Getting sign permits in Colorado is one of the most misunderstood parts of the sign process, and most business owners do not even know it is required until a sign company tells them.
In fact, the first reaction we hear most often is some version of “I just need a sign on the front of my building. Do I really need a permit for that?” The answer, in most cases, is yes. Understanding why, and what that process actually involves, can save you significant time, money, and frustration down the road.
After decades of pulling sign permits in Colorado, we have seen just about everything this process has to offer. The good news is that it is manageable when you know what to expect. The frustrating news is that what you expect in Colorado Springs may look nothing like what you encounter in Denver or Pueblo.
This is our attempt to demystify the process so your project does not get derailed by something that could have been anticipated from the start.
“I Didn’t Know I Needed a Permit for That”
It is one of the most common things we hear from new customers. A business owner is ready to open. They have a space, a brand, and a vision for what they want their sign to look like. The idea that a government agency needs to review and approve that sign before it goes up is genuinely surprising to a lot of people.
Here is the reality. A sign attached to a building or installed on a property is a permanent structure. It has weight. It may have electrical components. It is exposed to Colorado weather year round. Local municipalities require permits to ensure signs are structurally sound, electrically safe, and appropriately sized for their location.
Beyond safety, permits also protect the character of local communities. Zoning codes regulate sign height, illumination, and placement to maintain consistency across commercial corridors. That may feel like red tape when you are trying to open your doors, but it is the same system that prevents the business next to you from putting up something that blocks your visibility or undermines the look of the area.
The short version: permits protect you, your customers, and your investment. Skipping them is not an option, and attempting to do so creates far bigger problems down the road.
Why Sign Permits In Colorado Are More Complex Than People Expect
Once business owners learn a permit is required, the next assumption is usually that it is a simple form to fill out. Submit something, wait a few days, get approved. Done.
That is rarely how it works.
The permitting process for a business sign in Colorado can involve site plans, scaled drawings, electrical specifications, zoning compliance documentation, and in some cases review by a planning commission or design review board. Some municipalities have streamlined processes that move relatively quickly. Others have longer review periods, additional approval layers, or requirements that are not always obvious until you are already in the middle of the process.
And every jurisdiction in Colorado is different. What is required in Colorado Springs is not the same as what is required in Denver, Pueblo, Castle Rock, or a smaller Front Range community. The sign codes, the application formats, the review timelines, and the unwritten expectations of each building department are all different.
This is where business owners who try to navigate permitting on their own, or who hire a sign company that does not include permitting as part of their process, often run into serious trouble.
The Real Cost of Skipping Permits or Working With a Company That Does Not Handle Them
This is a conversation we have more often than we would like. A business owner went with a cheaper sign company. The price looked great. The sign went up. And then the call came from the city.
Signs installed without permits can be ordered to be removed. The business owner is then responsible for the cost of removal, the cost of obtaining the proper permit retroactively if that is even possible, and often the cost of modifying the sign to meet code before it can be reinstalled. What looked like a money-saving decision ends up costing significantly more than the permit process would have in the first place.
There are also liability concerns. An unpermitted sign that fails structurally or causes an electrical issue is a problem the business owner owns entirely. Insurance claims become complicated. Relationships with landlords and property managers become strained.
Some sign companies, particularly those competing purely on price, do not include permitting as part of their service. They fabricate and install the sign and leave the permit to the customer to figure out. If you are getting a quote from a sign company and permitting is not part of the conversation, that is a question worth asking directly before you sign anything.
After decades in this industry, we have seen what happens when permitting gets skipped or handled carelessly. It is never the outcome anyone wanted, and it is almost always more expensive than doing it right the first time.
How the Sign Permitting Process Works in Colorado
Every municipality has its own process, but most sign permit applications in Colorado follow a similar general path.
Application and Documentation
The first step is submitting a permit application to the local building or planning department. What goes into that application depends on the sign type and the municipality, but it typically includes a site plan showing where the sign will be located on the property, scaled drawings of the sign itself with dimensions and materials noted, electrical details if the sign is illuminated, and documentation confirming the sign meets local zoning requirements for size, height, and placement.
Getting the application right the first time matters. Incomplete submissions come back for revision, and every round of revision adds time to the process. In our experience, the single most common cause of permit delays is a submission that is missing information the reviewer needs to approve it.
The Review Period
Once submitted, the application goes into a review queue. What happens during that review depends on the municipality and the complexity of the project. A straightforward wall sign in a standard commercial zone may sail through. A monument sign in a historic district or a zoning overlay area may require additional review from a planning commission or design review board.
Some municipalities have predictable review timelines. Others do not. This is one of the areas where experience with local jurisdictions makes a real difference. After 30 years of working across Colorado, we have a good sense of what to expect from the municipalities we work in most often and how to structure applications to move through review as smoothly as possible.
Approval, Revision Requests, or Denial
There are three possible outcomes from a permit review. The application is approved as submitted. The reviewer requests revisions or additional information before approval can be granted. Or in rare cases, the application is denied because the proposed sign does not meet local requirements.
