# Sign Regulations in Auburn, Illinois

Sign permit rules, size and height limits, setbacks, and ordinance citations for Auburn, Illinois, compiled by PermitPal from the jurisdiction's published municipal code.

- **Jurisdiction:** Auburn, Illinois (IL)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/illinois/auburn
- **Data last verified:** 2025-05-07
- **Source:** [municode municipal code](https://library.municode.com/IL/Auburn/codes/Code_of_Ordinances?nodeId=COOR_CH22STSI_ARTVSIAW)

## At a glance

Auburn, Illinois regulates 14 sign types across 4 zoning districts. Nameplate Sign (Residential Use)s in the R-1 Single-Family Residence District, R-2 General Residence Districts zoning district are capped at One story or 10 feet, whichever is lower, above curb level tall and 1 sq ft, with a May not project beyond the property line. setback (Sec. Section VI.B.1.a.1), 3), 4)).

## Sign rules by zoning district (4 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| R-1 Single-Family Residence District, R-2 General Residence Districts | 5 | One story or 10 feet, whichever is lower, above curb level | 18 sq ft | — |
| B-1 Office and Retailing District, B-2 General Business District, B-3 General Business District | 6 | Top no more than 36 inches from ground | 15 sq ft | — |
| I-1 Industrial District, I-2 Industrial District | 2 | Freestanding sign: 60 ft max height | 20 × lineal feet of lot frontage (for all signs) | — |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 3 | — | 32 sq ft per lot (aggregate of all temporary signs) | — |

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements (sample of 3 of 4 zones)

### R-1 Single-Family Residence District, R-2 General Residence Districts

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Nameplate Sign (Residential Use) | One story or 10 feet, whichever is lower, above curb level | 1 sq ft | — | May not project beyond the property line. | 1 per dwelling unit; 2 per dwelling unit if on corner lot | On building facing street. On corner lots, facing each street. | — | Section VI.B.1.a.1), 3), 4) |
| Identification Sign (Non-Residential Use) | One story or 10 feet, whichever is lower, above curb level | 9 sq ft per sign | — | May not project beyond the property line. | 1 per building; 2 per building if on corner lot | On building facing street. On corner lots, facing each street. | — | Section VI.B.1.a.2), 3), 4) |
| For Sale / For Rent Sign | — | 12 sq ft | — | — | — | On property for sale/rent | — | Section VI.B.1.b |
| Parking Area Accessory Sign | — | — | — | — | — | Accessory to parking area. | — | Section VI.B.1.c |
| Church Bulletin/Institutional Identification Sign | — | 18 sq ft | — | — | — | — | — | Section VI.B.1.d |

### B-1 Office and Retailing District, B-2 General Business District, B-3 General Business District

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Business Sign (Wall, Freestanding, etc.) | Not higher than building height for wall signs; for freestanding signs not specified | 10 × lineal feet of lot frontage | — | Freestanding sign structures must be at least 15 feet from a lot line adjoining a street. | — | On property; no sign within 20 feet of any residential district boundary. Each frontage (side abutting a street) calculated separately. | — | Section VI.B.3.a.1), 3.c, 3.d |
| Directional Sign | Top no more than 36 inches from ground | 15 sq ft | — | — | — | Within property; exempt from 500 ft residential boundary rule | — | Section VI.B.3.a.1.5 |
| Temporary Advertising Sign | — | — | — | 48 inches from parking area/roadway | — | Immediately in front of businesses during business hours; not within 48 inches of parking area/roadway. | — | Section VI.B.3.a.2) |
| Awning Sign | — | — | — | — | — | On awning; cannot extend beyond limits of awning. | — | Section VI.B.3.a.3) |
| Advertising Sign (Off-Premises, Controlled Access Route) | — | — | — | — | — | Controlled access routes | — | Section VI.B.3.b |
| Freestanding Sign | — | — | — | 15 ft from lot line adjoining a street | — | Not less than 15 feet from a lot line adjoining a street. | — | Section VI.B.3.e |

