Woodland Hills City Zoning Code

Sign regulations, including provisions to control the type, design, size, location, motion, illumination and maintenance thereof, are established in order to achieve, among others, the following purposes:

1. Maintain high value residential districts and promote attractive public facilities, by permitting only nameplates, bulletin boards and signs related to the development or sale of properties in such districts;
2.   Eliminate any conflict between general information signs and traffic control signs which would be hazardous to the safety of the motoring public or the pedestrian;
3. Control the design of signs so that their appearance will be aesthetically harmonious with an overall urban design for the area; and
4. Promote the most desirable developments and economic activity in accordance with the objectives of the general plan of the city.

HISTORY:

(Ord. 1993-05, 6-16-1993)

1. Design: Signs shall be designed, erected, altered, reconstructed, moved and maintained, in whole or in part, in accordance with the type, design, size, location, illumination and other provisions set forth in this chapter.
2. Building Code Applicable: The construction, erection, safety and maintenance of all signs shall be in accordance with the city building code. The provisions of this chapter shall not amend or in any way interfere with other codes, rules or regulations governing traffic signs within the city.
3. Exempt Signs, Displays: The display of official public notices, and the flag, emblem or insignia of an official governmental body shall not be governed by the provisions of these regulations.
4. Prohibited Placement: No sign, permanent or temporary, shall be erected, attached or placed within the right-of-way of any dedicated street or roadway of the city, without the approval of the city Zoning Enforcement Officer or their designee.
5.  Temporary, Portable Mounted Signs: Signs of a temporary or portable nature that are mounted on wheels or stanchions shall not be permitted in any district.
6. Commercial Advertising Vehicle: No commercial vehicle may be parked on a premises for a time period exceeding forty-eight (48) hours for the purpose of advertising a product or serving as a business sign.

HISTORY:

(Ord. 1993-05, 6-16-1993; Amended Ord. 2025-28,07-29-2025)

Signs, as permitted in the various use districts, shall be designed so as to be similar in character with regard to materials, color and size to signs designed or located on the same building and on adjoining buildings in order to equalize the attention they are meant to attract, and to produce an overall unified effect and in accordance with the standards set forth in this section.

1. Wall Or Panel Signs: Wall or panel signs shall not project more than twelve inches (12") from the building wall to which it is attached and shall be set back from the end of the building and party wall for a distance of at least three feet (3') and shall not project above the coping or eaves of any building.
2. Permanent Ground Signs: Permanent ground signs shall not extend higher than six feet (6') above the finished grade.
3.  Relation To Openings: Signs shall not project over or obstruct the required windows or doors of any building, shall not be attached to or obstruct a fire escape or interfere with other safety provisions as may be further regulated in the building code of the city.
4. Relation To Traffic Devices: Signs shall not be erected so as to obstruct sight lines along any public way, traffic control lights, street name signs at intersections, or street sight lines. Signs visible from the sight lines along a street shall not contain an arrow or words such as “stop”, “go”, “slow”, etc., and the movement, content, coloring or manner of illumination shall not resemble highway traffic signs.

HISTORY:

(Ord. 1993-05, 6-16-1993)

1.  Shielding: Light sources to illuminate signs shall be shielded from all adjacent residential buildings and streets and shall not be of such brightness so as to cause glare hazardous to pedestrians or auto drivers or so as to cause reasonable objection from adjacent residential districts.
2. Residential, Public Facilities Districts: In residential districts, illumination of signs is not permitted. All signs in public facilities districts may be illuminated. Parking lots shall be illuminated in accordance with the provisions of this section.

HISTORY:

(Ord. 1993-05, 6-16-1993)

