# Sign Regulations in Huntley, Illinois

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Huntley, Illinois (IL)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/illinois/huntley
- **Data last verified:** 2026-04-27
- **Source:** [other municipal code](https://www.huntley.il.us/government/municipal_code/index.php)

## At a glance

Huntley, Illinois regulates 34 sign types across 6 zoning districts. Ground Signs in the General Regulations For All Zones zoning district are capped at 15 ft maximum; if located within 10 ft of any lot line, height may not exceed 3.5 ft tall and 80 sq ft maximum, with a Minimum 5 ft from any lot line; if within 10 ft of lot line, max height 3.5 ft; must avoid Vision Clearance Triangle setback (Sec. § 156.122(A)-(F); § 156.118(B)(2), (C), (D), (G); § 156.112; § 156.115; § 156.121(J)). Most commercial signs in Huntley require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (6 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 15 | Ground-mounted pole ≤45 ft; building-mounted pole may not project above the wall to which attached | 100 sq ft maximum (single face or two back-to-back or V-shaped) | — |
| Residence Districts (RE-1, RE-2, R-1, R-2, R-3, R-4, R-5) | 10 | Ground-mounted pole ≤30 ft; building-mounted pole ≤8 ft in length and may not project above the wall to which attached | Up to 50% of window area per frontage without permit | — |
| Residence Districts (Single-Family Districts: RE-1, RE-2, R-1, R-2) | 9 | Ground-mounted pole ≤30 ft; building-mounted pole ≤8 ft and may not project above wall | Up to 50% of window area per frontage | — |
| Business and Non-Residential Districts (B-1, B-2, B-3, B-4); Office, Health Care and Manufacturing Districts (O-1, HC, M, ORI, ORI-1); Business Park District (BP) | 12 | Ground-mounted pole ≤45 ft; building-mounted may not project above the wall | 100 sq ft maximum | — |
| Special Districts (E, P) | 9 | Ground-mounted pole ≤45 ft; building-mounted not above wall | 80 sq ft maximum | — |
| Planned Development District | 1 | — | — | — |

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements (sample of 3 of 6 zones)

### General Regulations For All Zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Ground Sign | 15 ft maximum; if located within 10 ft of any lot line, height may not exceed 3.5 ft | 80 sq ft maximum | — | Minimum 5 ft from any lot line; if within 10 ft of lot line, max height 3.5 ft; must avoid Vision Clearance Triangle | 1 per lot (drive-through packages reviewed via Special Use) | Not within 5 ft of any lot line; not within Vision Clearance Triangle; conforms to § 156.118(B)(2) | — | § 156.122(A)-(F); § 156.118(B)(2), (C), (D), (G); § 156.112; § 156.115; § 156.121(J) |
| Wall Sign | May not project above the wall to which attached | No explicit numeric cap beyond formula | — | — | 1 per tenant; on corner lots, 1 per street frontage | Limited to street frontage face of building; for multi-tenant buildings, on portion of building frontage occupied by the business | — | § 156.123(A)-(F); § 156.118(B)(1), (C), (D), (F); § 156.121(R) |
| Awning Sign (Awnings with graphics/text) | Shall not exceed the height of the first floor | 25% of exterior surface area of the awning | — | No extension beyond lot lines or over public property; minimum 8 ft clearance over walkway | 1 awning sign per tenant/occupant | Awnings may project up to 4 ft from wall and must maintain minimum 8 ft clearance; may not extend over public property or beyond lot lines | — | § 156.124(A) |
| Parking Lot Entrance/Exit and Instructional Sign | 3 ft maximum | 6 sq ft per sign | — | Minimum 5 ft from lot lines | 1 per entrance/exit | Not within 5 ft of any lot line | — | § 156.124(B) |
| Construction Sign | 8 ft maximum (ground-mounted); wall-mounted may not project above the wall to which attached | 32 sq ft maximum | — | ≥10 ft from any lot line; ≥50 ft from street intersections | 1 per lot | Not within 10 ft of any lot line; not within 50 ft of any street intersection | — | § 156.120(A) |
| Real Estate Sign (Non-Residential Property) | 8 ft max; 15 ft max if marketed site exceeds 50 acres | 32 sq ft max; 96 sq ft max if marketed site exceeds 50 acres | — | As per § 156.118(B) for ground signs | 1 per street frontage | Must comply with ground sign location standards in § 156.118(B) | — | § 156.120(B) |
| Real Estate Sign (Residential Property) | 6 ft maximum height (residential real estate sign) | 6 sq ft per sign face (residential for-sale/lease); Open house signs ≤4 sq ft per face | — | — | 1 per street frontage | On the residential lot being advertised | — | § 156.119(A) |
| Temporary Sign (Special Events/Promotions/Civic & Community Events) | Ground-mounted: 8 ft max; Wall-mounted: may not project above roof line | 50 sq ft maximum | — | As per § 156.118(B) for ground-mounted temporary signs | 1 at a time per lot (multi-tenant lots: max 1 on the lot at any given time) | Must comply with § 156.118(B) location standards for ground signs | — | § 156.120(E)(1)-(4) |

