While your exterior architectural sign should be a reflection of your business, there are certain legal requirements that outdoor signage must comply with:

Zoning Regulations for Exterior Architectural Signage

If your business is located in an historic district or building, zoning regulations may restrict certain sign types. For example, an area may require that all businesses use only gold lettering on the building face. Even if all of your businesses' other locations have backlit signs, you must comply with zoning regulations in your area. Our goal is to ensure that your signs meet local regulations, while remaining as consistent as possible with your brand.

Trademarks and Copyrights

Trademark and copyright laws protect the design of your exterior architectural signage. The same protections extend to your competitors and it's important to be aware of them so that you don't inadvertently violate these laws.

Your trademark is essential to your organization's competiveness. A competitor could not design a sign with a very similar appearance intended to fool customers into thinking they are the same company. Nor can stores use other company's trademarks to imply they are a member of a franchise or otherwise partnered with a business.

Copyright laws protect the content of your visual displays, and this protection covers not only the text but also the graphics and logos. Other organizations cannot use material copyrighted by your company or vice versa. Deliberate infringements on someone else's copyrights may incur steep fines.

Public Safety Regulations

The other type of laws protects public safety by regulating the structure of an outdoor sign. For example, laws restrict a sign's material to ensure it is structurally sound or lay out requirements for signs with electrical components so that there is no danger of short circuits or other problems.

Before we develop an outdoor sign, we obtain all of the necessary information to ensure that your signs are designed meet or exceed all material, structural and electrical standards you might encounter. We work with expeditors and handle sight surveys. If the architect has not done so already, we even obtain the necessary paperwork and permits to ensure that your signage is in compliance.