# Sign Regulations in East Chicago, Indiana

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

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

## At a glance

East Chicago, Indiana regulates 16 sign types across 7 zoning districts. Off-Premises Signs in the M-1 zoning district are capped at 50 feet tall and 672 sq ft per face, 2 faces max (back to back), with a Minimum 50 ft from property line. Separation from other signs and listed uses applies. setback (Sec. § 156.386(C)(1)(c)). Most commercial signs in East Chicago require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (7 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 8 | — | — | — |
| Residential zoning district | 4 | — | 8 sq ft | — |
| C-1 | 2 | — | 16 sq ft | — |
| C-2 | 2 | — | 32 sq ft | — |
| M-1 | 3 | 50 feet | 672 sq ft per face, 2 faces max (back to back) | — |
| M-2 | 3 | 50 feet | 672 sq ft per face, 2 faces max (back to back) | — |
| Waterfront Development District | 1 | — | — | — |

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements (sample of 3 of 7 zones)

### Residential zoning district

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Nameplate Sign (Lawful Home Occupation) | — | 2 sq ft | — | — | One sign | Premises of home occupation | — | § 156.386(A)(1)(a) |
| Identification Sign (Institutional, Religious, Charitable, Educational, Multi-family Facility) | — | 6 sq ft for first 100 ft frontage, max 48 sq ft | — | — | — | On site | — | § 156.386(A)(1)(b) |
| Real Estate Sign (Residential) | — | — | — | — | — | On property for sale, lease, or rent | — | § 156.386(A)(1)(c) |
| Political Sign (Residential) | — | 8 sq ft | — | — | — | — | — | § 156.381 (Political Sign), § 156.386(A)(1)(d) |

### M-1

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Identification Sign (Per Business) | — | 64 sq ft | — | — | One per business | On site | — | § 156.386(C)(1)(a) |
| Additional Signs (Total Site) | — | Varies; see formula | — | — | — | On site | — | § 156.386(C)(1)(b) |
| Off-Premises Sign | 50 feet | 672 sq ft per face, 2 faces max (back to back) | — | Minimum 50 ft from property line. Separation from other signs and listed uses applies. | — | Only on Cline Ave (SR 912) or State Toll Road (I-90); not in prohibited corridors | — | § 156.386(C)(1)(c) |

### M-2

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Identification Sign (Per Business) | — | 96 sq ft | — | — | One per business | On site | — | § 156.386(C)(2)(a) |
| Additional Signs (Total Site) | — | Varies; see formula | — | — | — | On site | — | § 156.386(C)(2)(b) |
| Off-Premises Sign | 50 feet | 672 sq ft per face, 2 faces max (back to back) | — | Minimum 50 ft from property line. Separation from other signs and listed uses applies. | — | Only on Cline Ave (SR 912) or State Toll Road (I-90); not in prohibited corridors | — | § 156.386(C)(2)(c) |

## Prohibited signs in East Chicago

- No sign shall be erected, installed, altered, or maintained in any zoning district in the city except in conformity with the sign ordinance.
- No sign attached to a building shall extend above the height of the building, project more than 30 inches from the outside wall of the building, nor project in a manner as to impede movement on a public sidewalk, street, alley, or other public way.
- No sign shall obstruct any door, fire escape, or free passage over any public right-of-way or create a traffic hazard.
- Signs shall be placed with care so as not to obscure unreasonably existing conforming signs on adjacent properties.
- Roof signs are prohibited.
- Signs on benches or other similar structures are prohibited.
- Signs on non-working vehicles or trailers placed on the premises for purposes of advertising are prohibited.
- Signs that, by their wording, color, or location resemble or conflict with traffic control signs or devices are prohibited.
- Signs that create a safety hazard are prohibited.
- Signs that obstruct any door, window, fire escape, or other emergency exit are prohibited.
- Signs erected in the public right-of-way or on any public pole, bench, bus shelter, or other public structure (except when posted by a public officer in the performance of a public duty) are prohibited.
- It is unlawful to place, erect, paint, paste, print, stamp, raise, use, or display a sign in any place where it is prohibited.
- It is unlawful to permit any sign or cause it to be placed in the city until the permit fees required have been paid.
- It is unlawful for any sign erector to place any sign containing pictures, illustrations, or words of an obscene or immoral character.
- No person shall erect or maintain signs without having procured a sign erector's license and proper permits.
- No person shall place, maintain, or display upon or in view of any street or highway any unauthorized sign, signal, marking, or device which purports to be or is an imitation of or resembles an official traffic-control device or railroad sign/signal, or which attempts to direct the movement of traffic or hides/interferes with the effectiveness of official traffic-control devices.
- No person shall place or maintain upon any street or highway any traffic sign or signal bearing commercial advertising.
- It is unlawful to attach or affix any card, bill, notice, announcement, or other advertisement to any telegraph, telephone, electric light pole, fire or police alarm pole, or other city pole (except legal notices posted by order of court or by duty imposed by law).
- No person shall fasten any rope, sign, handbill, or other thing to any tree or shrub or protective device around any tree or shrub in any public way or parkway.
- Abandoned signs (remaining after 90 days of discontinuance of the advertised use) are prohibited and may be removed by the city.
- Abandoned nonconforming signs must be removed by the owner; no new permits or approvals may be granted for buildings occupied by abandoned signs until removed or updated.
- Signs must display the licensed sign erector’s name.

## Signs exempt from permit in East Chicago

- One identification sign (not exceeding allowable square footage per zoning district) affixed to the building is exempt from the requirement of a pre-application conference.
- Directional signs are exempt from the requirement of a pre-application conference.
- Properly displayed national, state, or local flags are exempt from the requirement of a pre-application conference.
- Seasonal holiday decorations are exempt from the requirement of a pre-application conference.
- Political signs in conformance with the ordinance are exempt from the requirement of a pre-application conference.
- Real estate signs in conformance with the ordinance are exempt from the requirement of a pre-application conference.
- Bulletin boards on the site of a national, state, or local public facility, religious, charitable, or educational institution are exempt from the requirement of a pre-application conference.
- Official traffic, fire, and police related signs, temporary traffic control signs, utility location and identification signs and markers, and any signs required by the city or any public authority to be erected are exempt from the requirement of a pre-application conference.
- Notices required to be posted by law are exempt from the requirement of a pre-application conference.
- Time and temperature devices, church windows, religious symbols, noncommercial flags, barber poles, or similar devices with no identification or advertising are not considered 'signs' for the purposes of the ordinance.
- Temporary window signs are exempt from permit.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- No person shall place, erect, install, or maintain any sign in the city without first obtaining a sign pre-application conference unless the sign is exempt under § 156.363.
- Applications for signs requiring development plan review shall be referred by the City Planner to the Planning Commission for review in the same manner as other development plan projects.
- Applications for signs requiring a special use permit shall be processed like any other application for a special use permit.
- For off-premises signs (billboards) in certain industrial districts, a pre-application conference must include a plat of survey, detailed measurements, and location data.
- All new signage must be reviewed and approved by the Planning Director prior to erection (per §156.224, Commercial 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 7 zoning districts in East Chicago — every sign type, every field — are available with a free PermitPal account: https://app.permitpal.io/?address=East+Chicago+IN&override=true&utm_source=landing&utm_medium=city-page&utm_campaign=city-east-chicago

---

PermitPal — AI sign code research. Full HTML page: https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/indiana/east-chicago