### Business and Non-Residential Districts (B-1, B-2, B-3, B-4); Office, Health Care and Manufacturing Districts (O-1, HC, M, ORI, ORI-1); Business Park District (BP)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Ground Sign | 15 ft maximum; if within 10 ft of any lot line, height may not exceed 3.5 ft | 80 sq ft maximum | — | ≥5 ft from lot lines; if within 10 ft of lot line, max height 3.5 ft | 1 per lot | ≥5 ft from any lot line; not within Vision Clearance Triangle; conforms to § 156.118(B)(2) | — | § 156.122(A)-(F); § 156.118(B)(2), (C), (D), (G); § 156.115; § 156.124(B)(4) |
| Wall Sign | May not project above the wall to which attached | No explicit numeric cap beyond formula | — | — | 1 per tenant (1 per street frontage on corner lots) | Street frontage face; for multi-tenant, on tenant’s frontage | — | § 156.123(A)-(F); § 156.118(B)(1), (C), (D), (F); § 156.121(R), § 156.121(J) |
| Awning Sign (with graphics/text) | Not above the first-floor height | 25% of awning exterior surface | — | No encroachment over public property or beyond lot lines; ≥8 ft clearance | 1 per tenant/occupant | May project up to 4 ft; minimum 8 ft vertical clearance; may not extend over public property or beyond lot lines | — | § 156.124(A) |
| Parking Lot Entrance/Exit and Instructional Sign | 3 ft maximum | 6 sq ft per sign | — | ≥5 ft from lot lines | 1 per entrance/exit | ≥5 ft from any lot line | — | § 156.124(B) |
| Construction Sign | 8 ft maximum (ground); wall-mounted may not project above wall | 32 sq ft maximum | — | ≥10 ft from lot lines; ≥50 ft from intersections | 1 per lot | ≥10 ft from lot lines; ≥50 ft from street intersections | — | § 156.120(A) |
| Real Estate Sign (Non-Residential Property) | 8 ft max; 15 ft if site >50 acres | 32 sq ft max; 96 sq ft if site >50 acres | — | As per § 156.118(B) | 1 per street frontage | Must comply with § 156.118(B) | — | § 156.120(B) |
| Temporary Sign (Special Events/Promotions/Civic & Community Events) | Ground-mounted: 8 ft max; Wall-mounted: not above roof line | 50 sq ft maximum | — | As per § 156.118(B) for ground-mounted signs | 1 at a time per business/lot (as limited) | Must meet § 156.118(B) | — | § 156.120(E) |
| Private Regulatory Parking Sign | — | Single-face: 4 sq ft; Multi-face: 8 sq ft | — | ≥10 ft inside property line | Up to 4 per lot | ≥10 ft inside property line | — | § 156.120(C) |

