# Sign Regulations in Clare, Michigan

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Clare, Michigan (MI)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/michigan/clare
- **Data last verified:** 2025-05-07
- **Source:** [municode municipal code](https://library.municode.com/MI/Clare/codes/Code_of_Ordinances?nodeId=PTIICOOR_CH52ZO_ARTIXSI)

## At a glance

Clare, Michigan regulates 18 sign types across 6 zoning districts. Freestanding Signs in the Downtown Development District zoning district are capped at 6 feet from ground to top of sign/support structure tall, 25 sq ft (single face), 50 sq ft (double face), and 3 feet (signboard) wide, with a Building set back 10 feet from street required setback (Sec. Sec. 52-279(8)). Most commercial signs in Clare require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (6 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| R-1 Single-family district (R-1) | 5 | — | 20 square feet | — |
| R-2 Multiple-family district (R-2) | 5 | — | 20 square feet | — |
| I Industrial district (I) | 3 | 5 feet | — | — |
| IP Industrial park district (IP) | 2 | — | 12 square feet | — |
| Downtown Development District | 9 | 15 feet above sidewalk (cannot extend above base of 2nd floor windowsill, parapet, eave, or building facade) | 100 square feet | — |

_1 additional zoning district is covered in PermitPal (free account)._

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

### R-1 Single-family district (R-1)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Bulletin Board Sign (Church or School) | — | 12 square feet | — | Minimum 10 feet from property lines | 1 per church or school | Minimum 10 feet from all property lines | — | Sec. 52-142(4)a |
| Temporary Real Estate Sign | — | 8 square feet | — | 10 feet from street line if not flat against building | 1 per premises | Flat against building or at least 10 feet from any street line | — | Sec. 52-142(4)b |
| Wall Sign (Legal Nonconforming Use) | — | 20 square feet | — | — | 1 per legal nonconforming use | On premises of legal nonconforming use | — | Sec. 52-142(4)c |
| Yard Sale/One-day Event Sign | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Sec. 52-142(4)d |
| Political Sign or Poster | — | — | — | — | — | Within public right-of-way and on private property without approval | — | Sec. 52-142(4)e |

### R-2 Multiple-family district (R-2)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Bulletin Board Sign (Church or School) | — | 12 square feet | — | Minimum 10 feet from property lines | 1 per church or school | Minimum 10 feet from all property lines | — | Sec. 52-142(4)a, Sec. 52-162(2) |
| Temporary Real Estate Sign | — | 8 square feet | — | 10 feet from street line if not flat against building | 1 per premises | Flat against building or at least 10 feet from any street line | — | Sec. 52-142(4)b, Sec. 52-162(2) |
| Wall Sign (Legal Nonconforming Use) | — | 20 square feet | — | — | 1 per legal nonconforming use | On premises of legal nonconforming use | — | Sec. 52-142(4)c, Sec. 52-162(2) |
| Yard Sale/One-day Event Sign | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Sec. 52-142(4)d, Sec. 52-162(2) |
| Political Sign or Poster | — | — | — | — | — | Within public right-of-way and on private property without approval | — | Sec. 52-142(4)e, Sec. 52-162(2) |

