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Alabama businesses can price custom LED channel letters online, have them built in Washington and California, and receive them ready for a licensed Alabama electrical contractor. Banners and window graphics are printed in Renton, WA.
Last reviewed against the official sources linked on this page.
What we ship
Alabama issues two electrical licenses through the Alabama Electrical Contractors Board (AECB): the electrical contractor license and the journeyman electrician license. Anyone in the business of soliciting and installing electrical power or control systems needs a state license, with no dollar threshold, and both licenses renew every year.
City permits follow from that license. Montgomery issues electrical permits for the wiring on or inside an illuminated sign only to contractors holding a current state electrical contractor license, and in Huntsville every sign permit is approved by Zoning Administration.
Built in Washington and California
In Montgomery, the electrical permit for wiring on or within an illuminated sign is issued only to an electrical contractor with a current State of Alabama license, so the sign company needs one on the job.
Starting at $9.68 per inch
Made in Renton, WA
Starting at $1.58 per ft2
Made in Renton, WA
Starting at $1.98 per ft2
Made in Renton, WA
Starting at $16 per item
Made in Renton, WA
Starting at $269.50 per item
Popular choices
Lit letters for shopping centers and downtown squares.
Lit letters for Birmingham and Huntsville centers.
Starting at $9.68 per inch
A soft glow on downtown brick in Alabama.
Starting at $12.17 per inch
Who can install it
The AECB licenses electrical contractors, who may take any job, employ electricians and run their own business, and journeyman electricians, who work under a licensed contractor. Alabama doesn’t issue a separate master electrician license, and apprentices and helpers don’t need one.
Under Title 34, Chapter 36 of the Code of Alabama, anyone engaged in the business of soliciting and installing electrical power or control systems must hold a state electrical license, whatever the job size. Both licenses are renewed annually, so ask to see a current card and check the installer on the AECB license search before work starts.
| Licensing agency | Alabama Electrical Contractors Board |
|---|---|
| Business | Electrical contractor license |
| Individuals | Journeyman electrician (works under a contractor) |
| Threshold | None; any electrical contracting business |
| Renewal | Annual |
Rules change. Always confirm with the office that issues your permit before you order.
Permits
Alabama cities issue sign permits under their own zoning ordinances; Huntsville, Birmingham, Mobile and Montgomery each run their own permit offices, and counties cover some unincorporated areas. A lit sign usually needs two permits from two offices: the sign permit from zoning, and an electrical permit for the wiring.
In Montgomery, electrical permits, including those for wiring illuminated and neon signs, are issued to electrical contractors licensed by the Alabama Electrical Contractors Board. Anyone in the electrical business in the city should also be a qualified electrical contractor with a current City of Montgomery business license, so a sign company without its own AECB license brings in a licensed electrical contractor to pull the permit and connect the sign.
In Huntsville, signs are governed by Article 72 of the Zoning Ordinance, the Sign Control Regulations, which cover sign licenses, required permits and the signs allowed in each district. All sign permits must be approved by Zoning Administration, and the city amended Article 72’s definitions and several district rules in 2025, so ask the Zoning Office which version applies when you apply.
| Sign permit | Your city or county zoning office |
|---|---|
| Montgomery sign wiring | Electrical permit issued to an AECB-licensed contractor |
| Montgomery business license | Required for anyone in the electrical business |
| Huntsville | Zoning Administration approves every sign permit (Article 72) |
New to sign permits? Read how sign permits work and what your electrician needs.
Rules change. Always confirm with the office that issues your permit before you order.
Weather
In Alabama, spring and late-fall storms bring tornado warnings and damaging straight-line winds, summers are hot and humid, and Mobile Bay storefronts face hurricanes and salt air. Ask your installer to anchor letters for gusts and use corrosion-resistant hardware near the Gulf.
How it works
Use the channel letter builder or send your logo.
Check it with your landlord and installer.
Letters in WA or CA; the rest in Renton, WA.
Standard shipping takes 3–6 business days in transit; 3-day, 2-day and overnight shipping are available at checkout. Shipping options.
With our wiring diagram and install pattern (overview). Permit checklist.
On every channel letter style (details).
We build and ship; a local pro installs. A licensed sign installer or electrician in Alabama mounts and connects your sign. We don’t have an office or installation crew in Alabama, and orders can’t be picked up.
Questions
We ship custom channel letters anywhere in Alabama, built in Washington and California and tested before they ship. We don’t install, so you’ll hire an AECB-licensed electrical contractor to mount and connect them.
The company needs an AECB electrical contractor license, and the electricians doing the work need journeyman licenses. Alabama sets no dollar threshold, so even a single storefront sign counts, and both licenses renew every year. Check the license on the AECB search before work starts.
No. Alabama issues only two electrical licenses: the electrical contractor license, which lets a business take jobs and employ electricians, and the journeyman electrician license for people working under a contractor. Apprentices and helpers don’t need a license, and both licenses renew every year.
Only an electrical contractor holding a current State of Alabama Electrical Contractors License. Montgomery issues electrical permits for wiring illuminated or neon signs to contractors licensed by the AECB, and anyone in the electrical business there also needs a current City of Montgomery business license.
Standard shipping takes 3–6 business days in transit, with 3-day, 2-day and overnight options. Checkout shows the estimated date for each, including production.
Keep reading
Send a storefront photo, your logo and the size and lighting limits confirmed by your landlord or installer. We can suggest options and give you a price before you order.
