# Sign Regulations in Harris Township, Indiana

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Harris Township, Indiana (IN)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/indiana/harris-township
- **Data last verified:** 2025-11-24
- **Source:** [municode municipal code](https://library.municode.com/in/st._joseph_county/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=TITXVLAUS_CH154PLZO_SIRE)

## At a glance

Harris Township, Indiana regulates 38 sign types across 8 zoning districts. Freestanding Sign - Residential Use (4 or fewer or Home Occ)s in the University District (U) zoning district are capped at 4 ft tall and 2 sq ft, with a 10 ft setback (Sec. § 154.378 Table 154-S2). Most commercial signs in Harris Township require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (8 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Single-Family District (R), Residential District (R-2) | 17 | 8 feet | 64 square feet for every 200 feet of street frontage or portion thereof | — |
| Agricultural District (A) | 18 | 15 feet | 64 sq ft per 200 ft frontage | — |
| Office/Buffer District (O/B), Office District (O) | 17 | 8 ft | 64 sq ft per 200 ft | — |
| University District (U) | 19 | 15 ft | 64 square feet | — |
| Business District (B), Commercial District (C) | 22 | 35 feet | 672 square feet (limited access/arterial); 300 sq ft other; +200 sq ft temp extensions | — |
| Industrial District (I) | 22 | 35 | 672/300 +200 | — |
| Historic Preservation District (HP) | 2 | 4 feet | 4 square feet | — |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 5 | 8 feet | 48 square feet | — |

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

### University District (U)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Roof Sign | 15 ft | — | 75% roof width | N/A | 1 | Roof | — | § 154.377(E) |
| Freestanding Sign - Residential Use (4 or fewer or Home Occ) | 4 ft | 2 sq ft | — | 10 ft | Unlimited | Site | — | § 154.378 Table 154-S2 |
| Freestanding Sign - Residential Use (5 or more) | 6 ft | 32 sq ft | — | 10 ft | Unlimited | Site | — | § 154.378 Table 154-S2 |
| Freestanding Monument Sign - Non-Res | 8 feet | 64 square feet | — | 10 ft | Unlimited | Ground | — | § 154.378 Table 154-S2, § 154.378(C) |
| Freestanding Pole Sign - Non-Res | 8 ft | 64 sq ft | — | 25 ft | Unlimited | Poles | — | § 154.378 Table 154-S2, § 154.378(D) |
| Freestanding Yard Sign - Non-Res | 8 ft | 64 sq ft | — | 10 ft | Unlimited | Posts | — | § 154.378 Table 154-S2, § 154.378(E) |
| Temporary Fence or Wall Wrap Sign | 8 ft | 64 sq ft per 200 ft | — | Per permanent | 2 | Fence | — | § 154.379 Table 154-S3 |
| Parking Lot Sign | 4 feet | 4 square feet | — | N/A | 2 per drive or 1 turn | Parking | — | § 154.373(11) |

### Business District (B), Commercial District (C)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Roof Sign | 15 ft | — | 75% width | N/A | 1 | Roof | — | § 154.377(E) |
| Freestanding Sign - Residential Use (4 or fewer or Home Occ) | 4 ft | 2 sq ft | — | 10 ft | 1 per frontage | Site | — | § 154.378 Table 154-S2 |
| Freestanding Sign - Residential Use (5 or more) | 6 ft | 32 sq ft | — | 10 ft | 1 per frontage | Site | — | § 154.378 Table 154-S2 |
| Freestanding Monument Sign - Non-Res | 15 ft (25 multi-tenant, 35 limited access) | 100 sq ft (140 multi-tenant <500 ft, 300 >500 ft) | — | 10 ft | 1 per frontage (add'l every 500 ft >500, min 100 ft sep) | Ground | — | § 154.378 Table 154-S2, § 154.378(C) |
| Freestanding Pole Sign - Non-Res | 15 ft (increases) | 100 sq ft (increases for multi) | — | 25 ft | 1 per (add'l) | Poles | — | § 154.378 Table 154-S2, § 154.378(D) |
| Freestanding Yard Sign - Non-Res | 15 ft | 100 sq ft | — | 10 ft | 1 per | Posts | — | § 154.378 Table 154-S2, § 154.378(E) |
| Freestanding Multi-Tenant Sign | 25 feet | 140 sq ft (<500 ft frontage), 300 sq ft (>500 ft) | — | 10 ft | 1 per 500 ft | For 3+ establishments | — | § 154.378(G) |
| Temporary Fence or Wall Wrap Sign | 8 ft | 64 sq ft per 200 ft | — | Per perm | 2 | Fence | — | § 154.379 Table 154-S3 |

### Industrial District (I)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Roof Sign | 15 ft | — | 75% | N/A | 1 | Roof | — | § 154.377(E) |
| Freestanding Sign - Residential Use (4 or fewer or Home Occ) | 4 ft | 2 sq ft | — | 10 ft | 1 | Site | — | § 154.378 Table 154-S2 |
| Freestanding Sign - Residential Use (5 or more) | 6 ft | 32 sq ft | — | 10 ft | 1 | Site | — | § 154.378 Table 154-S2 |
| Freestanding Monument Sign - Non-Res | 15 ft (increases) | 100 sq ft (increases multi) | — | 10 ft | 1 per (addl) | Ground | — | § 154.378 Table 154-S2, C |
| Freestanding Pole Sign - Non-Res | 15 | 100 | — | 25 ft | 1 | Poles | — | § 154.378 Table 154-S2, D |
| Freestanding Yard Sign - Non-Res | 15 | 100 | — | 10 ft | 1 | Posts | — | § 154.378 Table 154-S2, E |
| Freestanding Multi-Tenant Sign | 25 | 140/300 | — | 10 ft | Per frontage | Multi | — | § 154.378(G) |
| Temporary Fence or Wall Wrap Sign | 8 | 64 per 200 | — | Perm | 2 | Fence | — | § 154.379 Table 154-S3 |

