Sign Regulations in Vernon Hills, Illinois
Vernon Hills, Illinois has specific sign regulations covering 35 sign types across 5 zoning districts. Regulated sign types include Wall Sign (Building-Mounted Identity - Primary Frontage), Ground-Mounted Sign (Freestanding), Ground-Mounted Sign (Identity - Single-Family). Height restrictions apply. Permits are required for most commercial signs. Use PermitPal to get instant access to the complete regulations.
Data last verified: July 24, 2025
Sign Regulation Overview for Vernon Hills, Illinois
Sample Sign Requirements in Vernon Hills
| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Setback |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ground-Mounted Sign (Identity - Single-Family) | Top not more than 5 ft above centerline of the street (if ground-mounted) | 2 sq ft | Minimum 15 ft from any lot line |
| Wall Sign (Identity - Single-Family) | Shall not project above the roof line; not mounted on the roof | 2 sq ft | Minimum 15 ft from any lot line |
| Ground-Mounted Sign (Development Identity - Multiple-Family) | Top not more than 5 ft above centerline of the street (if ground-mounted) | 2 sq ft per dwelling unit; maximum total aggregate 12 sq ft (all signs on premises) | Minimum 15 ft from any lot line |
* Sample data shown. Actual requirements may vary by zone. Use PermitPal for complete, location-specific regulations.
PermitPal Coverage for Vernon HillsFull Coverage
Sign Types Covered
35
- Wall Sign (Building-Mounted Identity - Primary Frontage)
- Ground-Mounted Sign (Freestanding)
- Ground-Mounted Sign (Identity - Single-Family)
- Wall Sign (Identity - Single-Family)
- +2 more types
Zoning Districts
5
Different zoning districts with specific sign regulations
Data Includes
- Permit requirements
- Height restrictions
- Illumination rules
Official Resources for Vernon Hills
Other Cities in Illinois
Frequently Asked Questions
In Vernon Hills, wall signs can be up to Shall not project above the roof line; not mounted on the roof. Height limits vary by zoning district and sign type. Use PermitPal to get exact requirements for your specific location.
To get a sign permit in Vernon Hills, submit an application to the local building or planning department with sign dimensions, location, and design specifications. Our data confirms permits are required for most commercial signs. Processing typically takes 1-4 weeks. PermitPal helps you identify specific requirements and prepare complete applications.
In Vernon Hills, regulated sign types include Wall Sign (Building-Mounted Identity - Primary Frontage), Ground-Mounted Sign (Freestanding), Ground-Mounted Sign (Identity - Single-Family), Wall Sign (Identity - Single-Family), and 2 more types. Most commercial signs require permits. Temporary signs and certain small signs may be exempt. Use PermitPal for specific exemptions.
Sign setback requirements in Vernon Hills vary by zone and sign type, typically ranging from 5-15 feet from property lines. Use PermitPal for specific setback requirements at your location.
Digital and LED signs in Vernon Hills are regulated with specific requirements for brightness, animation, and message duration. Vernon Hills has documented illumination rules in our database. Use PermitPal to see the exact requirements for electronic message centers.
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Vernon Hills, Illinois Sign Rules at a Glance
Vernon Hills, Illinois regulates 35 sign types across 5 zoning districts. Ground-Mounted Sign (Identity - Single-Family)s in the Single-Family Residence District (R-1), Single-Family Residence District (R-2), Single-Family Residence District (R-3), Single-Family Residence District (R-3A), Single-Family Residence District (R-4), Single-Family Residence District (R-5), Two-Family and Attached Single-Family Residence District (R-6), Multiple-Family Dwelling District (R-7) zoning district are capped at Top not more than 5 ft above centerline of the street (if ground-mounted) tall and 2 sq ft, with a Minimum 15 ft from any lot line setback (Sec. Sec. 19-3(b)(2)-(5); Sec. 19-9(a)). Most commercial signs in Vernon Hills require a permit.
