# Sign Regulations in Greendale, Indiana

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

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

## At a glance

Greendale, Indiana regulates 28 sign types across 4 zoning districts. Freestanding Sign (Single-Occupancy Building)s in the Local Business LB-A, Industrial zoning district are capped at 16 ft from center of street or building foundation tall, 64 sq ft per side (2 sides max), and 8 ft wide, with a No closer than 10 feet to any street right-of-way setback (Sec. § 156.56(A)(1)).

## Sign rules by zoning district (4 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 8 | — | 6 sq ft (yard); 8.5 x 11 in. (window) | — |
| Residential R-A, Residential R-B | 2 | 6 ft (including structure) | 32 sq ft per side (2 sides max) | — |
| Local Business LB-A, Industrial | 13 | 16 ft from center of street or building foundation | 150 sq ft (or 10% of wall area) | — |
| Local Business LB-B | 8 | 8 ft minimum above sidewalk | 32 sq ft per side (2 sides max) | — |

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements (sample of 3 of 4 zones)

### General Regulations For All Zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Incidental Sign | — | 3 sq ft (business); Not specified for other uses | — | — | — | On the property | — | § 156.16; § 156.56(C)(1); § 156.57(C)(1) |
| Gasoline Pump Sign | — | 1 sq ft if placed atop the pump or the area of the pump if affixed | — | — | — | On the gasoline pump | — | § 156.16(B), Definitions |
| Identification Sign | — | — | — | — | — | On the property | — | § 156.16(C) |
| Temporary Sign - Anytime | — | 6 sq ft (yard); 8.5 x 11 in. (window) | — | — | 1 (yard); 1 (window) | On owner’s property | — | § 156.16(D); § 156.45 |
| Temporary Sign - Election | — | 6 sq ft | — | — | 1 per candidate/issue | Owner’s property | — | § 156.16(D); § 156.46; § 156.59 |
| Temporary Sign - Sale of Property | — | 6 sq ft | — | — | 1 per property | On the property for sale; off-premises with permission for max 48 hours | — | § 156.16(D); § 156.47 |
| Temporary Sign - Public Use | — | 6 sq ft | — | — | 1 | Owner’s property; off-premises with permission | — | § 156.16(D); § 156.48 |
| Real Estate Sign | — | 6 sq ft | — | Not in right-of-way | 1 per property (for sale/rent); temporary for open house/directional | On property for sale/rent/lease; off-premises with permission for open house/direction | — | § 156.58 |

### Local Business LB-A, Industrial

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Freestanding Sign (Single-Occupancy Building) | 16 ft from center of street or building foundation | 64 sq ft per side (2 sides max) | 8 ft | No closer than 10 feet to any street right-of-way | 1 per parcel (or 1 per building if multiple buildings) | Minimum 10 ft from any street right-of-way | — | § 156.56(A)(1) |
| Wall-Mounted Sign (Single-Occupancy Building) | Not above gutter line or top of facade | 150 sq ft (or 10% of wall area) | — | — | 1 per qualifying side (max 3 sides) | Not above gutter/top of wall; not more than 24 in project | — | § 156.56(A)(2)(a) |
| Projecting Sign (Single-Occupancy Building) | 8 ft minimum height above sidewalk | 24 sq ft | Projects max 4 ft from wall | — | 1 per qualifying side (max 3 sides) | On building | — | § 156.56(A)(2)(b) |
| Freestanding Sign (Multiple-Occupancy Building) | 16 ft from center of street or building foundation | 64 sq ft per side (2 sides max) | 8 ft | No closer than 10 feet to any street right-of-way | 1 per building | Minimum 10 ft from any street right-of-way | — | § 156.56(B)(1) |
| Wall-Mounted Sign (Multiple-Occupancy Building, First Floor, Own Entrance) | Not above gutter line or top of facade | 32 sq ft (or 10% of wall of tenant unit) | — | — | 1 per first floor tenant with own entrance | On tenant's wall | — | § 156.56(B)(2)(a)1 |
| Projecting Sign (Multiple-Occupancy Building, First Floor, Own Entrance) | 8 ft minimum height above sidewalk | 24 sq ft | 4 ft max projection | — | 1 per qualifying tenant | On tenant's exterior wall | — | § 156.56(B)(2)(a)2 |
| Temporary Sign - Business (Building Permit) | 6 ft | 32 sq ft per side (up to 2 sides) | 8 ft | No closer than 10 ft to right-of-way | 1 | Min 10 ft from right-of-way | — | § 156.56(C)(2) |
| Temporary Sign - Business (Project Financing) | 6 ft | 16 sq ft per side (up to 2 sides) | 6 ft | No closer than 10 ft to right-of-way | 1 | Min 10 ft from right-of-way | — | § 156.56(C)(3) |

