# Sign Regulations in Berne, Indiana

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Berne, Indiana (IN)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/indiana/berne
- **Data last verified:** 2025-04-19

## At a glance

Berne, Indiana regulates 23 sign types across 8 zoning districts. Ground Signs in the Commercial/Retail zoning district are capped at 15 feet above uniform street grade (must be mounded/landscaped to at least street grade) tall and 20% of front face area or 100 sq ft, whichever is less, with a Must not extend into public right-of-way setback (Sec. §152.171(A), 152.172(A)-(B), 152.175(E), 152.174). Most commercial signs in Berne require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (8 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Commercial/Retail | 4 | 15 feet above uniform street grade (must be mounded/landscaped to at least street grade) | 32 sq ft | — |
| Commercial Plaza | 2 | 15 feet above uniform street grade; mounded/landscaped to at least street grade | See Commercial/Retail wall sign regulation: Up to 20% of front face or 100 sq ft, whichever is less | — |
| Office | 2 | 7 feet above uniform street grade; mounded/landscaped to street grade | 20% of front face area or 56 sq ft, whichever is less | — |
| Industrial/Manufacturing | 2 | 7 feet above uniform street grade; mounded/landscaped to street grade | 10% of front face area or 100 sq ft, whichever is less | — |
| Agricultural/Auto/Equipment Commercial | 2 | 15 feet above uniform street grade; mounded/landscaped to street grade | 20% of front face area or 100 sq ft, whichever is less | — |
| Churches and Religious Facilities | 2 | 12 feet above uniform street grade; mounded/landscaped to street grade | 10% of front face area or 32 sq ft, whichever is less | — |
| Residential Neighborhood | 3 | 10 feet above uniform street grade; mounded/landscaped to street grade | 16 sq ft per entrance street | — |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 14 | Pole may not exceed 30 feet | 64 sq ft | — |

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements (sample of 3 of 8 zones)

### Commercial/Retail

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Wall Sign | — | 20% of front face area or 100 sq ft, whichever is less | — | — | 1 wall sign per parcel | Exterior front wall of building | — | §152.171(A), 152.172(B)-(E), 152.174 |
| Ground Sign | 15 feet above uniform street grade (must be mounded/landscaped to at least street grade) | 20% of front face area or 100 sq ft, whichever is less | — | Must not extend into public right-of-way | 1 ground sign per parcel | On parcel, ground mounted, not in right-of-way | — | §152.171(A), 152.172(A)-(B), 152.175(E), 152.174 |
| Window Sign | — | 10% of window area; area counts toward wall sign maximum | — | — | — | Inside window area, visible from outside | — | §152.170(D), 152.171(A) |
| Temporary Sign | 8 ft | 32 sq ft | — | — | One per event or sale | Window or exterior of building on premises | — | §152.171(H) |

### Residential Neighborhood

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Residential Neighborhood Identification Sign | — | 16 sq ft per entrance street | — | Cannot project into public right-of-way | 1 per entrance street | At entrance to neighborhood, not within any public right-of-way | — | §152.171(G) |
| Wall Sign (Non-dwelling use e.g. school, church, institutional) | — | 16 sq ft | — | — | 1 wall sign per non-dwelling use | Exterior wall of non-dwelling structure | — | §152.171(G) |
| Ground Sign (Non-dwelling use e.g. school, church, institutional) | 10 feet above uniform street grade; mounded/landscaped to street grade | 16 sq ft | — | — | 1 ground sign per non-dwelling use | On premises, not in right-of-way | — | §152.171(G) |

### General Regulations For All Zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Directional Sign | 5 ft above uniform street grade | 10 sq ft | — | — | Up to 2 per driveway | On private property, not causing hazard | — | §152.170(B) |
| Flags | Pole may not exceed 30 feet | — | — | — | Up to 3 per parcel | On premises | — | §152.170(F) |
| Warning Sign | — | 3 sq ft | — | — | — | On property with dangerous conditions | — | §152.170(G) |
| Garage/Yard Sale Sign | — | 6 sq ft | — | At least 10 ft from right-of-way | 1 per sale | On premises, not less than 10 feet from right-of-way | — | §152.170(J) |
| For Sale or Rent Sign (<2 acres) | — | 6 sq ft | — | At least 10 ft from right-of-way | 1 | On property for sale/rent/lease (<2 acres) | — | §152.170(K) |
| For Sale or Rent Sign (2+ acres) | — | 64 sq ft | — | At least 10 ft from right-of-way | 1 | On property for sale/rent/lease (2+ acres) | — | §152.170(L) |
| Contractor Sign | — | 6 sq ft per sign, maximum 3 contractor signs plus 1 sale sign as above | — | At least 10 ft from right-of-way or zoning setback, whichever is least restrictive | Maximum 3 plus one sale/rent sign | On premise of construction project, not less than 10 ft from right-of-way or follow district setbacks, whichever least restrictive | — | §152.170(M) |
| Restaurant Menu | — | 6 sq ft | — | — | 1 per restaurant | Outside surface of restaurant building | — | §152.170(P) |

