Sign Permit (for administrative approval)
A sign permit must be obtained for any new sign to be installed within the City of Lee's Summit. Most sign permits can be issued administratively by the Development Services Department. Sign regulations can be found in Article 9 of the Unified Development Ordinance (UDO).
Sign Permit Form
Sign Application (for Planning Commission approval)
A sign application can be submitted for one or more signs that do not comply with UDO Article 9 for administrative approval. The Commission may consider sign applications for permitted permanent sign types listed in Table 9-3 that exceed the maximum number of signs permitted, maximum sign area, or maximum height. Applicants must submit a "Sign Application" for processing through the Planning Commission. If approved, a sign permit must be filled out for administrative approval.
Sign Application
Temporary Signs
Temporary signs are signs that are posted for a limited period of time or not permanently attached to the ground, a building, or a load-bearing structure. These signs have certain regulations such as:
- Signs are not permitted in the City's Right-of-Way, on utility poles, buildings, trees, fences, or fence posts.
- All signs must be posted on privately owned property with the permission of the property owner.
- The allowable number and sizes of temporary signs in residential and non-residential areas can be found in Article 9, Section 9.220 of the Unified Development Ordinance (UDO).
Exempt Signs
The following signs are exempt from all restrictions and regulations of the UDO, except that private signs are not permitted on public property or in the public right-of-way.
- Interior window signs and interior window displays.
- Brand names or logos on products, product containers or dispensers that are an integral part of the product or the product’s packaging.
- A building design, color or motif associated with a particular establishment or organization conveys no commercial message.
- Official signs: Signs placed by a governmental body, governmental agency or public authority, such as traffic signs, signals or regulatory devices or warnings; official emblems, public notices or official instruments; signs of historical interest; signs designating areas of architectural or historic significance or gateways; or other similar signs or devices. Such signs are authorized within all rights-of-way or other properties controlled by such governmental body, agency, or authority.
- Property address sign: A sign limited in content to the street name and address number of the building or property to which it is affixed, provided that the sign consists of lettering no larger than five (5) inches in height on a building or three (3) inches on a mailbox.
- Holiday decorations: Displays erected on a seasonal basis in observance of religious, national or state holidays, which are not intended to be permanent and that contain no advertising material.
- Legal posting: A sign intended to convey a legal right or restriction on a property, such as a “no trespassing” or “no hunting” sign. A sign intended to warn the public of a bona fide danger on the property, such as a “beware of the dog” sign or a sign placed by order of a court or by a government official in the normal course of their duties, such as posting of a legal notice or a “building condemned” sign.