# Sign Regulations in Standish, Michigan

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Standish, Michigan (MI)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/michigan/standish
- **Data last verified:** 2026-01-16
- **Source:** [other municipal code](https://www.cityofstandish.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/ordinance244.pdf)

## At a glance

Standish, Michigan regulates 15 sign types across 2 zoning districts. Free-Standing Sign (Individual Business)s in the R-1 - Low Density Residential District; R-2 - Medium Density Residential District; O-R - Office Residential District; C-1 - Central Business District; C-2 - General Business District; IND - Industrial District; GC - Greenbelt Conservation District; CO - Corridor Overlay District zoning district are capped at Max 36 feet tall and If multiple sign faces are on the same support, cumulative area may not exceed 200 sq ft, with a At least 1 foot behind state and local right-of-way and easement lines setback (Sec. Definitions Section 3(12); Section 14(1)(d)). Most commercial signs in Standish require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (2 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| R-1 - Low Density Residential District; R-2 - Medium Density Residential District; O-R - Office Residential District; C-1 - Central Business District; C-2 - General Business District; IND - Industrial District; GC - Greenbelt Conservation District; CO - Corridor Overlay District | 12 | Max 36 feet | Max 400 sq ft total whether single or multiple signs on the same support | — |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 3 | — | No individual sign may exceed 200 sq ft; total square footage of all signs per establishment must not exceed 400 sq ft cumulatively | — |

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements

### R-1 - Low Density Residential District; R-2 - Medium Density Residential District; O-R - Office Residential District; C-1 - Central Business District; C-2 - General Business District; IND - Industrial District; GC - Greenbelt Conservation District; CO - Corridor Overlay District

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Wall Sign | — | No individual sign may exceed 200 sq ft; cumulative per establishment <= 400 sq ft across all signs (general cap) | — | — | — | Attached, painted, or presented on the exterior wall of a building | — | Definitions Section 3(31); Section 14(1)(a) and Section 14(1)(c) |
| Roof Sign | Not higher than 2 feet above the roof peak | May not exceed 50% of the roof area on the side of the roof where attached | — | — | — | On a building roof | — | Section 14(1)(b) |
| Free-Standing Sign (Individual Business) | Max 36 feet | If multiple sign faces are on the same support, cumulative area may not exceed 200 sq ft | — | At least 1 foot behind state and local right-of-way and easement lines | — | Erected on a free-standing frame, mast or pole and not attached to a building | — | Definitions Section 3(12); Section 14(1)(d) |
| Projecting Sign | May not project more than 6 feet above a roof line | — | Outer edge must not project more than 6 feet away from the building/support | Bottom edge must be at least 8 feet above ground level | — | Attached to and projecting perpendicular from a building wall or other supporting structure | — | Section 14(1)(e) |
| Business or Shopping Center Sign | Max 36 feet | Max 400 sq ft total whether single or multiple signs on the same support | — | At least 1 foot behind state and local right-of-way and easement lines | — | Free-standing identification/directional sign for a business/shopping center (two or more contiguous stores on >= 2 acres) | — | Definitions Section 3(3); Section 14(1)(f) |
| Gas/Auto Uses - Freestanding Identification Sign | — | — | — | — | One freestanding identification sign | Freestanding sign advertising the name of the station/garage and principal products sold on the premises | — | Section 14(1)(h)1 |
| Gas/Auto Uses - Door/Bay Directional Signage | Letter height max 15 inches | Max 6 sq ft per sign | — | — | Max 1 per entrance/bay | Displayed over individual entrance doors or bays | — | Section 14(1)(h)2 |
| Gas Stations - Pump Signage | — | Max 3 sq ft on each pump for brand name, lead warning, price indicator, and other signs required by law | — | — | — | On gasoline pumps | — | Section 14(1)(h)3 |

### General Regulations For All Zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| All Signs (Aggregate Limits) | — | No individual sign may exceed 200 sq ft; total square footage of all signs per establishment must not exceed 400 sq ft cumulatively | — | — | Max 3 signs per establishment | — | — | Section 14(1); Sections 4–7 |
| Temporary Sign - Portable Sign | — | Max 32 sq ft | — | — | — | — | — | Section 12; Section 13(4) |
| Temporary Sign - Pennants, Banners, Pinwheels, Ribbons, Streamers, and Similar Devices | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Section 12 |

