# Sign Regulations in South Chicago Heights, Illinois

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

- **Jurisdiction:** South Chicago Heights, Illinois (IL)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/illinois/south-chicago-heights
- **Data last verified:** 2025-05-08
- **Source:** [municode municipal code](https://library.municode.com/IL/South_Chicago_Heights/codes/Code_of_Ordinances?nodeId=COOR_APXAZO_CH11STGRCO_PTIVPESI)

## At a glance

South Chicago Heights, Illinois regulates 27 sign types across 3 zoning districts. Monument Sign, Residentials in the R-1, R-2, R-3 zoning district are capped at 5 ft. tall and 32 sf., with a 10 ft. from all property lines (with exceptions for waivers/wayfinding) setback (Sec. Table 5 Permissible Detached Sign Types in Residential Districts (Section 1-402.B)). Most commercial signs in South Chicago Heights require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (3 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| R-1, R-2, R-3 | 8 | 6 ft. | 35 sf. | — |
| I, TCR, B-1 | 18 | Large: 25 ft.; Medium: 18 ft.; Small: 12 ft. | 200 sf. | — |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 2 | 14 inches (letters/numbers) | — | — |

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements

### R-1, R-2, R-3

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Wall Sign | — | R-1: 25 sf.; R-2: 25 sf.; R-3: 30 sf. | — | — | 1 per building | On building wall, signable area only | — | Table 3, Permissible Attached Sign Types in Residential Districts (Section 1-401.B) |
| Fascia Sign or Parapet Sign (R-3 only) | — | 35 sf. | — | — | 1 per building | On fascia or parapet (R-3 only) | — | Table 3, Permissible Attached Sign Types in Residential Districts (Section 1-401.B) |
| Monument Sign, Residential | 5 ft. | 32 sf. | — | 10 ft. from all property lines (with exceptions for waivers/wayfinding) | 2 per subdivision/development access | At access points to subdivision or development on commonly owned open space | — | Table 5 Permissible Detached Sign Types in Residential Districts (Section 1-402.B) |
| Monument Sign, Nonresidential | 4 ft. | 12 sf. | — | 10 ft. from property lines | 1 per nonresidential parcel | Nonresidential parcels | — | Table 5 Permissible Detached Sign Types in Residential Districts (Section 1-402.B) |
| Kiosk Sign (R-3 only) | 6 ft. | 9 sf. | — | 10 ft. from vehicular use area, 150 ft. spacing unless no line of sight | — | Setback at least 10 ft. from vehicular use area, spaced 150 ft. apart unless blocked line of sight | — | Table 5 Permissible Detached Sign Types in Residential Districts (Section 1-402.B) |
| Yard Sign (Temporary) | 4 ft. | 6 sf. per sign, 24 sf. total | — | 5 ft. from all property lines | No maximum | Yard | — | Table 7 Permissible Freestanding Temporary Sign Types in Residential Districts; Table 9 Duration of Detached Temporary Signs |
| Swing Sign (Temporary) | — | 5 sf. | — | 5 ft. from all property lines | 1 per lot | Yard, residential lot | — | Table 7 Permissible Freestanding Temporary Sign Types in Residential Districts; Table 9 |
| Site Sign (Temporary) | 5 ft. | 12 sf. | — | 5 ft. from all property lines | 1 per frontage | — | — | Table 7, Table 9 |

### I, TCR, B-1

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Wall Sign - Primary | — | 200 sf. | — | — | 1 per façade | Primary façade | — | Table 4, Permissible Attached Sign Types in Nonresidential/Mixed-Use Districts (Section 1-401.C) |
| Wall Sign - Secondary (I) | — | 50 sf. | — | — | 1 per primary entrance (plus rear per rules) | At each primary building entrance, and rear façade for through lots as per addition restriction | — | Table 4, Section 1-401.C |
| Monument Sign, Nonresidential (I, TCR) | 10 ft. (frontage); 5 ft. (others) | 48 sf. (frontage); 10 sf. (others) | — | 10 ft. from all property lines | 1 per street frontage and 1 per ingress/egress | Per street frontage/egress/ingress | — | Table 6, Section 1-402.C |
| Monument Sign, Nonresidential (B-1) | 10 ft. | 48 sf. | — | 10 ft. from all property lines | 2 per ingress/egress | — | — | Table 6, Section 1-402.C |
| Multi-tenant Electronic Message Center (TCR only) | Large: 25 ft.; Medium: 18 ft.; Small: 12 ft. | Large: up to 8'x12'; Medium: up to 6'x9'; Small: up to 4'x6'; within overall monument sign area limits | — | 500 ft. (large), 250 ft. (medium), 100 ft. (small) from residential; 10 ft. from other property lines | 1 per eligible development (large); 1 per eligible development (medium) | Adjacent to eligible ROW frontage per Table 2 | — | Section 1-305(C), Table 2 |
| Kiosk Sign (TCR only) | 10 ft. | 12 sf. | — | 10 ft. vehicular area, 2 ft. sidewalk, 150 ft. apart | — | Setback 10 ft. from vehicular area; within 2 ft. of sidewalk; 150 ft. spacing unless blocked | — | Table 6, Section 1-402.C |
| Directional Signs, Nonresidential | 5 ft. | 10 sf. | — | — | 1 per ingress or egress | At ingress or egress | — | Table 6, Section 1-402.C |
| Site Sign (Temporary) | 8 ft. | 32 sf. | — | 5 ft. from all property lines | 1 per frontage | — | — | Table 8, Table 9 Duration (Section 1-501, 1-504) |

