Business » Signs

Sidewalk Signs

Sidewalk Sign Resource Guide

Permit Required:
Sidewalk signs on a public sidewalk are only allowed in certain areas, subject to the standards in this guide and SRC 900.150 and require a permit. Apply for a permit online.  

Zones Allowed:
Signs are prohibited on public sidewalks and in the public right-of-way except for Sidewalk Signs downtown and in other commercial and mixed-use zones.

All properties in the Central Business District Zone are allowed to have public sidewalk signs in the Right-of-Way.

Properties where the building is built across the entire street frontage in the following zones: Commercial Office (CO), Retail Commercial (CR), General Commercial (CG), West Salem Central Business District (WSCB), Fairview Mixed-Use (FMU), South Waterfront Mixed-Use (SWMU), Mixed Use (MU-I, MU-II, and MU-III), Mixed Use-Riverfront (MU-R), and Edgewater/Second Street Mixed-Use Corridor (ESMU) Zones are allowed to have sidewalk signs in the Right-of-Way.

Learn more about which zones allow sidewalk signs.

Standards for Signs on Public Sidewalks:
Sidewalk signs shall be:

  • Placed outside of the pedestrian zone, allowing a minimum of five-feet for free and unobstructed passage on the sidewalk at all times.
  • Displayed only during operating hours – signs must be removed when business is closed.
  • No more than 30 inches in height and 24 inches in width.
  • Placed adjacent to the building in which the use is located in which the use is located in.

 
Sidewalks signs shall NOT be:

  • Placed within a sidewalk intersection
  • Located in an alley or landscape strip
  • Attached to utility poles, streetscape landscaping, furnishing, or like items.

Removal of Non-Compliant Signs:
Signs may be removed by City staff if placed without a permit or in violation of the sidewalk standards found in SRC 900. Removed signs will be held in storage for (30) days. The sign owner must pay the retrieval fee prior to claiming the sign. If the sign is not retrieved after the (30) days of storage, the City has the right to dispose of the sign.  You may call (503) 588-6213 to reclaim your sign.

Find out more about sign regulations.