# Sign Regulations in Le Mars, Iowa

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Le Mars, Iowa (IA)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/iowa/le-mars
- **Data last verified:** 2025-12-31
- **Source:** [amlegal municipal code](https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/lemarsia/latest/lemars_ia/0-0-0-3174)

## At a glance

Le Mars, Iowa regulates 21 sign types across 3 zoning districts. Temporary Real Estate Sign (Sale or Lease)s in the General Regulations For All Zones zoning district are capped at 12 sq ft, with a Minimum 10 ft from any lot line setback (Sec. §152.03(1); §152.13). Most commercial signs in Le Mars require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (3 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 10 | Bottom of sign must be at least 10 ft above grade | No single free-standing sign may exceed 400 sq ft total (all faces). | — |
| Business and Industrial Districts (B-1, B-2, B-3, I-1, I-2, I-3) | 9 | Bottom of sign must be at least 10 ft above grade | No single free-standing sign may exceed 400 sq ft total (all faces). | — |
| Residential Districts (R-1, R-1A, R-2) | 7 | — | 30 sq ft | — |

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements

### General Regulations For All Zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Temporary Real Estate Sign (Sale or Lease) | — | 12 sq ft | — | Minimum 10 ft from any lot line | — | On the property to which the sign refers | — | §152.03(1); §152.13 |
| Temporary Free-Standing Sign – Future Use or Development | — | 30 sq ft | — | — | — | On the property on which future use or development is advertised | — | §152.03(2); §152.13 |
| Church or Public Building Bulletin Board | — | 24 sq ft | — | — | — | On church or public building premises | — | §152.03(3); §152.13 |
| Traffic and Public Signs | — | — | — | — | — | As placed by the City or public authority | — | §152.03(4); §167.03(6) |
| Temporary Window Sign (Inside Show/Display Window) | — | 20% of window area (aggregate of temporary signs) | — | — | — | Inside show or display windows | — | §152.10 (second paragraph); §152.13 |
| Wall Sign – General Standards | — | — | — | — | — | Attached to and extending no more than 18 inches from the exterior wall of a building or structure | — | §152.05(1)-(2); §152.02(14) |
| Projecting Sign – General Standards | Bottom of sign must be at least 10 ft above grade | — | — | — | — | Attached to a building or structure and extends more than 18 inches from the wall | — | §152.06(1)-(2); §152.02(10) |
| Free-Standing Sign – General Standards | — | No single free-standing sign may exceed 400 sq ft total (all faces). | — | — | — | Supported by structure(s) affixed to ground, not supported by a building | — | §152.07; §152.02(7) |

### Business and Industrial Districts (B-1, B-2, B-3, I-1, I-2, I-3)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Roof Sign | — | Aggregate cap: 20% of building face area (roof+wall+projecting+canopy+awning signs combined) | — | — | — | On roof of building in the district | — | §152.04; §152.13 |
| Wall Sign | — | Aggregate cap: 20% of building face area (roof+wall+projecting+canopy+awning signs combined) | — | — | — | Attached to exterior wall of building | — | §152.04; §152.05(1)-(2); §152.13 |
| Projecting Sign | Bottom of sign must be at least 10 ft above grade | Aggregate cap: 20% of building face area (roof+wall+projecting+canopy+awning signs combined) | — | — | — | Attached to building, extending more than 18 inches from wall | — | §152.04; §152.06(1)-(2); §152.13 |
| Free-Standing Sign | — | No single free-standing sign may exceed 400 sq ft total (all faces). | — | — | Not more than one per each 100 ft of street frontage | On premises in business/industrial districts | — | §152.04 (one per 100 ft of street frontage; on-premises content); §152.07 (area and clearance); §152.13 |
| Canopy Sign | — | Aggregate cap: 20% of building face area (roof+wall+projecting+canopy+awning signs combined) | — | — | — | On canopy of building in the district | — | §152.04; §152.08; §152.13 |
| Awning Sign | — | Aggregate cap: 20% of building face area (roof+wall+projecting+canopy+awning signs combined) | — | — | — | On awning attached to exterior wall | — | §152.04; §152.02(2), §152.13 |
| Portable Sign (Business/Industrial) | — | 40 sq ft | — | — | 1 per property at any given time | On private property in business and industrial districts | — | §152.09(1)-(3); §152.13 |
| For Rent/For Lease Sign (New Buildings) | — | 48 sq ft | — | — | — | On commercial or industrial property for a new building | — | §152.03(2) (second sentence for commercial/industrial); §152.13 |

