Sign permits in Hillsborough County, FL: rules, fees, and how to apply
Sign permits here are reviewed by Hillsborough County (unincorporated), FL under Hillsborough County Land Development Code, Article VII — Signs. This guide covers the 5 rules the county actually checks — each one quoted from the published code with a link to the source — plus what the permit costs, how long review takes, the documents you’ll need, and exactly how to submit. Everything below was verified 2026-07-03 against the county’s own published sources.
No public fee table
The city doesn't publish a fee table — the portal quotes it at application, and we say so out loud.
Typical review
About 2–4 weeks observed for sign permits in the Tampa metro
How you submit
HillsGovHub (Accela Citizen Access)
Rules verified
2026-07-03, against Hillsborough County Land Development Code, Article VII — Signs
The rules Hillsborough County checks
Every rule below is quoted from the county’s own published source — the exact sentence, never a paraphrase, with a link to read it in context.
Sign size vs. street or storefront length
Total sign area is capped at 1 square foot per foot of public street frontage, or 100 square feet — whichever is less.
“Aggregate sign area shall not exceed one square foot per lineal foot of public street frontage or 100 square feet, whichever is less.”
Source: Hillsborough County LDC Article VII — aggregate sign area
Per-face size caps
No single sign face can be bigger than 50 square feet.
“No single sign face shall exceed 50 square feet.”
Source: Hillsborough County LDC Article VII — sign face limit
Height limits
Ground signs top out at 30 feet next to an expressway or arterial road, and 15 feet next to a collector or local street.
“Ground signs shall not exceed 30 feet in height adjacent to an expressway or arterial street, nor 15 feet adjacent to a collector or local street.”
Source: Hillsborough County LDC Article VII — ground sign height
How far from the property line
Monument signs must sit at least 15 feet back from the right-of-way. Every extra foot of setback earns 1 extra foot of allowed height, up to 30 feet on arterials or 15 feet on collector/local streets.
“Monument signs shall be set back a minimum of 15 feet from the right-of-way; height may increase one foot for each additional one foot of setback, up to 30 feet (arterial) or 15 feet (collector/local).”
Source: Hillsborough County LDC Article VII — monument sign setback escalator
When a freestanding sign needs an engineer
Florida requires structural signs to have wind-load calculations by a Florida-licensed engineer under the Florida Building Code.
“Signs shall be designed to meet the wind load requirements of the Florida Building Code.”
What a sign permit costs in Hillsborough County
Hillsborough County doesn't publish a flat sign-permit fee table. Fees are quoted in HillsGovHub when you apply — call Development Services at 813-272-5600 for a figure before you quote the customer.
How long review takes
Typical: About 2–4 weeks observed for sign permits in the Tampa metro
If it runs long: Longer if the package is incomplete
Source: HillsGovHub
How to submit in Hillsborough County
Apply online through HillsGovHub — the county only accepts electronic submissions. The exact sign record type isn't published; confirm it inside the portal or ask Development Services.
Portal: HillsGovHub (Accela Citizen Access)
Who to call when you’re stuck
- Development Services — 813-272-5600 — Permitting@HCFL.gov
The documents Hillsborough County asks for
Which of these apply depends on the sign — lit signs, freestanding signs, and signs that need engineering each pull in extra paperwork. PermitMySign tracks every slot per job.
Site plan (sign location, setbacks, property boundaries)
The county reviews sign placement against Land Development Code setbacks — the site plan is how they check it.
Elevation drawing with dimensions and sign-area math
The reviewer checks your sign area against the frontage allowance — show the width × height math on the drawing.
Engineer-stamped wind-load drawings
Florida requires structural signs designed to Florida Building Code wind loads by a Florida-licensed engineer. Software can't stamp drawings — this is a tracked to-do. (A human step — software can’t do this part, so it becomes a tracked to-do.)
Electrical detail / plans
Lit signs need electrical details and an electrical inspection.
Recorded Notice of Commencement
Florida requires a recorded Notice of Commencement when the job contract is $2,500 or more. It's filed with the county clerk. (A human step — software can’t do this part, so it becomes a tracked to-do.)
Wind load, for the engineer
150 mph (site values vary — verify with your engineer) · Florida Building Code (8th Edition, 2023) / ASCE 7-22
Unincorporated Hillsborough County generally falls around a 150 mph ultimate design wind speed (Risk Category II) on the Florida Building Code wind maps — the exact number depends on where the site falls on the map.
Exposure Category C is common for the county's open and suburban sites; sites shielded by dense buildings may rate B — it's read off the actual surroundings.
Source: Florida Building Code §1609 / ASCE 7 wind-speed maps (Hillsborough County) — a starting number for the engineer of record, never a substitute for sealed calculations.
What we couldn’t verify (yet)
Honesty is the product — here’s where Hillsborough County’s own sources left gaps:
- The exact Accela record type for signs isn't published on the county's checklist pages — confirm in-portal when submitting.
- The county has no public sign-permit checklist PDF; the requirements above come straight from Land Development Code Article VII.
Hillsborough County sign permit FAQ
How much does a sign permit cost in Hillsborough County?
Hillsborough County doesn't publish a flat sign-permit fee table. Fees are quoted in HillsGovHub when you apply — call Development Services at 813-272-5600 for a figure before you quote the customer.
How long does sign permit review take in Hillsborough County?
About 2–4 weeks observed for sign permits in the Tampa metro. If it runs long: Longer if the package is incomplete.
Source: HillsGovHub
When does a sign need an engineer in Hillsborough County?
Florida requires structural signs to have wind-load calculations by a Florida-licensed engineer under the Florida Building Code.
How do you submit a sign permit application in Hillsborough County?
Apply online through HillsGovHub — the county only accepts electronic submissions. The exact sign record type isn't published; confirm it inside the portal or ask Development Services.
Rules on this page were verified 2026-07-03 against Hillsborough County Land Development Code, Article VII — Signs. Cities change their codes — when a claim matters to a real job, PermitMySign shows you the citation so you can check the source yourself.
Checking a real sign in Hillsborough County?
Run it through the free Instant Check — pass, doesn’t pass, or needs human review, with the fee estimate and every verdict tied to the exact line of Hillsborough County’s code. No account needed.