### Special Districts (E, P)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Ground Sign | 15 ft maximum; if within 10 ft of any lot line, height ≤3.5 ft | 80 sq ft maximum | — | ≥5 ft from lot lines; special 3.5 ft height limit if within 10 ft of a lot line | 1 per lot | ≥5 ft from lot lines; not in Vision Clearance Triangle | — | § 156.122; § 156.118 |
| Wall Sign | Not above wall to which attached | Per formula | — | — | 1 per tenant/frontage | On street frontage face; on portion of frontage occupied by user | — | § 156.123; § 156.118(C), (D), (F); § 156.121(R), § 156.121(J) |
| Awning Sign (with graphics/text) | Not above first-floor height | 25% of awning | — | No overhang beyond lot lines; ≥8 ft clearance | 1 per tenant | Projects ≤4 ft; ≥8 ft clearance; no encroachment over public property or lot lines | — | § 156.124(A) |
| Parking Lot Entrance/Exit and Instructional Sign | 3 ft maximum | 6 sq ft per sign | — | ≥5 ft from lot lines | 1 per entrance/exit | ≥5 ft from lot lines | — | § 156.124(B) |
| Window Sign | — | ≤50% of window area without permit | — | — | — | On/within 12 inches of windows visible from public way | — | § 156.119(J); § 156.109 |
| Construction Sign | 8 ft maximum (ground) | 32 sq ft maximum | — | ≥10 ft from lot lines; ≥50 ft from intersections | 1 per lot | ≥10 ft from lot lines; ≥50 ft from intersections | — | § 156.120(A) |
| Flag (on park/extraction sites) | Ground-mounted pole ≤45 ft; building-mounted not above wall | — | — | — | Up to 3 ground-mounted poles | On non-residential property | — | § 156.119(B)(1) |
| Temporary Sign (events/programs) | Ground-mounted: 8 ft max; Wall-mounted: not above roof line | 50 sq ft maximum | — | As per § 156.118(B) | 1 at a time per lot | Must meet § 156.118(B) | — | § 156.120(E); § 156.119(I) |

## Prohibited signs in Huntley

- Any sign not expressly permitted by Article XIII is prohibited (§156.109).
- No sign may be designed, constructed, altered, or maintained except in compliance with all applicable Village codes, ordinances, and regulations (§156.118(A)).
- Wall signs may not cover openings, project beyond the ends or top of the wall, or extend more than 12 inches from the face of the structure; any overhanging sign above a public way must meet clearance requirements (§156.118(B)(1), (H)).
- Ground signs must be at least 5 feet from any lot line; if within 10 feet of a lot line they may not exceed 3.5 feet in height; ground signs are prohibited within the Vision Clearance Triangle (§156.118(B)(2)).
- Sign illumination must be either internal behind a translucent surface or externally lit with fully shielded fixtures directed only at the sign; light sources may not be directly visible from public streets or adjacent property; illumination may not blink, flash, flutter, or convey movement except for permitted time/temperature displays (§156.118(C)).
- Time and temperature displays are limited to 25% of total sign area, maximum one per lot, with message changes not exceeding 12 per minute and automatic dimming; any display exceeding these limits is prohibited (§156.118(D)).
- Signs may not obstruct ingress/egress to doors, windows, or fire escapes, and may not be attached to a standpipe or fire escape (§156.118(H)).
- Signs may not obstruct clear vision for drivers, distract drivers by position/shape/color, imitate/conflict with traffic control devices, or use words/colors that mislead (e.g., stop/go/slow/danger; red/yellow/green lamps) (§156.118(I)).
- Signs within 10 feet of public thoroughfares may not have nails, tacks, wires, or other hazardous projections (§156.118(J)).
- Any glass in a sign must meet safety glazing standards for human impact loads (§156.118(K)).
- Placing or suspending goods, wares, merchandise, or other advertising objects from buildings is prohibited unless the object is a permitted sign (§156.118(L)).
- Obscene, indecent, or immoral matter on any sign or advertising device is prohibited (§156.118(M)).
- Unsafe, insecure, nuisance, unlawful, or right‑of‑way signs placed without documented permission are prohibited and subject to removal (including immediate removal if an immediate peril) (§156.118(N)).
- Signs that advertise a business no longer conducted or a product no longer sold on the premises must be removed; continued display is prohibited (§156.118(P)).
- Fluttering, swinging, rotating, moving, and/or flashing signs are prohibited, including spotlights and other light‑producing attention devices, except for time/temperature signs, festoon lighting, and compliant flags/banners (§156.121(A)).
- Signs hung, placed, or painted on any fence or tree are prohibited (§156.121(B)).
- Signs on or across any public right‑of‑way, street, sidewalk, alley, tree bank, utility pole/post, or any public space/building are prohibited unless approved by the President and Village Board with required insurance on file (§156.121(C)).
- Portable signs, including vehicle or trailer signs located primarily for display, are prohibited (political signs excepted) (§156.121(D)).
- Signs painted directly on the surface of any building or structure are prohibited (§156.121(E)).
- Flashing or revolving signs/lighting visible from the public way, even if inside a building, are prohibited (§156.121(F)).
- Off‑premise signs are prohibited unless approved on appeal by the Village Board and meeting specific criteria (adjacent to Route 47 only; not in residential zones; max 100 sq ft; max 15 ft height; must not obstruct traffic control or views; one‑year permit, renewable at Board discretion) (§156.121(G)).
- Vehicle signs are prohibited except on vehicles used exclusively for public transportation (§156.121(H)).
- Strings, clusters, or series of lights used as signs are prohibited except on time/temperature signs (§156.121(I)).
- Changeable copy signs are prohibited except for movie marquees; limited gas price signs; or other signs where changeable copy is ≤50% of allowable sign area with a lockable shield and restricted letter size/lines (§156.121(J)).
- Flags used as signs are prohibited except as allowed by §156.119 (§156.121(K)).
- Roof signs are prohibited (§156.121(L)).
- Projecting signs are prohibited, except awnings/canopies as allowed in §156.124(A) (§156.121(M)).
- Inflatable balloons and tethered airborne advertising devices are prohibited (§156.121(N)).
- Promotional spotlights (temporary or portable) are prohibited (§156.121(O)).
- Signs on residential property are prohibited except those permitted under §§156.119 or 156.120, and site‑specific residential subdivision signs approved by the Village Board (§156.121(P)).
- Neon tube, string, or LED lighting outlining or illuminating building/structure features (including windows) is prohibited (§156.121(Q)).
- Wall‑mounted box signs are prohibited (§156.121(R)).

