# Sign Regulations in Mokena, Illinois

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Mokena, Illinois (IL)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/illinois/mokena
- **Data last verified:** 2025-04-20

## At a glance

Mokena, Illinois regulates 17 sign types across 5 zoning districts. Monument Sign - Individual building sites on lots 2.5 acres and less in the Commercial Districts zoning district are capped at 6 ft above the crown of the abutting road or average top of curb, but must not exceed building height tall and 75 sq ft (Sec. 9-18-7: REGULATION BY DISTRICT CLASSIFICATION (B)). Most commercial signs in Mokena require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (5 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Residential Districts, A-1 Agricultural District | 3 | 6 feet | No more than 24 square feet in area per sign | — |
| Commercial Districts | 6 | 10 ft above crown of abutting road or average top of curb, but must not exceed building height | 300 sq ft per sign | — |
| Office Districts, Industrial Districts, P-1 Public, Quasi-Public, and Conservation Districts | 5 | 10 ft above crown of abutting road or average top of curb, but must not exceed building height | 300 sq ft per sign | — |
| Interstate 80 Corridor | 1 | — | — | — |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 5 | 10 ft if freestanding; if on building, one foot below roofline | Total of both signs not to exceed 40% of window surface area; no single sign over 14 days | — |

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

### Commercial Districts

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Wall Sign | — | 300 sq ft per sign | — | — | No specific number, governed by total permitted area | Building face fronting on a public street or highway | — | 9-18-7: REGULATION BY DISTRICT CLASSIFICATION (B) |
| Monument Sign - Individual building sites on lots 2.5 acres and less | 6 ft above the crown of the abutting road or average top of curb, but must not exceed building height | 75 sq ft | — | — | 1 | On lot, not in the public right of way | — | 9-18-7: REGULATION BY DISTRICT CLASSIFICATION (B) |
| Monument Sign - Shopping centers/multi-tenant buildings on lots 2.5 acres and less | 8 ft above the crown of the abutting road or average top of curb, but must not exceed building height | 130 sq ft | — | — | 1 | On lot, not in the public right of way | — | 9-18-7: REGULATION BY DISTRICT CLASSIFICATION (B) |
| Monument Sign - Shopping centers, multiple tenant buildings, or single use buildings on lots greater than 2.5 acres | 10 ft above crown of abutting road or average top of curb, but must not exceed building height | 150 sq ft | — | — | 1 | On lot, not in the public right of way | — | 9-18-7: REGULATION BY DISTRICT CLASSIFICATION (B) |
| Monument Sign - Where a lot fronts on 2 streets | — | Aggregate of the applicable standard above | — | — | 1 per street frontage | One per street frontage | — | 9-18-7: REGULATION BY DISTRICT CLASSIFICATION (B) |
| Electronic Gas Station Price Sign | — | Included in monument sign face area | — | — | — | Gas station monument sign only | — | 9-18-7: REGULATION BY DISTRICT CLASSIFICATION (B) |

### Office Districts, Industrial Districts, P-1 Public, Quasi-Public, and Conservation Districts

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Wall Sign | — | 300 sq ft per sign | — | — | No specific number; governed by total permitted area | Building face fronting on a public street or highway | — | 9-18-7: REGULATION BY DISTRICT CLASSIFICATION (C) |
| Monument Sign - Individual building sites on lots 2.5 acres and less | 6 ft above the crown of the abutting road or average top of curb, but must not exceed building height | 75 sq ft | — | — | 1 | On lot, not in the public right of way | — | 9-18-7: REGULATION BY DISTRICT CLASSIFICATION (C) |
| Monument Sign - Business parks/multi-tenant buildings on lots 2.5 acres and less | 8 ft above the crown of the abutting road or average top of curb, but must not exceed building height | 100 sq ft | — | — | 1 | On lot, not in the public right of way | — | 9-18-7: REGULATION BY DISTRICT CLASSIFICATION (C) |
| Monument Sign - Business parks, multiple tenant buildings, or single use buildings on lots greater than 2.5 acres | 10 ft above crown of abutting road or average top of curb, but must not exceed building height | 150 sq ft | — | — | 1 | On lot, not in the public right of way | — | 9-18-7: REGULATION BY DISTRICT CLASSIFICATION (C) |
| Monument Sign - Where a lot fronts on 2 streets | — | Aggregate of the applicable standard above | — | — | 1 per street frontage | One per street frontage | — | 9-18-7: REGULATION BY DISTRICT CLASSIFICATION (C) |

### General Regulations For All Zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| A-Frame Sign (Front Street and Mokena Street Only) | — | 6 sq ft (approximately 3ft x 2ft) | — | — | 1 per eligible business | In front of eligible business, Front St/Wolf Rd/Division St/Mokena St/McGovney St only | — | 9-18-6.E |
| Temporary Promotional Sign (permitted promotional events) | 10 ft if freestanding; if on building, one foot below roofline | Total not to exceed 32 sq ft per face | — | — | 2 per promotional period | As designated by zoning official | — | 9-18-6.A,B |
| Civic Event Sign | — | Max 32 sq ft; Min 10 sq ft | — | — | 1 per designated intersection; 2 directional per event | At designated intersections (see ordinance text) | — | 9-18-6.D |
| Window Sign (temporary) | — | Total of both signs not to exceed 40% of window surface area; no single sign over 14 days | — | — | Max 2 per window | Window, commercial districts only | — | 9-18-4.A.17 |
| Window Sign (permanent) | — | 25% of each window per facade | — | — | — | Each window per facade | — | 9-18-5.C |

