Complete removal. When a sign is removed, all supporting structures, cabinets, frames and other appurtenances of the sign shall be removed as well.
E. Prohibited sign copy. The primary purpose of an on-premises sign is identification, and not advertising; therefore no major sign, special major sign, or minor sign subject to this chapter shall display prices for products or services. Changeable copy signs, promotional activity signs, electronic message center signs, and gas station price signs are exempt from this restriction.
F. Contact information. In addition to other permitted sign copy, up to three (3) square feet of the allowable sign area may be used to display contact information for the on-premises establishment where the sign is located. This may take the form of telephone numbers, email or web addresses, and the like.
G. Clearance. The vertical clearance between grade and the lowest point of a sign projecting over a pedestrian or vehicular path shall be eight feet (8') for pedestrian use and fifteen feet (15') for vehicular use. No sign shall project over an alley or at-grade parking space.
H. Light control. No sign or sign lighting source shall cause or allow trespass of light onto any adjacent property, any residential dwelling unit, or into the public right-of-way.
(ORD-13-0014, § 19(Att. A), 2013)
Source: City of Long Beach, Municipal Code and City Charter (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/ca/long_beach/codes/municipal_code?nodeId=TIT21ZO_CH21.44EMSI_21.44.050GEPEDESTALSIFetched: 10/28/2026