# Sign Regulations in Edina, Minnesota

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Edina, Minnesota (MN)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/minnesota/edina
- **Data last verified:** 2025-05-07
- **Source:** [municode municipal code](https://library.municode.com/MN/Edina/codes/Code_of_Ordinances?nodeId=SPBLADERE_CH36ZO_ARTXIIISI)

## At a glance

Edina, Minnesota regulates 63 sign types across 10 zoning districts. Noncommercial Opinion Sign (Residential Districts, R-1 and R-2)s in the General Regulations For All Zones zoning district are capped at 6 feet tall and 6 square feet (Sec. Sec. 36-1658(1)). Most commercial signs in Edina require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (10 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 22 | 10 feet (freestanding sign) | 32 square feet (10 or more dwelling units or any new nonresidential principal use building); 6 square feet (residential buildings fewer than 10 dwelling units) | — |
| R-1, R-2, PRD-1 | 9 | 30 feet | 550 square feet (including sponsor panels) | — |
| All residential districts except R-1, R-2, PRD-1 and the Mixed Development District | 3 | 6 feet | 24 square feet | — |
| Automobile Parking District | 1 | 6 feet | 6 square feet | — |
| PCD-1, PCD-2 | 5 | 8 feet | 80 square feet | — |
| PCD-3 | 3 | 20 feet | 100 square feet | — |
| PCD-4 | 3 | 20 feet | 80 square feet | — |
| Regional Medical District, Planned Office District | 5 | 8 feet | part of 120 sq ft combined total (no individual sign more than 80 sq ft) | — |
| Planned Industrial District | 5 | 8 feet | part of 120 sq ft combined total (no individual sign more than 80 sq ft) | — |
| Mixed Development District, MDD-3, MDD-4, MDD-5, MDD-6 | 17 | 8 feet | 100 square feet | — |

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements (sample of 3 of 10 zones)

### General Regulations For All Zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Noncommercial Opinion Sign (Residential Districts, R-1 and R-2) | 6 feet | 6 square feet | — | — | 1 per lot | Per lot | — | Sec. 36-1658(1) |
| Noncommercial Opinion Sign (All Other Residential Districts) | 6 feet | 15 square feet | — | — | 1 per lot | Per lot | — | Sec. 36-1658(1) |
| Noncommercial Opinion Sign (All Nonresidential Districts) | 6 feet | 16 square feet | — | — | 1 per lot | Per lot | — | Sec. 36-1658(2) |
| Temporary Construction Sign (New Buildings) | 10 feet (freestanding sign) | 32 square feet (10 or more dwelling units or any new nonresidential principal use building); 6 square feet (residential buildings fewer than 10 dwelling units) | — | — | 1 per qualifying site | Construction site | — | Sec. 36-1660 |
| Temporary For Sale Sign (Existing Buildings & Vacant Land) | 8 feet (freestanding) | 16 square feet (nonresidential, residential 10+ units, or vacant land); 32 square feet (if abutting highway 50 mph+ and oriented to such highway); 10 square feet (R-1/R-2 or residential under 10 units) | — | — | 1 per building or vacant lot or tract | Per building or vacant lot or tract | — | Sec. 36-1661 |
| Traffic Directional Sign | — | 6 square feet | — | — | — | Private property only | — | Sec. 36-1664 |
| Garage/Estate Sale Sign | — | 6 square feet | — | — | 1 per frontage | Lot where sale occurs | — | Sec. 36-1672 |
| Home Security Sign | — | 1 square foot | — | — | 1 per frontage | Per frontage | — | Sec. 36-1673 |

### R-1, R-2, PRD-1

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Nameplate or Address Sign | 6 feet | 2 square feet | — | — | 1 per dwelling unit | Per dwelling unit | — | Sec. 36-1711 |
| Building Identification Sign - Wall (churches, schools, golf courses, public facilities only) | — | 24 square feet | — | — | 1 per building | Wall | — | Sec. 36-1711 |
| Building Identification Sign - Freestanding (churches, schools, golf courses, public facilities only) | 8 feet | 36 square feet | — | — | 1 per frontage | Freestanding, 1 per frontage | — | Sec. 36-1711 |
| Area Identification Sign | 6 feet | 24 square feet | — | — | 1 per development | One per development | — | Sec. 36-1711 |
| Public Park Identification Sign | 6 feet | 24 square feet | — | — | 1 per frontage | Public park frontage | — | Sec. 36-1711 |
| Scoreboard (Field No. 1 Courtney Field and Kuhlman Stadium) | 30 feet | 550 square feet (including sponsor panels) | — | — | 1 per field | Field No. 1 Courtney Field, Kuhlman Stadium | — | Sec. 36-1711 |
| Scoreboard (Van Valkenburg Park and Braemar Park except Courtney Fld #1) | 20 feet | 200 square feet (including sponsor panels) | — | — | 1 per field | Van Valkenburg Park, Braemar Park (except Field No. 1) | — | Sec. 36-1711 |
| Scoreboard (All other public parks, schools, golf courses) | 20 feet | 100 square feet | — | — | 1 per field | Public parks, schools, golf courses | — | Sec. 36-1711 |

