C-2, C-3, C-4, Q, M-1, M-2 and M-3 districts.
El Paso City Code § 20.18.450
in effect20.18.450 - C-2, C-3, C-4, Q, M-1, M-2 and M-3 districts.
A. Monument signs shall comply with the following requirements:
Districts | Permit Required | Maximum Number | Maximum Height | Maximum Sign Area
Primary signs in C-2, C-3, C-4, Q, M-1, M-2 and M-3 with major or super arterial frontage (See A.1-7 after Table for additional information). | Yes | One per street frontage for premises less than six acres, but not to exceed three signs per premise; Two per street frontage for premises of six acres or more, but not to exceed four signs per premise. | 25 feet | 150 square feet
Primary signs in C-2, C-3, C-4, Q, M-1, M-2 and M-3 with interstate or freeway frontage (See A.1-7 after Table for additional information). | Yes | One per street frontage for premises less than six acres, but not to exceed three signs per premise; Two per street frontage for premises of six acres or more, but not to exceed four signs per premise. | 35 feet above ground at the sign or the pavement grade of the freeway, whichever is greater | 250 square feet
Shopping Center primary monument signs in C-2, C-3, C-4, Q, M-1, M-2 and M-3 with arterial frontage (See A.1-7 after Table for additional information). | Yes | One per street frontage for premises less than three acres, but not to exceed three signs per premise; Two per street frontage for premises that are between three acres and ten acres, not to exceed four signs per premise; Three per street frontage for premises that are between ten acres and 20 acres, not to exceed six signs per premise; No more than six signs for premises between 20 acres and 40 acres; No more than eight signs for premises over 40 acres. | 45 feet | Less than one acre 200 square feet, More than one acre 250 square feet
Shopping Center primary monument signs in C-2, C-3, C-4, Q, M-1, M-2, and M-3 with interstate or freeway frontage (See A.1-7 after Table for additional information). | Yes | One per street frontage for premises less than three acres, not to exceed three signs per premise; Two per street frontage for premises between three acres and ten acres, not to exceed four signs per premise; Three per street frontage for premises between ten acres and 20 acres, not to exceed six signs per premise; No more than six signs per premise for premises between 20 acres and 40 acres; No more than eight signs per premise for premises over 40 acres. | 45 feet above ground at the sign or the pavement grade of the freeway, whichever is greater | Less than three acres, 350 square feet; More than three acres, 450 square feet
Detached buildings in shopping centers in C-2, C-3, C-4, M-1, M-2 and M-3 (See A.1-7 after Table for additional information). | Yes | One per detached building | 25 feet | 80 square feet
Manufacturer identification signs in C-3 and C-4, where business inventory consists of motorized vehicles for sale, some in an outdoor location that is accessible to customers. | Yes | One per licensed manufacturer | 25 feet | Combined square footage of all manufacturer signs shall not exceed 300 square feet
1. Location: No portion of the sign shall be closer than fifteen feet from the back of the curbline; if the property line is located more than fifteen feet from the curbline, signs shall be erected within the property line, and no portion of a sign shall extend beyond the property line.
2. For the purposes of this section, interstate or freeway frontage is defined as Interstate Highway 10, US Highway 54, Joe Battle Boulevard, Americas Avenue, Zaragoza Road from Joe Battle Boulevard to Sun Fire Boulevard and Montana east of Geronimo. In no case shall a freeway primary monument sign exceed fifty feet in height or a shopping center primary monument sign exceed sixty feet in height.
3. For minor and collector arterials, a primary monument sign shall not exceed eighty square feet in sign area and eight feet in height.
4. For minor and collector arterials, a shopping center monument sign shall not exceed eighty square feet in sign area and twelve feet in height.
5. For detached buildings in shopping center signs, the height shall not exceed fifteen feet along major arterials and eight feet along a minor or collector arterial.
6. Illumination: Internal or indirect; may not be flashing or intermittent.
7. Additional standards: Shall comply with Section 20.18.400 of the El Paso City Code.
B. Pole signs shall comply with the following requirements:
Districts | Permit Required | Maximum Number | Maximum Height | Maximum Sign Area
Primary signs in C-2, C-3, C-4, Q, M-1, M-2 and M-3 with arterial frontage | Yes | Premises up to one acre, not more than one per premise; premises greater than one acre up to six acres, not more than one per street frontage not to exceed two per premise; premises greater than six acres, not more than two per street frontage not to exceed four per premise | 25 feet | 150 square feet
Primary signs in C-2, C-3, C-4, Q, M-1, M-2 and M-3 with interstate or freeway frontage | Yes | Premises up to one acre, not more than one per premise; premises greater than one acre up to six acres, not more than one per street frontage not to exceed two per premise; premises greater than six acres, not more than two per street frontage not to exceed four per premise | 35 feet above ground at the sign or the pavement grade of the freeway, whichever is greater | 200 square feet
Detached buildings in shopping centers in C-2, C-3, C-4, M-1, M-2 and M-3 | Yes | One per detached building | 25 feet | 80 square feet
Manufacturer identification signs in C-3 and C-4, where business inventory consists of motorized vehicles for sale, some in an outdoor location that is accessible to customers. | Yes | One per licensed manufacturer | 25 feet | Combined square footage of all manufacturer signs shall not exceed 300 square feet
1. Location: No portion of the sign shall be closer than fifteen feet from the back of the curbline; if the property line is located more than fifteen feet from the curbline, signs shall be erected within the property line, and no portion of a sign shall extend beyond the property line.
2. For the purposes of this section, interstate or freeway frontage is defined as Interstate Highway 10, US Highway 54, Joe Battle Boulevard, and Americas Avenue only. In no case shall a freeway primary pole sign exceed fifty feet or the height.