## Prohibited signs in Standish

- Moving signs are prohibited.
- Signs or posters attached to fences, trees, utility poles, benches, street lights, or placed on any public right-of-way are prohibited (except official government signs).
- Abandoned signs, including their support structures, are prohibited.
- Portable signs are prohibited except as allowed for temporary signs under Section 12 and community special event signs under Section 11(8).
- Signs with crude, indecent, vulgar, debasing, or explicitly sexual content are prohibited.
- Signs that advertise matters fraudulently or contrary to State or Federal law are prohibited.
- Signs that use picture projection or emit sound, odor, or visible matter are prohibited.
- Signs that resemble official traffic signs or bear words such as “Stop,” “Go Slow,” “Caution,” “Danger,” “Warning,” or similar are prohibited.
- Signs that conflict with local or state zoning laws or ordinances are prohibited.
- Signs that, due to size, location, content, coloring, or manner of illumination, may be confused with a traffic control sign or emergency vehicle, or that obstruct the view of any traffic sign or control device, are prohibited.
- Multi-prism signs are prohibited.
- Signs with bare exposed light bulbs are prohibited.
- Off-premises signs (billboards) are prohibited.

## Signs exempt from permit in Standish

- Official government signs deemed necessary for public health, safety, or welfare.
- Signs required by law to be displayed.
- Seasonal holiday decorations and greetings that do not interfere with traffic safety.
- Signs painted on or permanently attached to legally licensed motor vehicles primarily used for transportation, provided the vehicle is not parked primarily to advertise a project or service.
- Professional or nameplate signs up to 3 square feet located on a building.
- Non-commercial informational signs up to 2 square feet (e.g., restroom locations, telephones, no trespassing, no dumping, no loitering).
- One residential merchandise/garage sale sign per lot up to 6 square feet; not within the public right-of-way or on utility poles; property owner/occupant consent required; may be removed by the City without notice if in violation.
- Community special event signs approved by the City Council.
- Real estate signs up to 6 square feet in area and 6 feet in height; allowed in the required front yard or attached to a building; not in the public right-of-way; must be removed within 30 days after sale or lease.
- Political signs up to 6 square feet in area and 4 feet in height; allowed in the required front yard or attached to a building; not in the public right-of-way; may be displayed for no more than 60 days before and 10 days after an election; property owner/occupant permission required; not affixed to public property or utility poles and subject to removal without notice by the City if violated.
- Signs designating the location of parking areas.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- No master sign plan requirement is stated in the ordinance.
- A sign permit is required before erecting, constructing, enlarging, moving, converting, or substantially altering any sign; routine copy changes, repainting, cleaning, and normal maintenance or repair of permitted or nonconforming signs do not require a new permit if the sign is not substantially altered.
- Permit applications must include owner/applicant information, site address, business association, total display area, proposed setback from right-of-way, sign type, purpose, height, building/lot dimensions, and drawings showing size, heights, colors, content, structural character, method and extent of illumination, and materials.
- Temporary signs require prior registration with the City Manager or designee; no fee is required, but a sign permit must be submitted. Portable temporary signs up to 32 square feet are allowed for up to 90 days within any six-month period; pennants, banners, pinwheels, ribbons, streamers, and similar devices may be displayed for up to 30 consecutive days.
- Community special event signs require City Council approval to be exempt from permitting.
- Permit denials may be appealed to the City Council; an appeal must be filed within 30 days of denial.
- Variances from the ordinance are considered by the City Council at a public meeting. Applicants must submit site drawings, photographs, or other materials. The Council evaluates uniqueness/practical difficulty, precedent concerns, substantial justice, and impacts on other properties. A variance request fee applies.

## Full detail

Complete sign requirements for Standish, including every field PermitPal tracks for each sign type, are available with a free PermitPal account: https://app.permitpal.io/?address=Standish+MI&override=true&utm_source=landing&utm_medium=city-page&utm_campaign=city-standish

---

PermitPal — AI sign code research. Full HTML page: https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/michigan/standish