### Mixed Development District, MDD-3, MDD-4, MDD-5, MDD-6

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Area Identification Sign (MDD-3, MDD-4) | 8 feet | 50 square feet | — | — | 1 per frontage | One per development per frontage | — | Sec. 36-1717(1)(a) |
| Area Identification Sign (MDD-5 First Sign) | 8 feet | 70 square feet | — | — | 1 per frontage | First sign per development per frontage | — | Sec. 36-1717(1)(b) |
| Area Identification Sign (MDD-5 Additional Sign) | 8 feet | 40 square feet | — | — | — | Additional per frontage | — | Sec. 36-1717(1)(b) |
| Area Identification Sign (MDD-6 First Sign) | 8 feet | 100 square feet | — | — | 1 per frontage | First sign per development per frontage | — | Sec. 36-1717(1)(b) |
| Area Identification Sign (MDD-6 Additional Sign) | 8 feet | 70 square feet | — | — | — | Additional per frontage | — | Sec. 36-1717(1)(b) |
| Building Identification Sign: Residential - Option 1 (Freestanding) | 8 feet | 24 square feet | — | — | — | Freestanding per building | — | Sec. 36-1717(2) |
| Building Identification Sign: Residential - Option 2 (Wall) | 8 feet | 6 square feet | — | — | — | Wall per building | — | Sec. 36-1717(2) |
| Intra-area Directory Sign | 6 feet | 10 square feet | — | — | 1 per major entry | One per major entry from public street to development | — | Sec. 36-1717(3) |

## Prohibited signs in Edina

- Non-accessory signs are prohibited in all districts.
- Indecent signs containing offensive or indecent symbols, pictures, or written material are prohibited in all districts.
- Roof signs are prohibited in all districts.
- Motion signs, defined as any sign which revolves, rotates, or has any moving parts, are prohibited in all districts.
- Portable signs, defined as movable signs not permanently attached to the ground or a structure, are prohibited in all districts.
- Signs, other than governmental signs, which are attached to utility poles, streetlights, or trees are prohibited in all districts.
- Searchlights or beacons are prohibited in all districts.
- Vehicles with signs exceeding two square feet in area may not be parked within 50 feet of a public road right-of-way, may not bear a sign constructed of non-integral materials, and may not be parked in a location visible from public streets for longer than four hours during any 24-hour period; intent is to prohibit vehicles used primarily as signage.
- Neon, LED, or fiber optic light sources which are not within the permitted sign area are prohibited.
- Abandoned signs are prohibited.
- Billboard signs are prohibited.
- All signs shall be constructed in a safe, substantial manner and in compliance with the code and must be maintained in a safe, presentable, and structurally sound condition.
- No sign shall change color or intensity more frequently than once per hour, except signs giving time, date, temperature, or weather information.
- All incandescent bulbs or fluorescent tubes, except neon, LED, or fiber optic light sources, must be shielded with opaque or translucent materials.
- No sign visible from a residential district and located within 200 feet of such district shall be illuminated between 10:00 PM and 7:00 AM, except when the use is open for business.
- No sign shall be placed within any street right-of-way except for governmental regulatory signs and campaign signs as permitted.
- No freestanding sign (except governmental signs and some campaign signs) shall be placed within 20 feet of the traveled portion of any public street.
- No sign shall be erected or placed within 50 feet of any regulatory sign, warning sign, traffic sign or signal, or crosswalk unless approved by the city planner.
- No sign shall be erected or placed in the clear view zone, with limited exceptions for certain freestanding signs.
- When more than one sign is permitted due to multiple frontages, each permitted sign must be oriented toward its respective frontage; combining sign rights for larger or additional signs oriented to one frontage is prohibited.

## Signs exempt from permit in Edina

- Temporary window signs placed within a building and not exceeding 25 percent of the window area may be erected or displayed without a permit.
- Signs having a total area of six square feet or less may be erected or displayed without a permit.
- Governmental signs and signs erected by the city public schools may be erected or displayed without a permit.
- Temporary signs as listed in sections 36-1657 (noncommercial signs), 36-1658 (noncommercial opinion signs), 36-1660 (temporary construction signs), and 36-1661 (temporary for sale or leasing signs) may be erected or displayed without a permit.
- Memorial signs or tablets less than six square feet in area containing the name of the building, its use, and date of erection when cut or built into the walls of the building and constructed of bronze, brass, stone, or marble may be displayed without a permit.
- Signs which are completely within a building and are not visible from the outside of said building may be erected or displayed without a permit.
- Temporary subdivision and rezoning signs, as required by chapter 32 and this chapter, may be erected or displayed without a permit.
- Signs located on the interior of a building and not visible from outside are exempt from all provisions of the article and do not require permits or fees.
- Temporary subdivision and rezoning signs as required by other chapters are exempt from the article and do not require permits or fees.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- There is no specific language in the provided text regarding the requirement for a master sign plan or sign plan for new developments.
- Variance requests related to signs must be filed with the city planner and are heard by the planning commission; appeals to their decisions may be made to the city council.
- Permit applications must include a scaled drawing showing sign size, placement, construction, illumination, and other information as required by the planner.
- A permit is required for all signs except as explicitly exempted, as per Sec 36-1545 and Sec 36-1547.
- No explicit mention of a required master sign plan or formal sign plan for multi-tenant or planned developments in the body of this ordinance.

## 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 10 zoning districts in Edina — every sign type, every field — are available with a free PermitPal account: https://app.permitpal.io/?address=Edina+MN&override=true&utm_source=landing&utm_medium=city-page&utm_campaign=city-edina

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