3. For minor and collector arterials, a primary pole sign is not permitted. Only a primary monument sign is permitted and shall not exceed eighty square feet in sign area and eight feet in height.
4. For minor and collector arterials, a shopping center pole sign is not permitted. Only a shopping center monument sign is permitted and shall not exceed eighty square feet in sign area and twelve feet in height.
5. For detached buildings in shopping center signs, the sign height shall not exceed fifteen feet along major arterial. For detached buildings in shopping center signs along minor or collector arterials, a pole sign is not permitted. Only a monument sign is permitted and shall not exceed eighty square feet in sign area and eight feet in height.
6. Illumination: Internal or indirect; may not be flashing or intermittent;
7. Additional standards: Shall comply with Section 20.18.400 of the El Paso City Code.
C. Office directory signs shall comply with the following requirements:
1. Permit required: yes;
2. Maximum number: one wall sign per office building entry not to exceed two signs per building; monument sign or other freestanding sign is not permitted;
3. Maximum sign area: two and one-half square feet per tenant not to exceed twenty-five square feet per building entry;
4. Location: shall not project more than eighteen inches from the face of the wall; shall be erected in such a manner that building fenestration is not obscured and the architectural integrity of the building is not altered; shall not extend beyond the edges of the structure;
5. Illumination: internal or indirect; may not be flashing or intermittent.
D. Wall signs shall comply with the following requirements:
1. Permit required: Yes;
2. Maximum number: For single-tenant facility and multi-tenant facilities, any number of wall signs are permitted, provided that the combined sign area does not exceed the maximum sign area per street frontage; for apartments, one wall sign for each apartment complex per street frontage and public entryway, not to exceed four signs per complex;
3. Maximum sign area: Forty percent of the building facade on one elevation with street frontage; twenty percent of the building facade on other elevations, except where the elevation or wall is within one hundred feet of and facing a residential, apartment zoning district, or special purpose district. The sign area shall include signage on any canopies or awnings;
4. Location: Shall not project more than eighteen inches from the face of the wall or the surface of the canopy or awning; shall be erected in such a manner that building fenestration is not obscured and the architectural integrity of the building is not altered.
5. Illumination: Internal or indirect; may not be flashing or intermittent.
E. Secondary Advertising Signs. Secondary advertising signs shall be freestanding or attached to light fixtures on private property, and shall not extend over the public right-of-way. Secondary advertising signs shall not be calculated as part of the total permitted sign area.
1. Sign Area.
a. Each secondary advertising sign shall maintain a minimum eight feet of clearance between the bottom of the sign and ground level.
b. No single secondary advertising sign shall exceed a maximum height of eight feet and width of three feet on each side of the pole.
2. Permit Required.
a. Secondary advertising signs may be used continuously so long as a valid permit has been issued and not revoked.
b. Permits shall be issued subject to installation in a manner that sign stability is ensured while in use and subject to approved engineering principles to withstand the minimum wind load requirements of the city as defined in the El Paso building code.
c. Changes in location of secondary advertising signs, even if relocated on the same property, but not including a change of the sign face, shall require a new permit.
d. Property owner's written authorization is required as part of a completed application.
3. Spacing. A secondary advertising sign must have a minimum of twenty-nine feet spacing from any other secondary advertising sign without regard to whether another secondary advertising sign has been properly permitted by the same or another business, and whether the signs are located on the same property.
4. Illumination. No additional illumination of any kind shall be permitted for the purpose of illuminating secondary advertising signs.
5. A maximum of two signs will be allowed per acre.
6. Secondary advertising sign will be allowed only in commercial zoning districts, and if seventy percent or more of the business inventory for sale is in outdoor locations that are accessible to customers.
F. Roof signs and roof-mounted signs shall comply with the following requirements:
1. Permit required: yes;
2. Maximum number: one sign per street frontage for single-tenant buildings, and one sign per tenant for multi-tenant buildings;
3. Minimum building height: roof signs and roof-mounted signs shall be permitted on buildings a minimum of thirty feet in height;
4. Maximum sign area: two hundred square feet;
5. Maximum height: permitted at building height-to-sign height ratio of 3:I, with the sign not to exceed ten feet in height.
6. Location: the sign shall not extend beyond the edges of the structure;
7. Illumination: internal or indirect; may not be flashing or intermittent;
G. Perpendicular signs shall comply with the following requirements:
1. Permit required: Yes.
2. Maximum number: Two per street frontage or pedestrian right-of-way per building.
3. Buildings must have at least one-hundred feet of continuous street frontage or pedestrian right-of-way;
4. Maximum sign area: Forty square feet;
5. Location: A nine-foot clearance shall be maintained between the bottom edge of the perpendicular sign and the ground; shall be placed perpendicular to the wall of the building and not project more than forty-six inches;
6. Shall require a special privilege license to be obtained in conjunction with sign application where the sign projects into the right-of-way.
7. Illumination: Sign may be illuminated but digital/CEVM technology is not permitted;
8. Signs shall not project into Texas Department of Transportation Right-of-Way.
(Ord. 16761 § 1 (Exh. A) (part), 2007) (Ord. No. 17585, §§ 5—7, 6-14-2011; Ord. No. 17721, § 1, 2-7-2012; Ord. No. 18245, §§ 5, 6, 9-16-2014; Ord. No. 18687, § 2, 5-30-2017)
Source: City of El Paso, City Code and City Charter (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/tx/el_paso/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=TIT20ZO_CH20.18SIRE_ARTIVEMSIRE_20.18.450QDIFetched: 10/28/2026