Cannabis dispensary signage — what the inspector measures, what NOT to post

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

1. 1**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.
2. 2**21+ Age-restriction sign at the public entrance.** ‘NO PERSONS UNDER 21 ALLOWED. PHOTO ID REQUIRED’ or substantively equivalent. Per WAC 314-55-085(2), required at every public entrance. Letters at least 1/4 inch high; no smaller.
3. 3**No-on-premise-consumption sign.** Per WAC 314-55-085(3) — ‘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.
4. 4**License-class signage.** Marijuana Retailer + medical-endorsement (if applicable) — letters at least 1 inch high, in or near the public entrance. Per WAC 314-55-085(1).

• **Maximum size: 1600 square inches per sign.** Two signs per outside wall maximum (one with the licensee’s business name + class; another optional with the address). Per WAC 314-55-155.
• **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.

• **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.** Per WAC 314-55-085, signage must be in English; bilingual is fine but English-only-foreign-language is not.

1. 1**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).
2. 2**Walk the customer entrance.** 21+ sign + license-class sign + photo-ID-required sign all confirmed. Letter height eyeballed; in close cases tape-measured.
3. 3**Walk to the register.** Framed license confirmed (actual, not copy; current, not expired). No-on-premise-consumption sign visible in customer view.
4. 4**Photo every sign + measurement.** The inspection log includes every sign + dimensions + content. The next inspector references the prior log; persistent issues compound.