# Sign Regulations in Belvidere, Illinois

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Belvidere, Illinois (IL)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/illinois/belvidere
- **Data last verified:** 2025-05-07
- **Source:** [municode municipal code](https://library.municode.com/IL/Belvidere/codes/Code_of_Ordinances?nodeId=BELVIDERE_MUNICIPAL_CODE_CH90SI)

## At a glance

Belvidere, Illinois regulates 13 sign types across 12 zoning districts. Freestanding Signs in the Residential Hillside (RH) zoning district are capped at 15 ft; but not to exceed the height of the front wall of the principle building or the actual sign setback from adjacent residential lot tall and 32 sq ft (lots under 1 acre); 48 sq ft (lots 1 to 4 acres); 60 sq ft (lots over 4 acres), with a 10 ft (from sign support) setback (Sec. Sec. 150.1007(A); Table 150.1007(A)1). Most commercial signs in Belvidere require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (12 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Residential Hillside (RH) | 7 | 15 ft; but not to exceed the height of the front wall of the principle building or the actual sign setback from adjacent residential lot | 32 sq ft (lots under 1 acre); 48 sq ft (lots 1 to 4 acres); 60 sq ft (lots over 4 acres) | — |
| Single-Family Residential (SR-3, SR-4, SR-6) | 2 | 5 ft | 6 sq ft | — |
| Transitional Residential (TR-7), Multi-Family Residential Small and Large (MR-8S, MR-8L) | 2 | 5 ft | 16 sq ft | — |
| Neighborhood Office (NO), Professional Office (PO), Neighborhood Business (NB), Neighborhood Commercial (*NC) | 5 | 15 ft (not to exceed front wall height of principle building; not to exceed sign setback from adjacent residential lot) | 60 sq ft | — |
| Planned Business (PB), General Business (GB) | 6 | 40 ft (not to exceed front wall height of principle building; not to exceed sign setback from adjacent residential lot) | 200 sq ft total per wall | — |
| Central Business (CB) | 6 | 40 ft | 300 sq ft per wall | — |
| Public/Institutional (PI) | 2 | 10 ft | 300 sq ft per wall | — |
| General Industrial (GI), Heavy Industrial (HI) | 2 | 40 ft. Not to exceed the front wall height of principal building or the sign setback from adjacent residential lot. | 300 sq ft per wall | — |
| Industrial (I) | 2 | 40 ft. Not to exceed the front wall height of principal building or sign setback from adjacent residential lot. | 2,000 sq ft per wall | — |
| Planned Manufacturing (PM 1, PM 2, PM 4) | 2 | 12 ft. Not to exceed front wall height or sign setback from adjacent residential lot. | 32 sq ft (lots under 1 acre); 48 sq ft (lots 1 to 4 acres); 60 sq ft (lots over 4 acres) | — |
| Corridor Commercial (CC), Town Center (TC) | 2 | 40 ft | 300 sq ft per wall | — |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 4 | 6 ft structure height | 60 sq ft | — |

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements (sample of 3 of 12 zones)

### Residential Hillside (RH)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Freestanding Sign | 15 ft; but not to exceed the height of the front wall of the principle building or the actual sign setback from adjacent residential lot | 32 sq ft (lots under 1 acre); 48 sq ft (lots 1 to 4 acres); 60 sq ft (lots over 4 acres) | — | 10 ft (from sign support) | 1 per street frontage | Minimum 10 ft setback from sign support; in no case shall any portion of the sign project into the right-of-way | — | Sec. 150.1007(A); Table 150.1007(A)1 |
| Wall Sign | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Sec. 150.1007(C); Table 150.1007(C)1 |
| Banner Sign | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Sec. 150.1007(C); Table 150.1007(C)1 |
| Canopy Sign | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Sec. 150.1007(C)1.B, Table 150.1007(C)1 |
| Projecting Sign | — | — | Extends more than 6 in, max 48 in from wall | — | 1 per building | — | — | Sec. 150.1007(C)1.D |
| Animated Sign | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Sec. 150.1007(C); Table 150.1007(C)1; Sec. 150.1009 |
| Suspended Sign | — | — | — | — | 1 per entrance | Under a horizontal surface such as canopy | — | Sec. 150.1007(C)1.G |