Detailed Sign Ordinance Requirements for Vernon Hills, Illinois
Sign Rules by Zoning District in Vernon Hills (5 zones)
| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single-Family Residence District (R-1), Single-Family Residence District (R-2), Single-Family Residence District (R-3), Single-Family Residence District (R-3A), Single-Family Residence District (R-4), Single-Family Residence District (R-5), Two-Family and Attached Single-Family Residence District (R-6), Multiple-Family Dwelling District (R-7) | 5 | Top not more than 5 ft above centerline of the street (if ground-mounted) | 6 sq ft | — |
| General Business District (B-1), Office, Research and Development District (O-R & D), Business Park District (BP) | 11 | 8 ft above walk (Appendix A, Building Mounted Diagram 2) | Up to 150 sq ft (cap), calculated at 1 sq ft per linear foot of building frontage | — |
| Public and Institutional Buildings (PIB) | 5 | 8 ft above adjacent curb or centerline of street/parking lot | Up to 150 sq ft (cap), calculated at 1 sq ft per linear foot of building frontage | — |
| Conservation and Open Space (COS) | 4 | 8 ft above adjacent curb or centerline of street/parking lot | Up to 150 sq ft (cap), calculated at 1 sq ft per linear foot of building frontage | — |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 14 | 8 ft above centerline of abutting street (first 3 ft of exposed support posts/beams are not counted toward face area) | 50 sq ft | — |
Zone-by-Zone Sign Requirements in Vernon Hills(sample of 3 of 5 zones)
Single-Family Residence District (R-1), Single-Family Residence District (R-2), Single-Family Residence District (R-3), Single-Family Residence District (R-3A), Single-Family Residence District (R-4), Single-Family Residence District (R-5), Two-Family and Attached Single-Family Residence District (R-6), Multiple-Family Dwelling District (R-7)
| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Premium Details(Illumination, Size Formula, Permit Requirements, Additional Requirements — available with a free PermitPal account) | Ordinance Citation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ground-Mounted Sign (Identity - Single-Family) | Top not more than 5 ft above centerline of the street (if ground-mounted) | 2 sq ft | — | Minimum 15 ft from any lot line | 1 per single-family dwelling unit | Anywhere on the premises, except as restricted by zoning ordinance; must be at least 15 ft from any lot lines | — | Unlock | Sec. 19-3(b)(2)-(5); Sec. 19-9(a) |
| Wall Sign (Identity - Single-Family) | Shall not project above the roof line; not mounted on the roof | 2 sq ft | — | Minimum 15 ft from any lot line | 1 per single-family dwelling unit | Anywhere on the premises; at least 15 ft from any lot lines | — | Unlock | Sec. 19-3(b)(2)-(5); Sec. 19-9(a) |
| Ground-Mounted Sign (Development Identity - Multiple-Family) | Top not more than 5 ft above centerline of the street (if ground-mounted) | 2 sq ft per dwelling unit; maximum total aggregate 12 sq ft (all signs on premises) | — | Minimum 15 ft from any lot line | One or more signs allowed provided total aggregate area does not exceed formula and cap | Anywhere on the premises; at least 15 ft from any lot lines | — | Unlock | Sec. 19-3(b)(2)-(5); Sec. 19-9(a) |
| Wall Sign (Development Identity - Multiple-Family) | Shall not project above the roof line; not mounted on the roof | 2 sq ft per dwelling unit; maximum total aggregate 12 sq ft (all signs on premises) | — | Minimum 15 ft from any lot line | One or more signs allowed provided total aggregate area does not exceed formula and cap | Anywhere on the premises; at least 15 ft from any lot lines | — | Unlock | Sec. 19-3(b)(2)-(5); Sec. 19-9(a) |
| Rental Sign (Residential) | — | 6 sq ft | — | — | — | On the premises announcing rooms/apartment/house for rent; residential zones only | — | Unlock | Sec. 19-5(5) |
General Business District (B-1), Office, Research and Development District (O-R & D), Business Park District (BP)
| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Premium Details(Illumination, Size Formula, Permit Requirements, Additional Requirements — available with a free PermitPal account) | Ordinance Citation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wall Sign (Building-Mounted Identity - Primary Frontage) | Shall not project above roofline | Up to 150 sq ft (cap), calculated at 1 sq ft per linear foot of building frontage | — | — | Entitlement: 1 building-mounted sign per public street or public access road frontage for owner/prime tenant with an exterior public entrance; tenants with separate entrances each entitled to a sign; subtenants without direct exterior entrance are not entitled | On building wall, fascia, or canopy (marquee) | — | Unlock | Sec. 19-3(c)(2)-(6)a; Sec. 19-3(c)(4); Sec. 19-3(c)(3); Sec. 19-8; Sec. 19-9(a)-(b) |
| Wall Sign (Setback ≥ 250 ft) | Shall not project above roofline | Greater of formula above; may exceed 150 sq ft if 3% of total building face is greater | — | — | Per entitlement (1 per frontage for owner/prime tenant with exterior public entrance) | On building wall, fascia, or canopy (marquee) | — | Unlock | Sec. 19-3(c)(6)a |
| Wall Sign (Multiple Frontages - Secondary Frontages) | Shall not project above roofline | Cap 75 sq ft on secondary frontages (50% of 150 sq ft cap); area still calculated at 1 sq ft per linear foot | — | — | 1 per frontage for qualifying owner/prime tenant; multi-tenant buildings with separate entrances may each have a sign | On building wall, fascia, or canopy (marquee) | — | Unlock | Sec. 19-3(c)(6)b |
| Under Canopy Sign (Identity or Directional) | 8 ft above walk (Appendix A, Building Mounted Diagram 2) | 3 sq ft | — | — | Not specifically limited by number; limited by area and entitlement for building-mounted signs | Under canopy (marquee) attached to building | — | Unlock | Sec. 19-3(c)(6)a; Appendix A (Building Mounted, Diagram 2) |
| Ground-Mounted Sign (Freestanding) | 8 ft above adjacent curb or, where no curb exists, the centerline of the street or parking lot | 50 sq ft per side (up to 2 sides) | — | Minimum 10 ft from street right-of-way and/or lot line | 1 per dedicated street frontage with driveway entrance; plus 1 additional per Sec. 19-3(c)(7)b.2 if criteria met | Parallel or perpendicular to the street/thoroughfare it faces; if corner, at 45-degree angle | — | Unlock | Sec. 19-3(c)(6)c; Sec. 19-3(c)(7)b.1-2; Sec. 19-3(c)(8)d-e-f; Sec. 19-3(c)(9)b; Appendix A (Ground Mounted) |
| Menu Board (Drive-up Restaurant) | 8 ft | 32 sq ft per sign | — | — | Up to 2 per drive-up restaurant use | On-site at drive-up lanes | — | Unlock | Sec. 19-3(c)(7)d |
| Window Sign (General, Commercially-Zoned Businesses) | Prohibited above first floor | Up to 50 sq ft; limited to 20% of each contiguous first-floor window/door area | — | — | No explicit limit for general window signs; LED EMC: no more than 2 per establishment | Interior, within 12 inches of inside of first-floor commercial windows; separate calculations for elevations facing public parking lots or street rights-of-way | — | Unlock | Sec. 19-4(6)(a)-(h) |
| Window Sign - Electronic Message Center (LED) | First floor only | Up to 25 sq ft, and within the 20%/50 sq ft aggregate limits | — | — | Maximum 2 per business establishment | Interior, first-floor window areas of commercially-zoned businesses | — | Unlock | Sec. 19-4(6)(h)1-7 |
General Regulations For All Zones
| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Premium Details(Illumination, Size Formula, Permit Requirements, Additional Requirements — available with a free PermitPal account) | Ordinance Citation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Construction Sign (Temporary) | — | 32 sq ft per side | — | — | — | On construction site; not in public right-of-way | — | Unlock | Sec. 19-4(1); Sec. 19-9 |
| Garage Sale Sign (Temporary) | — | 3 sq ft | — | — | — | On sale premises; directional signs allowed off-premises only on private property with owner permission; no placement in public right-of-way | — | Unlock | Sec. 19-4(2) |
