# Sign Regulations in Princeton, Indiana

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Princeton, Indiana (IN)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/indiana/princeton
- **Data last verified:** 2025-05-08
- **Source:** [municode municipal code](https://library.municode.com/IN/Princeton/codes/Code_of_Ordinances?nodeId=CO_CH13MOVETR_ARTIIISTSTPA_DIV1GE_S13-50UNSI)

## At a glance

Princeton, Indiana regulates 16 sign types across 9 zoning districts. Outdoor Advertising Sign (Billboard)s in the Highway Business District (HB) zoning district are capped at 1,000 sq. ft. and 25 ft (width), 60 ft (length) wide, with a See sign setback table; minimum billboard setbacks setback (Sec. Sec. 6.29.E). Most commercial signs in Princeton require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (9 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 4 | — | Up to 50 sq. ft. for public interest event signs. Other portable signs: see specific use. | — |
| Suburban Residential (SR), Low Density Residential (R4), Medium Density Residential (R8), High Density Residential (R32), Mobile Home Park (RMH), Agricultural District (AG) | 4 | — | 12 sq. ft. per sign, or up to 30 sq. ft. if adjacent street speed exceeds 40 mph | — |
| Local Business District (LB) | 1 | — | 12 sq. ft. per sign | — |
| General Business District (GB), Central Business District (CB) | 1 | — | 40 sq. ft. per sign | — |
| Highway Business District (HB) | 2 | — | 1,000 sq. ft. | — |
| Professional, Research, Office District (PRO) | 1 | — | Not specifically set (use general sign rule: 32 sq. ft. max unless conditional use) | — |
| Light Manufacturing District (M-1), Heavy Manufacturing District (M-2) | 2 | — | 1,000 sq. ft. | — |
| Open Space District (OS) | 1 | — | — | — |
| Planned Unit Development (PUD) | 1 | — | — | — |

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

### General Regulations For All Zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Sign - Exempt | — | 1 sq. ft. (property numbers/home occupation) | — | — | — | On private property, as described | — | Sec. 6.29.C |
| Portable Sign | — | Up to 50 sq. ft. for public interest event signs. Other portable signs: see specific use. | — | — | 1 per event or unit (event/sale/rent use) | On premises; for public interest events or temporary replacement during construction | — | Sec. 6.29.C-D |
| General Freestanding or Wall Sign | — | — | — | See table (min. 2' @≤5 sq. ft.; 10' @5.1-14.9 sq. ft.; 20' @15-49.9 sq. ft.; 30' @50-99.9 sq. ft.; 60' @100+ sq. ft.) | — | On-premises, respecting setbacks | — | Sec. 6.29.D |
| Real Estate Sign | — | Up to 8 sq. ft. per side (Residential/AG) or 12 sq. ft. for each dwelling/unit for rental/sale | — | See general sign setback | 1 per applicable unit/parcel | On property being sold/leased | — | Sec. 6.29.C-D, Sec. 6.11.A.2.d, Sec. 6.26.C.1.d |

### Suburban Residential (SR), Low Density Residential (R4), Medium Density Residential (R8), High Density Residential (R32), Mobile Home Park (RMH), Agricultural District (AG)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Wall/Freestanding Sign (Home Occupation/Personal ID) | — | 2 sq. ft. per side | — | — | See street frontage (generally one per use per street frontage; multi-family: one per 500 ft street frontage) | On principal structure or property (not projecting beyond lot line) | — | Sec. 6.11.A.2, Sec. 6.26.C.1.d, Sec. 6.29.D.3 |
| Freestanding Sign (Nonresidential/Institutional in Residential/AG zone) | — | 12 sq. ft. per sign, or up to 30 sq. ft. if adjacent street speed exceeds 40 mph | — | See general sign setback | 1 per street frontage (more for property >500 ft frontage; see citation) | On property of permitted institution, not projecting beyond lot line or into required yard. | — | Sec. 6.29.D.3b/c |
| Freestanding Sign (Multi-Family Residential in Residential/AG zone) | — | 9 sq. ft. per sign | — | — | 1 per street frontage or per 500 ft | On multi-family property (identification) | — | Sec. 6.29.D.3a |
| Bulletin Board/ID Sign (Other Nonresidential Residential/AG Use) | — | 12 sq. ft. (30 sq. ft. if abutting street >40 mph) | — | — | 1 per street frontage (with one additional per 500 ft extended frontage) | On premises only | — | Sec. 6.29.D.3b |

