Is it enough to display my license if the actual one is current, or does the framed copy matter?

The framed copy matters on its own. Inspectors measure the displayed license and require the actual license, not a photocopy or scan-print, framed under glass in plain customer-view at or near the register. An expired-displayed-license is a stand-alone citation even if your actual license is current, so re-up the framed copy as soon as the new license arrives.

How big can my outdoor storefront signs be, and can I put a leaf graphic on them?

Outdoor signage caps at 1,600 square inches PER SIGN — measured on the physical perimeter of the sign, not the text inside it — with a maximum of four separate signs (WAC 314-55-155(3)(a), relaxed from two by ESB 5206). All four must be affixed to the building or hanging in the window ON THE SIDE OF THE BUILDING WITH THE MAIN ENTRANCE; there is no per-wall allowance, and the rule prescribes count, size and side rather than what each sign must say. Signs cannot include images of cannabis plants, flowers, edibles, or paraphernalia; leaf imagery on the storefront is the single most-cited violation. You also cannot post claims about price, quality, potency, or efficacy on outdoor signage.

What does an inspector actually check for signage when they walk the property?

They walk the perimeter first, measuring and photographing outdoor signage. At the customer entrance they confirm the 21+ sign, license-class sign, and photo-ID-required sign, eyeballing letter height and tape-measuring close cases. At the register they confirm the framed license is the actual copy and current, plus a visible no-on-premise-consumption sign, then photograph every sign with dimensions and content for the inspection log.

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Compliance playbook

Washington dispensary signage — WAC 314-55-155 and 314-55-086, what the inspector measures

In Washington, signage citations are one of the most common WSLCB findings, and operators routinely fail not because they’re negligent but because the rule is specific — and because two different rules are in play. Advertising signage is WAC 314-55-155(3); the signs a retailer MUST post are WAC 314-55-086, “Mandatory signage”. WAC 314-55-155(3) caps the size, the content, and the location of every cannabis-related sign on the licensed premises.

By CannAgentMay 6, 20265 min read

What WAC 314-55-079 actually requires (the floor)

The required signs — what the inspector expects to see on the wall, in plain view, in a specific spot:

License posted at the register. Current WSLCB Marijuana Retailer license, framed, in plain customer-view at or near the point-of-sale. Re-up the framed copy as soon as the new license arrives; expired-displayed-license is a stand-alone citation even if the actual license is current.
21+ Age-restriction sign at the public entrance. ‘NO PERSONS UNDER 21 ALLOWED. PHOTO ID REQUIRED’ or substantively equivalent, posted where a customer sees it before entering(2), required at every public entrance. WAC 314-55-086 requires it be posted “conspicuously” and sets no minimum letter size — the 1/4-inch floor is our house standard for what survives an inspector’s definition of conspicuous.
No-on-premise-consumption sign. ‘NO ON-PREMISE CONSUMPTION OF MARIJUANA’ or equivalent. Required where customers transact (visible from register area). Consumption on the premise is itself a separate violation; the sign closes the deniability loop.
License-class signage. Marijuana Retailer + medical-endorsement (if applicable) — letters at least 1 inch high, in or near the public entrance.

Outdoor signage — the size + content cap

Maximum size: 1,600 square inches PER SIGN, measured on the physical perimeter of the sign rather than the text inside it. Four separate signs, placed on the side of the building with the main entrance (WAC 314-55-155(3)(a)) — plus the trade name signs and billboards RCW 69.50.369 separately authorises, which that subsection expressly excepts. Content IS constrained: the signs identify the outlet by trade name, state the location and identify the nature of the business, and no outdoor sign — billboards and trade name signs included — may depict cannabis plants or products. And under (2)(c), every advertisement except a trade name sign must carry text, clearly visible during business hours, that cannabis products may be purchased or possessed only by persons 21 or older.
Cannot include images of cannabis plants, flowers, edibles, or paraphernalia. This is the single most-cited violation. Operators put a leaf graphic on the storefront; cited. Leaf-shaped logos that don’t resemble actual cannabis morphology are usually fine but the rule is judgment-driven.
No claims about price, quality, potency, or efficacy. ‘Best prices in town’ / ‘Top-shelf flower’ / ‘Strongest edibles’ — all citation territory.
No content visible to under-21 audiences. Outdoor signage on a public street IS visible to under-21 audiences. Don’t add price callouts, product imagery, or anything that reads as targeted marketing.
No non-licensee endorsements. Influencer name on signage = the non-licensee is now advertising for you = WAC 314-55-155 violation per /guides/cannabis-cac-ltv-math-with-advertising-limits.