### General Regulations For All Zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Temporary Sign | — | 32 sq ft per lot (aggregate of all temporary signs) | — | — | — | On private property (not city right-of-way or obstructing access/vision) | — | Section VI.B.8.b |
| Real Estate Sign | — | — | — | — | 1 per frontage street | On parcel for sale, lease, or rent. One sign per frontage street. | — | Section VI.B.9.a |
| Open House/Off-Site Directional Sign | — | — | — | — | 1 per intersection quadrant | Off-site; within 2 miles of project advertised. Not in city's right-of-way except on day of open house. | — | Section VI.B.9.b |

## Prohibited signs in Auburn

- No sign shall project beyond the property line into the public way.
- No sign shall project higher than one story or ten feet, whichever is lower, above the curb level (for single-family residence).
- No business sign shall be permitted within 20 feet of any residential district boundary line.
- With the exception of a directional sign not exceeding 15 square feet and no more than 36 inches in height, no advertising sign shall be permitted within 500 feet of any residential district boundary line.
- No signs or goods for sale will be placed within 48 inches of a parking area or any part of the roadway maintained for vehicular traffic; all goods and signs must be removed when the business is closed.
- Advertising signs on any controlled access route must be spaced at least 330 feet apart on either side of the road.
- All advertising signs must be kept at least 500 feet away from an entrance or exit to a controlled access route.
- No sign shall project more than 8 feet from the face of the wall of any building or structure.
- No sign shall project higher than the building height (for business districts).
- No freestanding business or advertising sign shall exceed 60 feet in height (industrial districts).
- No temporary sign shall be posted on any city right-of-way or obstruct or impair access to a public sidewalk, street, driveway, traffic control sign, bus stop, fire hydrant, or other street furniture, or otherwise create a hazard.
- A temporary sign shall only be posted with the consent of the property owner or occupant.
- Temporary signs for events must be removed within 7 days following the conclusion of an event.
- Other than lettering and graphics identifying the owner of a demonstration sign, a temporary sign shall not advertise or promote any commercial enterprise or event not conducted on the same zoning lot.
- No flags, pennants, balloons or other attention-attracting devices shall be displayed with real estate signs.
- Real estate signs shall not be placed on any city right-of-way or any private common area.
- Open house off-site directional signs cannot be in the city's right-of-way, except on the day of the open house, and cannot cause any visual or safety obstructions to pedestrians or drivers.
- No open house sign shall be permitted beyond two miles of the project it advertises for sale.
- Temporary signs must be designed to be stable under all weather conditions, including high winds.

## Signs exempt from permit in Auburn

- Any official or public notice or warning required by federal, state, or local law, regulation or chapter, by a public utility company, or by order of a court of competent jurisdiction.
- Traffic signs on private property, such as stop, yield and similar signs, which meet department of transportation standards and contain no commercial message.
- Any sign inside a building, not attached to a window or door, that is not visible from off the side on which it is located.
- Any sign inside an athletic field or other enclosed outdoor space, where the sign is not legible from more than three feet beyond the lot line of the site on which it is located.
- Temporary signage erected as part of a city recognized event.
- Signs erected on behalf of a governmental or quasi-governmental agency, including but not limited to governmental offices and transit stations, for the purpose of site identification, to identify public property, convey public information, and to direct or regulate pedestrian or vehicular traffic.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- No provision in the provided ordinance text requires a master sign plan, sign plan, or variance meeting for signage.

## Full detail

This page publishes an overview of every zoning district plus a sample of 3 districts in full. Complete zone-by-zone requirements for all 4 zoning districts in Auburn — every sign type, every field — are available with a free PermitPal account: https://app.permitpal.io/?address=Auburn+IL&override=true&utm_source=landing&utm_medium=city-page&utm_campaign=city-auburn

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