# Sign Regulations in Elk Rapids, Michigan

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Elk Rapids, Michigan (MI)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/michigan/elk-rapids
- **Data last verified:** 2025-05-07
- **Source:** [municode municipal code](https://library.municode.com/MI/Elk_Rapids/codes/Code_of_Ordinances?nodeId=COOR_CH16HEPUWE_ARTIISMTOREPR_S16-22PRSPARPOSINORE)

## At a glance

Elk Rapids, Michigan regulates 8 sign types across 6 zoning districts. Ground Signs in the B-1 Local Business District (B-1) zoning district are capped at 6 ft tall and 20 sq ft, with a 10 ft from right-of-way and all property lines setback (Sec. Sec. 44-230(f) - Table: Ground Sign Standards (B-1)). Most commercial signs in Elk Rapids 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 Residential District (R-1), R-2 Single-Family Residential District (R-2), R-3 Single-Family Residential District (R-3) | 3 | 6 ft | 25 sq ft (non-residential uses, not including home occupations and short term rentals) | — |
| RM-L Multifamily Low Density District (RM-L), RM-H Multifamily High Density District (RM-H), RM-MH Mobile Home District (RM-MH) | 3 | 6 ft | 25 sq ft | — |
| B-1 Local Business District (B-1) | 6 | 12 ft | 24 sq ft | — |
| B-2 Central Business District (B-2) | 5 | 12 ft | 24 sq ft | — |
| B-3 Commercial Business District (B-3), I-1 Light Industrial District (I-1), P-1 Public Lands District (P-1) | 5 | 12 ft | 32 sq ft | — |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 2 | 48 inches | 6 sq ft | — |

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

### B-1 Local Business District (B-1)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Ground Sign | 6 ft | 20 sq ft | — | 10 ft from right-of-way and all property lines | 1 per parcel or 1 per street frontage | — | — | Sec. 44-230(f) - Table: Ground Sign Standards (B-1) |
| Wall Sign | Not to extend above wall | — | — | — | Up to max area allowed | Only on a wall which faces onto a street or alley. | — | Sec. 44-230(f) - Table: Wall Sign Standards (B-1) |
| Projecting Sign | 12 ft | — | — | — | 1 per commercial entrance | Mounted to building wall, projects perpendicularly up to 4 ft beyond property line/wall plane | — | Sec. 44-230(f) - Table: Projecting Sign Standards (B-1) |
| Awning/Canopy/Marquee Sign | 12 ft | — | — | — | 1 per business | First floor, centered over architectural features; can encroach 4 ft into right-of-way with 6 ft setback from curb | — | Sec. 44-230(f) - Table: Awning/Canopy/Marquee Sign Standards (B-1); Sec. 44-230(h)(2-3) |
| Temporary Sign | 4 ft | 24 sq ft | — | — | Up to max area allowed | — | — | Sec. 44-230(f) - Table: Temporary Sign Standards (B-1) |
| Changeable Sign | 6 ft | 20 sq ft | — | — | 1 per parcel | — | — | Sec. 44-230(f) - Table: Changeable Sign Standards (B-1) |

### B-2 Central Business District (B-2)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Ground Sign | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Sec. 44-230(f) - Table: Ground Sign Standards (B-2) |
| Wall Sign | Not to extend above wall | — | — | — | Up to max area allowed | Only on a wall which faces onto a street or alley. | — | Sec. 44-230(f) - Table: Wall Sign Standards (B-2) |
| Projecting Sign | 12 ft | — | — | — | 1 per commercial entrance | Mounted to building wall, projects perpendicularly up to 4 ft beyond property line/wall plane | — | Sec. 44-230(f) - Table: Projecting Sign Standards (B-2) |
| Awning/Canopy/Marquee Sign | 12 ft | — | — | — | 1 per business | First floor, centered over architectural features; can encroach 4 ft into right-of-way with 6 ft setback from curb | — | Sec. 44-230(f) - Table: Awning/Canopy/Marquee Sign Standards (B-2); Sec. 44-230(h)(2-3) |
| Temporary Sign | 4 ft | 24 sq ft | — | — | Up to max area allowed | — | — | Sec. 44-230(f) - Table: Temporary Sign Standards (B-2) |