## Prohibited signs in Harris Township

- Signs which interfere with, obstruct the view of, imitate, copy, purport to be, or may be confused with any authorized official sign, traffic sign, traffic signal, or traffic control device.
- Signs on portable trailer frames; and signs attached to or painted on a vehicle parked and visible from the public right-of-way, provided however, a vehicle which is used in the normal day-to-day operation of a business use shall not be considered a portable sign if the vehicle is parked beside or behind the building in which the use is located, or if the sign on the vehicle contains less than nine square feet in sign surface area.
- Signs or devices motivated by wind, thermal changes, or other environmental input, such as spinners, pinwheels, unsecured banner, pennant, streamers, balloons, air-inflated signs, or other wind-blown devices or displays that are designed to inform or attract attention, except for flags that conform with section 154.373.
- Signs attached to trees, street lights, or utility poles.
- Signs that bear or contain statements, words or pictures of an obscene, pornographic, immoral character, or which contain advertising matter which is untruthful or will offend public morals or decency.
- Any rotating beam, beacon, intermittent light, lights of changing colors, or degrees of intensity, or flashing illumination in connection with any sign surface, except as part of an electronic message center sign.
- Signs that feature facial recognition technology or any device that is used to obtain biometric data.
- No person shall damage, trim, destroy, or remove any required trees, shrubs, or other vegetation for the purpose of increasing or enhancing the visibility of any sign.
- No sign, other than signs placed by agencies of government with appropriate jurisdiction, or a sign whose placement is authorized by such agencies, may be erected or placed on public property, including rights-of-way.
- No signs may be installed in a way that obstructs free and clear vision, clear sight area per section 154.078, or free use of any public right-of-way, intersection, ingress or egress point, transit stop, parking space, drive aisle, driveway, building entrance, fire escape, or accessibility ramp.
- No sign may obstruct or substantially interfere with any window, door, fire escape, stairway, ladder, or opening intended to provide ingress or egress to any building.
- Any sign type not expressly allowed by this chapter is prohibited.

## Signs exempt from permit in Harris Township

- Address sign: A sign that identifies the address of a lot, structure, or establishment, provided it does not exceed two square feet in area for a property with only a residential use or four square feet in area for a property with non-residential uses.
- Authorized sign: Public signs and notices erected, authorized, or mandated by governmental authority under any law, statute, or ordinance.
- Architectural features: Signs which are architecturally integral to the building when carved into stone, concrete or similar material or made of bronze, aluminum, or other permanent type construction and made an integral part of the building.
- Campus signs: Signs that are located interior to a campus or open space provided such signs are not legible from the street.
- Flags: Up to six flags having a maximum combined area not to exceed 120 square feet are permitted. Each flag shall be attached to a flag pole which is permanently anchored to the ground or attached to the principal building or accessory structure.
- Fuel pump signs: A fuel pump sign that is attached to a fuel pump may not exceed two square feet in area per pump. Operational and payment instructions on the face of the pump are exempt from this limitation.
- Incidental signs: Non-illuminated signs not exceeding two square feet, provided there is no more than two per street frontage per lot.
- Menu boards: A menu board is a permanently mounted sign at a drive-through establishment. Menu boards are exempt if they meet the following conditions: (a) Menu boards shall only be permitted in conjunction with a permitted drive-through use; (b) A maximum of two menu boards is permitted per drive-through lane; and (c) A menu board may not exceed 48 square feet in area and eight feet in height above grade.
- Parking lot signs: Signs located in parking lots are exempt if they meet the following conditions: (a) No more than two signs per driveway or one sign per critical turning point; (b) In the R: single family district, R-2: residential district, O/B: office/buffer district, O: office district, and U: university district, signs shall not exceed four square feet in surface area and four feet in height; (c) In the A: agricultural district, B: business district, and C: commercial district, signs shall not exceed six square feet in surface area and four feet in height; (d) In the I: industrial district, signs shall not exceed eight square feet in surface area and four feet in height; and (e) All signs shall be non-illuminated.
- Sidewalk signs: A sidewalk sign includes two-sided, portable signs that are placed outside of an establishment, constructed in the form of an "A" or a similar tent-like shape, or attached to a post with a heavy base in the form of an inverted "T", and intended to be viewed from the sidewalk at close range, are exempt if they meet the following conditions: (a) A maximum of one sidewalk sign is permitted per establishment per street frontage; (b) Sidewalk signs shall not exceed ten square feet in sign surface area per side and four feet in height above grade; (c) A sidewalk sign may be placed outdoors on the premises or a public sidewalk during business hours only, and must be stored indoors at all other times; (d) The sign must not interfere with the ingress and egress points and must maintain a minimum of five feet of sidewalk clearance at all times; (e) A sidewalk sign may not be illuminated or contain any electronic components; and (f) A sidewalk sign may not be placed outdoors when high winds, heavy rain, or heavy snow conditions are present and may not interfere with any snow removal operations.
- Window signs: One window sign per non-residential use provided it does not exceed four square feet and is non-illuminated.
- Works of art: Three-dimensional works of art and two-dimensional works of art which are not used for advertising or promotion of a business, product, service, or commercial activity. Two-dimensional works of art shall not be located on the front facade of a building.

## 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 Harris Township — every sign type, every field — are available with a free PermitPal account: https://app.permitpal.io/?address=Harris+Township+IN&override=true&utm_source=landing&utm_medium=city-page&utm_campaign=city-harris-township

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