What NOT to post anywhere on the property

Anything implying medical efficacy. ‘Helps with anxiety’ / ‘Better sleep’ / any health claim crosses into FDA territory + WAC 314-55-155 advertising scope.
Customer testimonials. Even on an in-store flyer. The testimonial about the product implicitly makes a claim about it. Skip.
Pricing on outdoor signage. Indoor menu OK; outdoor signage NO.
Holiday / event-specific signage with cannabis imagery. ‘420 SALE’ with a leaf graphic — citation magnet. The event is fine; the imagery isn’t.
Government / law-enforcement imagery. A ‘DEA approved’ joke sign got an operator cited last year. Don’t.
Anything in a foreign language without English translation. Signage should be in English; bilingual is fine but English-only-foreign-language is not.

What inspectors actually do at the door

Walk the perimeter. Outdoor signage measured + photographed. Adjacent properties scanned for proximity-violation flags (school within 1000 ft etc — separate WAC 314-55 family rule but inspectors check during the same visit).
Walk the customer entrance. 21+ sign + license-class sign + photo-ID-required sign all confirmed. Letter height eyeballed; in close cases tape-measured.
Walk to the register. Framed license confirmed (actual, not copy; current, not expired). No-on-premise-consumption sign visible in customer view.
Photo every sign + measurement. The inspection log includes every sign + dimensions + content. The next inspector references the prior log; persistent issues compound.

Takeaways

Required signs: framed-original-license at register / 21+ at entrance / no-on-premise-consumption visible-from-register / license-class at entrance — the 1-inch lettering is our house standard, not a figure any section read here carries
Outdoor signage caps: 1600 sqin per sign / 4 signs per premises max (WAC 314-55-155, post-ESB 5206) / no cannabis imagery / no price/quality/potency claims / no non-licensee endorsements
Most-cited violations: cannabis-leaf imagery on storefront / printed-copy license display / outdoor pricing / medical-efficacy claims / under-21-targeted graphics
Inspectors carry tape measures, and WAC 314-55-155 is specific on advertising SIZE — 1,600 square inches per sign, and under (3)(e) a sign below 512 square inches is not advertising ONLY IF it carries no brand name, no trade name and no product image, and shows nothing but operational information (hours, open/closed, an ATM, “welcome”, required notices, community notices). Size alone does not exempt it. The section sets no letter-height rule, and neither does WAC 314-55-086 or RCW 69.50.369 — the ¼-inch and 1-inch lettering figures below are our own house standard
The setup: business-name + address signage in plain text, no imagery, each sign well under the 1,600 sqin per-sign cap, both on the main-entrance side. Templated so it ports cleanly across locations

Frequently asked

Is it enough to display my license if the actual one is current, or does the framed copy matter?: The framed copy matters on its own. Inspectors measure the displayed license and require the actual license, not a photocopy or scan-print, framed under glass in plain customer-view at or near the register. An expired-displayed-license is a stand-alone citation even if your actual license is current, so re-up the framed copy as soon as the new license arrives.
How big can my outdoor storefront signs be, and can I put a leaf graphic on them?: Outdoor signage caps at 1,600 square inches PER SIGN — measured on the physical perimeter of the sign, not the text inside it — with a maximum of four separate signs (WAC 314-55-155(3)(a), relaxed from two by ESB 5206). All four must be affixed to the building or hanging in the window ON THE SIDE OF THE BUILDING WITH THE MAIN ENTRANCE; there is no per-wall allowance, and the rule prescribes count, size and side rather than what each sign must say. Signs cannot include images of cannabis plants, flowers, edibles, or paraphernalia; leaf imagery on the storefront is the single most-cited violation. You also cannot post claims about price, quality, potency, or efficacy on outdoor signage.
What does an inspector actually check for signage when they walk the property?: They walk the perimeter first, measuring and photographing outdoor signage. At the customer entrance they confirm the 21+ sign, license-class sign, and photo-ID-required sign, eyeballing letter height and tape-measuring close cases. At the register they confirm the framed license is the actual copy and current, plus a visible no-on-premise-consumption sign, then photograph every sign with dimensions and content for the inspection log.

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