### B-3 Commercial Business District (B-3), I-1 Light Industrial District (I-1), P-1 Public Lands District (P-1)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Ground Sign | 6 ft | 32 sq ft | — | 10 ft from right-of-way and all property lines | 1 per parcel or 1 per street frontage | — | — | Sec. 44-230(f) - Table: Ground Sign Standards (B-3/I-1/P-1) |
| Wall Sign | Not to extend above wall | — | — | — | Up to max area allowed | Only on a wall which faces onto a street or alley. | — | Sec. 44-230(f) - Table: Wall Sign Standards (B-3/I-1/P-1) |
| Projecting Sign | 12 ft | — | — | — | 1 per commercial entrance | Mounted to building wall, projects perpendicularly up to 4 ft beyond property line/wall plane | — | Sec. 44-230(f) - Table: Projecting Sign Standards (B-3/I-1/P-1) |
| Awning/Canopy/Marquee Sign | 12 ft | — | — | — | 1 per business | First floor, centered over architectural features; can encroach 4 ft into right-of-way with 6 ft setback from curb | — | Sec. 44-230(f) - Table: Awning/Canopy/Marquee Sign Standards (B-3/I-1/P-1); Sec. 44-230(h)(2-3) |
| Temporary Sign | 4 ft | 24 sq ft | — | — | Up to max area allowed | — | — | Sec. 44-230(f) - Table: Temporary Sign Standards (B-3/I-1/P-1) |

## Prohibited signs in Elk Rapids

- Signs which are not consistent with the standards of this chapter.
- Signs that are not safe, or securely affixed to the support structure.
- Signs which appear to attempt to regulate, warn, or direct the movement of traffic on public thoroughfares or which interfere with or resemble any official traffic sign, signal, or device.
- Revolving, moving, or flashing signs.
- Signs other than utility company signs affixed to power utility poles or other utility structures or fixtures.
- Signs located so as to interfere with the view necessary for motorists to proceed safely through intersections or to enter onto or exit from public streets or private roads.
- Signs, except those established, maintained or approved by municipal, county, state, or federal governments, located in, projecting into, or overhead within a public right-of-way or dedicated public easement.
- Signs that project above the maximum height limitations of the zoning district in which they are located.
- Ground signs in excess of ten feet in height with the exception of billboards pursuant to subsection (h)(6) and (10) of section 44-230.
- Roof signs.

## Signs exempt from permit in Elk Rapids

- Signs erected by, on behalf of, or pursuant to the authorization of a governmental body, including legal notices, identification, and information signs or historical markers and traffic, directional, and regulatory signs.
- Official signs erected by public utilities.
- Flags, pennants and banners.
- Integral decorative or architectural features of buildings or works of art.
- Incidental signs associated with a principal structure that are necessary for public safety, health and welfare.
- Window signs visible from outdoors (explicitly not regulated by this section).
- Temporary signs conforming to the specific requirements in section 44-230(e)(6) (permit not required).

## Sign plan & submission notes

- Multiple businesses on one or more lots shall utilize a business center sign rather than individual ground signs.
- Ground signs for planned shopping centers shall be designed as an integral part of the development.
- Signs identifying individual businesses shall be placed on the building or business.
- Only signs that identify the shopping center or are directional in nature shall be allowed adjacent to the public roadway.
- Approval of decorative light fixtures as alternatives to fully shielded fixtures may be permitted by the planning commission (section 44-228).
- Portable sign permits shall be renewed annually by application.
- For tourist oriented directional signs (TODS), the operator must submit the application for review by the planning commission.
- Approval of a landscaping plan is required before site plan approval is granted for uses that require site plan review, and the landscaping plan must show conformance with sign requirements (section 44-229, ref to signable area and sign regulations).
- Site plan review and approval is required for development projects with signs as a component (implied by site plan requirements, landscaping requirements, and references to integrating signs with the site).
- The issuance of a sign permit only assures the applicant that the sign meets the requirements of this chapter; property owner or applicant must also obtain all other necessary permissions and meet other jurisdictional requirements.

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

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