### Planned Business (PB), General Business (GB)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Freestanding Sign | 40 ft (not to exceed front wall height of principle building; not to exceed sign setback from adjacent residential lot) | 150 sq ft | — | 10 ft from sign support | 1 per street frontage | 10 ft setback from sign support | — | Table 150.1007(A)1 |
| Wall Sign | — | 200 sq ft total per wall | — | — | 1 per establishment per side of building not abutting residential district | — | — | Table 150.1007(B)1 |
| Banner Sign | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Table 150.1007(C)1 |
| Canopy Sign | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Sec. 150.1007(C)1.B |
| Marquee Sign | — | — | Extends no higher than 36 in above marquee | — | — | Attached or part of a permanent, projecting structure sheltering theater/other use entrance | — | Sec. 150.1007(C)1.C |
| Projecting Sign | — | — | Extends 6 in to 48 in from wall | — | 1 per building | — | — | Sec. 150.1007(C)1.D |

### Central Business (CB)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Freestanding Sign | 40 ft | 150 sq ft | — | 10 ft from sign support | 1 per street frontage | 10 ft setback from sign support | — | Table 150.1007(A)1 |
| Wall Sign | — | 300 sq ft per wall | — | — | 2 per establishment per side of principal building not abutting residential district | — | — | Table 150.1007(B)1 |
| Banner Sign | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Table 150.1007(C)1 |
| Canopy Sign | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Sec. 150.1007(C)1.B |
| Marquee Sign | — | — | Max 36 in above marquee | — | — | Attached/part of permanent projecting structure sheltering entrance | — | Sec. 150.1007(C)1.C |
| Projecting Sign | — | — | 6 in to 48 in from wall | — | 1 per building | — | — | Sec. 150.1007(C)1.D |

## Prohibited signs in Belvidere

- Signs which obstruct the vision of drivers or pedestrians or detract from the visibility of any traffic control device.
- Beacons.
- Pennants (except under § 150.1011).
- Strings of lights not permanently mounted to a rigid background, except holiday lights as specified in § 150.1003.
- Signs attached to or painted on vehicles visible from the public right-of-way unless the vehicle is used for normal day-to-day transportation operations of the business.
- Inflatable signs and tethered balloons, except when used as temporary signs as regulated in § 150.1011.
- Other portable signs, except when used as a temporary sign as regulated in § 150.1011.
- Signs attached to trees, poles, or fences within the public right-of-way.
- The use of unshielded bulbs to illuminate buildings, outdoor sales areas, and outdoor storage areas.
- The use of exposed bulb lighting mounted directly on a sign face.
- Whenever external illumination is used for a sign or building, no light shall be directed above the top of the sign or structure.
- The use of flashing lights or lights used in messages that change more than eight times per day (treated as animated signs and prohibited unless allowed by special use).

## Signs exempt from permit in Belvidere

- Public signs, including notice, warning, traffic control, historic, civic, or memorial signs authorized by a valid and applicable federal, state, or local law, regulation, or ordinance.
- Traffic control signs on private property, the face of which meet department of transportation standards and which contain no commercial message.
- Interior building signs that are not attached to a window or door and are not intended to be viewed from the exterior.
- Religious symbols attached to religious buildings or located on private church property.
- Holiday lights and decorations with no commercial message, but only 30 days prior to and 30 days after a traditionally accepted civic, patriotic, or religious holiday in the commercial and industrial districts.
- Descriptive signs on merchandise/inventory for sale in the commercial and industrial districts.
- Flags, emblems, or insignia of governmental or other noncommercial organizations having a size of less than 60 square feet in area, and mounted on poles not to exceed 40 feet in height. A total of three flagpoles with up to three flags each are permitted per lot.
- Building markers as defined in § 150.1003.
- Directional signs as defined in § 150.1003.
- Identification signs as defined in § 150.1003, of two square feet or less in area, or the size required by law, whichever is greater.
- Incidental signs as defined in § 150.1003.
- Window signs as defined in § 150.1003 that cover no more than 50 percent of any one window.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- All applications for permanent sign permits and special use permits must include a site plan and sign plan, drawn to scale, showing the location, dimensions, design of the sign(s) requested, as well as the site, building and landscaping and all other signs requiring a permit.
- Only those permanent or temporary signs which have been granted a permit by the zoning enforcement officer in accordance with the provisions of this section may be erected, installed, constructed or maintained, unless specifically exempted or allowed without permit in the previous sections.
- Whenever there is a change in user (except off-site advertising signs), owner, or owner of property on which a sign is located, the new user or owner shall notify the zoning enforcement officer of the change. No new sign permit is required unless there is modification of the sign face or sign structure.
- Applications for temporary sign permits must include a description and/or drawing of the proposed sign and its location.

## 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 12 zoning districts in Belvidere — every sign type, every field — are available with a free PermitPal account: https://app.permitpal.io/?address=Belvidere+IL&override=true&utm_source=landing&utm_medium=city-page&utm_campaign=city-belvidere

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