# Sign Regulations in Goodrich, Michigan

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Goodrich, Michigan (MI)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/michigan/goodrich
- **Data last verified:** 2025-05-08
- **Source:** [municode municipal code](https://library.municode.com/MI/Goodrich/codes/Code_of_Ordinances?nodeId=PTIICOOR_CH36ZO_ARTVIIISI)

## At a glance

Goodrich, Michigan regulates 32 sign types across 6 zoning districts. Construction Signs in the VLDR Residential, LDR Residential, VCR Residential, MDR Residential zoning district are capped at 6 ft. tall and 16 sq. ft., with a Must be outside public street right-of-way. setback (Sec. Sec. 36-823(5), Table 18.6). Most commercial signs in Goodrich require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (6 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| VLDR Residential, LDR Residential, VCR Residential, MDR Residential | 15 | 6 ft. | 32 sq. ft. cumulative per lot | — |
| Central Business District (CBD) | 8 | 42 in | 20 sq. ft. | — |
| Office-Service District | 5 | 15 ft. | 40 sq. ft. | — |
| General Business District (GBD) | 10 | 36 in. | 100 sq. ft. | — |
| Industrial District | 4 | 4 ft. | 24 sq. ft. | — |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 1 | — | — | — |

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

### VLDR Residential, LDR Residential, VCR Residential, MDR Residential

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Nameplate and Address Sign | — | 2 sq. ft. | — | Must be outside public street right-of-way. | — | Attached to mailbox, light fixture, or exterior wall. | — | Sec. 36-823(1), Table 18.6 |
| Home Occupation Identification Sign | — | 1 sq. ft. | — | Must be outside public street right-of-way. | 1 per parcel | Attached to exterior building wall. | — | Sec. 36-823(3), Table 18.6 |
| Non-profit Organization/Institution Sign | 6 ft. | 25 sq. ft. | — | Must be outside public street right-of-way. | — | — | — | Sec. 36-823(4), Table 18.6 |
| Construction Sign | 6 ft. | 16 sq. ft. | — | Must be outside public street right-of-way. | 1 per project | — | — | Sec. 36-823(5), Table 18.6 |
| Garage Sale / Estate Sale Sign | — | 6 sq. ft. | — | Must be outside public street right-of-way. | 1 per premises | On-premises only, entirely on private property. | — | Sec. 36-823(6), Table 18.6 |
| Vending Machine/Gas Pump/Ice Container Signs | — | 2 sq. ft. | — | — | 1 per machine | On vending machine, gas pump, or ice container. | — | Sec. 36-823(9)-(10), Table 18.6 |
| Identification of Residential Community | 6 ft. | 24 sq. ft. | — | — | 1 per entrance | One per vehicular entrance. | — | Sec. 36-823(13), Table 18.6 |
| Temporary Real Estate Sign | 6 ft. | 6 sq. ft. | — | — | 1 per street frontage | One per parcel for each public street frontage. | — | Sec. 36-823(15), Table 18.6 |

### Central Business District (CBD)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Temporary Sandwich Board Sign | 42 in | 12 sq. ft. | 30 in | — | 1 per public entrance | At public entrance, on private property or public sidewalk, adjacent to building wall or curb. | — | Sec. 36-825(9), Table 18.6 |
| Wall Sign | — | — | Not to exceed 90% of building facade width (general standard) | — | 1 per business | Flat against building facade. | — | Table 18.6, Sec. 36-825(4), Sec. 36-828 |
| Canopy Sign | — | — | Not to exceed 90% of building facade width | — | 1 per business | On canopy attached to building. | — | Table 18.6, Sec. 36-825(4), Sec. 36-828 |
| Projecting/Canopy Sign | — | 12 sq. ft. | — | 2 ft from street curbline; cannot project more than 6 ft over public right-of-way. | 1 per business | On building exterior, projects outward. | — | Table 18.6, Sec. 36-825(6), Sec. 36-828 |
| Hanging Sign | — | 6 sq. ft. | — | — | — | On face or underside of canopy. | — | Sec. 36-825(5), Table 18.6 |
| Directional Sign | 4 ft. | 4 sq. ft. | — | — | 1 per driveway | At approved driveway | — | Table 18.6, Sec. 36-825(7) |
| Pylon or Ground Sign - Typical Site | 4 ft. | 12 sq. ft. | — | — | 1 per lot | — | — | Table 18.6, Footnote 3, Sec. 36-825(12), (13) |
| Pylon or Ground Sign - Gateway Site | 6 ft. | 20 sq. ft. | — | — | 1 per street frontage | — | — | Table 18.6, Footnote 3, Sec. 36-825(12) |