### General Regulations For All Zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Address Signs (Required/Exempt) | 14 inches (letters/numbers) | — | — | — | — | Nonresidential: all primary bldg entrances & on detached signage if not visible from street; Residential: front façade/mailbox | — | Section 1-106: Exemption for addressing |
| Official and Legal Notice Signs (Permit Exempt) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Section 1-105.C.1 |

## Prohibited signs in South Chicago Heights

- Signs with more than two sign faces.
- Signs that are a traffic hazard because they simulate or imitate (in size, color, lettering, or design) any traffic sign or signal.
- Animated or moving signs that are visible from public rights-of-way, including any moving, swinging, rotating, flashing, blinking, scintillating, fluctuating, or otherwise animated light (except as allowed for message centers).
- Vehicle signs.
- Portable signs, except as specifically permitted for temporary signs.
- Inflatable signs and signs otherwise animated or supported by manufactured air pressure.
- Billboards.
- Elements such as sound, smoke, or odor emitters used as part of a sign or sign structure.
- Awnings that are back lit and/or made of plastic used as signage.
- Stacked products (e.g., tires, soft drink cases, bagged soil or mulch) used as signage.
- Unfinished wood support structures, except that stake signs may use unfinished stakes.
- Flags, banners, or comparable elements designed to move in the wind that are not affixed to permanent flagpoles or flagpoles mounted to buildings, if visible from public rights-of-way.
- Spinning or moving parts on signs visible from public rights-of-way.
- Bare light bulbs on signs, except on holiday displays exempted in section 1-105.
- Flashing lights on signs, except on holiday displays exempted in section 1-105.
- Use of motor vehicles as a sign, unless the vehicle is functional, properly registered, used primarily as a vehicle, signage is incidental to vehicle use, and the vehicle is properly parked.
- Use of semi-trailers, shipping containers, or portable storage units as signage, unless used for legitimate storage or delivery purposes, properly registered, and signage is incidental to use.
- Signs that display text or graphics of an indecent or immoral nature and harmful to minors.
- Signs that advertise unlawful activity.
- Signs containing text or graphics that are obscene, fighting words, defamation, incitement to imminent lawless action, or true threats.
- Signs presenting a clear and present danger due to potential confusion with traffic control signs or public safety information (such as use of 'stop', 'yield', 'caution', or 'danger' implying a false safety hazard).
- Signs that block building ingress or egress, including doors, egress windows, and fire escapes.
- Signs that obstruct features necessary for public safety, such as standpipes and fire hydrants.
- Signs placed within any vision clearance triangle as defined in the code.
- Signs posted, installed, or mounted on trees.
- Signs posted, installed, or mounted on utility poles, light poles, or utility cabinets, except signs posted by the village or the utility for public safety/identification.
- Signs located in or over public rights-of-way, except as specifically allowed for public purposes or by agreement.
- Signs in locations with insufficient horizontal or vertical clearance from power or communication lines, per state law.
- Signs within easements for overhead utilities, unless approved.
- Sign faces containing more than 20 items of information.
- Signs that are not illuminated in accordance with code, or lit past allowed hours.
- Abandoned signs that do not display a message for over 30 days.

## Signs exempt from permit in South Chicago Heights

- Official and legal notice signs issued by a court, public body, person, or officer in performance of a public duty, or in giving any legal notice.
- Signs affixed to a building or structure not exceeding one square foot in area, provided only one such sign per elevation visible from the public right-of-way or neighboring property; and signs less than three-fourths of a square foot affixed to machines, equipment, fences, gates, walls, gasoline pumps, public telephones, or utility cabinets.
- Flags not larger than 30 square feet in area affixed to permanent flagpoles or flagpoles mounted to buildings.
- Decorative signs clearly incidental, customary, and commonly associated with a holiday, provided they are displayed for no more than 60 consecutive days or 60 total days in any one year.
- Signs being carried by people (but not if they are set down or propped on objects).
- Bumper stickers on vehicles.
- Interior signs not visible from residential lots, abutting property, or public rights-of-way.
- Traffic control signs and other signs related to public safety that the village or another jurisdiction installs or requires a developer to install.
- Holiday decorations displayed for not more than two months per year.
- Street address numbers and letters, required to be posted on buildings and/or signage, are excluded from sign area calculation if not more than 14 inches in height.
- Other exemptions as set forth for government signage in or above rights-of-way (e.g., governmental banners, disaster wayfinding, or by agreement/intergovernmental arrangement).

## Sign plan & submission notes

- Generally, signs are approved by issuance of a sign permit except for specific exempted signs; signs exceeding six square feet, unless exempted, require a permit.
- Signs that are part of a mixed use or nonresidential development seeking to display a multi-tenant electronic message center must demonstrate eligibility via an approved site plan and identify eligible tenants/businesses in the sign permit application.
- If a site plan is required for a development, sign placement and eligibility for certain sign types (such as multi-tenant electronic message centers) must be incorporated into the site plan approval process and included in the sign permit application for the development.
- A sign plan, master sign plan, or variance may be required for developments seeking deviations from standard signage regulations, although the specific procedures or references to master sign plans/variance meetings are not detailed in the provided sections.
- Temporary sock signs and temporary wall signs are permitted only after issuance of a building permit for a permanent sign and may remain only for a limited period.

## Full detail

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

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