# Sign Regulations in Rantoul, Illinois

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Rantoul, Illinois (IL)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/illinois/rantoul
- **Data last verified:** 2025-05-08
- **Source:** [municode municipal code](https://library.municode.com/IL/Rantoul/codes/Code_of_Ordinances?nodeId=COOR_CH46ZO_ART14SIRE)

## At a glance

Rantoul, Illinois regulates 30 sign types across 4 zoning districts. Subdivision/Mobile Home Park Name Signs in the General Regulations For All Zones zoning district are capped at 8 ft tall and 100 sq ft, with a Same as structures for applicable district setback (Sec. Sec. 46-202(12)). Most commercial signs in Rantoul require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (4 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 18 | 80 ft | 200 sq ft (ID sign) | — |
| Commercial districts | 8 | 50 ft minimum; 80 ft maximum | 170 sq ft per face (max two faces) | — |
| Industrial districts | 8 | 50 ft minimum; 80 ft maximum | 200 sq ft | — |
| Institutional use | 3 | 8 ft | 70 sq ft | — |

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements (sample of 3 of 4 zones)

### General Regulations For All Zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Identification Sign | 5 ft if freestanding | 1 sq ft per sign | — | — | 2 per premises | On-premises | — | Sec. 46-202(3) |
| Institutional Sign | 6 ft if freestanding | 20 sq ft | — | — | — | On the premises of an institutional use | — | Sec. 46-202(4) |
| Private Traffic Direction Sign | 8 ft if freestanding | 5 sq ft | — | — | — | On-premises; includes parking directions, exit/entrance, drive-up, and restrooms | — | Sec. 46-202(5) |
| Community Event Sign | — | 40 sq ft | — | — | — | Locations designated by the Zoning Administrator | — | Sec. 46-202(6) |
| Political Campaign Sign | — | 10 sq ft | — | — | — | Private property only | — | Sec. 46-202(7) |
| Shopping Center Sign | — | 200 sq ft (ID sign) | — | — | 1 per lot frontage | One identification sign per lot frontage | — | Sec. 46-202(9) |
| Highway Sign (General) | 80 ft | 150 sq ft | — | — | — | Commercial/industrial district, within 2,000 ft of interstate, >500 ft from residential, school, park, hospital or nursing home | — | Sec. 46-202(10) |
| Subdivision/Mobile Home Park Name Sign | 8 ft | 100 sq ft | — | Same as structures for applicable district | 1 per street bordering/entering the subdivision | One per street bordering or entering the subdivision; must conform to setback requirement for structures in applicable districts | — | Sec. 46-202(12) |

### Commercial districts

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Freestanding Sign | 20 ft | 100 sq ft | — | — | 2 per business | May not extend over right-of-way; subject to visibility requirements | — | Sec. 46-205(1) |
| Wall Sign / Wall-Mounted Sign | Not beyond top or ends of wall | 150 sq ft (unless increased per distance from highway) | — | — | No limit | On building wall | — | Sec. 46-205(2) |
| Projecting Sign | At least 8 ft above ground, not above roof portion adjacent to sign | 32 sq ft | — | — | 1 per business | Must not extend over right-of-way | — | Sec. 46-205(3) |
| Roof Sign | 8 ft as measured from roof immediately below; not to exceed max height in zoning district | 75 sq ft | — | — | 1 per business | On roof | — | Sec. 46-205(4) |
| Sign Attached to or Part of Canopies, Awnings, Entrance Structure | Min 8 ft above ground at bottom | 15 sq ft if not sole sign; otherwise up to 30% of canopy/awning area | — | — | 1 per business | On/under canopy/awning; may extend up to 12 ft into right-of-way, not closer than 6 in from curb | — | Sec. 46-205(5) |
| Property Sale and Rental Sign | 25 ft | 50 sq ft | — | — | 1 per frontage | On private property; not on right-of-way | — | Sec. 46-205(6) |
| Sign Directed Toward Interstate Highway | 50 ft minimum; 80 ft maximum | 170 sq ft per face (max two faces) | — | — | 1 per business | Within 2,000 ft of interstate; >500 ft from residential/school/park/hospital/nursing home | — | Sec. 46-205(7) |
| Manual Message Board or Electronic Message Sign | — | Up to 50% of sign; subject to applicable sign area limits | — | No closer than 100 ft to any residential use lot line | 1 per business | Attached to or part of allowed freestanding, wall, or projecting signs | — | Sec. 46-205(8) |

