# Sign Regulations in Charleston, Illinois

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Charleston, Illinois (IL)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/illinois/charleston
- **Data last verified:** 2025-04-19

## At a glance

Charleston, Illinois regulates 14 sign types across 7 zoning districts. Subdivision Signs in the A, RE, R-1, R-2, R-2U, R-3, R-3U, R-4, R-4U zoning district are capped at 5 feet tall and 20 square feet per sign face (Sec. Table 10-1, Section 10-10-5A). Most commercial signs in Charleston require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (7 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| A, RE, R-1, R-2, R-2U, R-3, R-3U, R-4, R-4U | 4 | 5 feet | 20 square feet per sign face | — |
| C-1 | 2 | 12 feet (pole/post); 5 feet (monument or ground sign) | 50 sq ft per sign face for pole/post or monument/ground sign; total sign area per lot: 1 sq ft per linear foot of frontage up to 100 ft, plus 0.5 sq ft per foot over 100 ft | — |
| C-2, I-1, I-2 | 2 | 30 feet (pole/post); 5 feet (monument or ground sign); bottom of pole sign at least 8 feet from finished grade | Wall, window and awning signs not counted toward the total if they do not exceed 25% of building face area on any elevation | — |
| C-3 | 1 | — | — | — |
| PUD | 1 | — | — | — |
| Commercial and industrial | 1 | 30 feet (organizational); 50 feet (U.S. and state) | 6 feet by 10 feet (1 flag); 10 feet by 15 feet for U.S. and Illinois state flag (no maximum number); organizational/other: 6 feet by 10 feet | — |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 4 | US/Illinois: 50 ft; others: 30 ft | 12 square feet (without a permit); >12 square feet requires permit | — |

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements (sample of 3 of 7 zones)

### A, RE, R-1, R-2, R-2U, R-3, R-3U, R-4, R-4U

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Subdivision Sign | 5 feet | 20 square feet per sign face | — | — | 1 per street entrance | At street entrance to subdivision | — | Table 10-1, Section 10-10-5A |
| Building Identification Sign | 5 feet | 4 square feet | — | — | No limit - see area and separation standards | — | — | Table 10-1, Section 10-10-5A |
| Wall Sign | Under eave of building | Maximum sign area not specified; See Additional Requirements | — | — | — | On building wall, under eave | — | Section 10-10-4A2, Table 10-1, Section 10-10-5A |
| Other Signs (including Church and Public Bulletin Boards) | 5 feet | Not more than 1 square foot per 4 linear feet of frontage | — | — | No limit - see area and separation standards | — | — | Table 10-1, Section 10-10-5A |

### C-1

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Advertising Sign (Pole/Post) | 12 feet (pole/post); 5 feet (monument or ground sign) | 50 sq ft per sign face for pole/post or monument/ground sign; total sign area per lot: 1 sq ft per linear foot of frontage up to 100 ft, plus 0.5 sq ft per foot over 100 ft | — | — | 1 per 100 feet of frontage | On premises | — | Table 10-1, Section 10-10-5A |
| Wall Sign, Awning, Marquee or Projecting Sign, Window Sign | Under eave or parapet for wall, awning, marquee, window or projecting sign | Wall, window and awning signs not counted toward the total if they do not exceed 25% of building face area on any elevation | — | — | Any number, not to exceed max total sign area; only 1 projecting sign per business | On building wall, awning, marquee, or window | — | Table 10-1, Section 10-10-5A; Section 10-10-4A2 |

### General Regulations For All Zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Temporary Banner or Portable Sign | — | 12 square feet (without a permit); >12 square feet requires permit | — | — | 1 per 100 feet frontage | On property; not in public right of way; must not interfere with visibility | — | Section 10-10-10 |
| Directional Sign (On Premises) | 3 feet | 6 square feet per sign face | — | — | — | On premises, visible from abutting street | — | Section 10-10-7E |
| Flag | US/Illinois: 50 ft; others: 30 ft | US/Illinois: 10x15 ft; others: 6x10 ft | — | — | 1 organizational per lot, unless US/Illinois | — | — | Table 10-4, Section 10-10-11 |
| Projecting Sign | — | — | — | May not extend into or onto a public right of way | 1 projecting sign per business | Projecting from building | — | Section 10-10-5B1 |