| Real Estate Sign (Single-Family Residential Premises) | — | 6 sq ft per side | — | — | Up to 2 per premises | On the premises to which they refer; not in any public right-of-way | — | Unlock | Sec. 19-4(3)(a) |
| Real Estate Sign (Commercial Premises) | — | 32 sq ft per side | — | — | Up to 2 per premises | On the premises to which they refer; not in any public right-of-way | — | Unlock | Sec. 19-4(3)(a) |
| Real Estate Open House Sign (Directional) | — | — | — | — | 1 per premises (open house directional) | Allowed on neighbors' properties at street intersections only, with prior permission | — | Unlock | Sec. 19-4(3)(b) |
| Political/Public-Issue Sign | 4 ft above grade | 6 sq ft | — | — | — | Confined to private property and common property of legally recorded homeowners associations; prohibited within all public and private rights-of-way, including islands and medians; not within 100 ft of front door of any polling place | — | Unlock | Sec. 19-4(5)(a)-(h) |
| Developer’s Sign (Temporary Development Advertising/Directional) | 8 ft above centerline of abutting street (first 3 ft of exposed support posts/beams are not counted toward face area) | 50 sq ft per sign face | — | Minimum 10 ft from any public right-of-way and/or lot lines | 1 (<10 acres) or 2 (>10 acres) | On private property of the premises being advertised; not within 10 ft of any public right-of-way and/or lot lines | — | Unlock | Sec. 19-4(7)(a)-(h); Sec. 19-3(c)(8) |
| Flags and Flag Poles (Commercial/Industrial/Rental Sites) | Flag poles limited to max of 5 ft above height of the building where pole is erected, but not higher than 40 ft above grade | No flag shall exceed 50 sq ft in area | — | — | Max 3 flag poles per parcel | On commercial, industrial, and rental sites | — | Unlock | Sec. 19-5(6) |
PermitPal covers all 5 zoning districts in Vernon Hills — full sign requirements for every zone, plus illumination rules, size formulas, and permit requirements for every sign type — with a free account.
See all 5 zones for Vernon Hills — start freeProhibited Signs in Vernon Hills
- Obscene, indecent, or immoral content that offends public morals and decency.
- Imitation of official traffic signs/signals or use of traffic-control words such as “Stop,” “Go Slow,” “Caution,” “Danger,” “Warning,” or similar.
- Signs whose size, shape, location, movement, content, coloring, or illumination may be confused with traffic-control devices, or that hide from view any traffic or street sign/signal.
- Advertising an activity, business, product, or service no longer conducted on the premises (abandoned messages).
- Moving signs.
- Signs that contain or consist of banners, posters, pennants, ribbons, streamers, strings of light bulbs, spinners, balloons, or similar devices (unless specifically permitted elsewhere in the chapter).
- Signs that may swing or noticeably move due to wind, or appear to move or flicker by optical illusion.
- Placement within 1,000 feet of traffic signals/signs/devices or intersecting/merging/approaching traffic where the sign obscures or interferes with visibility for motorists or pedestrians.
- Changing copy signs (manual or automatic) displaying messages other than time and temperature, except as allowed in the exemptions.
- Off-premises advertising (billboards/leased outdoor advertising) directing attention to uses not on the same lot, whether commercial or noncommercial.
- Searchlights and portable signs (prohibited under temporary sign regulations).
- Illumination limits: no blinking, flashing, or fluttering lights; no beacon lights; no colored lights that could be confused with traffic-control devices; lighting must not create traffic hazards; no exposed reflective bulbs or incandescent lamps over 15 watts visible from streets/adjacent property; no strobe lights; no spotlights/floodlights that reflect toward public ways; no exposed gas-filled discharge tubing (neon or similar) on the exterior or visible through the sign face.
