# Sign Regulations in Orchard Lake Village, Michigan

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Orchard Lake Village, Michigan (MI)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/michigan/orchard-lake-village
- **Data last verified:** 2025-05-08
- **Source:** [municode municipal code](https://library.municode.com/MI/Orchard_Lake_Village/codes/Zoning_Ordinance?nodeId=ZONING_ARTIV-ASI)

## At a glance

Orchard Lake Village, Michigan regulates 24 sign types across 4 zoning districts. Freestanding Sign - 250 ft or less frontages in the Office District, Commercial District zoning district are capped at 6 ft (overall structure) tall, 24 sq. ft., and 6 ft. wide, with a Min 5 ft from front, side, sidewalk, and driveway; 50 ft from any residential district setback (Sec. Section 4A.08.F). Most commercial signs in Orchard Lake Village require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (4 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Residential District | 6 | 5 ft. | 25 sq. ft. | — |
| Office District, Commercial District | 15 | 6 ft (overall structure) | 75% of freestanding sign area (see Freestanding Sign specifications) | — |
| Nonresidential District | 4 | — | 18 in. for businesses (street address numbers) | — |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 2 | 5 ft. | 16 sq. ft. | — |

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements (sample of 3 of 4 zones)

### Residential District

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Nameplate and Street Address Sign | — | 6 sq. in. numeral height for residences, 18 sq. in. numeral height for businesses | — | — | — | Affixed to premises | — | Section 4A.05.A.1; Section 4A.07.A |
| Temporary Signs - Real Estate Sign (Sale or Lease of business or vacant lot) | 3 ft. | 4 sq. ft. | — | Minimum setback 10 ft from the traveled portion of the road. Permission of placement must be obtained from the property owner abutting the road. | 1 per parcel (with corner/lakefront exceptions) | Portable freestanding sign on property being sold or leased | — | Section 4A.05.C; Temporary Sign Standards Table; Footnote B |
| Temporary Signs - Real Estate Sign (Sale within 4 or more lots/dwelling units) | 5 ft. | 16 sq. ft. | — | Minimum setback 10 ft from the traveled portion of the road. Permission of placement must be obtained from the property owner abutting the road. | Per access road (see additional requirements) | Portable freestanding sign on property being sold/leased | — | Section 4A.05.C; Temporary Sign Standards Table; Footnote C |
| Temporary Signs - Garage Sale Sign | 5 ft. | 4 sq. ft. | — | Minimum setback 10 ft from the traveled portion of the road. | 2 | Freestanding or wall sign on property | — | Section 4A.05.C; Temporary Sign Standards Table |
| Temporary Signs - Election/Political Sign | 5 ft. | 16 sq. ft. | — | Minimum setback 10 ft from the traveled portion of the road. | Not specified | Freestanding or wall sign on property | — | Section 4A.05.C; Temporary Sign Standards Table |
| Residential Entranceway or Identification Sign | 5 ft. | 25 sq. ft. | — | 10 ft from property line or right-of-way line | 1 per entrance | At each entrance to subdivision or residential development | — | Section 4A.07.C; 4A.05.B.27 |

### Office District, Commercial District

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Temporary Signs - Real Estate Sign | 5 ft. | 12 sq. ft. | — | Minimum setback 10 ft from the traveled portion of the road. | 1 per parcel (with corner/lakefront exceptions) | Portable freestanding or wall sign on the property for sale/lease | — | Section 4A.05.C; Temporary Sign Standards Table; Footnote B |
| Temporary Signs - Election/Political Sign | 5 ft. | 16 sq. ft. | — | Minimum setback 10 ft. | Not specified | Freestanding or wall sign | — | Section 4A.05.C; Temporary Sign Standards Table |
| Wall Sign | Top of wall sign shall not be higher than: (a) maximum district height, (b) sill of windows above first story, (c) height of building facing street | 48 sq. ft. max | Shall not exceed 2/3 the width of building | — | 1 per street frontage per parcel; see allocation rules for tenants | On building wall facing street; one per street frontage (additional per corner tenants); tenants with shared entrance share 1 sign | — | Section 4A.08.E |
| Freestanding Sign - 250 ft or less frontage | 6 ft (overall structure) | 24 sq. ft. | 6 ft. | Min 5 ft from front, side, sidewalk, and driveway; 50 ft from any residential district | 1 per street frontage | 1 per street frontage per parcel | — | Section 4A.08.F |
| Freestanding Sign - more than 250 ft frontage | 6 ft (overall structure) | 32 sq. ft. | 8 ft. | Min 5 ft from front, side, sidewalk, and driveway; 50 ft from any residential district | 1 per street frontage | 1 per street frontage per parcel | — | Section 4A.08.F |
| Awning or Canopy Sign | — | Counts against permitted wall sign area | — | District setback applies | — | On awning or canopy on a building | — | Section 4A.08.G |
| Gasoline Price Sign | — | 10 sq. ft. | — | Per freestanding sign requirements | 1 per street frontage | 1 per street frontage at gasoline filling stations | — | Section 4A.08.H |
| Incidental Pump Island Sign | 2 ft above pumps | 4 sq. ft. per island (double-faced) | — | — | 1 per pump island | On each gasoline pump island | — | Section 4A.08.J.2 |

