A new restaurant needs more signs than most owners expect: the name on the building, a blade sign for foot traffic, window graphics with the hours, a menu board, restroom signs that meet ADA, and a “Coming Soon” banner while the build-out drags on. Some of those need a permit from the city, some do not, and getting the order wrong is how restaurants open with paper in the window instead of a lit sign. This is the checklist we walk restaurant owners through in Los Angeles and the surrounding cities.
Which Restaurant Signs Need a Permit in Los Angeles
| Sign | Permit? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Fascia sign, channel letters, lightbox on the building | Yes | Sign permit from LADBS; electrical permit and inspection if illuminated. Landlord approval first. |
| Blade or projecting sign over the sidewalk | Yes | Sign permit, plus clearance and projection rules for anything hanging over the public way. |
| Awning with your name on it | Yes | Lettering on an awning is a sign; the awning itself may need its own approval. |
| Window graphics | Depends | Window signs count toward your total sign area. Small graphics are often exempt from a permit; covering most of a window usually is not. Ask before you order. |
| “Coming Soon” or “Grand Opening” banner | Yes | Temporary sign permit, limited to a set number of days per year. |
| Menu board inside | No | No sign permit. Digital menu screens still need proper electrical work. |
| Drive-thru menu board and directional signs outside | Yes | Usually permitted together with the drive-thru plans. |
| ADA restroom and room signs | No sign permit | Must meet ADA and the California Building Code; checked at your tenant-improvement inspection. |
| Sidewalk A-frame | Usually not allowed | The sidewalk is public right-of-way. In the City of Los Angeles, signs there are generally not permitted; on your own patio or entry the rules differ. |
California Rules vs. City Rules
There is no statewide restaurant sign permit in California. Sign permits come from the city (or the county in unincorporated areas), so the rules depend on the address. The City of Los Angeles follows LAMC Article 4.4 and LADBS issues the permits. Burbank, Glendale, Pasadena, Santa Monica, Beverly Hills and West Hollywood each have their own sign code and their own counter. What is statewide is accessibility: the California Building Code (Chapter 11B) and the ADA set the rules for restroom and room identification signs everywhere in the state. If you hold an off-sale alcohol license (a market or liquor store rather than a dining room), the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control also limits how much of your windows can be covered with advertising.
What the Landlord Wants Before the City Does
Most restaurant leases in shopping centers and mixed-use buildings include sign criteria: allowed sign types, maximum letter height, whether a raceway is allowed, colors and illumination. The landlord signs off on the drawings before the permit application goes in, and the city will ask for that approval. Read the sign criteria before you sign the lease. We have seen criteria that quietly rule out the sign a tenant had in mind.
What Goes Into the Permit Application
Scaled drawings of the sign and its location on the building, dimensions and sign area, materials, mounting details, electrical details for illuminated signs, a site plan, photos of the storefront and the landlord approval. Signs above a certain size or weight and any pole or pylon sign need engineering calculations. A licensed sign contractor prepares and files all of this; the owner usually only signs the application. Our sign permits page explains the process in more detail.
How Long a Restaurant Sign Permit Takes
Simple wall signs and channel letters within the code limits are often approved over the counter or within days. Signs that need plan check, signs in specific plan or historic areas, projecting signs and anything that needs a variance take longer, from a couple of weeks to several months. Fabrication typically takes two to four weeks after the permit and the approved proof, so three to six weeks from approved design to installation is realistic for an illuminated sign. Surrounding cities range from very fast to very slow.
A Realistic Timeline for Opening Day
- Eight or more weeks out. Lease signed, sign criteria in hand. Design and rendering of the storefront sign, landlord approval.
- Six to seven weeks out. Sign and electrical permit applications filed. Temporary banner ordered, with its own temporary sign permit, so the neighborhood knows you are coming.
- Four to six weeks out. Fabrication after approval. ADA signs, menu boards and interior signs produced in parallel, since they do not wait on a permit.
- One to two weeks out. Installation, electrical hook-up and inspection. Window graphics go on after the glass is clean and the construction dust is gone.
- Opening week. The temporary banner comes down when its permitted days run out, and the interior signs are in place for the health and building inspections.
Restaurant and Food-Business Signs We Have Made Recently
A few examples from our shop: the pylon lightbox face for Kabob Bowl at Premier Plaza, the custom spoon-shaped lightbox for Gourmands LA in Glendale, lightbox signs for K’arsi Lavash Bakery in Glendale and Burbank, the neon-to-LED conversion for Cold Stone Creamery in Santa Monica, roll-up banners for the Don Sazon taco truck and advertising signs for Twist Cafe. Related pages: channel letter signs, menu boards, window graphics, ADA signs and banners.
Restaurant Sign Permit FAQ
Do I need a permit for a restaurant sign in California?
For any permanent exterior sign, yes, in every city we work in. Temporary banners usually need a temporary permit too. Interior signs and menu boards generally do not need a sign permit.
Can I put up a “Coming Soon” banner while I wait for the permanent sign?
Yes, with a temporary sign permit. The City of Los Angeles limits how many days per year temporary signs can be displayed, so plan the banner around your opening date.
Do window graphics need a permit in Los Angeles?
Window signs count toward your total allowed sign area. Small graphics such as hours and logos are usually exempt from a permit; large coverage may need one. We check the numbers for your storefront before printing.
Who pulls the permit, the owner or the sign company?
A licensed sign contractor can prepare and file the application on your behalf. The property owner or tenant signs it, and the landlord provides the approval letter.
Do menu boards need a permit?
Interior menu boards do not. Exterior drive-thru menu boards and pre-sell boards are permitted with the drive-thru.
Opening a restaurant in Los Angeles? Send us the address and a photo of the storefront and we will tell you which signs need a permit, how long each will take and what they cost.