# Sign Regulations in Merrionette Park, Illinois

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Merrionette Park, Illinois (IL)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/illinois/merrionette-park
- **Data last verified:** 2025-05-08
- **Source:** [municode municipal code](https://library.municode.com/IL/Merrionette_Park/codes/Code_of_Ordinances?nodeId=TITXVLAUS_CH155SICO)

## At a glance

Merrionette Park, Illinois regulates 15 sign types across 5 zoning districts. Directional Signs in the Industrial zones zoning district are capped at 8 feet above grade tall and 4 square feet (Sec. § 155.027(C)(1), § 155.071(B)). Most commercial signs in Merrionette Park require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (5 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Residential zones | 1 | 42 inches | 65 square feet | — |
| Business zones | 3 | — | — | — |
| Industrial zones | 5 | 8 feet above grade | 4 square feet | — |
| Commercial districts | 2 | — | 64 square feet | — |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 7 | — | 6 square feet | — |

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements (sample of 3 of 5 zones)

### Business zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Free-standing Ground Sign | — | — | — | — | One per developed parcel or premises having frontage on a public right-of-way. | Frontage on a public right-of-way. | — | § 155.026(A), (C) |
| Wall or Facia Sign | — | — | — | — | See formula and description | On building wall; one per occupancy per frontage; for corner buildings, one for each frontage; additional sign on rear allowed if facing a roadway of four or more lanes. | — | § 155.026(B) |
| Under-canopy Sign | — | — | — | — | One per occupancy if applicable | Under canopy | — | § 155.026(B) |

### Industrial zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Free-standing Ground Sign | — | — | — | — | One per developed parcel or premises with frontage; additional per 100 ft separation | Frontage on a public right-of-way. | — | § 155.027(A),(2) |
| Wall or Facia Sign | — | — | — | — | See formula and description | One per occupancy per frontage; for corners, one for each frontage. | — | § 155.027(B) |
| Under-canopy Sign | — | — | — | — | One per tenant if applicable | Under canopy | — | § 155.027(B) |
| Directional Sign | 8 feet above grade | 4 square feet | — | — | Two per driveway per street frontage | Entirely on the property to which pertains. | — | § 155.027(C)(1), § 155.071(B) |
| Manual or Automatic Changeable Copy Signs | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | § 155.027(C)(2) |

### General Regulations For All Zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Directional or Instructional Sign | — | 4 square feet | — | — | — | Entirely on the property to which the sign pertains. | — | § 155.071(B) |
| Governmental Sign | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | § 155.071(D), (N) |
| Flag (nation, state, political subdivision, or corporate flag) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | § 155.071(C) |
| Holiday Decoration Sign | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | § 155.071(E) |
| House Number and Nameplate | — | 2 square feet | — | — | One per dwelling unit | — | — | § 155.071(F), (K) |
| Plaque/Nameplate | — | 4 square feet | — | — | — | — | — | § 155.071(L) |
| Real Estate Sign | — | 6 square feet | — | — | One per lot/parcel | Located within the property to which the sign applies. | — | § 155.071(O) |

