# Sign Regulations in Hamel, Illinois

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

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

## At a glance

Hamel, Illinois regulates 27 sign types across 3 zoning districts. Ground Signs in the Highway Commercial zoning district, Light Industrial zoning district zoning district are capped at 10 ft tall and 50 sq ft per face, with a 5 ft from ROW; 6 ft from wall/fence setback (Sec. 40-12-15 (A)-(I)). Most commercial signs in Hamel require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (3 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Highway Commercial zoning district, Light Industrial zoning district | 17 | 28 ft with reader board, 22 ft without | 500 sq ft per lot | — |
| Residentially zoned property | 5 | — | 25 sq ft | — |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 5 | — | 4 sq ft | — |

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements

### Highway Commercial zoning district, Light Industrial zoning district

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Wall Sign (Single Occupant, Not Corner Lot) | — | 250 sq ft | — | — | 1 per building, see Section 40-12-8 for total limits | Affixed to the front, side, or rear wall, parallel to wall face; not below 10 ft from ground; not above roof line | — | 40-12-13 (A)-(E), 40-12-5 (A)-(3) |
| Wall Sign (Single Occupant, Corner Lot) | — | 250 sq ft per wall | — | — | 1 per street side | On each street frontage, parallel to wall face; not below 10 ft from ground; not above roof line | — | 40-12-13 (F) |
| Wall Sign (Multiple Occupants, Not Corner Lot) | — | Building: 50 sq ft; Occupant: 100 sq ft | — | — | Building: 1, Each occupant with entrance: 1 | See text | — | 40-12-13 (G) |
| Wall Sign (Multiple Occupants, Corner Lot) | — | Building: 50 sq ft per street side; Occupant: 100 sq ft per sign | — | — | Building: 1 per street side; Each occupant with entrance: 1 per street side | See text | — | 40-12-13 (H) |
| Ground Sign | 10 ft | 50 sq ft per face | — | 5 ft from ROW; 6 ft from wall/fence | 1 per lot/tract; multi-tenant: 1 per building | — | — | 40-12-15 (A)-(I) |
| Pole Sign | 28 ft with reader board, 22 ft without | 50 sq ft per face | — | 5 ft from ROW | 1 per building frontage (single occupant); 1 for multi-tenant listing building/occupants | No part beyond 5-ft setback from street ROW; at least 10 ft from ground | — | 40-12-16 (A)-(L) |
| Billboard | 20 ft | 500 sq ft per lot | — | 25 ft from lot line; 1000 ft from residential zones | Village-wide max 12 billboards | Not less than 25 ft from any lot line fronting on/adjoining ROW; not within 1000 ft of residentially zoned property | — | 40-12-21 (A)-(E) |
| Projecting Sign | — | 25 sq ft (or up to 250 sq ft if conditions met) | — | — | 1 per street side | Perpendicular to building wall | — | 40-12-26 |

### Residentially zoned property

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Wall Sign (Home Occupation) | — | 2 sq ft | — | — | — | On building | — | 40-12-6 (K) |
| Subdivision Identification Sign - Ground Sign | — | 25 sq ft | — | — | 1 per subdivision entry street | On private property at subdivision entry OR as determined by enforcement official if private site not possible | — | 40-12-20 (A)-(F) |
| Subdivision Identification Sign - Light Pole Sign | — | 3.75 sq ft | — | — | 1 per subdivision entry street | Same as ground sign, on private property or approved ROW | — | 40-12-20 (A)-(F) |
| Political Campaign Sign (Residential) | — | 16 sq ft | — | At least 10 ft from road pavement edge | 1 per candidate/issue | On private property with owner's permission | — | 40-12-5 (A)(5)(f) |
| Bulletin Board/Reader Board (for public/charitable/religious institutions) | — | 25 sq ft | — | — | — | On premises of institution | — | 40-12-5 (A)(5)(b) |

### General Regulations For All Zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Temporary Sign (General) | — | — | — | — | — | On the property of the building/business they advertise | — | 40-12-7 (A), 40-12-12 |
| Directional Sign | — | 4 sq ft | — | — | — | Erected for business exit/entrance, approved location | — | 40-12-27 |
| Professional Name Plate | — | 3 sq ft | — | — | — | — | — | 40-12-5 (A)(5)(g) |
| Occupational Sign (on building) | — | 4 sq ft | — | — | — | On building | — | 40-12-5 (A)(5)(h) |
| Seasonal Sign/Display | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 40-12-10 |