## Prohibited signs in Mokena

- Commercial billboards, posterboards, and other signs on vacant lots or displaying information not related to a business or enterprise on the premises, except as permitted under the highway advertising control act.
- Commercial signs not indicating bona fide business or product sold on the property, except as permitted under the highway advertising control act.
- Roof signs, except as hereafter authorized.
- Signs which move or give the appearance of movement, including fluttering, swinging, rotating, or flashing lights, except temporary promotional signs with permit and time/temperature signs.
- Signs which imitate traffic signs or use specific traffic words unless part of a business name; accessory parking lot signs excepted.
- Portable or wheeled signs converted to permanent signs.
- Signs placed on parked vehicles, boats, or trailers for advertising or directing public to a business or activity.
- Inflatable images such as balloons, except as specifically authorized.
- Miscellaneous advertising devices other than permitted conforming signs.
- Signs displaying obscene, indecent, or immoral matter.
- Obsolete signs, containing inaccurate or outdated information.
- Pennants, streamers, portable signs, and festoon lights, except as specifically authorized.
- Signs hung across any street or alley or within a public right of way, unless authorized.
- Use of devices or equipment designed to illuminate, reflectorize, or outline edges of doors or windows after March 15, 2007, except for holiday decorations; existing devices not to be replaced or repaired.
- Searchlights and electronic message board signs.
- Signs on multiple stories of multi-story buildings unless specifically approved as a special use.
- No sign shall be erected so as to obstruct clear vision of drivers or pedestrians at intersections.
- No sign shall prevent free ingress or egress from any door, window, or fire escape, or be attached to standpipes or fire escapes.
- No person shall permit or display any sign painted directly on an exterior wall, fascia, or parapet, fence, or chimney, except maintained existing signs advertising a business on the same premises.
- No person shall place, paste, print, or affix any handbill, sign, poster, advertisement, or notice in any public right of way on trees, light standards, telephone poles, or other supporting structures, except for certain official political signs.
- No sign shall violate the Illinois highway advertising control act.
- No wall sign shall be installed higher than one foot below the top of the wall or project above the roof/parapet.
- No more than two sign faces per sign.
- Signs not maintained in good condition, structural integrity, and cleanliness.
- No sign shall be allowed or maintained if its illumination exceeds allowed brightness or casts light on adjacent property/residential districts.
- No sodded or seeded area qualifies as landscape area for sign landscaping.

## Signs exempt from permit in Mokena

- Signs used to identify community gateways, public service, or providing public information including safety purposes and permanent directional signage.
- Address numbers not exceeding two square feet.
- Signs and public notices erected or required by governmental bodies, or authorized for a public purpose by any law or ordinance, including official traffic signs.
- Signs identifying telephone, restrooms, and similar facilities, if no advertising is present.
- Flags of any country, state, or local government (with specified height limits for flagpoles in residential/nonresidential districts).
- Corporate flags flown with the U.S. flag if no larger than 24 sq ft.
- Memorial plaques and cornerstones not exceeding two square feet, when affixed to a building or premises.
- Notice and bulletin boards for public, charitable, religious, or similar institutions not exceeding 16 sq ft, not visible from the public right of way.
- Signs marking property designated as historic by governmental entities, not exceeding 12 sq ft.
- Non-advertising information on newspaper vending boxes, ATMs, or at entry doors (e.g., 'Push/Pull', hours, cards accepted).
- No trespassing, warning, and similar signs regulating property use not exceeding two square feet.
- Noncommercial tablets, grave markers, headstones, statuary/memorial plaques or remembrances.
- Private traffic direction signs not exceeding four square feet and four feet in height.
- Service station informational signs if permanently mounted and meeting size, location, and display requirements.
- Real estate signs per defined types, sizes, limits, and timeframe for removal after sale/lease.
- Construction signs per defined number, size, content, and removal timing after occupancy permit.
- Temporary window signs in commercial districts: two per window, total area not to exceed 40% of window, no sign posted longer than 14 days.
- Political signs, provided not placed in the public right of way, on utility poles or municipally owned property, and in accordance with state law.
- Changing copy of a sign, bulletin board, display encasement, marquee, or maintenance (no structural changes), or changing interchangeable letters on designed signs.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- No sign shall be erected, constructed, altered, or relocated without first obtaining a permit from the zoning official, except for those specifically exempted.
- Permit applications must include two copies of plans/specifications showing construction method and accurate sign representation in scale, color, and size.
- Landscape plan is required with every monument sign permit application.
- Commercial shopping centers, office parks, universities, colleges, medical centers, and institutions with multi-building campuses may establish a localized alternative sign regulation plan, subject to review and approval by the zoning board of appeals per special use procedures.
- No localized alternative sign regulation plan shall be approved by conditional use permit unless such sign plan regulations are binding on all real property and premises in the plan area.
- Upon approval, such localized alternative sign regulation plan must be observed by affected persons in lieu of compliance with general district sign regulations.
- Dynamic display monument signs along I-80 require a special use permit with conditions and are reviewed case by case.
- Sign plans are inherent in the application process for any sign requiring a permit: must include diagrams, specifications and in some cases landscape/lighting details.
- Additional sign surface area beyond maximum for awning signs requires passage of a special use ordinance by the village board.
- Appeal of a permit decision is to the zoning board of appeals.
- Localized alternative sign regulation plans are applied for in accordance with the requirements of section 9-4-5 on special uses.

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

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