# Sign Regulations in Dysart, Iowa

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Dysart, Iowa (IA)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/iowa/dysart
- **Data last verified:** 2025-05-07
- **Source:** [municode municipal code](https://library.municode.com/IA/Dysart/codes/Code_of_Ordinances?nodeId=PTIGEOR_CH26TRVE_ARTIIADEN_DIV2TRCODE_S26-50NESI)

## At a glance

Dysart, Iowa regulates 10 sign types across 8 zoning districts. Wall Sign / Freestanding Sign (Business/Exterior Sign)s in the M-1 Light Industrial District, M-2 Heavy Industrial District zoning district are capped at 50 ft or four stories, whichever is less (M-1); No height limit except not to exceed nearest street centerline (M-2) tall, with a See general billboard regulations. setback (Sec. Sec. 109-13(4), Sec. 109-14(3), Sec. 109-19). Most commercial signs in Dysart require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (8 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| A-1 Agricultural District, U-1 Unclassified District | 1 | — | — | — |
| R-1 Residence District, R-2 Residence District, R-3 Residence District | 4 | — | 4 sq ft | — |
| R-M/d Planned Mobile Home District | 1 | — | — | — |
| C-1 Central Business District | 1 | 40% of building height above roofline, but not to exceed 20 ft above roof line; for buildings <40 ft in height, max height above roof line for sign: 16 ft | — | — |
| C-2 Commercial District | 1 | 50 ft above ground, or up to 16 ft above roof line, whichever is less | — | — |
| M-1 Light Industrial District, M-2 Heavy Industrial District | 1 | 50 ft or four stories, whichever is less (M-1); No height limit except not to exceed nearest street centerline (M-2) | — | — |
| P-D Planned Development District | 1 | — | — | — |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 1 | — | — | — |

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

### R-1 Residence District, R-2 Residence District, R-3 Residence District

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Freestanding Sign (Real Estate/For Sale Sign) | — | 4 sq ft | — | — | 1 | On premises being advertised. | — | Sec. 109-7(2)c, f; Sec. 109-8(2)d; Sec. 109-9(2)c |
| Wall Sign (Home Occupation) | — | 4 sq ft | — | — | 1 per home occupation | On premises, displayed on building or lot. | — | Sec. 109-7(2)g; Sec. 109-8(2)f; Sec. 109-9(2)e |
| Church Bulletin Board | — | — | — | — | 1 | On premises of church. | — | Sec. 109-7(2)d |
| Accessory Sign (Multi-Family, Hospital, Institutional Use - R-2 and R-3) | — | — | — | — | — | On property occupied by the use in question. | — | Sec. 109-8(2)b |

### R-M/d Planned Mobile Home District

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Freestanding Sign (Project Identification) | — | — | — | — | 1 | At entrance or within mobile home park. | — | Sec. 109-10(2)b |

### M-1 Light Industrial District, M-2 Heavy Industrial District

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Wall Sign / Freestanding Sign (Business/Exterior Sign) | 50 ft or four stories, whichever is less (M-1); No height limit except not to exceed nearest street centerline (M-2) | — | — | See general billboard regulations. | — | On building or property. | — | Sec. 109-13(4), Sec. 109-14(3), Sec. 109-19 |

## Prohibited signs in Dysart

- Obstructions are prohibited (Sec. 109-5(14)).
- No structure, fill, deposit, obstruction, storage of materials or equipment, channel alterations, or other uses shall be permitted which, acting alone or in combination with existing or proposed uses, adversely affects the efficiency of the floodway or unduly increases flood heights (Sec. 109-16(3)).
- No building or structure shall be erected, converted, enlarged, reconstructed, or structurally altered, nor shall any building or land be used, which does not comply with all of the district regulations established by this chapter for the district in which it is located (Sec. 109-5(1)).
- Objectionable planting or construction that interferes with an existing solar heat collection system is not permitted (Sec. 109-5(17)).
- No planting of trees or shrubs that overhang on adjacent property; all trees and shrubs should be set a minimum distance of three feet from the property line; no shrubbery or trees with thorns in excess of three-quarters inch in length or poisonous foliage, fruit, seedlings, etc.; shrubbery shall not exceed three feet in height; no trees or shrubs placed so as to be a traffic hazard (Sec. 109-5(18)).
- Outdoor advertising signs and billboards are prohibited facing the front or side lot line of any lot in any R district used for residential purposes within 100 feet of such lot lines, or which faces any public parkway, public square or entrance to any public park, school, church, cemetery, or similar institution, within 300 feet thereof. In the triangle formed by street intersections of less than 60 degrees and a line joining parts of such lines 100 feet distant from their point of intersection, no outdoor advertising sign or billboard shall be permitted (Sec. 109-19).

## Signs exempt from permit in Dysart

- Farms: No regulations or requirements adopted under extraterritorial zoning provisions shall be construed to apply to land, farm houses, farm barns, farm outbuildings or other structures used primarily for agricultural purposes while so used, except for regulations relating to structures in floodplains (Sec. 109-27(3)).
- All fences less than 42 inches in height are exempt from the payment of building permit fees (Sec. 109-22(2)).

## Sign plan & submission notes

- A plan for the use and development of the entire tract of land is required to be submitted for approval for Planned Mobile Home District (Sec. 109-10(4)), including the location of all buildings, recreational facilities, open space, access points, parking, etc.
- For the P-D Planned Development District, any tract of land comprising not less than five acres requires a plan for the use and development of the entire tract to be submitted to the council and planning/zoning commission; a plat of the development must be submitted (Sec. 109-15(1)-(2)).
- For substantial exterior remodels or new buildings in the Central Business District (C-1), designs including a separate drawing of the content of any signs must be presented to the planning and zoning commission for approval; construction may not begin until council approval (Sec. 109-11(5)g).
- For amendments to the P-D Planned Development District, proposed development plans must be attached to the petition for rezoning (Sec. 109-24(b)(5)).

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

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