## Prohibited signs in Charleston

- Signs with flashing, moving, rotating, pulsating or glaring parts (except message boards that have disabled the flashing mode; electronic message boards must have at least a 2 second interval between messages/scenes).
- Signs resembling traffic control signs/devices, or using words such as 'stop', 'slow', 'danger', 'caution', or similar wording that may confuse motorists and cause traffic hazards.
- Strings of lights, pennants, strings and loops of strings or ribbons, garlands, searchlights, beacons, paper posters applied directly to a wall, pole, fence or building surface, and banners and streamers (except as allowed for temporary signs).
- Signs containing obscene messages, scenes or graphics, or false or misleading advertising or information.
- Portable or temporary signs, except those specifically permitted as temporary signs.
- Billboards and off premises signs, except as allowed under expressly stated circumstances or within sports and entertainment facilities.
- Snipe signs or signs attached to trees, telephone poles, public benches, streetlights, utility poles, or fences, or placed on any public property or public right of way, unless authorized by the city.
- Signs placed on vehicles or trailers that are parked or located for the primary purpose of displaying said sign, except when otherwise allowed.
- Signs placed on or extending over the public right of way, except authorized subdivision signs in medians.
- Signs with lighting devices that reflect or shine directly into adjacent highways or streets, hampering the vision of a motor vehicle operator.
- Roof signs.
- Business, company, or other nongovernmental flags displayed on roof mounted poles.
- Street blimps and balloons.
- Mobile billboard signs on trailers, except where specifically allowed.

## Signs exempt from permit in Charleston

- Residential signs not exceeding one square foot in area that are customarily associated with residential use, such as address/name signs and mailbox signs (not of a commercial nature, except for permitted home occupations).
- Signs erected by, or on behalf of, or pursuant to authorization by a governmental body.
- The United States flag, Illinois state flag, and any local government flag (excluded from maximum allowable sign area calculation).
- Holiday decorations and signage; historic plaques, cornerstones and commemorative plaques; integral decorative or architectural features (no text/trademarks/moving parts); seasonal and festive pennants, provided any commercial message does not exceed the lesser of 2 square feet or 10% of the pennant.
- On premises, directional signs visible from a street, not exceeding 6 square feet per face or 3 feet in height, and not interfering with traffic/pedestrian visibility.
- Signs painted on or permanently attached to currently licensed and operable vehicles.
- Signs expressing constitutionally protected speech not otherwise regulated; church, school and college bulletin boards (up to 20 square feet); periodic event signs; community carnival and event signs.
- Traffic signs authorized by act of city council or other public agency with authority over right of way.
- Warning signs (e.g. no trespassing, no hunting) and similar signs.
- Political signs posted no more than 30 days before and removed within 7 days after an election; all others considered temporary signs and must comply with temporary sign requirements.
- Community events signs (same size limits as temporary signs, displayed up to 30 days before the event and removed within 7 days after the event, not attached to existing sign structures, do not count as temporary signs for businesses, nor toward site maximum sign area).
- Real estate signs on the property for sale or lease (not in the public right of way or boulevard; max 9 sq ft in residential, 32 sq ft in commercial/industrial districts).

## Sign plan & submission notes

- A master signage plan is required for shopping centers, office and business parks, industrial parks, and other multi-tenant developments (see 10-10-8.D.3.a and 10-10-9.B).
- All applications for new construction or reconstruction of shopping centers, business and industrial parks, and other multi-tenant developments must include a master signage or common signage plan or amendments thereto.
- Site plan applications for these developments must include detailed information as specified in 10-10-9 (scale plot plan, sign locations, maximum areas and heights, sign dimensions, landscaping coordination, and owner/agent consent).
- A master signage plan demonstrating the use of uniform signage may qualify a multi-tenant development for a 10% increase in maximum total sign area.
- A variance request may be made for sign height in cases where topography, buildings, or landscaping obscure the sign; variances are handled in accordance with the city code.

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

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