# Sign Regulations in Chatham, Illinois

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Chatham, Illinois (IL)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/illinois/chatham
- **Data last verified:** 2025-09-22
- **Source:** [other municipal code](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1YeuzpnOVZEECZ5j4Hf7PcnhDEhFutD5g/view?usp=drive_link)

## At a glance

Chatham, Illinois regulates 19 sign types across 2 zoning districts. Freestanding Sign - Box Signs in the Commercial zoning districts, Industrial zoning districts, B-1 Community Business District, B-2 General Business District, I-1 Restricted Performance Manufacturing, I-2 General Performance Manufacturing zoning district are capped at 40 ft. tall and 60 sq. ft., with a 10 ft from public ROW, 50 ft from residential zones; vision clearance per § 155-14.80 setback (Sec. § 155-13.50(E)(1)-(6)). Most commercial signs in Chatham require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (2 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Commercial zoning districts, Industrial zoning districts, B-1 Community Business District, B-2 General Business District, I-1 Restricted Performance Manufacturing, I-2 General Performance Manufacturing | 19 | 40 ft. | 250 sq. ft. | — |

_1 additional zoning district is covered in PermitPal (free account)._

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements (sample of 1 of 2 zones)

### Commercial zoning districts, Industrial zoning districts, B-1 Community Business District, B-2 General Business District, I-1 Restricted Performance Manufacturing, I-2 General Performance Manufacturing

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Freestanding Sign - Box Sign | 40 ft. | 60 sq. ft. | — | 10 ft from public ROW, 50 ft from residential zones; vision clearance per § 155-14.80 | Maximum one per lot; if lot >1,000 ft street frontage, max two per lot | On lot, at least 10 ft setback from public ROW/curb/driveway; 50 ft from residential zones | — | § 155-13.50(E)(1)-(6) |
| Freestanding Sign - Screened Box Sign with Raised or Recessed Letters | 40 ft. | 120 sq. ft. | — | 10 ft from public ROW, 50 ft from residential zones; vision clearance per § 155-14.80 | See Freestanding Sign rules | On lot, at least 10 ft setback from public ROW/curb/driveway; 50 ft from residential zones | — | § 155-13.50(E)(2)-(6) |
| Freestanding Sign - Distinctive Materials/Design Sign | 40 ft. | 150 sq. ft. | — | 10 ft from ROW, 50 ft from residential zones; vision clearance | Per Freestanding sign rules | On lot, per setbacks | — | § 155-13.50(E)(2)-(6) |
| Freestanding Sign - Other (Unclassified) | 40 ft. | 60 sq. ft. | — | 10 ft from ROW, 50 ft from residential zones | Per Freestanding Sign rules | On lot, per setbacks | — | § 155-13.50(E)(2)-(6) |
| Freestanding Sign (Outlot/Outparcel) - Box Sign | 16 ft. | 32 sq. ft. | — | 10 ft from ROW/curb/driveway; 50 ft from residential zone, vision clearance | Max one per outlot/outparcel | On outlot/outparcel in multi-tenant development; setbacks required | — | § 155-13.50(F)(2)(a) |
| Freestanding Sign (Outlot/Outparcel) - Screened Box Sign with Raised or Recessed Letters | 16 ft. | 64 sq. ft. | — | 10 ft from ROW/curb/driveway; 50 ft from residential, vision clearance | Max one per outlot/outparcel | On outlot/outparcel | — | § 155-13.50(F)(2)(a) |
| Freestanding Sign (Outlot/Outparcel) - Distinctive Materials/Design Sign | 16 ft. | 96 sq. ft. | — | 10 ft from ROW/curb/driveway; 50 ft from residential, vision clearance | Max one per outlot/outparcel | On outlot/outparcel | — | § 155-13.50(F)(2)(a) |
| Menu Board Sign - Primary (Drive-through Only) | 8 ft. | 36 sq. ft. | — | 75 ft from residential zoning districts | One per order station (max two per site) | At order station within boundaries of development | — | § 155-13.50(F)(Menu Board Signs) |

## Prohibited signs in Chatham

- Freestanding signs must be set back at least 10 feet from all public rights-of-way and from the back of curb or outer edge of all driveways.
- Freestanding signs must be set back at least 50 feet from all residential zoning districts.
- Freestanding signs are subject to the vision clearance provisions of § 155-14.80.
- Freestanding signs may not exceed 40 feet in height.
- The maximum area of a wall sign may not exceed 250 square feet.
- Wall signs may not cover more than 20% of the area of the wall or more than 70% of the building frontage to which they are attached.
- Projecting signs may not project more than 10 feet beyond the wall of the subject building.
- The bottom of a projecting sign must be at least 9 feet above the ground elevation beneath the sign.

## Signs exempt from permit in Chatham

- Street address numbers included on freestanding signs will not be counted as part of the sign's area.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- Landscape plans, indicating plant materials and location, must be submitted with the sign permit application for freestanding signs.
- Master sign plans are required for multi-tenant developments in accordance with § 155-13.80.

## Full detail

This page publishes an overview of every zoning district plus a sample of 1 district in full. Complete zone-by-zone requirements for all 2 zoning districts in Chatham — every sign type, every field — are available with a free PermitPal account: https://app.permitpal.io/?address=Chatham+IL&override=true&utm_source=landing&utm_medium=city-page&utm_campaign=city-chatham

---

PermitPal — AI sign code research. Full HTML page: https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/illinois/chatham