# Sign Regulations in Blissfield, Michigan

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Blissfield, Michigan (MI)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/michigan/blissfield
- **Data last verified:** 2025-05-07
- **Source:** [municode municipal code](https://library.municode.com/MI/Blissfield/codes/Compilation-General_and_Zoning?nodeId=PT216_216.000ZOORORAU271990_ARTXIVOUSIRE)

## At a glance

Blissfield, Michigan regulates 15 sign types across 6 zoning districts. Freestanding Signs in the Central Business District (C-2) zoning district are capped at 12 ft at property line (maximum 20 ft or building height with setback bonus, whichever is greater) tall and 25 sq ft per side, 50 sq ft total (maximum 50 sq ft per side, 100 sq ft total with setback bonus), with a At property line; for additional height/area, increase setback by 1 ft for each 1 ft increase setback (Sec. Sec. 14.04(2)). Most commercial signs in Blissfield require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (6 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Central Business District (C-2) | 11 | 12 ft at property line (maximum 20 ft or building height with setback bonus, whichever is greater) | 40 sq ft or 10% of wall surface, whichever is greater | — |
| Local Commercial (C-1), General Commercial (C-3), Industrial (I-1), Heavy Industrial (I-2), Office, Research, and Industrial (O/R/I) | 12 | 20 ft at 10 ft setback (maximum 25 ft or building height with further setback, whichever is greater) | 50 sq ft per side, 100 sq ft total (maximum 80 sq ft per side, 160 sq ft total with setback bonus) | — |
| Mixed Use District | 10 | 12 ft | 40 sq ft or 10% wall surface | — |
| Public lands (PL) | 5 | 12 ft | 32 sq ft per side | — |
| Special Land Uses (churches, public buildings, professional offices, cemeteries, parks, private and public schools, child care centers, swimming pool clubs, private recreation areas and institutional or community recreation centers, golf courses, colleges, universities and other institutions of higher learning, hospitals, convalescent and/or nursing homes, bed and breakfast, and Village limit signs) | 10 | 12 ft | 40 sq ft or 10% wall surface | — |
| Single-Family Residential Subdivision Developments, Manufactured Home Parks, Planned Residential Unit Developments, Multiple Family Developments, Housing for the Elderly | 6 | 6 ft at 10 ft setback | 32 sq ft per side | — |

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements (sample of 3 of 6 zones)

### Central Business District (C-2)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Freestanding Sign | 12 ft at property line (maximum 20 ft or building height with setback bonus, whichever is greater) | 25 sq ft per side, 50 sq ft total (maximum 50 sq ft per side, 100 sq ft total with setback bonus) | — | At property line; for additional height/area, increase setback by 1 ft for each 1 ft increase | 1 per business premises | May be located at property line but may not project into public right-of-way | — | Sec. 14.04(2) |
| Wall Sign (Front Public Street Frontage) | — | 40 sq ft or 10% of wall surface, whichever is greater | — | — | 1 per tenant | Affixed parallel to the wall on exterior wall of building fronting a public street | — | Sec. 14.05(2)(a)(1) |
| Wall Sign (Second Public Street Frontage) | — | 30 sq ft or 10% of wall surface, whichever is greater | — | — | 1 per tenant | Affixed parallel to wall on building frontage on second public street right-of-way | — | Sec. 14.05(2)(a)(2) |
| Wall Sign (Other Surfaces) | — | 12 sq ft | — | — | 1 per other exposed building surface | On any other exposed building surface not fronting public street | — | Sec. 14.05(2)(a)(3) |
| Marquee (Bracket) Sign | — | See Wall Sign (40 sq ft or 10% of wall, front; 30 sq ft or 10% of wall, second frontage; 12 sq ft, other surfaces) | — | — | Same as wall sign | Attached to a marquee, canopy, or projection extending from building | — | Sec. 14.06 |
| Portable Temporary Sign | 6 ft | 32 sq ft per side | — | — | — | — | — | Sec. 14.08(2)(a-d) |
| Temporary Yard Sign | 12 ft | 20 sq ft | — | — | 2 per street frontage | Private property only | — | Sec. 14.08(1)(a) |
| Special Event Sign / Advertising Device | — | 32 sq ft | — | Searchlights: 50 ft from property line; Balloons: Setback 1 ft per foot of height | 1 balloon per event | — | — | Sec. 14.08(3) |

### Local Commercial (C-1), General Commercial (C-3), Industrial (I-1), Heavy Industrial (I-2), Office, Research, and Industrial (O/R/I)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Freestanding Sign | 20 ft at 10 ft setback (maximum 25 ft or building height with further setback, whichever is greater) | 50 sq ft per side, 100 sq ft total (maximum 80 sq ft per side, 160 sq ft total with setback bonus) | — | Min 10 ft from property line; additional height/area for greater setback | 1 per business premises | No closer than 10 ft from property line | — | Sec. 14.04(3) |
| Wall Sign (Front Public Street Frontage) | — | 40 sq ft or 10% wall surface, whichever greater | — | — | 1 per tenant | Affixed parallel to building wall (front public street) | — | Sec. 14.05(3)(a)(1) |
| Wall Sign (Second Public Street Frontage) | — | 30 sq ft or 10% wall surface, whichever greater | — | — | 1 per tenant | Affixed parallel to building wall (second public street) | — | Sec. 14.05(3)(a)(2) |
| Wall Sign (Other Surfaces) | — | 12 sq ft | — | — | 1 per surface | Exposed building surface not fronting street | — | Sec. 14.05(3)(a)(3) |
| Marquee (Bracket) Sign | — | See wall sign maximums above | — | — | Same as wall sign | Attached to marquee, canopy, or projection | — | Sec. 14.06 |
| Temporary Yard Sign | 12 ft | 20 sq ft | — | — | 2 per street frontage | Private property only | — | Sec. 14.08(1)(a) |
| Special Event Sign / Advertising Device | — | 32 sq ft | — | Searchlights: 50 ft from property line; Balloons: Setback 1 ft per foot of height | 1 balloon per event | — | — | Sec. 14.08(3) |
| Digital Message Sign | — | 24 sq ft per side message area (for digital portion) | — | — | 1 per commercial message board | Only in US-223 corridor (as described in Sec. 14.04(6)); only as part of monument freestanding sign | — | Sec. 14.04(6) |