- Signs on vehicles primarily used for advertising are prohibited; operating or parking an advertising vehicle (including trailers) for display is unlawful without approval (subject to limited exceptions for business identification during use/at residence or place of business, political campaign windows, governmental markings, mass transit, temporary stickers, and approved parades).
Exempt Signs in Vernon Hills
- Signs not visible from a public right-of-way or other areas open to the public are exempt from this chapter (exception: drive-up menus not seen from public rights-of-way are not exempt).
- Items not considered signs: official court or public notices; national or state flags; emblems or insignia of a government, school, or religious group.
- Public noncommercial signs in the public interest erected by or on order of the Village Board or a public officer (e.g., safety/danger/trespassing/traffic signs, memorial plaques, historical interest, village-sponsored events such as farmer’s market, Summer Celebration, Holiday Light Show).
- Integral building inscriptions (names, dates, monumental citations, commemorative tablets) carved into or made of permanent materials and integral to the structure.
- Private traffic-direction signs (into or within a premises) not exceeding 3 sq ft per sign; may be illuminated per Sec. 19-8; must not include establishment names/identity; horizontal directional signs on and flush with paved areas are exempt from these standards.
- Small tenant identification signs up to 2 sq ft, flat against the building, non-illuminated, announcing only the name and occupation of the building tenant.
- Residential rental signs (rooms/table board/apartment/house for rent) up to 6 sq ft; permitted in residential zones only.
- Flags and flagpoles at commercial, industrial, and rental sites subject to limits (ground-mounted; max height 5 ft above building height but not over 40 ft; max three poles per parcel; one flag per pole except a federally approved subordinate flag may be displayed below the U.S. flag; U.S. flag must be displayed if other flags are displayed; corporate flags smaller than the U.S. flag; no flag over 50 sq ft).
- Ground-mounted externally illuminated sand-blasted/routed/carved-wood signs for schools, places of worship, the Park District, and government entities, if location/size/height/content comply with the chapter; permit required.
- Ground-mounted automatic changing copy signs for public schools, the Park District, and government entities, if location/size/construction/height comply with the chapter or are otherwise approved by the Village Board; permit required.
- Ground-mounted manual changing copy signs for public schools, the Park District, houses of worship, and government entities, if location/size/construction/height comply with the chapter or are otherwise approved by the Village Board; permit required.
- Village-owned right-of-way directional sign structures where businesses may lease a tenant directional panel under Chapter 10, Article X.
- Permit exceptions applicable village-wide: (a) replacing copy on an approved sign designed for replaceable copy (not including replacement of a wall-sign face); (b) normal maintenance (painting, cleaning, non-structural repair) without structural change, with Building Department informed; (c) temporary and exempt signs are exempt from permit unless Sections 19-4 or 19-5 require a permit.
Sign Plan & Submission Notes for Vernon Hills
- No master sign plan or unified sign plan requirement is stated in Chapter 19.
- Development identification (monument) signs for residential subdivisions, retail centers, and commercial developments require Village Board approval of size, location, content, and construction materials before Building Department permit issuance.
- Drive-up restaurant menu boards (up to two per use) are permitted only via special use permit.
- Directional signs for public institutions in public rights-of-way require a written request to the Village Manager; if approved, the Village installs the signs.
- Ground-mounted automatic or manual changing copy signs for certain public entities may be permitted and, if not meeting chapter standards, may be otherwise approved by the Village Board; permits are required.
- Appeals of the Building Commissioner’s interpretations/decisions go to the Zoning Board of Appeals; the Board of Trustees may sustain, overrule, or modify. Variations may be granted by the Board of Trustees upon referral from the Zoning Board of Appeals (per zoning ordinance procedures).
- General permit rule: no sign may be erected, altered, or relocated without a sign permit unless expressly exempt; electrical permits are also required where applicable.
- If a zoning classification is not included or a new zone is created, no signs are permitted in that zone until Chapter 19 is amended to include it.
Source: municode municipal code