Gallatin Sign Permit Guide for Business Owners and Contractors

Most commercial signs in Gallatin require a city sign permit before they are erected, displayed, altered, relocated or replaced. Start with the City of Gallatin sign permit application and review the sign ordinance. Prepare sign dimensions, a building façade or site plan, construction details and electrical information when applicable. The Planning Department is at 132 W. Main St. and can be reached at 615-451-5796. The city’s currently posted fee schedule lists temporary signs at $50 and several permanent sign categories at 1% of sign valuation, subject to minimum fees.

If you are installing, changing or relocating a business sign inside Gallatin city limits, begin with the City of Gallatin Planning Department—not the sign installer. Gallatin generally requires a sign permit before a sign or sign structure is erected, displayed, altered, relocated or replaced, unless the sign falls within an exemption in the city’s sign regulations.

The basic starting point is the city’s Application for Sign Permit, supported by the applicable drawings, site information and electrical details. Planning is located at 132 W. Main Street, Gallatin, TN 37066, and the department lists 615-451-5796 as its phone number.

> Last verified: August 15, 2026. This guide is for business owners and contractors completing a civic permitting task in Gallatin. Recheck fees, forms and submission instructions before filing.

When a Gallatin sign permit is required

Gallatin’s official sign page identifies the following as examples of sign types that require permits:

• Monument or freestanding ground signs
• Wall-mounted signs
• Billboards
• Face changes
• Window signs
• Temporary signs, including qualifying banners
• Directional signs
• Menu boards

The city reviews sign applications for zoning, size, design, placement, building-code and electrical-code compliance. The ordinance states that a permit is required before a covered sign is erected, displayed, altered, relocated or replaced, unless an exemption applies.

A sign permit is not the same as permission to ignore other approvals. For example, the city’s application materials state that an electrical permit is required for new electrical work, new cabinets and digital signs before sign-permit approval.

Signs that may be exempt

Gallatin’s ordinance contains a list of exempt signs that do not require a sign permit but still must comply with applicable restrictions. The ordinance also states that a home-occupation sign may be allowed without a permit when it does not exceed one square foot, is non-illuminated and is mounted flat against the principal building. Certain small residential signs are also listed as permit-exempt.

Because exemptions depend on the sign’s type, size, location and message, do not assume that a small sign or a sign placed in a window is automatically exempt. Ask Planning before installation if the ordinance does not clearly cover your proposal.

Step-by-step Gallatin sign permit process

1. Confirm the property is within Gallatin’s jurisdiction

This guide applies to properties inside the City of Gallatin. The city’s Planning Department administers zoning and sign-related development review within the city limits and provides guidance for projects in the surrounding planning region. A property outside the city may instead be regulated by another local authority.

If you are unsure, contact Planning at 615-451-5796 before preparing a full application.

2. Review the application and sign ordinance

Download the city’s Application for Sign Permit and review Section 13.07 of the Gallatin Zoning Ordinance. The application asks for information such as the occupant, job address, sign contractor, property owner, frontage measurements, sign area and electrical information. Incomplete applications or applications without required supporting documents will not be accepted, according to the posted form.

The ordinance also says that sign regulations work alongside the city’s building, electrical, zoning, historic-district and municipal-code requirements. Where requirements conflict, the more restrictive standard applies.

3. Prepare the required drawings and documents

Use this checklist before submitting:

• Completed sign permit application
• Illustration or sketch showing every sign’s dimensions
• For a wall sign: a façade photo or drawing showing the business frontage, proposed sign location and existing signs
• For a freestanding or monument sign: a site plan showing street frontage and proposed sign location
• Construction details, including materials and anchoring, when applicable
• Footing details for a monument or freestanding sign when required
• Electrical information for a new cabinet, illuminated sign, digital sign or new electrical connection
• Any outside-agency permits requested by the city
• Additional documents such as an engineered footer drawing, survey or proof of legal nonconformance when applicable

Gallatin’s sign webpage and ordinance identify these materials as part of the sign-review process.

For a larger commercial development, check whether a Master Signage Plan is required before the individual sign permit. The city’s development-review materials state that a Master Signage Plan must be submitted for approval before a sign permit is issued in applicable developments.

4. Submit the application and fee

Submit the completed application and supporting package using the city’s current instructions. The city provides sign applications through its Applications & Forms page and identifies Planning at 132 W. Main Street. The city also maintains a self-service permitting portal for some development and permit activity, but the posted pages do not clearly identify the sign-specific submission route. Contact Planning before relying on an online submission for a sign application.

