Congratulations. Your business or organization has decided to upgrade to LED signage. After much deliberation, a decision has been made to place this new sign installation outside your front door, near a popular street corner in town. The idea is to reach as much of your target market as possible by grabbing their attention while they are in their cars. Everything sounds good and you anticipate the process to be smooth, until your local government steps in and alerts you to the fact that your sign location and/or content goes against local sign codes.

All local governments and municipalities have their own rules for regulating the placement and content of signs in their area. The purpose, of course, is to maintain public safety and prevent any inappropriate content from being displayed. Like any other rule or law, these codes provide a very necessary purpose, and help in maintaining a civil society.

Some basic examples of these sign codes include; prohibiting the posting of a sign too close to a street or prohibiting profanity or other inappropriate content from being displayed. Local governments are in business to maintain their communities, and regulating what can be built or displayed is a major part of that.

There are certain things however, that the local government cannot ask of you. Your sign must be given an appropriate opportunity to be successful. In other words, a regulation demanding that your sign be placed behind a high patch of shrubs is unfair. Those passing by will be unable to view your content, and thus your communication will have been for nothing.

Additionally, these sign codes cannot force you to change the colors of your logo, or other trademarked material. Again, maintaining a unified image is paramount to any successful organization. As before, your sign must be given a chance to be successful. Changing your logo colors may confuse some people, hindering its productivity.

Lastly, in the event that your sign does conflict with your local government’s sign code – there is still a chance that you can ask for an appeal. If you feel that you have a valid claim for why your sign should be allowed to go against these pre-determined rules, you can always ask for a variance. The local government will review your particular case and, if appropriate, grant your business permission for this unique case.

It is always wise to review local sign codes before placing or purchasing any new LED sign. As an added service, Focus Digital is happy to answer any questions you have about your local sign guidelines.