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An ordinance amending Chapters 17.04 and 17.32 of the Metropolitan Code of Laws, to revise and add regulations on signs within the Zoning Code (Proposal No. 2025Z-016TX-001).
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE METROPOLITAN GOVERNMENT OF NASHVILLE AND DAVIDSON COUNTY:
Section 1. That Section 17.04.060 of the Metropolitan Code is hereby amended by deleting the sub-definitions for “Portable sign”, “Temporary on-premise sign”, and “Window sign” within the definition for “Sign” and adding the following new sub-definitions within the definition for “Sign” in alphabetical order:
"Temporary sign” means any sign constructed of non-durable materials such as cardboard, canvas, corrugated plastic, vinyl, foil, or other similar materials or any sign designed in such a way as to not be permanently attached to a building or the ground. For the purposes of this definition, the attachment of a sign to a building with zip ties or other similar fasteners or to the ground with stakes shall not be considered permanent.
“Window sign” means any sign placed within, affixed to, in contact with, or located within three feet of a window or other opening and intended to be seen from the exterior.
Section 2. That Chapter 17.32 of the Metropolitan Code is hereby amended as shown in Exhibit A.
Section 3. The Metropolitan Clerk is directed to publish a notice announcing such change in a newspaper of general circulation within five days following final passage.
Section 4. This Ordinance shall take effect upon publication of the above said notice, the welfare of The Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County requiring it.
Agenda Analysis
Analysis
This ordinance amends Chapters 17.04 and 17.32 of the Metropolitan Code of Laws, revising sign regulations to reorganize, clarify, and modernize existing language and conform to state law regarding election signage.
Within Chapter 17.04, the ordinance proposes deleting the definitions for “portable sign” and “temporary on-premise sign” and replacing them with a new definition for “temporary sign” to consolidate multiple signage categories under a unified standard. The ordinance also proposes updating the current definition for “window sign” to include all signs visible from the exterior within three feet of a window.
Within Chapter 17.32, the ordinance proposes the following changes:
• Exemptions are retained for functional and decorative signs (safety, directional, flags, art, etc.), while other temporary sign types (such as election, yard sale, and real estate signs) are moved to a new temporary sign section. Durations for temporary sign display across property types are standardized (limited to no more than 120 days in a calendar year).
• Regulations for election-related signage, a type of temporary signage, are updated to reflect state law as it pertains to sizing and duration of display.
• The list of prohibited signs is updated to include temporary signage attached to fences, poles, canopies, trees, fuel pumps, and electric vehicle charging equipment. Such prohibitions do not restrict integral signing for fuel pumps or electric vehicle supply equipment.
• Lighting standards are modernized from a wattage measurement to a lumen measurement.
• A new section 17.32.065 creates explicit standards for window signs, including limits on total coverage (25%) and illuminated area (5%), and prohibits perimeter lighting visible from the exterior.
• Electronic and digital display regulations are relocated into a new section 17.32.075 for clarity. The same standards for spacing, animation, and brightness limits remain.
• Informational signage on sites of five acres or more remains permitted, but restrictions on what information may be conveyed are removed.
This item was approved with a substitute by the Planning Commission at its February 12, 2026, meeting (8-0).