# Sign Regulations in Forest Park, Illinois

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

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

## At a glance

Forest Park, Illinois regulates 36 sign types across 9 zoning districts. Sandwich Board Signs in the B-1 District, B-2 District zoning district are capped at 4 ft tall and 10 sq ft (Sec. 8-6-5(A)(2)(c); 8-6-6(H)). Most commercial signs in Forest Park require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (9 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| R Districts, R-1 District, R-2 District | 6 | — | 18 sq ft | — |
| R-3 District | 1 | — | 15 sq ft | — |
| B-1 District, B-2 District | 4 | Wall/Projecting: Not less than 10 ft, not more than 16 ft above ground/up to top of front wall (whichever is lower). Other signs: Max 24 ft. | 60 sq ft (aggregate, see formula) | — |
| B-3 District, I-1 District, I-2 District | 7 | Signs must be at least 10 ft, not more than 24 ft above grade | 90 sq ft (increased as per formula) | — |
| Madison Street sign district | 2 | 4 ft | 10 sq ft | — |
| Business Districts | 1 | — | 10 sq ft per facade; up to 64 sq ft for 5+ acre developments | — |
| Industrial Districts | 2 | 10 ft max dimension for large signs | Up to 1,200 sq ft per face/2,400 sq ft per double faced sign | — |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 16 | 6 ft | 36 sq ft per face, 6 ft overall height (4 ft per sign face) | — |

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

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements (sample of 3 of 9 zones)

### R Districts, R-1 District, R-2 District

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Identification Sign (Dwelling Unit) | — | 1 sq ft | — | — | — | On the land or building; cannot project into required front yard except for church bulletin board or house numbers | — | 8-6-5(A)(1)(a) |
| Identification Sign (Non-dwelling structure) | — | 10 sq ft | — | — | 1 | On premises; not projecting into required front yard | — | 8-6-5(A)(1)(b) |
| Church Bulletin Board | — | 18 sq ft | — | — | — | On premises; may project into front yard | — | 8-6-5(A)(1)(b) |
| Garage Sale Sign | — | 6 sq ft (double faced) | — | — | — | On premises during sale; not on public property or right of way | — | 8-6-5(A)(1)(c) |
| Open House Sign | — | 6 sq ft (24" x 36") | 36 in | — | — | On private property, displayed only during open house hours (Saturday/Sunday, no more than 4 hours per day) | — | 8-6-8(A)(3) |
| Governmental/Traffic Sign | — | — | — | — | — | As installed for public purposes | — | 8-6-5(A)(1)(d) |

### B-1 District, B-2 District

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Business Sign (Wall/Projecting) | Wall/Projecting: Not less than 10 ft, not more than 16 ft above ground/up to top of front wall (whichever is lower). Other signs: Max 24 ft. | 60 sq ft (aggregate, see formula) | — | — | — | On building/lot; all signs must pertain to a legal use in main building | — | 8-6-5(A)(2)(a) |
| Window Sign (Permanent or Temporary) | — | — | — | — | — | Mounted in or on window | — | 8-6-5(A)(2)(b) |
| Sandwich Board Sign | 4 ft | 10 sq ft | — | — | 1 | On sidewalk within Madison Street sign district; 4 ft of sidewalk must remain unobstructed; between business lot lines | — | 8-6-5(A)(2)(c); 8-6-6(H) |
| Restaurant Menu Display | — | 3 sq ft | — | — | 1 per lot | — | — | 8-6-5(B)(13) |

### General Regulations For All Zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Bulletin Board Sign (Public, Religious, Civic) | 6 ft | 25 sq ft | — | — | 1 per zoning lot | On premises for institution; not in residential district; ground sign must not be closer than 8 ft to sidewalk/street or 6 ft to other lot line, or required yard/setback, whichever is less. | — | 8-6-5(B)(1) |
| Civic Event Sign | — | 32 sq ft | — | — | 1 per zoning lot | On site; may be allowed in right of way with specific approval | — | 8-6-5(B)(2) |
| Memorial Sign | 2 ft (ground sign) | 3 sq ft | — | — | 1 per lot | No ground sign closer than 10 ft to sidewalk/street or 6 ft to lot line | — | 8-6-5(B)(6) |
| Nameplate Sign | 4 ft (ground sign) | 1 sq ft per occupancy (max 3 sq ft aggregate) | — | — | 1 per occupancy, max 3 sq ft total | No ground sign closer than 10 ft to sidewalk/street or 6 ft to lot line | — | 8-6-5(B)(7) |
| On Site Informational Sign | 4 ft (ground sign) | 3 sq ft | — | — | — | Not permitted in residential district | — | 8-6-5(B)(9) |
| Political Message Sign | — | 6 sq ft | — | — | 2 per lot | On private property | — | 8-6-5(B)(10) |
| Private Garage Sale Sign | 4 ft (ground sign) | 6 sq ft | — | — | — | On premises; not before 24 hours before sale, removed within 24 hours after. No ground sign closer than 10 ft to street/sidewalk or 6 ft to lot line. | — | 8-6-5(B)(11) |
| Temporary Use Sign (Ground) | 4 ft per sign face, 6 ft overall | 36 sq ft per face, 6 ft overall height (4 ft per sign face) | — | — | — | On same lot as use served; not in vision triangle | — | 8-6-5(B)(14)(a) |