Revision requests are by far the most common outcome when something goes sideways. They are not the end of the world, but they do add time. A denial is more serious and usually means the sign design needs to be rethought to meet code before resubmitting.
Permit Issuance and What Comes Next
Once approved, the permit is issued and fabrication can begin if it has not already. In some cases we begin fabrication while the permit is in review for straightforward projects, but we are careful about this. Starting fabrication before permit approval is a calculated risk that we only take when we are very confident about approval based on experience with that jurisdiction and sign type.
After installation, some municipalities require a final inspection to confirm the sign was installed as permitted. We handle that coordination as part of the project.
How Permitting Varies Across Colorado
This is where things get genuinely complicated and where the value of working with a local sign company becomes most apparent.
Colorado Springs, Denver, Pueblo, Castle Rock, and the smaller communities along the Front Range all operate under different sign codes. The differences are not just procedural. They affect what signs are allowed, how big they can be, whether illumination is permitted, how close to the road a sign can sit, and what the application process looks like.
Denver’s permitting process can be more involved for signs in certain overlay districts or near historic areas. Colorado Springs has its own zoning categories that affect sign allowances differently depending on which corridor a business sits on. Smaller municipalities sometimes have simpler processes but less predictable timelines simply because sign permits are a smaller part of what their building departments handle day to day.
We have worked in all of these markets and many others. Knowing the local rules before submitting is not just helpful. It is the difference between a smooth project and one that gets stuck in revision cycles for weeks.
What Causes Sign Permits to Get Delayed
In our experience these are the most common reasons a permit takes longer than it should.
An incomplete application is the most frequent culprit. Missing a drawing, submitting dimensions that do not match, or forgetting to include electrical specs are all things that send an application back before it even gets reviewed.
Zoning conflicts catch people off guard more often than you would expect. A business owner finds a location, signs a lease, and then discovers the sign they envisioned does not meet the zoning requirements for that property. This is why we always review zoning before a design gets too far along.
Historic districts and design overlay zones add a layer of review that standard commercial properties do not face. Signs in these areas often need to meet specific aesthetic criteria and may require approval from a design review board in addition to the standard permit process.
Landlord or property management approvals are separate from municipal permits but equally important. Many commercial leases require the landlord to approve sign designs before a permit can even be submitted. Getting landlord approval and permit approval on parallel tracks rather than sequential ones saves significant time.
How RMS Sign Company Handles Permitting
Here is where we want to put your mind at ease.
Everything we just described, the application, the documentation, the review process, the revision requests, the coordination with the municipality, that is our job, not yours.
We handle the permitting process on behalf of our clients from start to finish. We prepare the application, put together the required documentation, submit to the municipality, manage communication during the review period, and handle any revision requests that come back. For most of our clients, permitting is something that simply happens in the background. They approve the design, we take it from there, and we let them know when the permit is in hand and the project is ready to move forward.
This is one of the most meaningful differences between working with RMS and working with a sign company that treats permitting as the customer’s problem. We have been navigating these processes across Colorado for decades. We know the jurisdictions, we know the documentation requirements, and we know how to keep projects moving.
As one of our longtime team members puts it: the permit is not the obstacle. Treating it like an obstacle is what makes it one. When you build the permit process into the project timeline from the start and approach it with the right documentation, it moves. It is when people try to shortcut it or submit incomplete applications that things grind to a halt.
When you work with RMS, you do not have to know any of this. You just have to call us.
What You Can Do to Help the Process Move Faster
While we handle the heavy lifting on permitting, there are a few things on your end that make a real difference.
Start early. The permitting process has a timeline of its own that does not compress just because your opening date is approaching. The earlier you engage a sign company, the more runway there is to work with.
Know your lease requirements. If your landlord needs to approve the sign design before you can submit for a permit, find that out upfront and start that conversation early.
Have your brand files ready. A clean vector logo file is the foundation of every sign design. The faster we can get that, the faster design and documentation can move.
Respond quickly to design proofs and estimates. The permit application cannot be submitted until the design is finalized and approved. Every day a proof sits without feedback is a day added to the overall timeline.
You Do Not Have to Figure This Out Alone
If this process sounds more involved than you expected, that is because it is. Sign permitting in Colorado is genuinely complex, it varies significantly by location, and the consequences of getting it wrong are real.
But it does not have to be your problem to solve.
RMS Sign Company has been handling sign permits across Colorado for years. We know the process, we know the markets, and we know how to keep your project moving from design through installation without the permitting process becoming a source of stress or delay.
If you are planning a new sign for your business, reach out early. Whether you know exactly what you want or you are just starting to think it through, we will walk you through what is required in your specific municipality, what the timeline looks like, and what to expect at every step.
Because getting a sign in Colorado does not have to be complicated. It just has to be done right.
Contact RMS Sign Company today to get started.