### Industrial districts

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Freestanding Sign | 25 ft | 150 sq ft | — | Building setback lines of district | 1 per business per 300 ft frontage (additional sign per 300 ft) | Must conform to building setback lines and Section 46-133; not within 50 ft of residential, school, park, hospital, or nursing home | — | Sec. 46-206(1) |
| Wall Sign / Wall-Mounted Sign | Not beyond top or ends of wall | 200 sq ft | — | — | No limit | On building wall | — | Sec. 46-206(2) |
| Projecting Sign | At least 8 ft above ground; not above adjacent roof portion | 100 sq ft | — | — | 1 per business | — | — | Sec. 46-206(3) |
| Roof Sign | 11 ft as measured from roof immediately below, not exceeding maximum building height | 100 sq ft | — | — | 1 per business | Wholly located within roof area of structure | — | Sec. 46-206(4) |
| Sign Attached to Canopies, Awnings, Entrance Structure | At least 8 ft above ground at bottom | 20 sq ft if not sole sign; otherwise up to 30% of canopy/awning area | — | — | 1 per business | May project up to 2 ft from structure; may extend up to 12 ft into right-of-way but not closer than 6 in to curb | — | Sec. 46-206(5) |
| Property Sale and Rental Sign | 25 ft | 150 sq ft | — | 15 ft from public right-of-way | 1 per frontage up to 200 ft; 1 more per 300 ft | Not within 15 ft of right-of-way | — | Sec. 46-206(6) |
| Sign Directed Toward Interstate Highway | 50 ft minimum; 80 ft maximum | 170 sq ft per face (max two faces) | — | — | 1 per business | Within 2,000 ft of interstate, >500 ft from residential/school/park/hospital/nursing home | — | Sec. 46-206(7) |
| Manual Message Board or Electronic Message Sign | — | Up to 50% of sign; subject to applicable sign area limits | — | No closer than 100 ft to any residential use lot line | 1 per business | Attached to or part of allowed freestanding, wall, or projecting signs | — | Sec. 46-206(8) |

## Prohibited signs in Rantoul

- Any sign that, because of its size, location, movement, content, coloring, or manner of illumination, constitutes an obvious traffic hazard or a detriment to traffic safety by obstructing or detracting from the visibility of any official traffic-control device.
- Any sign that contains or is an imitation of an official traffic sign or signal, except for private traffic direction or traffic control.
- Any sign that contains blinking, flashing, or traveling lights or that displays an electronic message, unless otherwise permitted in Sections 46-205 and 46-206.
- Any sign that, for 30 consecutive days, has directed attention to a product, place, activity, person, institution, or business that was formerly but is no longer in operation or existence on the premises.
- Any portable or temporary sign or signs of a type not defined in Section 46-202.
- Beacon lights used in connection with a sign or to draw attention to any property or event.
- Illuminated signs that permit light to shine directly upon adjacent property in a way that is either objectionable or constitutes an unreasonable interference with the use of the adjoining property or the use of an adjoining public street.
- No business shall be permitted to have more than three permitted signs that are visible to the public from a public street or from a parking area, except on-premises directional signs.
- The use of vehicles or equipment for signs except where the primary purpose of such vehicle or equipment is not the display of signs. As used herein, the primary purpose of any such vehicle or equipment shall not be considered as being for the display of signs where the signs are painted upon or directly applied to an integral part of the vehicle or equipment and the vehicle or equipment is in operating condition, currently registered and licensed to operate on public streets when applicable, and actively used in the daily function of the business to which such signs relate.

## Signs exempt from permit in Rantoul

- The following types of signs are allowed in all districts without a building permit: public, noncommercial nature signs; flags of nation, state, municipality, or noncommercial organization; identification signs not exceeding one square foot each; institutional signs up to 20 square feet, subject to certain requirements; private traffic direction and related signs up to five square feet each; community event signs (with zoning administrator approval) up to 40 square feet for up to 21 days before and 7 days after the event; political campaign signs up to 10 square feet; individual property sale or rental signs (subject to standards); shopping center identification and individual store signs (subject to standards); highway signs in commercial/industrial districts (subject to requirements and state permit); subdivision signs (specific standards and time limits); subdivision or mobile home park name signs (subject to standards); construction signs (with time and size limits); portable or temporary signs in a commercial district (subject to requirements); holiday signs for up to 45 days; underground public utility warning signs; house or building address signs; garage sale signs (up to 4 sq ft, max 5 days); auction and open house signs (up to 5 sq ft, max 48 hours).
- Relocation or reconstruction of conforming signs that existed as of February 2, 1991, is exempt from building permit requirement, provided they continue to conform after relocation or reconstruction.
- The following operations are not considered creating a sign and do not require a building permit: changing advertising copy or message on an approved sign or changeable letter panel or bulletin board; painting, repainting, cleaning, and normal maintenance and repair of a sign or sign structure.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- The ordinance does not explicitly reference a master sign plan, sign plan, or similar document as being required for any signs or developments.
- A building permit is generally required for the installation, construction, erection, alteration, reconstruction, or relocation of any sign, unless the sign is of a type allowed without a permit as specified in Section 46-202.
- A building permit application must be filed with the Zoning Administrator for regulated signs, including necessary plans, unless the sign is exempt as described.
- Evidence of written consent of the property owner must be provided with the building permit application.
- The Zoning Administrator is responsible for review, approval, and inspection of signs prior to authorization to operate and maintain.

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

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