## Signs exempt from permit in Huntley

- Residential real estate signs: One per street frontage; max 6 sq ft per face and 6 ft height; remove within 7 days after closing or lease; open house signs max 4 sq ft, posted no earlier than 24 hours before and removed within 24 hours after the open house (§156.119(A)).
- Flags: On non‑residential lots, up to three ground‑mounted flagpoles (max 45 ft height); building‑mounted poles may not project above the wall; on residential lots, one ground‑mounted flagpole (max 30 ft height); building‑mounted poles max 8 ft length and may not project above the wall (§156.119(B)).
- Occupational signs: Name/profession plaques up to 1 sq ft attached to commercial or public institutional buildings (§156.119(C)).
- Tablets in building walls: Names/dates cut into masonry or bronze/other non‑combustible plaques up to 10 sq ft (§156.119(D)).
- Traffic/municipal and emergency signs, legal notices, railroad crossing and danger signs, and temporary emergency/non‑advertising signs as approved by the Village (§156.119(E)).
- Political signs: Max 16 sq ft per sign; on non‑residential property total area of all political signs may not exceed 50 sq ft; may be installed up to 30 days before an election and must be removed within 4 days after on non‑residential property; no time limit on residential property (§156.119(F)).
- Mall interior signs: Interior signs within an enclosed mall or any building do not require a sign permit (§156.119(G)).
- Garage/Estate sale signs: Residential property only; one per lot; max 8 sq ft per side of a back‑to‑back sign; display only Thursday–Sunday or holidays (§156.119(H)).
- Village event banners across the public way/right‑of‑way for Village‑sponsored events with approval of the Village Manager (§156.119(I)).
- Window signs: Total window sign area may not exceed 50% of the window area on any street frontage; over 50% is treated as a wall sign (§156.119(J)).

## Sign plan & submission notes

- When more than one wall sign is proposed on a multi‑tenant building, all signs must share a uniform style, including similar message format, lighting, location, and materials (§156.118(F)).
- Planned Unit Development signage: As part of final PUD approval, the Village may permit additional/different signage or require different signage standards (§156.118(E)).
- Ground signs for uses with a drive‑in/drive‑through must be reviewed as a sign package submitted with the Special Use Permit application for the drive‑in/drive‑through (§156.122(D)(1)).
- Under certain annexation agreements (e.g., Prime Group), an Architectural Review Board must approve signs within the development in conjunction with Village permit review (§156.112 note).
- Property in the Planned Development District subject to the Prime Group Annexation Agreement must follow signage requirements in Exhibit K of that agreement (§156.125).
- Off‑premise signs require an appeal to, and approval by, the Village Board per §156.128 and must meet specified criteria; permits are valid for one year and may be renewed or rescinded at the Board’s discretion (§156.121(G), §156.128).
- Signs on or across a public right‑of‑way require application to the Village Manager and approval by the President and Village Board; an insurance certificate must be filed before erection (§156.121(C), §156.113, §156.126(C)).
- For temporary signs for special events/promotions, the Village Board may grant variations from size/height/number/duration limits without a public hearing (beyond agenda posting) upon request and good cause shown (§156.120(E)(4)).

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

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