The following signs are exempt from the requirements of this article:
(1) 
Vehicular signs, unless the sign is used or intended to be used as an on-site or off-site sign. It shall be prima facie evidence that a sign is used as an on-site or off-site sign if a vehicle is parked at the same location for a continuous period exceeding 72 hours. No person shall attach any sign to a trailer, skid, or similar mobile structure, where the primary use of such structure is to provide a base for such sign or to constitute the sign itself. This provision shall not be interpreted to prohibit identification signs on vehicles used for business purposes nor shall it be interpreted to prohibit bumper stickers.
(2) 
Warning and security signs of less than 4 square feet in face area that are not illuminated.
(3) 
Government signs including flags, insignia, legal notices, and traffic signs.
(4) 
"No dumping" and "no trespassing" signs of less than 4 square feet sign face area.
(5) 
Signs in public parks placed inside ballfield fencing by the city, which are intended for advertising to raise funds for recreation programs, which have copy on only one face with the copy facing toward the interior of the field.
(6) 
Political signs which:
(A) 
Are erected on private real property with the consent of the property owner;
(B) 
Have an effective area of less than 36 square feet;
(C) 
Are less than eight feet in height;
(D) 
Are not illuminated;
(E) 
Have no moving parts;
(F) 
Which are not placed on signs which are generally available for rent or purchase to carry commercial advertising or other messages which are not primarily political; and
(G) 
Which are not placed in public rights-of-way.
(7) 
Signs on temporary construction trailers on construction sites.
(8) 
Underground utility marker.
A sign or marker providing information about the location of underground utilities.
(9) 
Street address number signs not exceeding one square foot in area.
(10) 
Holiday signs containing only holiday messages and no advertising.
(11) 
Railway signs within or upon the railway right-of-way placed and maintained in reference to the operation of the railway.
(12) 
Signs on outdoor machines, devices, or equipment which display the trademark, trade name, manufacturer, cost or operating instructions or similar information but do not advertise the business where located. This exemption includes, but is not limited to, signs on coin-operated vending machines, fuel dispensing pumps, telephone facilities, automatic teller machines, and similar devices or equipment.
(13) 
Warning signs, no trespass signs, and other signs that pertain to the health and safety of the public, may be attached to fences after approval by the building official. Signs exempt under this subsection may not exceed four square feet in size.
(14) 
All signs required by an oil and gas special use permit.
(15) 
Certain billboard signs under the following conditions:
(A) 
One electronic billboard sign and one printed billboard sign may be permitted on that tract of land currently located adjacent to IH-35W within the city's extraterritorial jurisdiction and owned by Tri-County Electric Cooperative, Inc., identified by the Tarrant Appraisal District Account No. 04013204 subject to the terms contained in this section.
(B) 
The electronic sign shall be erected and operated in accordance with applicable standards set by the Texas Department of Transportation and shall conform to any federal regulations applicable to IH-35W.
(C) 
The electronic sign faces shall be operated at an amount not greater than 0.3 footcandles over ambient light measured from a distance of two hundred and fifty (250) feet.
(D) 
The billboard sign faces shall be no larger than fourteen feet (14') in height and forty-eight feet (48') in width.
(E) 
One hundred percent (100%) of the billboard sign structure shall be covered in an aesthetically pleasing design.
(F) 
The billboard signs shall provide a public benefit by displaying public service and emergency messaging on the electronic sign faces upon request by the city.
(G) 
Prior to the construction or installation of any such signs permitted by this subsection, the operator of such billboard signs shall enter into an agreement with the city to cover all other matters related to said billboard signs, including location, size and content-based regulations.
(Ordinance 003-2011 adopted 6/20/11; Ordinance 002-2024 adopted 1/16/2024)
(a) 
Generally.
All permanent signs that are lawfully in existence on the date of adoption of this article may exist in their present state, but no such signs shall be altered, moved, or repaired, other than normal routine maintenance or to change copy, replace light bulbs or tubes unless a permit is issued pursuant to the provisions of this article. After issuance of a sign permit, a lawful nonconforming sign which contains a company logo or trademark may be dismantled and replaced with a sign structure of the same dimensions at the location of the original sign.
(b) 
Registration.
A individual who owns a sign which is nonconforming must register the sign with the building official within 6 months from the adoption of this article.
(c) 
Destroyed nonconforming sign.
Any legal, nonconforming sign which has been substantially destroyed, deteriorated, or dismantled for any purpose other than normal routine maintenance shall be deemed as completely destroyed if the cost of repairing the sign is more than this provision, the sign shall be removed and a permit shall be required to erect a new sign.
(d) 
Amortization on nonconforming signs.
