Harris County adopted Municipal Extraterritorial Jurisdiction regulations for on-premise signs on May 17, 1988. A sign shall mean any outdoor display, design, pictorial, or other representation which shall be so constructed, placed, attached, painted, erected, fastened or manufactured in any manner whatsoever so that the same shall be used for advertising. The term sign shall include the sign structure. Permits are required prior to placement of on-premise signs located within the unincorporated area of Harris County. These areas include scenic, toll road, and extraterritorial jurisdiction that advertise or identify a business (lease space build out, change of occupancy, etc.), person, activity, goods, products or services primarily sold or offered for sale on premises where the sign is installed and maintained when such premises are used for business purposes.The construction of all off-premise signage shall be prohibited in Harris County.
Sign Categories
- Toll Road Sign – Visible to a Harris County maintained toll road
- Category A (Scenic Signage) – Signs on a parcel that has frontage of a scenic district road
- Category B (Major Thoroughfares) – Signs with frontage major thoroughfare
- Category C (Major Freeway) – Sign with frontage on a freeway that isn’t a Harris County toll road