## Prohibited signs in Berne

- Any sign for which a permit has not been issued and which is not a sign authorized without a permit.
- Any sign using flashing or intermittent lights, sound, color changes or other mechanical or electrical means to give motion to the sign or the impression of motion or movement, or any sign with visible moving, revolving or relocating parts, except traditional barber poles for licensed barber shops. No exposed neon, lamps, tubing, raceways, crossovers or conduits. Signs are considered as containing flashing lights if the intensity of the lights change more frequently than every two minutes.
- Any sign advertising a product, service, business or activity which is sold, located or conducted elsewhere than on the premises on which the sign is located, or which said product, service, business or activity is sold, located or conducted on such premises only incidentally (off-premises signs).
- Portable or movable signs such as wheeled devices and sandwich boards, signs with a permanent frame and a display area for changeable copy, designed or intended to be relocated and not permanently affixed to the ground or structure, signs on wheels, trailers, or any other devices that are intended to be moved from one location to another. Signs originally constructed to be portable or moveable, but modified to be affixed to a building or installed into the ground are also prohibited.
- Changeable message signs, except for traffic warning devices, signs giving public service information (such as time, date, temperature, weather, or similar information), signs displaying information regarding religious services or functions at a church, and signs displaying prices of fuel at a gas or service station.
- Any non-governmental sign that resembles a public traffic sign or a safety warning sign. No sign (other than a traffic sign installed by a governmental entity) shall simulate or imitate the size, lettering or design of any traffic sign in such manner as to interfere, mislead, or confuse the public.
- Any sign that obstructs ingress or egress, creates an unsafe distraction for motorists, or obstructs the view of motorists entering a public road or highway.
- String lights, except for holiday decorations during the time period from November 15 to January 15.
- Banners that are not attached to a building and spinners.
- Roof signs and signs that extend above the front facade of a building.
- Any sign on a motor vehicle or trailer that is parked in a position visible to traffic on a public road or parking area for a period longer than six days in a 60-day period.
- With the exception of explicit allowances for projection or other limited encroachments, no portion of a privately-owned sign, or its supporting structures, such as poles or cables, shall be placed on, or within the air space above, publicly owned property, a public right-of-way (such as a street or sidewalk), or a proposed public right-of-way.

## Signs exempt from permit in Berne

- Governmental signs, including signs and banners erected or approved by a governmental entity to dispense information regarding matters of community interest, such as festivals, special projects, events, and celebrations.
- Directional signs used exclusively for traffic direction, on private streets or in parking areas, subject to size and placement limits.
- Hours and addresses: signs identifying the address of a parcel of land and business numbers.
- Interior or exterior window non-electric signs inside buildings that are visible from the outside, and all other signs inside buildings that are not visible from the outside. Credit card signs or stickers affixed to windows. Non-electric, temporary window signs advertising sales, specials, or close-outs, restricted to illumination by normal lighting and to be removed at end of sale.
- Community information signs advertising events or promotions sponsored by religious, charitable, or other associations/organizations if located on their premises, subject to size and setback limits.
- No more than three flags bearing the official design of a nation, state, municipality, educational institution, or non-profit organization per parcel. Flag poles may not exceed 30 feet.
- Warning signs exclusively devoted to warning the public of dangerous conditions and unusual hazards (e.g., drop offs, high voltage, fire danger, explosives), subject to size limits.
- Historical site and memorial signs: signs erected by a government agency denoting a government-recognized historical site (size limited unless otherwise provided by state/federal law), historical and memorial signs/tablets, building names, dates, and history.
- Community special event signs approved by the Common Council of the city.
- Temporary garage and yard sale signs on residential real estate, limited to one sign per premises, size and time restrictions, and setback requirements.
- Temporary real estate for sale or rent signs (less than two acres): limited to one sign per property, size and time restrictions, and setback requirements.
- Temporary real estate for sale or rent signs (two acres or more): limited to one sign per property, size and time restrictions, and setback requirements.
- Temporary contractor signs advertising contractors, engineers, etc., for a building under construction, with limits on total area, number and location of signs, and removal upon issuance of occupancy permit.
- Temporary political signs pertaining to candidacy for elected office or other voting issues, subject to size, placement, and time restrictions.
- Decorative signs such as coats of arms, shields, quotations, verses, or proverbs representing genealogy, Swiss cantons, national/state affiliation, or philosophy.
- A single restaurant menu sign not more than six square feet in area posted on the outside surface of the restaurant building.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- A permit is required for any sign except for those specifically authorized without a permit (§ 152.174).
- Applications for a sign permit require submission of plans, specifications, size, location, and, if asked, structural calculations and a certificate of insurance (§ 152.174(C)).
- A certificate of insurance is required as part of the sign permit process (§ 152.174(D)).
- Permit fees are based on the size of the sign (§ 152.174(E)).
- If a variance from sign standards is desired, an application must be made and a hearing held before the Zoning Board of Appeals (§ 152.178(C)). The Board may prescribe conditions in conformity with the standards.
- Non-conforming (existing) signs must be registered and are allowed to remain up to 15 years from the effective date but may not be structurally altered to prolong their life (§ 152.176).

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

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