### Downtown Development District

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Wall Sign | 15 feet above sidewalk (cannot extend above base of 2nd floor windowsill, parapet, eave, or building facade) | 100 square feet | — | — | 1 per business | Affixed to front facade, not extending more than 6 inches outward; not above roof or parapet by more than 1 foot | — | Sec. 52-279(2), (5) |
| Projecting Sign | — | 8 square feet | 3 feet | — | — | Perpendicular to building; outside edge not to extend more than 4 feet from building or 1/3 sidewalk width, whichever is less; not less than 8 feet from ground to lower edge | — | Sec. 52-279(3) |
| Freestanding Sign | 6 feet from ground to top of sign/support structure | 25 sq ft (single face), 50 sq ft (double face) | 3 feet (signboard) | Building set back 10 feet from street required | 1 per building | Building must be at least 10 feet back from street line | — | Sec. 52-279(8) |
| Painted Window or Door Sign | — | 4 square feet OR 20% of the window/door area, whichever is less | — | — | 1 per business | Painted on window or door (one per business) | — | Sec. 52-279(6) |
| Awning Sign | — | 10 square feet if main sign, 4 sq ft if auxiliary | — | — | Up to 2 (if both auxiliary; main awning sign not in addition to wall sign) | On awning or canvas valance | — | Sec. 52-279(7) |
| Sandwich Board Sign | 5 feet | 5 square feet (single-sided) | 3 feet | Not within 20 feet of another sandwich board | 1 per business | Within 4 feet of main entrance, must not interfere with pedestrian or vehicular circulation, not within 20 feet of another sandwich board | — | Sec. 52-279(12)b |
| Directional Sign | — | 4 square feet | — | — | 1 per business | Facing rear parking lot; may be wall-mounted, projecting, or freestanding | — | Sec. 52-279(11) |
| Service Entry Sign | — | 2 square feet | — | — | 1 per service entrance | At service entrance | — | Sec. 52-279(10) |

## Prohibited signs in Clare

- No sign shall be constructed, erected or displayed within any public right-of-way, upon any public land, ground or building, or upon any public utility apparatus or structure within the city without the specific permission and approval of the city planning commission.
- Off-premises signs are prohibited in the I Industrial District unless approved by the city planning commission and/or except as outlined under section 52-142(4).
- All off-premises signs, including real estate signs, are prohibited within city rights-of-way, unless approved by the city manager (section 52-142(4)d).
- No wall, fence, structure, sign, tree, shrub or hedge may be maintained as to cause danger to traffic by obstructing the view (Sec. 52-111).
- No sign shall be erected within a distance of ten feet measured horizontally from any fire hydrant, traffic light or street lighting poles, nor shall any sign be erected in any location where, by reason of traffic conditions, fire or explosion hazards, it would imperil public safety or interfere with the function of the fire department (Sec. 52-279(1)b).
- Signs shall be prohibited from extending, in any manner, into or over public rights-of-way traveled, or intended for use by motorized vehicles. (Sec. 52-279(1)c), except as allowed for projecting/canopy signs or municipal banners with special approval.
- No wall, canopy or projecting sign shall extend above the roof or parapet of the structure to which it is attached by more than one foot (Sec. 52-279(1)e).
- Applied plastic letters shall not be permitted for sign lettering (Sec. 52-279(4)).
- Internally illuminated awning signs are prohibited (Sec. 52-279(7)e).
- Neon signs are not allowed (Sec. 52-279(13)f).
- Signs shall not interfere with door and window openings, conceal architectural details or obscure the composition of the façade (Sec. 52-279(13)b).
- Temporary signage shall be removed when in disrepair (Sec. 52-279(13)h).

## Signs exempt from permit in Clare

- Political handbills are excluded from the requirement to obtain permission from the city manager prior to being posted; however, removal within one week of the political election or event is required (Sec. 52-120(4)).
- Political signs and posters associated with elections and election campaigns may be erected within public rights-of-way and on private property without approval; must be removed within one week after the scheduled election/political event (Sec. 52-142(4)e).

## Sign plan & submission notes

- Before a building permit for a DDA parcel will be issued, the owner and/or builder must submit a detailed site plan showing the location of all buildings, improvements, signage, walls or fencing, lighting and landscaping for review and comment by the downtown development authority/main street board (Sec. 52-278(a)).
- The downtown development authority/main street board issues its recommendation and report to the city planning commission for its use in evaluating the site plan, which includes signage, prior to permit approval (Sec. 52-278(d)).
- Sign review and approval is required by the City of Clare for all users in downtown Clare in accordance with the City of Clare Zoning Ordinance article IX, Signs, as well as the specific requirements in Sec. 52-279.
- In the I Industrial District, the administrative process for approval of signs within the public right-of-way is in accordance with the site plan application process outlined in article VII (Sec. 52-245(1)).
- For signs in the IP Industrial Park, before any sign shall be erected, the industrial development corporation shall review the sign design and provide a recommendation for approval of the sign to the city (Sec. 52-274(e)).

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

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