1. Scope: Accessory signs in residential districts shall be designed, erected altered, moved and maintained, in whole or in part, in accordance with the regulations as provided in this section.
2. Types And Regulations: The types of signs permitted as to use, structure, size and number for each dwelling or lot shall be regulated as follows:
3. Nameplate: One nameplate indicating an occupant’s name and house number, not exceeding four (4) square feet in area, may be located on any building or lot but not less than twenty-five feet (25') from any side lot line and ten feet (10') from any street right-of-way line.
4. Directional Or No Trespassing Sign: Two (2) directional, home security or no trespassing signs, not exceeding two (2) square feet in area, shall be permitted on any building or lot.
5. Real Estate Sign: One real estate sign advertising the sale of the premises or part of the premises on which the signs are displayed, and one builder’s advertising sign (during construction), not exceeding six (6) square feet in area or five feet (5') in height, shall be permitted for each dwelling or lot, provided, such sign shall be located not less than twenty feet (20') from any side lot line or closer to the street right-of-way line than the front property line. Illumination shall not be permitted. A sign must be removed within seventy-two (72) hours after closing papers have been signed.
6. Bulletin Board Or Announcement Sign: One bulletin board or announcement sign not exceeding twenty (20) square feet in area or six feet (6') in height may be located on the premises of a public charitable or religious institution in a residential district but not less than fifty feet (50') from any residential lot line or less than fifty feet (50') from the nearest street right-of-way line. Indirect illumination shall be permitted.

Accessory signs in public facilities districts shall be designed, erected, altered, moved and maintained, in whole or in part, in accordance with the regulations as follows:

1. Bulletin Board Or Announcement Sign: One bulletin board or announcement sign not exceeding fifty (50) square feet in area and not exceeding six feet (6') in height may be permitted on the premises of each public facility and education facility, provided, such sign is set back at least fifty feet (50') from any adjoining residential district boundary and fifty feet (50') from any street right-of-way line.
2. Nameplate: A nameplate not exceeding two (2) square feet may be placed on each building.
3. Directional And Informational Sign: Directional and informational signs not exceeding six (6) square feet in area may be permitted on any building or lot but not less than forty feet (40') from any lot line or ten feet (10') from the street right-of-way line.

HISTORY:

(Ord. 1993-05, 6-16-1993)

Application for permits to erect, place, paint, illuminate or alter a sign shall be made by the owner or lessee of the property for which a sign is proposed. The application shall be submitted on forms furnished by the city and shall be made either separately or with the application for a building permit. The fee for a sign permit shall be established as designated in the city fee schedule.

1. Permit Required: A sign permit shall be required for all permanent signs as follows:
2. Residential districts: If the sign exceeds six (6) square feet in area.
3.  Public facilities districts: If the total area of the sign exceeds fifteen (15) square feet in area.
4. Application: Each application shall be accompanied by drawings to scale, showing:
5. The design and layout proposed, including the total area of the sign, the size, character, materials and color of letters, lines and symbols;
6. The method of illumination, if any;
7. The exact location of the sign in relation to the building and property; and
8. Details and specifications for construction, erection and attachment as may be required by the building code.

HISTORY:

(Ord. 1993-05, 6-16-1993)

All signs and sign structures shall be maintained in a safe and attractive condition. Signs which no longer serve the purpose for which they were intended, or which have been abandoned or are not maintained in accordance with this title and other applicable regulations of the city shall be removed by the latest permit holder or by the city at the expense of such permit holder. Any sign or parts thereof which has been blown down, destroyed or otherwise taken down for any purposes shall not be rebuilt, re-erected or relocated unless it shall be made to comply with the provisions of these regulations.

HISTORY:

(Ord. 1993-05, 6-16-1993)

1. Legal Nonconforming Signs: A sign conforming as to the regulations prevailing on the effective date hereof, but which does not conform with the regulations of this or a subsequent amendment shall be construed as a legal nonconforming sign.
2. Maintenance Permitted: Nonconforming signs may be maintained and structural parts repaired or restored to a safe condition if required and if a permit is issued. However, any sign or parts thereof which has been blown down, destroyed or otherwise taken down for any purpose shall not be rebuilt, re-erected or relocated unless it shall be made to comply with the provisions of this chapter.
3. Compliance Time Limit Current Nonconforming Signs: Notwithstanding the regulations in this section, all nonconforming signs shall be made to conform to the sign regulations within a period of two (2) years.

HISTORY:

(Ord. 1993-05, 6-16-1993)

Whenever the removal or maintenance of any permanent sign has been ordered by the zoning enforcement officer, the person who erected such a sign or on whose premises such sign of display structure has been erected, affixed or attached shall remove or maintain such sign within forty eight (48) hours after receiving such notice. In the event of noncompliance, the zoning enforcement officer may remove or cause to be removed or maintain such sign at the expense of the person who erected such sign or on whose premises it was erected, affixed or attached. Such person shall be individually and separately liable for the expense incurred in the removal of such sign.

HISTORY:

(Ord. 1993-05, 6-16-1993)