### Residential Districts (R-1, R-1A, R-2)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Temporary Real Estate Sign (Sale or Lease) | — | 12 sq ft | — | Minimum 10 ft from any lot line | — | On the property to which the sign refers | — | §152.03(1); §152.13 |
| Temporary Free-Standing Sign – Future Use or Development | — | 30 sq ft | — | — | — | On the property on which future use or development is advertised | — | §152.03(2); §152.13 |
| Church or Public Building Bulletin Board | — | 24 sq ft | — | — | — | On church or public building premises | — | §152.03(3); §152.13 |
| Traffic and Public Signs | — | — | — | — | — | As placed by the City or public authority | — | §152.03(4); §167.03(6) |
| Political Sign (Residential Zones) | — | 6 sq ft | — | — | — | On private property within residential zones | — | §152.03(5); §152.13 |
| Portable Sign (All Other Locations) | — | — | — | — | 1 allowed | On private property in residential districts (non-business/industrial locations) | — | §152.09(4) (other locations allowed with temporary permit); §152.09(2)-(3) (illumination and ROW/hazard restrictions); §152.13 |
| Temporary Window Sign (Inside Show/Display Window) | — | 20% of window area (aggregate of temporary signs) | — | — | — | Inside show or display windows | — | §152.10 (second paragraph); §152.13 |

## Prohibited signs in Le Mars

- Placing or erecting any sign without a valid sign permit issued by the Code Enforcement Officer is unlawful (152.13).
- Paper posters applied directly to a wall, building, pole, or other support are prohibited; letters or pictures in the form of advertising printed or applied directly on the wall of a building are prohibited (152.10).
- All new billboards are prohibited unless specifically designated by the City Council after determining it is in the City's best interests and conducting a public hearing (152.11).
- Any sign, including animated or changeable signs, whose blinking, flashing, color, location, or design resembles or conflicts with traffic control signs, devices, or emergency vehicles is prohibited (152.12).

## Signs exempt from permit in Le Mars

- Temporary on-premises real estate sale or lease signs allowed in all districts up to 12 sq ft, at least 10 ft from any lot line, and removed upon sale or lease (152.03(1)).
- Temporary free-standing signs advertising future use or development of the property on which they are located allowed in all districts up to 30 sq ft for no longer than six months; in commercial and industrial districts, For Rent/For Lease signs for new buildings may be up to 48 sq ft and not more than 90 days after building completion (152.03(2)).
- Church or public building bulletin boards allowed in all districts up to 24 sq ft (152.03(3)).
- Traffic and public signs allowed in all districts (152.03(4)).
- Political signs on private property allowed in all districts subject to limits: up to 6 sq ft in residential zones and up to 40 sq ft in business or industrial zones; may be displayed only during the 60 days preceding an election and must be removed within 10 days after the election, with primary winners permitted until not more than 10 days after the general election; not allowed in any public right-of-way (152.03(5)).
- Temporary signs may be displayed in or attached to the inside of show or display windows in any district provided the total sign area does not exceed 20% of the window area (152.10).

## Sign plan & submission notes

- No master sign plan or sign plan requirement is referenced in this chapter.
- A sign permit is required for any sign; temporary sign permits are valid for 30 consecutive days in any three-month period and not more than 90 days in any calendar year (152.13).
- The Zoning Board of Adjustment may grant variances from the requirements of 152.04 (business/industrial sign provisions) upon appeal from a Building Official decision where strict enforcement would cause undue hardship due to unique circumstances, if consistent with the spirit and intent of the zoning ordinances (152.04).
- New billboards can only be allowed if specifically designated by the City Council after a public hearing (152.11).
- For portable signs, placement must not be hazardous to traffic as determined by the Police Chief (152.09(3)).

## Full detail

Complete sign requirements for Le Mars, including every field PermitPal tracks for each sign type, are available with a free PermitPal account: https://app.permitpal.io/?address=Le+Mars+IA&override=true&utm_source=landing&utm_medium=city-page&utm_campaign=city-le-mars

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