### General Regulations For All Zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Construction Sign (Temporary) | 5 ft. | 16 sq. ft. | — | Minimum 10 ft from traveled portion of road | 1 | Freestanding or wall sign on property under construction | — | Section 4A.05.C; Temporary Sign Standards Table; Footnotes H |
| Community Special Event Sign | 5 ft. | Subject to approval by Mayor; number, size, and height discretionary | — | Minimum 10 ft from traveled portion of road | As permitted | (Ground or wall signs, banners, pennants, or similar displays) | — | Section 4A.05.C; Temporary Sign Standards Table |

## Prohibited signs in Orchard Lake Village

- Any sign not expressly permitted.
- Signs which incorporate animated flashing, moving, rotary, and scrolling messages; however, time and temperature signs shall be permitted.
- Banners, pennants, festoons, spinners, and streamers, unless specifically permitted elsewhere in this Ordinance.
- String lights used for commercial purposes, other than holiday decorations. Holiday decorations shall be permitted for a period not to exceed sixty (60) days.
- Moving signs, including any sign that has any visible moving parts, visible revolving parts, visible mechanical movement, except for properly operating EMC signs or other visible movement caused by normal wind current.
- Any sign or sign structure which is structurally unsafe.
- Any sign or sign structure which constitutes a hazard to safety or health by reason of inadequate maintenance, dilapidation, or abandonment.
- Any sign or sign structure which is capable of causing electric shock to persons who come in contact with it.
- Any sign or sign structure which is not kept in good repair, such that it has broken parts, missing letters, or non-operational lights.
- Any sign erected on a tree or utility pole, except signs of a government or utility.
- Obsolete signs, as specified in Section 4A.03.
- Portable signs, except where expressly permitted in this Ordinance.
- Signs affixed to a parked vehicle or truck trailer that is being used principally for advertising purposes, rather than for transportation purposes.
- Any sign that obstructs free access to or egress from a required door, window, fire escape, driveway or other required exit from a building or premises.
- Any sign which by reason of its size, location, content, coloring, or manner or illumination, constitutes in the opinion of the Chief of Police and/or his/her designee, a traffic hazard or a detriment to traffic safety by obstructing the vision of drivers, by distracting drivers, or by obstructing, or detracting from the visibility of any traffic sign or control device on public streets and roads.
- Any sign that uses the words 'Stop', 'Look', or 'Danger', or any other words, phrases, symbols, or characters, in such a manner as to interfere with, mislead, or confuse traffic.
- Any sign unlawfully installed, erected, enlarged, altered, moved or maintained.
- Roof signs.
- Projecting signs.
- Sandwich signs.
- Signs on street furniture including, but not limited to, signs on benches and trash receptacles.
- Real estate signs no longer valid due to the sale, rental, or lease of the property.
- Off-premise advertising signs.
- Add-on signs.
- Any lighting when used as a border to define the edge or features of a building.
- Outline tubing signs in residential districts.
- Freestanding and pedestal signs that have more than two (2) faces.
- Cylindrical signs.
- Balloons or inflated devices of any kind whether containing written material or not.
- Illuminated signs and signs with reflective surfaces in residential districts, except permitted nameplate and street address signs, traffic control and directional signs, residential entranceway signs. Signs for permitted principal nonresidential uses in residential districts (such as churches) may be illuminated, and permitted nameplate and street address signs and traffic control and directional signs may have reflective surfaces.
- Use of glaring, unshielded, or undiffused lights or bulbs.
- Illumination by bare bulbs or flames.
- Sign illumination that could distract motorists or otherwise create a traffic hazard.
- No sign shall be located within, project into, or overhang a public right-of-way, except as otherwise permitted.
- Signs shall not cover architectural details such as arches, transom-windows, molding, columns, capitals, sills, cornices and similar details (in office and commercial districts).
- Back-lit awning or canopy signs.
- Electronic display signs which display static pictures with or without text and video display signs which display moving pictures with or without text.
- Scrolling text, flashing, whirling or dissolving transitions, or any other type of motion associated with an electronic sign.
- Holiday decorations exceeding 60 days.