## Prohibited signs in Hamel

- Signs or devices which by color, location or design resemble or conflict with traffic control signs or devices.
- Exterior use of advertising devices such as pennants affixed on poles, wires, or ropes; streamers; wind operated devices; searchlights; flashing lights; and any other type of fluttering devices, except as provided for in special event sections.
- Letters or pictures in the form of advertising printed or applied directly on the wall of a building.
- Signs containing flashers, animators, or mechanical movement or contrivances of any kind, excepting electronic message boards as allowed.
- Paper posters and painted signs applied directly to the wall of a building or pole or other support.
- Signs painted on the inside or outside of windows.
- Signs advertising an article or product not manufactured, assembled, processed, repaired or sold upon the premises upon which the sign is located unless otherwise permitted by ordinance.
- Portable signs, except as provided for vehicles used in day-to-day business operations.
- Signs advertising a service not rendered on the premises upon which the sign is located unless otherwise permitted by ordinance.
- Revolving signs of any type.
- Roof signs.
- Signs on parking lot light standards.
- Signs greater than two square feet in area in residential districts for home occupations; sign must be affixed to the building.
- Signs with more than two faces.
- Banners, pennants, or flags suspended from an awning.
- Exterior banner signs, except as provided in the ordinance for specific events.
- Signs placed in such a way as to create a traffic hazard.
- No sign shall be erected or maintained so as to prevent free ingress to or egress from any door, window, or fire escape; or attached to a standpipe or fire escape.
- It is unlawful to display any obscene, indecent, or immoral matter upon any sign or advertising structure.
- No person shall place within any municipal park or affix to any object therein any sign or device advertising any business or event unless permitted by the Village.
- No person shall place, maintain, or display upon or in view of any street any unauthorized sign, marking, light, reflector or device that imitates or interferes with any official traffic-control device, or hides from view, or interferes with traffic movement.
- No person shall nail, tack, paste, paint, or fasten any sign to any telephone, telegraph, electric light, police or fire alarm pole or post, or any street or traffic sign on any public ground.
- It is unlawful to maintain or operate any flashing or rotating beacon of light in view of any street or highway.
- No sign shall be so illuminated that it interferes with, or obscures, an official traffic sign, device, or signal.
- It shall be unlawful for any person to deface, injure, move or interfere with any official traffic sign or signal.
- It is unlawful to deface, disfigure, damage, or destroy any street sign or parts thereof.
- Signs which are unsafe, prohibited, erected without a permit (if required), for which required fees have not been paid, or not maintained per code, are subject to removal.
- Signs may not be located on public property, except for residential subdivision identification signs as specified.
- No sign shall be placed or maintained so as to impede visibility or line-of-sight necessary for public safety or traffic.

## Signs exempt from permit in Hamel

- Real estate signs not exceeding six square feet in area, which advertise only the sale, rental, or lease of the premises upon which they are located.
- Bulletin boards and/or reader boards not over twenty-five square feet for public, charitable, or religious institutions located on their premises, subject to specific color requirements.
- Signs denoting the architect, engineer, or contractor on a construction site, not exceeding sixteen square feet (residential) or thirty-two square feet (commercial), only for the duration of construction.
- Memorial signs or tablets, names of buildings, and date of erection when cut into masonry or constructed of bronze or other incombustible materials.
- Traffic or other municipal signs, legal notices, railroad crossing signs, danger, emergency, or non-advertising signs.
- Political campaign signs confined to private property with owner's permission, subject to size and locational limits.
- Professional name plates not exceeding three square feet in area.
- Occupational signs not over four square feet in area and mounted on the building.
- Signs erected inside a building and not visible through windows.
- Portable signs attached or painted or affixed to a vehicle used in normal day-to-day operation of business identifying the name, address, and type of business.
- Signs advertising the sale of a used vehicle, if not otherwise prohibited by ordinance.
- Signs advertising a garage sale, if not otherwise prohibited by ordinance.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- An application for a sign permit must be accompanied by plans and specifications drawn to scale, including dimensions, materials, construction details, site plan showing proposed sign location, and accurate colored rendering.
- For residential subdivision identification signs, the plan for any proposed sign must be submitted to the Zoning Administrator who may impose specifications as deemed necessary for safety prior to granting approval.
- Variance for off-site signs requires pre-approval by the Hearing Officer as to style and construction, and an application process as per the Zoning Code.

## Full detail

Complete sign requirements for Hamel, including every field PermitPal tracks for each sign type, are available with a free PermitPal account: https://app.permitpal.io/?address=Hamel+IL&override=true&utm_source=landing&utm_medium=city-page&utm_campaign=city-hamel

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