Timelines by City Size
| City Size | Simple Wall Sign | Illuminated Sign | Monument / Pylon | Historic District |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Small / township | 3–7 business days | 5–10 business days | 1–2 weeks | 3–6 weeks |
| Mid-size city | 5–15 business days | 2–3 weeks | 2–4 weeks | 4–8 weeks |
| Large city (300K+) | 2–4 weeks | 3–5 weeks | 4–6 weeks | 6–12 weeks |
| Major metro (NYC, LA, Chicago) | 3–6 weeks | 4–8 weeks | 6–10 weeks | 10–20 weeks |
What Affects Review Time
Several factors can push your permit review beyond the standard timeline:
- Incomplete submissions — the single biggest cause of delays. Missing a landlord authorization letter, an unclear dimension on a drawing, or a missing photo sends your application back to the start of the queue. Use a checklist before submitting.
- Plan reviewer workload — busy seasons (spring and fall when most businesses open or renovate) lead to longer queues. Some cities publish current review cycle times; check before submitting.
- Historic or design review — any sign in a historic district or design review overlay must go through an additional review board, which typically meets monthly. Miss the monthly cutoff and you wait four more weeks.
- Engineering requirements — large freestanding signs that require structural engineering review add 1–3 weeks.
- Digital sign review — cities with tight restrictions on digital signs often route applications through a separate technical review process.
- Revision cycles — if the reviewer sends back comments requesting changes, each revision restart adds a full review cycle.
How to Track Your Application
Most cities now offer online permit tracking. After submitting, you should receive a permit application number — use this to check status through the city's online portal. What the status codes typically mean:
- Submitted / Received — in the queue, not yet assigned to a reviewer
- Under Review / In Review — a plan reviewer is actively looking at your application
- Comments Issued / Pending Applicant Response — the reviewer found issues; check your email immediately
- Approved / Ready for Permit Issuance — you can pay the fee and download the permit
- Expired — you didn't respond to comments in time; resubmission required
If you haven't heard anything after the city's stated review period, call the permit office directly. Reference your application number and ask for an estimated completion date.
Planning Around a Grand Opening
The biggest mistake new business owners make is ordering a sign after signing a lease and assuming it will arrive and get permitted before opening day. A realistic timeline for a new business's signage:
- Sign design and quotes: 1–2 weeks
- Permit application preparation and submission: 1 week
- Permit review: 2–6 weeks (depending on city and sign type)
- Sign fabrication after permit approval: 2–4 weeks
- Installation: 1–3 days
In a best-case scenario for a mid-size city: 6–8 weeks from starting the process to a sign on your building. In a large city: 10–14 weeks. Start the permitting process the moment you sign your lease — not the week before opening.
In the meantime, apply for a temporary banner permit to identify your business during the permitting and fabrication period.
Timeline FAQs
Some cities offer expedited review for an additional fee (typically 50–100% surcharge on the permit fee). This is more common in larger cities with formal permit systems. Ask your planning department directly whether an expedited option exists and what the cost is. Not all sign permit types qualify for expedited review even in cities that offer the option — historic district reviews, for example, typically cannot be expedited because they depend on a review board meeting schedule.
Most cities give a response window for permit comments — typically 30–90 days. If you don't respond within this window, the application may be voided or expire, requiring you to start the process over and pay the fee again. Set a calendar reminder the day you receive comments and respond as quickly as possible — a faster response gets you back into the review queue faster.
Estimate Your Permit Fee
While you're waiting on timeline, get a ballpark on what the permit will cost with our fee estimator.
Estimate Fees →Disclaimer: Review timelines are estimates based on typical municipal permit processing. Actual timelines vary by city and current workload. Contact your local planning department for current processing times before planning your signage schedule.