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The following general requirements shall apply to all signs and outdoor advertising structures which may be erected or maintained within the City of Provo.

(1) Sign Approval. Except as otherwise provided, it shall be unlawful and a class C misdemeanor to erect or maintain any sign or outdoor advertising structure in the City of Provo without first obtaining a building permit for said sign or advertising structure, the giving of which shall be based upon the provisions of this Title.

(2) Permits. The approval of the sign shall be evidenced by a permit issued by the Building Inspection Division. All signs shall be constructed and all permits shall be issued in accordance with the provisions of the International Building Code. Permits for off-premises nonconforming signs shall be renewed on an annual basis. Applications for permits, or for the renewal of permits, shall require the applicant to disclose the owner of the sign and the owner of the property on which the sign is or will be located, all relevant dates in regard to expiration of any lease or lease option, the date and cost of construction of the sign, the date and cost of any modification of the sign, the fair market value as appraised for property tax purposes, the date the sign will be depreciated for federal income tax purposes, the cost of operating the sign, and any other information reasonably required by the Building Division. A permit may be revoked and a sign removed pursuant to Subsection (8) of this Section if the applicant for a permit makes a false or misleading statement in the permit application or renewal.

(3) Electronic Display and Animated Signs. Except as otherwise provided in this Chapter, all animated signs are prohibited. On-premises electronic display signs are prohibited in all Project Redevelopment Option (PRO) zones, the Special Development Plan (SDP) Overlay zone, the Downtown Historic district, and the A1, RA, RC, R1, R2, VLDR, LDR, MDR, HDR, MU and NMU zones, but are permitted elsewhere. Businesses using electronic display signs are subject to the business licensing regulations contained in Chapter 6.06, Provo City Code. On-premises short hold time electronic display signs are prohibited in all zones, except as otherwise provided in Section 14.38.025, Provo City Code.

(4) Sound or Emissions. No sign shall be designed for the purpose of emitting sound, smoke, or steam.

(5) Movable Signs, Banners, and A-Frame Signs. Except as otherwise provided in this Chapter, all movable signs, banners and A-frame signs are prohibited. This prohibition shall include signs mounted or painted upon vehicles or trailers which are parked in any location for the purpose of calling attention to or advertising a person, place, or thing.

(6) Canopy Signs. Signs painted on or affixed to canopies which are part of the building shall be considered part of the total allowed area of wall signs for the walls from which the canopy projects. Signs painted on or affixed to canopies which are freestanding shall be considered part of the total allowable area of freestanding signs for that use. Signs suspended under canopies (marquees) which project over public rights-of-way shall be limited to six (6) square feet. Signs with changeable copy (reader boards) located on marquees of theaters or similar public assembly uses may combine the total allowable area for all building faces as permitted by Section 14.38.140, Provo City Code, so long as there are no wall signs placed upon building faces other than the face to which the marquee is attached.

(7) Lighting. See Chapter 15.21, Provo City Code.

(8) Violations.

(a) It is unlawful to erect or maintain a sign contrary to the provisions of this Chapter. Any sign not explicitly allowed in a given zone is prohibited. If a sign is erected or maintained in violation of this Chapter the Building Division may do the following:

(i) Order the defect corrected within a fixed period of time, not exceeding thirty (30) days, if correction of the defect will bring the subject sign into compliance with the provisions of this Chapter; but

(ii) If correction of the defect will result in a violation of the provisions of this Chapter, order that the subject sign be removed by, and at the expense of, the owner of the sign, within a fixed period of time not exceeding thirty (30) days.

(b) If the owner of the sign contests the order of the Building Division, the remedy shall be an appeal to the zoning Board of Adjustment, which appeal shall be taken in the time and manner otherwise provided in this Title for appeals to the zoning Board of Adjustment.

(c) If the owner of the sign fails or refuses to remove the subject sign at the order of the Building Division, the City may remove the sign at any time after the owner thereof exhausts the owner’s administrative remedies in relation thereto, unless otherwise ordered by a court of law. Removal by the City shall be at the expense of the owner, and the City may obtain judgment against the owner in an amount equal thereto, together with reasonable attorneys’ fees and costs.

(Am 1986-10, Am 1987-45, Am 1991-53, Am 2011-08, Am 2013-16, Am 2018-06, Am 2019-52, Am 2021-05, Am 2021-12, Am 2021-33, Am 2022-43, Am 2022-45, Am 2022-57)