# Sign Regulations in West Frankfort, Illinois

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

- **Jurisdiction:** West Frankfort, Illinois (IL)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/illinois/west-frankfort
- **Data last verified:** 2025-05-09
- **Source:** [municode municipal code](https://library.municode.com/IL/West_Frankfort/codes/Code_of_Ordinances?nodeId=TIT5BULIRE_CH5.17SI)

## At a glance

West Frankfort, Illinois regulates 33 sign types across 10 zoning districts. Freestanding Signs in the Business district zoning district are capped at 20 ft tall, 100 sq ft, and 12 ft wide, with a Minimum 8 ft from lot line setback (Sec. 5.17.050.A.2,B,E; 5.17.020.G). Most commercial signs in West Frankfort require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (10 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Main Street area | 1 | — | — | — |
| Residential zoning district, Residential zoning districts, Residential district | 14 | 10 ft | 16 sq ft | — |
| Business district | 13 | 20 ft | 144 sq ft | — |
| Highway business district | 4 | 20 ft (above ground level of traveled way; up to 35 ft with special permit) | 225 sq ft | — |
| Industrial zoning district | 1 | — | — | — |
| Agriculture zoning district | 2 | 20 ft (above ground level of traveled way; up to 35 ft with special permit) | 225 sq ft | — |
| Business incubator industrial zoning district | 1 | 20 ft (above ground level of traveled way; up to 35 ft with special permit) | 225 sq ft | — |
| Planned unit development | 1 | — | — | — |
| Subdivision | 1 | — | 32 sq ft | — |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 2 | — | 32 sq ft | — |

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements (sample of 3 of 10 zones)

### Residential zoning district, Residential zoning districts, Residential district

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Contractor Sign | 10 ft | — | — | Not less than 5 feet from side or street lot line | — | On private property | — | 5.17.040.A,B,C |
| Parking Area Accessory Sign | 10 ft | — | — | Not less than 5 feet from side or street lot line | — | Accessory to parking areas | — | 5.17.040.A,B,C |
| Directional Sign (in Public Right-of-Way) | 10 ft | — | — | — | — | Public right-of-way | — | 5.17.040.A, 5.17.040.B,C |
| Nameplate | 10 ft | 2 sq ft | — | — | — | — | — | 5.17.185, 5.17.040.A,C |
| Real Estate Sign | 10 ft | 6 sq ft | — | Not less than 5 feet from any lot line | — | Residential zoning district | — | 5.17.040.A, 5.17.020.O, 5.17.040.C |
| Garage/Yard Sale Sign | 10 ft | 4 sq ft | — | — | — | On private property | — | 5.17.040.A, 5.17.030.F.1, 5.17.040.C |
| Political Sign | 10 ft | 16 sq ft | — | — | 1 per candidate per lot | On private property | — | 5.17.040.A, 5.17.030.F.2, 5.17.040.C |
| Home Occupation Sign | 10 ft | 1 sq ft | — | — | 1 per home occupation | — | — | 5.17.020.K, 5.17.040.A,C |

### Business district

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Awning/Canopy Sign | — | — | — | — | — | Awning or canopy attached to building | — | 5.17.050.A.1 |
| Freestanding Sign | 20 ft | 100 sq ft | 12 ft | Minimum 8 ft from lot line | 1 per lot (or 1 per frontage on lots fronting two arterial/collector streets) | Within required yard, minimum 8 ft from lot line | — | 5.17.050.A.2,B,E; 5.17.020.G |
| Wall Sign | — | 144 sq ft | — | — | — | Parallel to wall of building | — | 5.17.050.A.3, 5.17.020.F, 5.17.020.S |
| Window Promotional Sign | — | — | — | — | — | Inside or upon window | — | 5.17.050.A.4,D |
| Parking Area Accessory Sign | — | — | — | — | — | Accessory to parking areas | — | 5.17.050.A.6 |
| Directional Sign (in Public Right-of-Way) | — | — | — | — | — | Public right-of-way | — | 5.17.050.A.7 |
| Real Estate Sign | — | 32 sq ft | — | — | — | Business district | — | 5.17.050.A.8, 5.17.020.O |
| Window Display | — | — | — | — | — | In window | — | 5.17.050.A.9 |

### Highway business district

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| All signs permitted in business district | — | — | — | — | — | Highway business district | — | 5.17.060.A.1 |
| Marquee | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 5.17.060.A.2 |
| Temporary External Sign | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 5.17.060.A.3 |
| Billboard | 20 ft (above ground level of traveled way; up to 35 ft with special permit) | 225 sq ft | 12 ft | Not in required setback | — | Not within required setback, not within 100 ft of any residential district, not blocking on-site advertising for adjacent businesses | — | 5.17.060.A.4, 5.17.030 |

## Prohibited signs in West Frankfort

- No sign shall be installed, altered, enlarged, or replaced within the city until a sign permit has been issued by the codes officer.
- No sign shall interfere in any manner with the signs installed by public entities for traffic control.
- Signs shall not extend into a public right-of-way.
- No sign shall be placed on any public right-of-way or easement, except with express permission of the codes officer or the Illinois Department of Transportation, if applicable.
- Flashing, moving, or electronic signs are only permitted in the Main Street area.
- Roof signs are not permitted in any district except by special use permit.
- Illuminated signs shall not be within one hundred feet of any residential zoning district except by special use.
- No sign shall be located so as to prevent fire access from any door, window, or fire escape.
- Any sign existing in violation of prohibited signs of this code shall be removed, altered or repaired.
- Prohibited signs include those that contain statements, words or pictures of an obscene, indecent, or immoral character.
- Prohibited signs include those that imitate an official traffic sign or signals.
- Prohibited signs include those of a size, location, movement, content, coloring, or manner of illumination that may be confused with or construed as a traffic control device or that hide from view any traffic or street sign or signal.
- Prohibited signs include those that advertise an activity, business, product or service no longer conducted on the premises.
- Prohibited signs include those that move in any manner or have a major moving part.
- Prohibited signs include posters, pennants, ribbons, streamers, strings of light bulbs, spinners, or other similarly moving devices, except as permitted by other ordinances.
- Painting, writing, inscription, affixing or placement of any materials designed to advertise or attract attention to any business, product, service, job openings, political candidates or issues, or any event upon fences, rocks, other stationary objects or devices, or private property without prior city approval and property owner consent, or without appropriate governing agency approval within a public right-of-way.
- Unauthorized signs on public right-of-way are considered a nuisance.
- Signs and components must be kept in good repair and in safe, neat, clean, and attractive condition.
- Signs advertising a business which is no longer conducted on the premises must be removed by the owner or lessee.

## Signs exempt from permit in West Frankfort

- Sign regulations do not apply to governmental signs including traffic signs which are installed and intended for public information, direction, safety or control purposes.
- Nonconforming signs and billboards lawfully erected prior to this code are exempt from requirements of this chapter, provided they are not altered, enlarged to increase nonconformity, replaced by another nonconforming sign, relocated unless brought into compliance, or damaged beyond fifty percent of market value.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- A drawing of the sign, showing its proposed location and size, must be submitted to the codes officer for permit approval.
- A sign permit is required before installing, altering, enlarging, or replacing any sign.
- Time extensions for temporary signs may be granted by the board of appeals.
- Roof signs and certain billboards require a special use permit.
- Electronic message, flashing and moving signs may be permitted with a special use permit in the Main Street area.
- Certain zoning districts (e.g., agriculture district) require a special use permit for signs.

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

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