### Local Business LB-B

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Freestanding Sign (Single-Occupancy Building) | 6 ft from center of street or bldg foundation | 32 sq ft per side (2 sides max) | 6 ft | No closer than 10 ft to right-of-way | 1 per parcel/building | Min 10 ft from any street right-of-way | — | § 156.57(A)(1), (B)(1) |
| Wall-Mounted Sign (First Floor Tenant, Own Entrance) | Not above gutter line or top of wall/facade | 32 sq ft (or 10% of wall of tenant unit) | — | — | 1 per qualifying tenant | On tenant's wall | — | § 156.57(B)(2)(a)1 |
| Projecting Sign (First Floor Tenant, Own Entrance) | 8 ft minimum above sidewalk | 24 sq ft | 4 ft projection | — | 1 per qualifying tenant | On tenant's wall/exterior | — | § 156.57(B)(2)(a)2 |
| Awning Sign (First Floor Tenant, Own Entrance) | — | 20 sq ft | — | — | 1 per qualifying tenant | Vertical face of awning | — | § 156.57(B)(2)(a)3 |
| Window Sign (First Floor Tenant, Own Entrance) | — | 20 sq ft (or 45% window glass area) | — | — | — | Within window | — | § 156.57(B)(2)(a)4 |
| Identifying Plaque (Upper/No Own Entrance Tenants) | — | 3 sq ft | — | — | 1 per qualifying tenant | Immediately adjacent to building entrance | — | § 156.57(B)(3) |
| Temporary Sign - Business (Building Permit) | 6 ft | 16 sq ft per side (up to 2 sides) | 8 ft | No closer than 10 ft to right-of-way | 1 | Min 10 ft from right-of-way | — | § 156.57(C)(2) |
| Temporary Sign - Business (Project Financing) | 6 ft | 12 sq ft per side (up to 2 sides) | 6 ft | No closer than 10 ft to right-of-way | 1 | Min 10 ft from right-of-way | — | § 156.57(C)(3) |

## Prohibited signs in Greendale

- No sign shall be erected or altered except as hereinafter provided.
- Billboards and off-premises signs are prohibited.
- No sign shall be placed in any public right-of-way, except publicly owned signs such as welcome signs, traffic-control signs, and directional signs.
- No sign shall be illuminated by or contain flashing, intermittent, rotating, or moving light.
- No illuminated sign or lighting device shall be placed or directed so as to permit beams or illumination to be directed or beamed upon a public thoroughfare, highway, sidewalk, or adjacent premises so as to cause glare or reflection that may constitute a traffic hazard or nuisance.
- All signs not expressly authorized are prohibited.
- Plastic signs are prohibited except as otherwise provided.
- All signs having intermittent or flashing illumination, animated or moving parts, rotating or simulating movement by fluttering, spinning, reflection devices or that emit sound are prohibited.
- Outline lighting is prohibited except as otherwise provided.
- All banners, pennants, streamers, balloons, flags, search lights, strobe lights, beacons, inflatable signs, and costumed characters are prohibited except as otherwise provided.
- Sign content shall not contain language or symbols that are offensive to the morals of the general community.
- Any sign that is moved to another location shall be considered a new sign and requires a new permit.
- Signs and sign structures must be removed when the sign no longer identifies or advertises a bona fide business, lessor, service, owner, product, or activity; no legal owner can be found; the sign has a message or display that is unreadable, obsolete, or is no longer functional as advertising or identification; and/or the sign structure is no longer used to support or hold a sign.
- Sale signs are prohibited on city property, including but not limited to parks, playgrounds, utility poles, guard rails, public buildings, public right-of-ways, except the grass area between street curbs and sidewalks.
- Political posters or signs of any sort are not allowed on any utility poles or trees in the city when the poles or trees are owned by the city or on public property, public right-of-way or easement.
- No sign shall be maintained in a hazardous or unsafe condition.

## Signs exempt from permit in Greendale

- Incidental signs are permitted in any zoning district and do not require a permit.
- Gasoline pump signs are permitted in any zoning district and do not require a permit.
- Identification signs are permitted in any zoning district and do not require a permit.
- Signs that comply with §§ 156.45 through 156.48 (certain temporary signs) are permitted in any zoning district and do not require a permit.
- Signs erected, maintained, posted, owned or leased by the State, federal government, or the City are not regulated by this chapter.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- An application for a sign permit must include a site plan showing scale, north arrow, address, property lines, ingress/egress with traffic flow, location of buildings/structures, location and height of sign, dimensions, a drawing, and any other information required by the Code Enforcement Officer.
- All permanent signs (except those specifically exempted) require a sign permit, which includes submission of information listed above.
- There is no explicit mention in the provided text of a 'master sign plan' or a variance meeting specifically for signage; all new or altered (not maintenance) signage generally requires a sign permit application and approval process.

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

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