## Signs exempt from permit in Orchard Lake Village

- Address numbers with a numeral height no greater than six (6) inches for residences and eighteen (18) inches for businesses, compliant with sign design standards and illumination standards.
- Memorial signs or tables in cemeteries.
- Signs on a bus, truck, trailer, or other vehicle while operated and used for transport in the normal course of a business, provided that the primary use of the vehicle displaying the sign shall not be for the purpose of advertising a business on the premises where the vehicle is parked.
- Public signs, including the authorized signs of a government body or public utility, including traffic signs, legal notices, railroad crossing signs, warnings of a hazard, and similar signs. Public emergency signs may be erected subject to approval by the Building Official.
- Flags bearing the official design of a nation, state, municipality, educational institution, or noncommercial organization.
- Incidental signs, subject to Section 4A.08(k) and provided that total of all such signs shall not exceed one (1) square foot.
- Traffic control signs which conform to the requirements of the Michigan Manual of Uniform Control Devices.
- Permanent signs on vending machines, gas pumps, or ice containers indicating only the contents of such devices, provided that the sign area of each device shall not exceed three (3) square feet.
- Real estate signs which advertise the rental, sale or lease of the property on which they are located, subject to requirements in Section 4A.05, subsection C.
- Portable real estate 'open house' signs with an area no greater than three (3) square feet.
- 'Help wanted' signs soliciting employees for the place of business where posted, provided only wall or window signs shall be permitted as an incidental sign for this purpose.
- Any sign which is located completely within an enclosed building, and which is not visible from outside.
- A plaque or sign designating a building as a historic structure, and providing the name of the building and date of construction. Such a sign may be cut into a masonry surface or constructed of bronze or similar material.
- 'No Trespassing,' 'No Hunting,' and 'No Dumping' signs.
- Signs used to direct vehicular or pedestrian traffic to parking areas, loading areas, or to certain buildings or locations on the site, subject to size and content requirements.
- Temporary window signs, subject to requirements in Section 4A.05, subsection C.
- Emergency 'Exit' signs and similar signs required by the Building Code, Fire Code or other applicable code.
- Signs that indicate an establishment is 'Open' or 'Close,' provided that no such sign shall exceed three (3) square feet in area.
- Ordinary servicing or repainting of an existing sign message, cleaning of a sign, or changing of the message on the sign where the sign is designed for such changes (such as lettering on a marquee or numbers on a gasoline price sign).

## Sign plan & submission notes

- No sign may be erected, relocated, enlarged, structurally changed, painted, or altered in the City unless in conformance with the standards and procedures set forth in this Article, including the issuance of a permit except as otherwise provided herein.
- Permit required before erecting, relocating, enlarging, or structurally changing a sign, unless specifically exempted.
- Application for a sign permit must be made on forms provided by the Building Official and must include plans and specifications showing dimensions, lettering style, color, materials, method of construction, illumination, and attachment.
- Signs proposed in conjunction with proposed construction of a new building or addition to an existing building shall be reviewed by the Planning Commission as a part of the required site plan review; the proposed sign shall be shown on the site plan.
- Signs placed on sites or buildings where no other new construction is proposed are reviewed administratively by the Building Official.
- Color rendering and/or photometric plan may be required for electronic message center (EMC) signs as part of site plan review or administrative review.
- Building Official may require a maintenance agreement for entranceway signs.
- A new sign permit is not required for certain exempt signs listed in Section 4A.05, subsection A.
- An electrical permit is always required for all signs that use electricity, even if exempt from a sign permit.
- Appeals of permit denials or correction/removal orders may be made to the Zoning Board of Appeals.
- The Building Official may require a performance bond to assure removal of temporary signs upon expiration of the permitted duration.

## 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 4 zoning districts in Orchard Lake Village — every sign type, every field — are available with a free PermitPal account: https://app.permitpal.io/?address=Orchard+Lake+Village+MI&override=true&utm_source=landing&utm_medium=city-page&utm_campaign=city-orchard-lake-village

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