The city’s sign ordinance requires the applicable fee to accompany a sign-permit application.

5. Complete inspections

New monument or other freestanding signs require an inspection at the footing stage, according to the city’s sign page and ordinance. All permitted signs require a final inspection for applicable zoning, building and electrical compliance. The city’s sign page directs applicants to schedule inspections through the inspection hotline at 615-451-5970.

The ordinance also states that an approved sign permit expires if the sign is not erected and completed within six months of issuance.

Gallatin sign permit fees

The city’s currently posted fee schedule lists these sign-permit charges:

Sign category — Listed fee

Temporary sign — $50

Replacement billboard — 1% of sign valuation, with a $250 base fee

Non-illuminated sign — 1% of sign valuation, with a $100 base fee

Illuminated sign, except digital — 1% of sign valuation, with a $100 base fee

Digital sign — 1% of sign valuation, with a $200 base fee

Illuminated menu sign — 1% of sign valuation, with a $100 base fee

These figures come from the fee schedule currently linked by the City of Gallatin. Because the city’s forms page labels the linked schedule as the 2025 Permit Fee Schedule, verify the amount with Planning or Codes before paying, especially for a filing made after a fee update..

Temporary banners and other temporary signs

Temporary signs are not automatically exempt. Gallatin’s ordinance allows temporary signs for special events and messages such as grand openings, new business locations, business closings, seasonal sales and promotional events, subject to restrictions. Temporary signs must be non-illuminated, may not use digital displays, may not be mounted on street signs or public utility poles, and generally may not be placed in a right-of-way unless authorized by the agency responsible for the roadway.

For a banner at a nonresidential or mixed-use property, the ordinance lists a maximum area of 60 square feet and allows one banner at a time. The banner must be on-premises, wall-mounted, hung flat against the building and secured at all corners and sides. The listed display period is 30 consecutive days, up to three times per year.

Grand-opening banners have separate timing provisions in the ordinance. If that is the reason for your temporary sign, review the applicable subsection with Planning before choosing installation and display dates.

Wall signs, monument signs and illuminated signs

Wall-mounted signs are subject to frontage, area, placement and design limits. In the general nonresidential rules, a single business frontage is allowed signage based on the linear width of the business frontage. The ordinance also includes separate standards for multiple frontages, window signs and the downtown Commercial Core district.

Monument and freestanding signs require site information and may require construction or footing details. The ordinance states that a permanent freestanding or monument sign generally requires a permanent structure of at least 500 square feet on the property, subject to the ordinance’s exceptions.

Illuminated, cabinet and digital signs may require electrical documentation or a separate electrical permit. Digital signs also have additional restrictions, and the ordinance prohibits digital signs in historic districts, on city-designated historic properties and on buildings.

Common mistakes to avoid

1. Installing before approval. Do not have a sign erected, altered or relocated before the required permit is issued.
2. Submitting only an artwork file. The city needs dimensions, placement information and—depending on the sign—construction, site and electrical details.
3. Ignoring existing signs. Wall-sign applications should show existing signs as well as the proposed sign.
4. Assuming a banner is free of permit rules. Temporary signs are regulated and may have limits on size, location, duration and mounting.
5. Forgetting electrical work. New electrical connections, cabinets and digital signs may require an electrical permit.
6. Missing inspections. Freestanding signs may require a footing inspection, and permitted signs require a final inspection.
7. Using an outdated fee or form. Check the city’s current forms and fee schedule immediately before filing.

Official Gallatin contacts and next steps

For a Gallatin sign permit, start with these official resources:

• Planning Department: 132 W. Main Street, Gallatin, TN 37066; 615-451-5796
• Building Codes: 132 W. Main Street, Room 202, Gallatin, TN 37066; 615-451-5968
• Inspection hotline listed for sign inspections: 615-451-5970
• City sign page: sign types, application links, requirements and contacts
• Sign permit application: application fields and supporting-document checklist
• Gallatin Sign Ordinance, Section 13.07: exemptions, temporary signs, permanent signs, inspections and design standards

For a contractor or business owner, the safest workflow is to confirm jurisdiction, review the ordinance, prepare the site or façade drawing, submit the complete package, pay the current fee and wait for approval before installation. For related startup topics, see MyGallatin’s [Gallatin business startup resources](/search?q=Gallatin%20business%20startup), [Gallatin building permit information](/search?q=Gallatin%20building%20permits) and [Gallatin business license resources](/search?q=Gallatin%20business%20license).