### Mixed Use District

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Post and Arm Sign | 6 ft at 10 ft setback | 20 sq ft per face | — | 10 ft from property line | 1 per business premises | Freestanding, post and arm, at least 10 ft from property line | — | Sec. 14.04(7)(d) |
| Monument Sign | 6 ft at 10 ft setback | 20 sq ft per sign face (+12 sq ft changeable message board allowed) | — | 10 ft from property line | 1 per business premises | Freestanding monument, 10 ft from property line | — | Sec. 14.04(7)(e) |
| Wall Sign (Front Public Street Frontage) | — | 40 sq ft or 10% wall surface | — | — | 1 per tenant | Affixed to exterior wall fronting public street | — | Sec. 14.05(4)(a)(1) |
| Wall Sign (Second Public Street Frontage) | — | 30 sq ft or 10% wall surface | — | — | 1 per tenant | Affixed to exterior wall fronting second public street | — | Sec. 14.05(4)(a)(2) |
| Wall Sign (Other Surfaces) | — | 12 sq ft | — | — | 1 per surface | On any exposed building surface not fronting public street | — | Sec. 14.05(4)(a)(3) |
| Marquee (Bracket) Sign | — | See wall sign restrictions | — | — | As wall sign | Attached to marquee/canopy/projection | — | Sec. 14.06 |
| Temporary Yard Sign | 12 ft | 20 sq ft | — | — | 2 per street frontage | Private property only | — | Sec. 14.08(1)(a) |
| Special Event Sign / Advertising Device | — | 32 sq ft | — | Searchlights: 50 ft from property line; Balloons: 1 ft per ft height | 1 balloon per event | — | — | Sec. 14.08(3) |

## Prohibited signs in Blissfield

- No sign shall be placed so as to conceal or obscure other signs or adjacent businesses.
- No sign shall be erected, relocated or maintained so as to prevent free ingress to or egress from any door, window or fire escape or prevent ventilation.
- All signs shall be placed to not interfere with visibility or effectiveness of any official traffic sign or signal, or with driver vision at any access point or intersection.
- No sign or other structure shall impede vision in the designated visibility triangle at intersections (between 2.5 ft and 10 ft above grade within 25 ft of intersection corners).
- No sign shall be illuminated by other than electrical means and all wiring must meet Village Electrical Codes.
- Light from illuminated signs must be shielded so as not to shine on adjacent properties or onto public streets.
- Flashing, rotating, or moving lights on signs are prohibited, except for time and temperature signs; searchlights allowed only temporarily under certain sections.
- No part of a sign may have luminance greater than one foot candle measured at four feet perpendicular to any surface.
- All signs must be erected and maintained in compliance with all applicable building codes and more restrictive law shall govern in case of conflict.
- All signs must be designed, located, erected, and maintained to avoid hazard from collapse, fire, collision, decay, or abandonment.
- All signs must not obstruct firefighting or police surveillance.
- All signs must avoid creating traffic hazards via confusion, distraction, or impairing driver vision.
- Signs advertising businesses that have been out of existence for at least 120 days are expressly prohibited (with certain exceptions for permanently inscribed signs).
- No sign shall interfere with scenic views or be detrimental to land/property values, or create a nuisance to public right-of-way users, or adjacent occupants due to brightness, size, height, or movement.
- Any sign not listed as permitted in the ordinance is prohibited.
- Non-conforming signs may not be changed to another non-conforming sign, modified in shape/size/design, reestablished after more than 90 days of discontinued activity, or be repaired/re-erected if damaged beyond 50% of the replacement cost.

## Signs exempt from permit in Blissfield

- Nameplates and house numbers not exceeding two square feet in size; memorial signs or tablets up to six square feet; historical markers and cemetery stones (excluded from size limits).
- Directional signs indicating traffic flow, not exceeding two square feet, with no advertising; may be illuminated.
- Flags bearing the official design of a nation, state, municipality, educational institution, or service organization, provided size and height requirements are met.
- Article XIV does not apply to any signs located on a fence that is part of a baseball or softball field in Ellis Park, Bachmayer Memorial Playground, or O.W. Farver Memorial Park.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- A sign permit is required for all signs except temporary yard signs and changes of copy.
- Permit applications must include a site plan and elevation drawings of the proposed sign, as well as other structural and descriptive information.
- Permit application must follow procedures described in Section XV of the Zoning Ordinance.
- All signs must conform to the ordinance within five years of adoption or be granted variances as provided by the ordinance.

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

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