# Sign Regulations in Emily, Minnesota

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

- **Jurisdiction:** Emily, Minnesota (MN)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/minnesota/emily
- **Data last verified:** 2025-04-19

## At a glance

Emily, Minnesota regulates 16 sign types across 4 zoning districts. Freestanding Sign ( >= 40 mph zone )s in the Commercial districts (Shoreland Commercial, Downtown Mixed Use, Commercial Transition/Light Industrial) zoning district are capped at 20 ft. tall and 128 sq. ft. (64 sq. ft. per side) (Sec. § 152.070 (D)(2)(c)1, (D)(2)(c)3, (D)(2)(c)5). Most commercial signs in Emily require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (4 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 4 | — | 9 sq. ft. | — |
| Residential districts (Highway Mixed Use, Shoreline Residential, Neighborhood Residential, Rural Preservation, Forest Preservation, Forest Residential) | 4 | — | 32 sq. ft. | — |
| Commercial districts (Shoreland Commercial, Downtown Mixed Use, Commercial Transition/Light Industrial) | 7 | 20 ft. | 128 sq. ft. (64 sq. ft. per side) | — |
| Recreational district | 2 | 10 ft. | 48 sq. ft. | — |

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

### General Regulations For All Zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| General Sign | — | — | — | 10 feet from right-of-way intersection (excluding temporary signs) | — | — | — | § 152.070 (B)(2)-(3), (B)(8)-(12), (C) |
| Temporary Sign - Construction, Sale, or Rental | — | 9 sq. ft. | — | — | — | On premises related to the construction, sale, or rental | — | § 152.070 (B)(5) |
| Temporary Sign - Special Event (incl. Streamers, Portable Signs) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | § 152.070 (B)(6) |
| Street Identification Sign / No Hunting or Trespassing / Political Signs | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | § 152.070 (B)(9) |

### Residential districts (Highway Mixed Use, Shoreline Residential, Neighborhood Residential, Rural Preservation, Forest Preservation, Forest Residential)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| On-site Sign | — | 3 sq. ft. | — | — | 1 per parcel | On property (one sign per parcel) | — | § 152.070 (D)(1)(a)-(c) |
| On-site Sign (Home Occupation) | — | 6 sq. ft. | — | — | 1 per parcel | On property with permitted home occupation | — | § 152.070 (D)(1)(b)-(c) |
| On-site Sign (Home Occupation/Business on State Highway or County Road >= 55 mph) | — | 32 sq. ft. | — | — | 1 per parcel | For home occupation/business on property fronting state highway/county road in 55 mph+ zone | — | § 152.070 (D)(1)(b)-(c) |
| Temporary Subdivision Sign | — | 32 sq. ft. | — | — | 1 per subdivision | On private property within and directly adjacent to new subdivision | — | § 152.070 (D)(1)(d) |

### Commercial districts (Shoreland Commercial, Downtown Mixed Use, Commercial Transition/Light Industrial)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Wall Sign / Banner Sign (Facade Area Signage) | — | — | — | — | — | On principal structure facade abutting and parallel to road right-of-way | — | § 152.070 (D)(2)(b)-(b)4 |
| Freestanding Sign ( >= 40 mph zone ) | 20 ft. | 128 sq. ft. (64 sq. ft. per side) | — | — | 1 per property per roadway (corner lots only) | On property, subject to setbacks and sight line protection | — | § 152.070 (D)(2)(c)1, (D)(2)(c)3, (D)(2)(c)5 |
| Freestanding Sign ( < 40 mph zone, single business ) | 15 ft. | 96 sq. ft. (48 sq. ft. per side) | — | — | 1 per property per roadway (corner lots only) | On property, subject to setbacks and sight line protection | — | § 152.070 (D)(2)(c)2, (D)(2)(c)3, (D)(2)(c)5 |
| Freestanding Sign ( < 40 mph zone, multiple businesses ) | 15 ft. | 96 sq. ft. + 10 sq. ft. per business after the first (48 sq. ft. per side) | — | — | 1 per property per roadway (corner lots only) | On property, subject to setbacks and sight line protection | — | § 152.070 (D)(2)(c)2, (D)(2)(c)3, (D)(2)(c)5 |
| Wall Sign / Attached Sign (Protruding > 2 ft) | — | — | — | — | — | On structure | — | § 152.070 (D)(2)(c)4 |
| Sign in Shore Impact Zone (Watercraft-Oriented Use) | 10 ft. above ground | 32 sq. ft. | — | — | — | Within shore impact zone, not on public waters | — | § 152.070 (D)(2)(f)2-3 |
| Conditional Use Sign | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | § 152.070 (D)(2)(e) |

## Prohibited signs in Emily

- All flashing or lighted revolving signs and all portable signs are prohibited, except as specifically allowed in this section.
- Residential and commercial signs may not contain elements commonly used by highway departments to alert, direct or caution traffic such as, but not limited to, octagonal stop signs or speed limit signs.
- No signs, except for official traffic signs, shall be placed on or overhang public property, except where specific permission is granted by the Planning Commission.
- All signs must be constructed and maintained in a professional manner.
- Off-site signs are prohibited, except for residential or commercial directory signs.
- All signs, excluding temporary signs, shall be set back ten feet from a right-of-way intersection.

## Signs exempt from permit in Emily

- Street identification signs, no hunting or trespassing signs and temporary signs endorsing a political candidate, party or issue during an election season are allowed without a permit.
- Signs placed by the city, county or state to relate the laws or ordinances are exempt from permits.
- Signs exempted in division (B) above do not require a zoning permit.

## Sign plan & submission notes

- Property owners seeking to display more signs than what are allowed or seeking allowances outside of what is allowed may obtain permission to do so by conditional use permit, which requires submittal of a sign concept plan for the entire parcel.
- Such applications for a conditional use permit for signage must include a sign concept plan and are evaluated for necessity, alternatives, continuity with adjacent signage, aesthetic impacts, and perceived effectiveness.

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

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