## Prohibited signs in Merrionette Park

- No sign shall be erected, constructed, or maintained so as to obstruct any fire escape, required exit, window, or door openings used as a means of egress.
- No sign shall be attached in any form, shape, or manner which will interfere with any openings required for ventilation.
- Signs shall not be installed closer than 24 inches horizontally or vertically from any electrical conductor or public utility guy wire.
- No sign shall be suspended by chains or other devices that will allow the sign to swing due to wind action.
- No sign of any type shall be posted, installed, or mounted on any utility pole, streetlight, traffic signal, traffic control box, tree, or any other public property.
- The tacking, pasting, or otherwise affixing of signs of a miscellaneous character, visible from a public way, located on the walls of buildings, barns, sheds, or on trees, poles, posts, fences, or other structures is prohibited unless otherwise permitted by this code.
- Business signs that advertise an activity, business, product, or service no longer conducted or available on the premises on which the sign is located are prohibited.
- No person shall park any vehicle or trailer on a public right-of-way, which has attached thereto or located thereon any sign or advertising device for the basic purpose of advertising products or directing people to a business or activity.
- No sign shall be permitted which is placed on public property or over or across any street or public thoroughfare except as may otherwise expressly be authorized by this code.
- Banners, pennants, searchlights, twirling signs, sandwich board signs, sidewalk or curb signs, or balloons or other gas-filled figures shall not be used on a permanent basis.
- Flags other than those of any nation, state, or political subdivision or corporate flags are prohibited except as set forth in permitted exceptions for temporary events.
- Swinging signs, built for attracting business, are prohibited.
- A-frame or sandwich board, sidewalk or curb signs are prohibited except as set forth for temporary uses.
- Signs which bear or contain statements, words, or pictures of an obscene, pornographic, immoral character, or which contain advertising matter which is untruthful, are prohibited.
- Signs which purport to be, are an imitation of, or resemble an official traffic sign or signal, or which bear the words 'stop,' 'go slow,' 'caution,' 'warning,' or similar words, are prohibited.
- Ad bench signs are prohibited.
- Signs with any part above 30 feet from the ground level are prohibited.
- Billboards larger than 65 square feet in surface area are prohibited.
- No person shall maintain or permit to be maintained on any premises any sign which is in a dangerous or defective condition.
- No person shall erect on any premises any sign which does not comply with the provisions of this code.

## Signs exempt from permit in Merrionette Park

- Changing of the advertising copy or message on an existing approved painted or printed sign, marquee, changeable copy sign or similar approved sign, when designed for replaceable copy, does not require a permit.
- Painting, repainting, cleaning, or other normal maintenance and repair of a sign not involving structural changes is exempt from permit requirements (replacement of plastic face is included if due to breakage or deterioration, not change of advertiser).
- Changes in the content or show window displays and permitted temporary signs are exempt from permit requirements.
- One construction sign per construction project, subject to area and timing restrictions, is exempt.
- Directional or instructional nonelectrical signs (not exceeding four square feet and located entirely on the property to which they pertain) are exempt.
- Flags, emblems, or insignia of any nation or political subdivision or corporate flag are exempt.
- Governmental signs for traffic control and other regulatory purposes, street signs, danger signs, and similar, erected by public officers, are exempt.
- Holiday decorations of a primarily decorative nature associated with any national, local, or religious holiday are exempt.
- House numbers and nameplates not exceeding two square feet in area for each residential building are exempt.
- Signs located within the interior of any building or stadium or within an enclosed lobby or court of any building are exempt (subject to structural, electrical, and material codes).
- Memorial signs or tablets, names of buildings, and date of erection when cut into masonry or constructed as permanent building features are exempt.
- Notice bulletin boards up to 32 square feet for medical, public, charitable, or religious institutions are exempt.
- No trespassing or no dumping signs not exceeding 1.5 square feet per sign and four per lot (with special permission for more) are exempt.
- One occupant sign per dwelling unit up to two square feet, indicating occupant name or identification of a home professional office, is exempt.
- Plaques or nameplate signs up to four square feet fastened directly to a building are exempt.
- Official public notices posted by officers or employees in performance of duty are exempt.
- Public signs required or authorized for official purposes by any law, statute, or ordinance are exempt.
- One real estate sign per lot or parcel, subject to limitations, is exempt.
- Religious symbols, commemorative plaques, or identification emblems of religious or historical agencies up to four square feet and placed flat against a building are exempt.
- Warning signs for public danger, containing no advertising, of necessary size and to be removed after danger subsides, are exempt.
- Neighborhood identification signs (including masonry walls, landscaping, etc., for neighborhood or tract name only) are exempt.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- If any party wishes to construct or install a sign or signs other than as permitted by this code, that party is entitled to a hearing before the plan commission for a special use.
- The plan commission reviews and hears variance requests for signs installed or constructed outside the code's permitted specifications and makes recommendations to the Village Board.
- A sign permit application must include clear and legible drawings with description and dimensions, showing the location of the proposed sign and all other existing signs on the same premises that require permits.
- A variance for a sign in a business zone may be granted by the village board of trustees, subject to findings regarding hardship and harmony with regulations (alternative to Sections 155.110 and 155.111 variances).

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

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