## Prohibited signs in Forest Park

- No sign shall include or display any obscene, indecent or immoral matter.
- No sign shall be constructed or maintained in any area or in any manner so as to create a nuisance or a threat to the public safety or welfare.
- No sign shall obstruct free ingress to or egress from a fire escape, door, window or other required accessway, or be attached to any standpipe or fire escape.
- No sign shall project over or obstruct any window surface required for light or ventilation by any applicable provision of the building code.
- No sign shall be maintained at any location where by reason of its position, size, shape, content, color or illumination it may obstruct, impair, obscure, interfere with the view of, or be confused with any traffic control sign, signal or device or where it may interfere with, mislead or confuse traffic.
- No flashing, blinking or intermittent lights shall be permitted, except for public service signs expressly permitted by this chapter.
- Awnings illuminated from the interior are prohibited.
- Neon utilized to outline windows, doors and building elements is prohibited.
- No sign or sign structure shall obstruct the required vision triangle on corner lots.
- Roof signs are prohibited.
- No signs shall be painted directly on the outside wall of any building.
- No projecting sign shall extend above the roof or top of the cornice wall.
- Marquee signs are prohibited.
- Home occupation identification signs are prohibited.
- Off premises identification signs are prohibited.
- Moving or animated signs are prohibited.
- Portable signs are prohibited except when approved in connection with temporary uses.
- Projecting signs are prohibited except in the Madison Street sign district.
- Temporary signs are prohibited except as expressly authorized and except in connection with temporary uses.
- Abandoned or obsolete signs are prohibited. Any sign pertaining to a business or product no longer conducted/sold must be removed within thirty (30) days.
- Any sign on a tree or utility pole (public or private property) is prohibited.
- Any sign on public property, except government, civic event signs, and projecting signs in the Madison Street sign district as authorized, is prohibited.
- Any sign painted directly on a wall, roof or fence is prohibited.
- Any sign using reflective paint or tape, other than a governmental sign or a warning sign, is prohibited.
- Any sign used for a private purpose that imitates or closely resembles a governmental sign such as a traffic control device is prohibited.
- No person shall post, stick, stamp, tack, paint or otherwise fix or cause to be done any notice, placard, bill, card, poster, advertisement or other device calculated to attract attention to or upon any sidewalk, street, lamp post, pole, hydrant, tree, bridge, fence, gate or similar structure, except as required by law or ordinance.

## Signs exempt from permit in Forest Park

- Governmental signs erected and maintained pursuant to law, ordinance, or governmental regulation are exempt.
- Holiday decorations (which may be of any type, number, area, height, location, illumination or animation so long as they create no safety hazard, nuisance or adverse impact on adjacent properties) are exempt.
- Official flags and emblems are exempt, provided display does not exceed certain size limits.
- On site informational signs (not more than three (3) square feet in area and not more than four feet (4') in height) are exempt, except in residential districts.
- Bulletin board signs, civic event signs, election signs, memorial signs, nameplate signs, political message signs, private garage sale signs, private warning signs, restaurant menu display signs, temporary use signs, and temporary window signs are allowed without a permit, fee, or inspection when meeting specified limitations and unless expressly prohibited elsewhere.
- Signs required by law or governmental authority are exempt.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- No sign permit shall be granted until an application has been filed with the director showing plans and specifications including dimensions, materials, and details of construction for the proposed structure.
- Permit applications must show plans and specifications for review by the director.
- Applications for a variance from the sign ordinance provisions must be submitted and are subject to the village's formal variance (public hearing and review) process.
- The director may prescribe additional regulations for sign permit applications consistent with this chapter.

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

---

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