### Highway Business District (HB)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Business Use Sign (Wall or Freestanding) | — | 60 sq. ft. per sign | — | General sign setback applies; not to exceed district structure height limit. | 3 per business/use | On premises | — | Sec. 6.29.D.4, sign area table |
| Outdoor Advertising Sign (Billboard) | — | 1,000 sq. ft. | 25 ft (width), 60 ft (length) | See sign setback table; minimum billboard setbacks | As per separation/spacing rules | On-premises, or off-premises for advertising unrelated to activity | — | Sec. 6.29.E |

## Prohibited signs in Princeton

- No sign shall be erected or maintained at any location where, by reason of its position, wording, illumination, size, shape, or color, it may obstruct, impair, obscure, interfere with the view of, or be confused with any authorized traffic control sign, signal, or device.
- No sign shall contain or make use of any phrase, symbol, shape, form, or character in such a manner as to interfere with, mislead, or confuse moving traffic.
- No exterior sign shall be permitted to display flashing, intermittent, revolving, rotating or animated lighting or illumination, nor any illumination which simulates or displays motion.
- Portable signs are prohibited, except as specifically permitted under certain conditions.
- Signs shall not contain information or advertising for any product not sold or produced on the premises.
- All signs not expressly exempted or permitted by this section are prohibited.
- No sign shall project beyond a lot line to obstruct in any way a driver's vision of the road or hinder his passage in any way.
- No sign shall be placed so as to hinder or obstruct any pedestrian path.
- No part of any freestanding sign shall be erected to a height greater than that specified for other structures in the district in which the sign is located; rooftop sign structures shall not extend more than six feet above the roof line nor shall such sign structures extend beyond or overhang any exterior wall of the building upon which they are secured.
- No freestanding sign shall be erected or maintained on or within any easement or right-of-way, public or private, without special written permission.
- No illuminated sign shall be permitted within fifty feet of property in any residential district unless the illumination of such sign is designed so that it does not reflect or shine light onto such property.
- No part of any sign which is attached to the exterior wall of a building shall be erected to a height in excess of six feet above the roof or parapet line of such building.
- No sign shall project over a lot line and no sign shall project into a required yard by more than two feet.
- No outdoor advertising sign (billboard) shall be permitted if located within five hundred feet of land that is in residential use or is zoned SR, R-4, R-8, R-32, and PRO.
- No outdoor advertising sign shall be permitted except in HB, AG, M-1, and M-2 districts and as authorized by the ordinance.
- No outdoor advertising sign may be located adjacent to or within five hundred feet of an interchange, at-grade intersection, or rest area as measured from the right-of-way line.
- No outdoor advertising sign structure shall contain more than two facings, and no facing shall display more than two signs.
- No sign shall be larger than specified maximum area for its district, unless permitted as a conditional use.
- No sign shall be illuminated unless allowed by the underlying zoning or specific exception.
- All signs should always be properly maintained.

## Signs exempt from permit in Princeton

- Signs not exceeding one square foot in area and bearing only property numbers, post box numbers, names of occupants of premises or home occupation.
- Flags and insignia of any government.
- Legal notices, identification information, or directional signs erected by or by order of governmental bodies.
- Integral decorative or architectural features of buildings, except letters, trademarks, logos, moving parts or moving lights.
- Signs directing and guiding traffic and parking on private property, but bearing no advertising matter, including logos.
- Signs located at a public owned recreation or athletic facility where advertisement is placed on areas that are part of the facility (i.e., scoreboard, fences, etc.), and the advertisement is visible only to the participants or spectators at the facility and may not be seen by the general public passing by or living in the area surrounded by the facility.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- Plan commission approval may be required for development plans of parks, playgrounds, and recreation areas (see residential district sections).
- Signs not permitted by this section may be treated as variances with final determination by the city board of zoning appeals.
- In Planned Unit Developments (PUD), a preliminary site plan must be submitted to the board of zoning appeals and to the plan commission, with steps for approval and review, which may include signage as an element of the site plan.
- All outdoor advertising signs require a permit and payment of a fee; an additional review for signs over 32 square feet.
- Requests for issuance of signs not permitted by this section shall be treated as variances with final determination by the city board of zoning appeals.
- A master sign plan requirement is not explicitly referenced, but for developments such as PUD or certain conditional uses, full project/site plan submittals reviewed by the plan commission would necessarily include signage layouts subject to commission 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 Princeton — every sign type, every field — are available with a free PermitPal account: https://app.permitpal.io/?address=Princeton+IN&override=true&utm_source=landing&utm_medium=city-page&utm_campaign=city-princeton

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