# Sign Regulations in Winfield, Illinois

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

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

## At a glance

Winfield, Illinois regulates 19 sign types across 9 zoning districts. Pole Signs in the Business zoning district, Commercial District zoning district are capped at 12 ft. (bonus 3 in/ft additional setback, up to average height of building) tall and 25 sq. ft. per sign face, with a Min 40 ft. setback for pole sign eligibility; at least 8 ft. sign face clearance setback (Sec. 10-2-16-5.D). Most commercial signs in Winfield require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (9 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Town Center District (TC), Residential zoned property (noncommercial) | 1 | 6 ft. | 30 sq. ft. per sign face | — |
| Commercial property (non-town center zoned) | 1 | 8 ft. | 40 sq. ft. per sign face | — |
| Business zoning district, Commercial District | 2 | 12 ft. (bonus 3 in/ft additional setback, up to average height of building) | 25 sq. ft. per sign face | — |
| Industrial District | 1 | — | 48 sq. ft. | — |
| Planned Development District (Title 10-4I) | 1 | — | — | — |
| R-1 (Single-Family Residential District, Title 10-5A), R-2 (Single-Family Residential District, Title 10-5B), R-3 (Single-Family Residential District, Title 10-5C), R-4 (Single-Family Residential District, Title 10-5D), A-1 (Agricultural District, Title 10-7A) | 1 | — | — | — |
| Unified Business Center | 3 | — | 75 sq. ft. | — |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 10 | ≤85% of average height of building elevation parallel to the sign | 50 sq. ft. | — |
| Public Right of Way | 1 | — | — | — |

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements (sample of 3 of 9 zones)

### Business zoning district, Commercial District

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Pole Sign | 12 ft. (bonus 3 in/ft additional setback, up to average height of building) | 25 sq. ft. per sign face | — | Min 40 ft. setback for pole sign eligibility; at least 8 ft. sign face clearance | — | Permitted only if business building is set back more than 40 ft. from street side property line; sign face must be at least 8 ft above ground | — | 10-2-16-5.D |
| Pylon Sign | 12 ft. (bonus 3 in/ft additional setback, up to average height of building) | 25 sq. ft. per sign face | — | Min 40 ft. setback for pylon sign eligibility | — | Permitted only if business building is set back more than 40 ft. from street side property line | — | 10-2-16-5.F |

### Unified Business Center

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Identification Sign | — | 75 sq. ft. | — | — | 1 per center | — | — | 10-2-16-4.D |
| Directory Sign | — | — | — | — | 1 per 5 businesses | — | — | 10-2-16-4.E |
| Temporary Seasonal Banner | — | — | 6 ft. length x 31 in width | — | — | Suspended from existing structures (not buildings/signs/sign supports). Not attached to building. | — | 10-2-16-4.F |

### General Regulations For All Zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Wall Sign | ≤85% of average height of building elevation parallel to the sign | 50 sq. ft. | — | — | — | Attached to outside wall | — | 10-2-16-5.I |
| Permanent Window Sign | — | 20% of window area | — | — | — | Confined to glass; cannot encroach on frame/mullions | — | 10-2-16-5.C |
| Awning/Canopy/Marquee Sign (Primary Identification) | — | 25% of awning/canopy/marquee surface or 6 sq. ft. (whichever is less) | — | — | — | On surface of or hung beneath awning/canopy/marquee | — | 10-2-16-5.A |
| Awning/Canopy/Marquee Sign (Secondary) | — | — | — | — | — | Edge hanging perpendicular to street | — | 10-2-16-5.A.2.f |
| Projecting Sign | — | 4 sq. ft. per face | — | — | — | Projects ≤6 ft. from wall, not closer than 2 ft. from curb (or edge of street if no curb); min. 7 ft. 6 in. above walkway; not over vehicular public way | — | 10-2-16-5.E |
| Temporary Sandwich Board Sign | — | 6 sq. ft. per face | — | — | — | On commercial property; not to impede sidewalk/drive/parking lot traffic | — | 10-2-16-5.G.2 |
| Construction Sign (Residential) | — | 16 sq. ft. | — | — | 1 | On construction site | — | 10-2-16-5.G.5 |
| Electronic Message Center (EMC) Sign | — | 50% of permitted ground sign area | — | Min. 100 ft. from residential zone | — | Included as part of a permitted ground sign | — | 10-2-16-5.J |

## Prohibited signs in Winfield

- No sign, other than signs placed by the village or other governments or agencies of government with jurisdiction over the public right of way, may be posted on any public appurtenances or erected within, upon or hanging over any public right of way or public property.
- Any backlit awning/canopy/marquee is prohibited.
- Any roof sign is prohibited.
- Any off site signs are prohibited, except as provided for in section 10-2-16-10.
- Attention attracting devices, pennants and streamers are prohibited, except where a temporary use permit specifically allowing such devices has been obtained.
- Inflatable or balloon signs in any zoning district are prohibited, except where a temporary use permit specifically allowing such signs has been obtained.
- Portable or wheeled signs are prohibited, except where a temporary use permit specifically allowing such signs has been obtained.
- Painted wall signs (painted directly on an exterior wall) are prohibited.
- Signs placed on parked vehicles or trailers for the apparent purpose of advertising a product or business are prohibited.
- Illuminated signs shall not have any flashing, scintillating, traveling or blinking lights or rotating beacons, nor shall any beam of light be projected through a mechanism which periodically changes the color of the light reaching the sign.
- No sign may be painted directly on any wall.
- No awning, canopy, or marquee sign shall be erected over any public way used for vehicular traffic.
- No awning, canopy, marquee, or awning/canopy/marquee sign shall project beyond a point one foot inside the street curb line.
- No ground sign, pole sign, or pylon sign may be located closer than one hundred feet from another of the same type on the same premises.
- No pole sign or pylon sign is permitted on frontage in any business zoning district unless the business building(s) is located more than forty feet back from the street side property line.
- No sign may be constructed, installed or maintained in violation of the provisions of the ordinance; dangerous or illegal signs are subject to notice and removal by the zoning administrator.
- No illuminated sign that's not in compliance with wattage and illumination limits or shielding requirements may be installed.
- Flashing, blinking, scrolling, chasing, animation, and other similar effects are prohibited on electronic message centers.
- No sign shall be constructed, erected, displayed, placed, structurally or graphically altered, used, maintained or relocated within the village unless complying with all regulations in the ordinance.

## Signs exempt from permit in Winfield

- Signs placed by the village or other governments or agencies of government with jurisdiction over public right of way are exempt from the general prohibition on posting on public rights of way.
- Signs required by state or federal government for gasoline stations are permitted.
- Signs required at construction sites as required by section 9-8-3 of the code are permitted.
- Signage customarily associated with automated teller machines which provides instructions as to usage is permitted directly on the machine.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- No permit shall be issued for a sign to be located in a unified business center until a comprehensive (master) sign plan has been approved for the center and the sign complies with the provisions thereof.
- Application for approval of a comprehensive sign plan must be made in writing to the plan commission on a form and in a manner prescribed by them.
- Approval of a comprehensive sign plan is at the discretion of the village board after recommendation of the plan commission.
- The comprehensive sign plan application must include format for all signs to be used: maximum size, color, location, illumination, lettering type, mounting, and landscaping details.
- All signs must comply with the provisions of title 9, chapter 3 unless exempted in accordance with the provisions of the title or specifically exempted in the approval of a planned development.
- Legal nonconforming signs require a permit or variance to retain status upon adoption of the chapter.
- Alterations or installations of illuminated signs that require electrical work require a valid electrical permit; relettering requiring change of piping or wiring is subject to building inspector approval.

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

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