### General Business District (GBD)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Wall Sign | — | 100 sq. ft. | Not to exceed 90% width of facade | — | 1 per business | — | — | Table 18.6, Sec. 36-825(4), (13), Sec. 36-828 |
| Canopy Sign | — | — | Not to exceed 90% width of facade | — | 1 per business | On canopy attached to building. | — | Table 18.6, Sec. 36-825(4) |
| Projecting Sign | — | 34 sq. ft. | — | At least 6 ft from public right-of-way. | 1 per business | On building exterior, projects outward. | — | Table 18.6, Sec. 36-825(6) |
| Directional Sign | 4 ft. | 4 sq. ft. | — | — | 1 per driveway | At approved driveway | — | Table 18.6, Sec. 36-825(7) |
| Pylon or Ground Sign - General | 15 ft. | 40 sq. ft. | — | — | 1 per lot | — | — | Table 18.6, Sec. 36-825(12), (Footnote 4) |
| Pylon Sign (Multi-tenant Business Center) | 15 ft. | 50 sq. ft. | — | — | 1 per lot | — | — | Table 18.6, Footnote 4 |
| Sandwich Board Sign | 36 in. | 6 sq. ft. | 24 in. | — | 1 per business | Next to building or within 10 ft of right-of-way | — | Sec. 36-825(10), Table 18.6 |
| Sandwich Board Sign (Special Event Temporary Sign) | 36 in. | 6 sq. ft. | 24 in. | — | 1 per business (special event) | Next to building or within 10 ft of right-of-way | — | Sec. 36-825(11), Table 18.6 |

## Prohibited signs in Goodrich

- Signs which obstruct free access or egress from any building.
- Signs which in any way simulate or could be confused with the lighting of emergency vehicles or traffic signals.
- Signs which obstruct or impair the vision of motorists or nonmotorized travelers at any intersection, driveway, within a parking lot or loading area.
- Signs having moving members or parts, or using high intensity or flashing lights, spinners or animated devices.
- Nonregulatory signs placed in any public right-of-way, attached to a utility pole or affixed to a tree.
- Portable signs, as defined, unless otherwise provided for in this chapter.

## Signs exempt from permit in Goodrich

- Nameplate: address, owner or occupant nameplate and other signs of up to two square feet in area attached to a mailbox, light fixture or an exterior wall.
- Integral signs: names of buildings, dates of erection, monumental citations, commemorative tablets when carved into stone, concrete or similar material.
- Home occupation identification sign: provided that it is a legal home occupation in a residential district, there is only one sign per parcel, attached to an exterior building wall and does not exceed one square foot in area.
- Permanent signs of a religious institution, school, museum, library, community recreation facility or other nonprofit organization/institutional bulletin boards that are permanent signs which do not exceed 25 square feet in area, are a maximum of six feet in height, and meet the illumination standards of this chapter.
- Construction signs: only one such sign per development project; with a maximum height of six feet; not exceeding 16 square feet in area and erected during the construction period only and removed within 14 days of the date an occupancy permit is issued.
- Garage sale and estate sale signs: only one sign per premises; on-premises only and entirely on private property; do not exceed six square feet in area; erected no more than ten business days before and removed within one business day after the announced sale.
- Historical marker: plaques or signs describing state or national designation as an historic site or structure and/or containing narrative, not exceeding 12 square feet in area.
- Signs not exceeding a total of two square feet per business indicating acceptance of credit cards or describing business affiliations and attached to a permitted sign, exterior wall, building entrance or window.
- Signs on vending machines, gas pumps, and ice containers indicating the contents, provided the sign on each device does not exceed two square feet in area.
- Signs atop gasoline service station pumps announcing on-premises sales, not exceeding two square feet in area and signs on gas station pump islands or their structural supports identifying "self-serve" and "full-serve" operations.
- Noncommercial signs: signs containing noncommercial messages, such as those designating the location of public telephones, restrooms, restrictions on smoking and restrictions on building entrances, provided such signs do not exceed two square feet in area.
- Flags or insignia of any nation, state, the village, community organization, educational institution, noncommercial enterprise, college or university.
- Identification of residential community: one permanent sign per vehicular entrance identifying residential developments such as subdivisions, apartment complexes, condominium communities, senior housing complexes, mobile home parks and similar uses, with a maximum height of six feet and not exceeding 24 square feet in area (unless integrally designed as part of an ornamental wall).
- Political signs: provided that the property contains an occupied structure, signs are not placed within the public street right-of-way, and signs are spaced at least ten feet apart.
- Real estate signs: one per parcel for each public street frontage, maximum height six feet, not exceeding six square feet in area within residential districts, 12 square feet in area for all other districts, and must be removed within five days of occupancy by purchaser or lessee.
- Regulatory, directional and street signs erected by a public agency in compliance with Michigan Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices Manual.
- Window signs within the building, provided such signs do not occupy more than 50 percent of the window area and the clear window portion is located to allow security monitoring from the street.
- Warning signs, such as no trespassing, warning of electrical currents or animals, provided such signs do not exceed two square feet in area.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- No regulated sign shall be erected or altered until approved by the zoning administrator and until a permit has been issued.
- Sign permits shall be obtained from the village prior to the erection or replacement of any regulated sign.
- Applications for sign permits shall be submitted to the village administrator for review. Permits issued following zoning administrator and building official approval and inspection.
- A special event sandwich board sign in the general business district requires a special event sign permit from the zoning administrator.

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

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