(1) 
The city may from time to time, on its own motion or upon cause presented by interested persons, inquire into the possible amortization of any nonconforming sign within the city. The city council may take specific action regarding amortization of a nonconforming sign under the guidelines established in this section. The concurring vote of four (4) members of the council shall be necessary to take any such action.
(2) 
The city council may order the immediate termination of a nonconforming sign if the council determines that the owner’s investment in the nonconforming use or structure has been recouped through amortization over time.
(3) 
Alternatively, if the city council determines that the owner’s investment in the nonconforming use or structure has not been recouped through amortization at the time of the hearing, the council may order the termination of a nonconforming sign on such future date on which the council determines the owner’s investment in the nonconforming use or structure will be recouped through amortization.
(4) 
In making any determination under this section, the city council shall first hold a public hearing. The building official shall provide the owner of any nonconforming use or structure for which termination or amortization is sought with at least fifteen (15) days’ prior written notice of the action sought.
(5) 
In making any determination under this section, the city council shall consider the investment of the owner in the nonconforming sign, the reasonable expected useful life of a sign of similar construction, the past and/or anticipated future profitability of or income production from the nonconforming sign, the desirability for all property to conform to the city’s sign regulations, the character of the area surrounding the nonconforming sign, the adverse impacts, if any, of the nonconforming sign on the surrounding property and neighborhood, the diminishment of value, if any, of the surrounding property and neighborhood due to the continuance of the nonconforming sign, the property rights both of the owner of the nonconforming sign and the owners of adjacent and nearby properties, and the public welfare.
(6) 
The city will bear the burden of proof and persuasion on the desirability for all property to conform to the regulations of the city’s sign regulations, the character of the area surrounding the nonconforming sign, the adverse impacts, if any, of the nonconforming sign on the surrounding property and neighborhood, the diminishment of value, if any, of the surrounding property and neighborhood due to the continuance of the nonconforming sign, the property rights of the owners of adjacent and nearby properties, and the public welfare. The owner of the nonconforming structure or use will bear the burden of proof and persuasion on the owner’s property rights, the investment of the owner in the nonconforming sign, and the past and/or anticipated future profitability of or income production from the nonconforming sign. The decision of the city council shall be final.
(Ordinance 003-2011 adopted 6/20/11)
(a) 
Notwithstanding any other provision of this article, any sign that may display a commercial message may also display a noncommercial message, either in place of or in addition to the commercial message, so long as the sign complies with the other requirements of this article and other city ordinances.
(b) 
Notwithstanding any other provision of this article, or other ordinance, any sign that may display one type of noncommercial message may also display any other type of noncommercial message, so long as the sign complies with the other requirements of this article and other city ordinances.
(Ordinance 003-2011 adopted 6/20/11)
(a) 
All flags representing an organization or branch of government (local, state, or federal), are to be displayed or flown according to the respective policies, regulations, statues, or traditions governing the proper display of each respective flag.
(b) 
Local, state or federal government flags may be displayed in all residential and nonresidential areas of the city without a permit. Flags may be displayed on freestanding or wall-mounted poles.
(c) 
A corporation or institution may display an institutional or corporate flag on the property owned or occupied by the respective corporation or institution. Exception: During a public event such as parade, trade fair, or promotional event, institutional and corporate flags may be flown or displayed in a public area as part of the event.
(d) 
A person may display an official flag representing an institution of higher learning (i.e. college or university) outside the person’s residence without a permit. The flag may be displayed on a freestanding or wall-mounted pole.
(e) 
A person may display one seasonal decorative flag outside a residence, corporation or institution without a permit. Only one such flag per property may be displayed at any given time. The flag may be displayed on a freestanding or wall-mounted pole.
(f) 
Flagpoles are subject to the building code of the city but shall not exceed a height of 35 feet from the ground beneath the base of the pole at grade level to the top of the finial.
(g) 
The following table shall be used to determine the maximum allowed flag size:
Highest point of the flag when displayed
Maximum flag size
0–20 feet
3' X 5'
20–25 feet
4' X 6'
25–35 feet
5' X 8'
(Ordinance 003-2011 adopted 6/20/11)
The following tables are incorporated by reference into this article:
Table “1” Summary of sign regulations.
Table “2” Specific sign illustrations.
(Ordinance 003-2011 adopted 6/20/11)
(a) 
Violations of article.
A person commits an offense if the person:
(1) 
Violates sections 4.04.004, 4.04.048, or any other provision of this article;
(2) 
Fails to comply with restrictions or requirements placed on the permit by the building official; or
(3) 
Fails to comply with an order of the building official issued under section 4.04.009.
(b) 
Penalty.
A person who violates a provision of this article is guilty of a separate offense for each day or portion of a day during which the violation is committed, continued, or permitted. Each offense is punishable by a fine in accordance with the general penalty provision found in section 1.01.009 of this code.
(Ordinance 003-2011 adopted 6/20/11)